play, so he sat near his
home till the dark came. Then his Mama grew too sad for his sake, and
she came out to him. How she _did_ rub him with moss and hay, and how
she _did_ wash him, from his head to his feet. Tiny Hare did not like
it, but he did not say one word.

"_Now_, you _are_ like my dear Tiny Hare," she said at last, and she
took him home. When it grew dark, Tiny Hare said: "I am your Tiny Hare,
and I _will_ be good now," and Papa Hare said, "Yes, I am _sure_ you
will," and gave the ear of Tiny Hare a wee bite for love.

Then Mama Hare put _her_ ears down, and Papa Hare put _his_ ears down,
and Tiny Hare put _his_ ears down, and they all took a long, long nap
till the dawn.

[Illustration: TINY HARE AT HOME.]

THE WEE HARE AND THE RED FIRE

[IN WORDS OF NOT MORE THAN FOUR LETTERS]

BY A. L. SYKES

One day in the cold time when he lay snug and warm by his Mama, Tiny
Hare said, "Tell me of the hare who went step, step, step in the snow
till he came to the RED FIRE."

So his Mama gave him a hug and said:

Once upon a time was a wise Wee Hare who knew how to run fast when MAN
came by. He knew how to hide when DOG was near, and when he saw the dark
spot in the sky that HAWK made, how fast he did jump to his Mama! But
Wee Hare did not like to go out and run and jump and play in the sun.

"I do not want to run and jump and play in the sun. I want to run far,
far in the wood, and find the red bush. I have seen it away off in the
dark. It is good for me to eat, I know."

"It is FIRE," said his Mama. "Only MAN can make it, and it is not good
for you. It can burn and hurt. You may eat the good food that you can
find near our home," and she bit his ear for a kiss.

"I do not want to eat the good food that I can see here. I want to do
just as I like. I want to pick the red food from the red bush. I know it
is like buds in the warm time."

"Hush," said Papa Hare, very low and deep. "You are not good. When you
are good, and the moon is high in the sky, and it is just like day, I
will take you far out in the wood, and you may run and jump and play and
eat the food that is best for you."

"I do not want to go out in the wood, and run and jump and play when the
moon is high in the sky. I want to do just as I like. I want to eat the
red buds from the red bush," said the Wee Hare.

"Shut your eyes, and put your ears down, and take your nap," said his
Mama. "You are too tiny to go away from me. Now, h