THE UNNECESSARY BROCK 



LET it be brock, because that was its undoubted 

 name to our Celtic stock, and because of the great 

 uncertainty as to the origin of the name badger some 

 seeing in it the badged or striped one, others the corn- 

 stealer, and others no more than the animal that is 

 caught in a bag. Moreover, the brocks we speak of 

 lived in the Doomsday parish of Brockawardynge, 

 which thus proclaims itself their very ancient home. 

 There are many other parishes in Badge and Brock 

 within a ten-mile radius, though some of them have 

 ceased to give doubtful sanctuary to the persecuted 

 animal. 



For a year or two past the brocks had held their 

 sett in the brake above the first field from the house. 

 There seemed to be no reason why they should not. 

 It was a pleasure to catch very occasional glimpses 

 of their shy forms stealing about bear-like in the 

 summer dusk, and we never saw signs of their 

 occupation of which we had much reason to dis- 

 approve. An occasional rabbit-stop opened from 

 above and emptied of its young did not matter much, 

 for rabbits were still more than plenty when there 

 was mowing-grass to be nibbled, and abundant 

 enough when ferreting-time came round. And when 

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