24 THE DISLODGED ROOSTER 



on a limb of the solitary sycamore. The birds 

 mistook the hares for foxes, and in their panic 

 dislodged the rooster from his perch. The 

 extraordinary noise he made, as with a great 

 flapping of wings he fell to the ground, 

 frightened the leverets almost out of their lives ; 

 in their terror they pressed so close to their 

 mother's side that the three were for a moment 

 jammed in the gap by which they entered the 

 neighbouring pasture. But the leverets showed 

 no fear of the kine that lay there chewing their 

 cud, or of the ewes and lambs in the next 

 enclosure but one, passing in and out amongst 

 them as unconcernedly as if born and reared 

 in their midst. In the adjoining field the 

 wanderers remained to feed on the abundant 

 crop of clover, which furnished so sumptuous 

 a feast for the leverets after the poor herbage 

 of the green that they would have eaten to 

 excess had not their mother called them off. 

 It was not that, however, which made her lead 

 them away, but her eagerness to show them 

 the country and teach them all she knew. 

 Moreover, she was anxious to acquaint them 

 with their powers, especially with their ability 

 to swim, for it would stand them in good 

 stead when pressed by enemies, as she knew 

 by experience. 



