WHEN ALL THE WORLD IS YOUNG 117 



Very early in the year the first maternal doe 

 retires a little apart from the warren, and scratches 

 a nursery burrow scarcely a yard deep. In it 

 she makes a nest with her own soft fur plucked 

 off, and when the naked little rabbits are muffled 

 in it, she comes away and closes the mouth of the 

 burrow with earth except a small hole at the top 

 of her ' stop ' to give her babies air. Whenever 

 she goes to feed them she must dig the door away 

 and replace it when she goes grazing again. 



Some people do not like naked babies, except 

 their own, but every one likes the little rabbits 

 when they come from the ' stop ' and follow their 

 mother, fully clothed in the short grey fur of their 

 tribe, and bearing on their heads perfect miniature 

 rabbit ears. They are in everything impertinent 

 copies of full-grown rabbits, sitting at the openings 

 of their burrows a good deal longer than the more 

 prudent old ones, standing on their hind legs and 

 stretching up to take a good look at you, and giving 

 with their tiny heels the danger signal before they 

 bolt within. 



By going quietly, you can often cut off a small 

 rabbit from the hedge in which it would be safe, 

 especially if he has a little cover in the field and 

 can be persuaded that if he ' quats ' you won't see 

 him. But when this advantage is gained, it is by 

 no means so easy as it seems to catch the little 

 fellow. You can out-run it by three to one, but 

 you must be very smart if you can out-dodge it. 

 Five times you are about to put your hand on it, 



