"I didn't think," said Mary Jane. "I counted them; they had five noses
when we saw them before. I know because I can count one, two, three,
four, five!"

"You surely can," said Grandfather much puzzled, "then their mother
must have taken two away. Like as not she was after another one when
she saw us coming. Now cover them up good and warm, Mary Jane," he
added as he set the third bunny into the basket, "and we'll hurry off
home."

He let her carry the basket every bit of the way, and she was careful,
oh, so very careful, not to jiggle the bunnies as she walked.

When they got back to the porch Grandmother came out to watch them put
the bunnies onto the nice soft cotton she had fixed in the corner of
the box and she showed Mary Jane how to fix water and some freshly
picked lettuce for them.

"Now, then," she said, "that's enough for now. Dinner's ready and I
guess you're ready for it!"

Mary Jane was hungry enough to be willing to leave the rabbits long
enough to eat--but no longer. The minute she had finished she ran out
to watch her pets. She sat down on the grass beside the box and
watched and watched and watched, but those funny little fellows didn't
eat or do anything! They just stayed snuggled up in the soft cotton as
tight as ever they could.

"They feel strange and queer, just like you would if some one took you