He sat there so long that the crack froze up solidly and to save his
life he had to break off his tail.
"But all the things they talked about were not so funny as that. They had
their troubles and dangers, and they discussed various plans for improving
their condition and considered how they could best defeat the skill and
cleverness of the human hunters.
"When the rabbit's turn came to be heard he had indeed a sorrowful tale to
tell. He said that his people were nearly all destroyed. The rest of the
world seemed combined against his race, and they were killing them by day
and night, in summer and winter, and they had but little power to fight
against their many enemies. They were almost discouraged, but had come to
the council to see if their brethren could suggest any remedy or plan to
save them from complete destruction. While the rabbit was speaking the
wolverine winked at the wildcat, while the fox, although he tried to look
solemn, could not keep his mouth from watering at the thought of the many
rabbits he intended yet to eat.
"Thus it can be seen that the poor, harmless rabbit did not get much
sympathy from that part of the crowd that killed his race all the rest of
the year.
"Still there were some animals, like the moose, and the reindeer, and the
mountain goat, that stood up in the council and spoke out bravely for the
rabbit. Indeed they told the animals that had only laughed at the rabbit's
sad story that, if nothing was done for the little rabbit and they went on
killing as they were doing, they would soon be the greatest sufferers, for
if the rabbits were all gone there was nothing else that they could get in
sufficient numbers to keep them alive.
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