FLUFF-BUTTON THE RABBIT 77 
who had only been born the previous July, and 
who had fur as brown as her big soft eye. 
From a human point of view a celandine bed is 
the most beautiful thing. It covered the copse with 
a broad sheet, softly green and golden, and the 
first things the rabbits saw when creeping from 
subterranean darkness were the golden flowers. 
Nevertheless, from the rabbit's point of view celan- 
dines are not so desirable. They are just the 
wrong height, and tickle the bunnies' noses as they 
hop through them ; and besides, the broad leaves 
catch and retain raindrops, which is a grievous 
disadvantage when soaked and muddy paws have 
to be licked dry. At least that is what Cuni found. 
She came out when the flowers were all asleep after 
the rain, and the dawn was breaking over the 
mountains. The wind was keen and fresh, and 
bore the strong sweet scent of wet earth with it. 
The pine trees swayed and sighed not with the 
boisterous roar with which they struggled with the 
autumn gales, but triumphantly, as though the sap 
were mounting to their topmost twigs. The light 
in the east grew primrose-coloured behind the wind- 
torn clouds, and beyond the river the rooks in the 
Ballylinch elms awoke and clamoured for the sun. 
As the gale swept along, the woods were filled 
with a spirit which, although it is as old as the 
