Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-10
A RABBIT STORY.
lTrom London snectator.l

write the biography of a common rab-
bit, but our Jack" is an exception to
the rule. We bought him from a poul-
terer at the door one day for Cd, so we
know nothing about his antecedents.
He grew into a huge brown creature,
and might easily have been taken for a
hare One of his ears was Topped, which
gave him a quizzical look which made
us often think he was laughing at us,
AS time went on he developed a sense
of humor seldom met with among ami
mails. Our fierce little Scotch terrier
tried many time to spoil his temper,
and at last Jack" resolved to have it
out with him and assert himself One
day, instead Of running away, as he was
expected to do, he turned saVagely on
his enemy, and it was the terrier that
retreated with one ear bleeding. After
that they were on excellent terms Of
equality. They had many a scamper
round the garden together, and then
would rest side by side like the good
great dislike of cats, and chased them
away the moment they ventured over
our garden wall. One retiring too leis-
urely, 'Jack'' bit its tail to expedite its
retreat. which met with the terrier S
boisterous approval. They were very
fond of coming into the house when they
got the chance, and then they proceeded
to the very top of two long stairs. There
the odd couple would sit gazing down
on the world below for an hour at a
time. When we looked up and saw the
two heads peeping through the bants-
ters. we often wondered what they were
thinking about.
He knew all the members of the fami-
ly. showing, however, decided prefer
ence for his young mistress. When she
went out on the lawn, he would gam
Dol round and round her until he was
fain to lie down to rest and recover his
breath-never taking his eyes off her all
the time, and looking so comicaL When
he was called by name, he would come
in much haste from the most distant
part OF the garden. 1t was quite
pretty sight to see him stand on his
hind legs to receive biscuit or piece
Of gingerbread which was the greatest
treat we could give him.
One night in the middle OF cold WIN
ter. our servants were much alarmed
on going to bed about II o'clock, to hear
a noise like gentle hammering in an un-
occupied room A number of houses
had been broken into just about the
time. and the police had been going
from door to door urging householders
to see to the barring Of their windows
at night, so naturally we were all on
the alert, and now we thought our turn
had come The whole family proceeded
as quietly as they could, at once to the
suspected chamber, armed with pokers
and lights; the door was courageously
flung open. and there on the hearth-rug
sat-not a burglar but our Jack" with
his one ear cooking as usual, and an
amused expression on his sly face, as
if he were enjoying his practical joke.
He had been hammering the floor with
his hind paws, as he always did When
he was hungry, to attract attention.
But this was nothing to his next esca-
pade. when he feigned death to escape
destruction. The garden-gate was gem
erally kept locked for his benefit; but
one day. as i'll luck would have it, it
was left open, and a huge Dandy Din
mont, watching his opportunity, ran in
and caught "Jack" by the leg before he
knew what was happening one wall Of
pain, and he fell down apparently stone
dead The wall brought out his young
mistress, who carefully carried her pet
into the house in her apron, and laid
him tenderly in the terriers basket.
''How 1 wish ! were a doctor" she said,
"and could set Jacks legr Her little
brother hearing this ran off, without a
word to any one, to fetch a young doc
tor he knew a little-a clever surgeon.
Unfortunately, the doctor was out, and
the boy had no chance of explaining to
him what had happened. When the doc
tor came in, his landlady naturally told
him that a little boy had come after
him in hot haste-she could not make
out what was the matter-some acci-
something about a broken leg.
The doctor thought it might be as we'll
to come around and see what was the
matter. 81 hope it is nothing serious?"
he kindly asked, when ushered into the
drawing-room. Jacks s" mistress was
much distressed that the doctor should
have been troubled just then, when so
many people were down with Influenza,
and his time was so precious Its only
our rabbit" she stammered, "that has
broken it's leg" For minute the doc
then burst into a merry peal of laugh.
in his most professional tone. We al
the basket empty in which Jack" had
been left for dead, and the rogue was
sitting on the hearth rug, cooking his
ear. and looking funnier than ever He
tried to hide when he saw the doctor,
but we speedily caught him, when we
found that his leg had been severely Bit
ten-might have been dislocated, but
not broken. He had simply been feign-
ing death, as many animals do when
they are frightened; but how he man
aged to set his own leg remained puz-
zle.