He complained bitterly about the
scarcity of pheasants' eggs, and accused Mr. Tod of poaching them. And
the otters had cleared off all the frogs while he was asleep in
winter--"I have not had a good square meal for a fortnight, I am living
on pig-nuts. I shall have to turn vegetarian and eat my own tail!" said
Tommy Brock.
[Illustration]
It was not much of a joke, but it tickled old Mr. Bouncer; because Tommy
Brock was so fat and stumpy and grinning.
So old Mr. Bouncer laughed; and pressed Tommy Brock to come inside, to
taste a slice of seed-cake and "a glass of my daughter Flopsy's cowslip
wine." Tommy Brock squeezed himself into the rabbit hole with alacrity.
[Illustration]
Then old Mr. Bouncer smoked another pipe, and gave Tommy Brock a cabbage
leaf cigar which was so very strong that it made Tommy Brock grin more
than ever; and the smoke filled the burrow. Old Mr. Bouncer coughed and
laughed; and Tommy Brock puffed and grinned.
And Mr. Bouncer laughed and coughed, and shut his eyes because of the
cabbage 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.
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