The Mahatma and the Hare by H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard
page 24 of 79 (30%)
page 24 of 79 (30%)
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me. Well, I will go on with my story."
It must have been a moon or so later, after my mother had given up nursing me, that I went to lie out by myself. There was a big house on the hillside overlooking the sea, and near to it were gardens surrounded by a wall. Also outside of this wall was another patch of garden where cabbages grew. I found a way to those cabbages and kept it secret, for I was greedy and wanted them all for myself. I used to creep in at night and eat them, also some flowers with spiky leaves that grew round them which had a very fine flavour. Then after the dawn came I went to a form which I had made under a furze bush on the slope that ran down to the sea, and slept there. One day I was awakened by something white, hard, and round which rolled gently and stopped still quite close to me. It was not alive, although it had a queer smell, and I wondered why it moved at all. Presently I heard voices and there appeared a little man, and with him somebody who was not a man because it was differently dressed and spoke in a higher voice. I saw that they had sticks in their hands and thought of running away, then that it would be safer to lie quite close. They came up to me and the little man said-- "There's the ball; pick it up, Ella, the lie is too bad." She, for now I know it was what is called a girl, stooped to obey and saw my back. "Tom," she said in a whisper, "here's a young hare on its form." "Get out of the light," he answered, "and I'll kill it," and he lifted |
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