Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-01-04
Little Hans and the HareS.
BESSIE LEWIS.

BESSIE LEWIS.
A long time ago there lived poor
shoemaker, with his wife and child,
inst outside a great forest. Now, the
child, whose name was Hans, was not
much more than foot high, and lie
could run as fast and jump as high as
any hare in the forest.
One day his mother went ont into
the meadow TO cut grass for the COW
and took little Hans with her. She
put him in nice, sunny place and, CIV
ing him some flowers, told him to stay
there while she went about her work.
As he was sitting there, playing with
the flowers, two little hares came hop
ping up.
"What a strange hare that is sitting
over there" said one, pointing with
his paw toward Hans.
Can you Jump" asked the other.
Hans laughed as he thought how he
had jumped in and out of his fathers
boots, and hoped on hands and feet
lust as the little hares had done.
"You must be one of us, said the
little hares, as they eyed Hans curi-
ously when he jumped and hoped in
real rabbit fashion on the grass.
Come aud play with us, they said.
SO all the long afternoon they
frolicked and chased one another, GO
ing further into the forest all the time.
By-and-by they came to the bush
where the Hare family lived.
"Who is that with you?" asked the
Papa Hare.
This is little stranger hare we met
10 1,tk
ones.
''No," said the Mamma Hare, ''that
is little child. He has probably
strayed from his mother, who by this
time is worrying about him. 1t IS too
late TO take him home now, so he must
stay here tonight and tomorrow we
will take him back to the meadow"
So they ate their supper of hares'
bread and clover and then went to bed.
But before Hans fell asleep the Mamma
Hare put a warm, soft hare's coat on
him so that he should not take cold.
"NOw you look Just like one of my
little ones" said she. "If / did not
know better | should think you were
a little hare.
Bright and early the next morning
Hans and the hares went the meadow.
They found his mother and father al
ready there. hunting for him and call
'pg, CLANS, little Hans, where art
thou?"
Here l am, - cried little Hans, run
AIng to them.
'"lhis cannot be our Hans. Oh, no;
slis is a young hare"
"But am your Hans" laughed he
jumping into his fathers arms. "But
these good hares, who have taken care
of me during the night, gave me this
hRre's coat "
1.-The good, kind haresl" exclaimed
the shoemaker. "What can We do to
reward them?"
"You can, if you will, replied the
Papa Hare, protect us from the fox
and the hunter"
I'VE will try to-" said the shoe
maker, shaking hands with the Papa
flare.
A few days later there was a knock
at the door, and when the shoemaker
opened it the fox sprang IN.
"Good morning, Mr.. Fox" SAID the
shoemaker. "What can We do for
your"
make me good pair of shoes, "
said the fox. ~ am gong to hunt
some hares, and l can't run fast enough
IN my old ones"
SO the shoemaker made him pair of
boots very clumsy and tight. They
hurt Mr. Fox's feet so much that he
could not run at all in them.
The shoemaker had put pitch into
each of the boots, so that once on they
could not be drawn of
"Now, friend Fox" thought the
good shoemaker, you can't do much
mischief to day"
Not very much later the Papa Hare
came running in.
"Oh, cried he, breathlessly, ''the
hunter Is after me.
"Quick, said Hans's mother, "hide
in the bed"
Then she dressed Hans in his hare,
coat.
Aardly had she done so when the
hunter strobe in.
"Where is the hare that Just now
ran into Your house?" he asked.
"Hare?" said the shoemaker "Now
you must mean my little Hans, who
wears, as you see, hare's coat
al though he was hare" said the
hunter, ''and almost shot him. How
will ever be able to tell the difference
after this2"
"Whenever yOu see hare, call out,
and If he stands up, and does not run
sway you will know it is Hans" said
the mother.
The hare, who overheard this. ever
after that stood still and did not run
away when he heard the hunter, and as
his other enemy, the fox, was soon
after shot he was safe to go where he
wished. And Hans never forgot the
hares. Even when he grew to be a
man he fed and sheltered them in win
ter, while they. IN return for his kind
ness, brought him hares' bread and at
Easter they filed a nest with red and
blus and yellow eggs.