The Tale of Mr. Tod | Page 2

smoke....
When Flopsy and Benjamin came back--old Mr. Bouncer woke up.
Tommy Brock and all the young rabbit-babies had disappeared!
Mr. Bouncer would not confess that he had admitted anybody into the

rabbit hole. But the smell of badger was undeniable; and there were
round heavy footmarks in the sand. He was in disgrace; Flopsy wrung
her ears, and slapped him.
[Illustration]
Benjamin Bunny set off at once after Tommy Brock.
There was not much difficulty in tracking him; he had left his
foot-mark and gone slowly up the winding footpath through the wood.
Here he had rooted up the moss and wood sorrel. There he had dug
quite a deep hole for dog darnel; and had set a mole trap. A little stream
crossed the way. Benjamin skipped lightly over dry-foot; the badger's
heavy steps showed plainly in the mud.
The path led to a part of the thicket where the trees had been cleared;
there were leafy oak stumps, and a sea of blue hyacinths--but the smell
that made Benjamin stop, was not the smell of flowers!
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
Mr. Tod's stick house was before him and, for once, Mr. Tod was at
home. There was not only a foxey flavour in proof of it--there was
smoke coming out of the broken pail that served as a chimney.
Benjamin Bunny sat up, staring; his whiskers twitched. Inside the stick
house somebody dropped a plate, and said something. Benjamin
stamped his foot, and bolted.
He never stopped till he came to the other side of the wood. Apparently
Tommy Brock had turned the same way. Upon the top of the wall,
there were again the marks of badger; and some ravellings of a sack
had caught on a briar.
Benjamin climbed over the wall, into a meadow. He found another
mole trap newly set; he was still upon the track of Tommy Brock. It

was getting late in the afternoon. Other rabbits were coming out to
enjoy the evening air. One of them in a blue coat by himself, was busily
hunting for dandelions.--"Cousin Peter! Peter Rabbit, Peter Rabbit!"
shouted Benjamin Bunny.
The blue coated rabbit sat up with pricked ears--
[Illustration]
"Whatever is the matter, Cousin Benjamin? Is it a cat? or John Stoat
Ferret?"
"No, no, no! He's bagged my family--Tommy Brock--in a sack--have
you seen him?"
"Tommy Brock? how many, Cousin Benjamin?"
"Seven, Cousin Peter, and all of them twins! Did he come this way?
Please tell me quick!"
[Illustration]
"Yes, yes; not ten minutes since ... he said they were caterpillars; I did
think they were kicking rather hard, for caterpillars."
"Which way? which way has he gone, Cousin Peter?"
"He had a sack with something 'live in it; I watched him set a mole trap.
Let me use my mind, Cousin Benjamin; tell me from the beginning."
Benjamin did so.
[Illustration]
"My Uncle Bouncer has displayed a lamentable want of discretion for
his years;" said Peter reflectively, "but there are two hopeful
circumstances. Your family is alive and kicking; and Tommy Brock
has had refreshment. He will probably go to sleep, and keep them for
breakfast." "Which way?" "Cousin Benjamin, compose yourself. I
know very well which way. Because Mr. Tod was at home in the

stick-house he has gone to Mr. Tod's other house, at the top of Bull
Banks. I partly know, because he offered to leave any message at Sister
Cottontail's; he said he would be passing." (Cottontail had married a
black rabbit, and gone to live on the hill).
Peter hid his dandelions, and accompanied the afflicted parent, who
was all of a twitter. They crossed several fields and began to climb the
hill; the tracks of Tommy Brock were plainly to be seen. He seemed to
have put down the sack every dozen yards, to rest.
"He must be very puffed; we are close behind him, by the scent. What a
nasty person!" said Peter.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
The sunshine was still warm and slanting on the hill pastures. Half way
up, Cottontail was sitting in her doorway, with four or five half-grown
little rabbits playing about her; one black and the others brown.
Cottontail had seen Tommy Brock passing in the distance. Asked
whether her husband was at home she replied that Tommy Brock had
rested twice while she watched him.
He had nodded, and pointed to the sack, and seemed doubled up with
laughing.--"Come away, Peter; he will be cooking them; come
quicker!" said Benjamin Bunny.
They climbed up and up;--"He was at home; I saw his black ears
peeping out of the hole." "They live too near the rocks to quarrel with
their neighbours. Come on, Cousin Benjamin!"
When they came near the wood at the top of Bull Banks, they went
cautiously. The trees grew amongst heaped up rocks;