Hare
_______________________________________________________

Hermine had far to go to her school in the city. One evening when she came home, they all sat at table in the dusk; they were saving electricity. Hermine went to throw her schoolbag where it belonged, after a long day at school. On her third step towards the dark corner came a pitiful squeak from underfoot. Working in the field that day, they had caught a little hare. It must have been a pretty one, for now they set upon Hermine without mercy. She was deeply sorry for the accident, and said so. One sister had just come from the nearest town, where she had bought a little bottle with a nipple, since they themselves had no more little ones about the place. “All for nothing on account of blind-as-a-bat! Money thrown away because of the clod!” Those were some of the names they called her. For once, however, Father came to Hermine’s aid. “Nobody has ever yet succeeded in raising a wild hare from a baby.” Hermine knew, of course, that he took her part mainly because now the hare would drink up no more milk. All the same she was grateful to him.

From Hermine by Maria Beig

| Home |