Raggylug 



So the secret that Rag learned from his mother 

 was ' The Brierbush is your best friend. 



Much of the time that season was spent nr 

 iearnh g the lay of the land, and the bramble 

 and bier mazes. And Rag learned them so 

 well that he could go all around the swamp by 

 "o different ways and never leave the fnendly 



briers at any place for more than five hops 



I, is not long since the foes of the Cotton, 

 tails were disgusted to find that man had 

 bought a neXd of bramble and planted * 

 in long lines throughout the country It was 

 so strong that no creatures could break ,t down, 

 Tnd so sLp that the toughest shin was torn b 

 it Each year there was more of it and each 

 Iri became a more serious matter to the 



lild creatures. But Molly Cottontad had no 

 Tar of it. She was not brought up m the bners 

 "nothing. Dogs and foxes, cattle and steP 

 and even man himself might be torn by ^ those 

 fearful spikes: but Molly understands ,t and 

 lcdiiui t> . further it 



lives and thrives under it. Andtne 



spreads the more safe country there is for the 

 Cottontail. And the name of th, new and 

 dreaded bramble is-the barbed-wire fence. 



104 



