s and tigers, and
such fierce mischievous creatures, as I have read they do in other
countries?" "Oh! dear," said Tommy, "how is that? it must surely be very
dangerous." "Why, you know," said Harry, "the men are accustomed in some
places to go almost naked; and that makes them so prodigiously nimble,
that they can run like a deer; and, when a lion or tiger comes into
their neighbourhood, and devours their sheep or oxen, they go out, six
and seven together, armed with javelins; and they run over all the
woods, and examine every place, till they have found him; and they make
a noise to provoke him to attack them; then he begins roaring and
foaming, beating his sides with his tail, till, in a violent fury, he
springs at the man that is nearest to him." "Oh! dear," said Tommy, "he
must certainly be torn to pieces." "No such thing," answered Harry; "he
jumps like a greyhound out of the way, while the next man throws his
javelin at the lion, and perhaps wounds him in the side; this enrages
him still more; he springs again like lightning upon the man that
wounded him, but this man avoids him like the other, and at last the
poor beast drops down dead with the number of wounds he has received."
"Oh," said Tommy, "it must be a very strange sight; I should like to see
it out of a window, where I was safe." "So should not I," answered
Harry; "for it must be a great pity to see such a noble animal tortured
and killed; but they are obliged to do it in their own defence. But
these poor hares do nobody any harm, excepting the farmers, by eating a
little of their corn sometimes."

As they were talking in this manner, Harry, casting his eyes on one
side, said, "As I am alive, there is the poor hare skulking along! I
hope they will not be able to find her; and, if they ask me, I will
never tell them which way she is gone."

Presently up came the dogs, who had now lost all scent of their game,
and a gentleman, mounted upon a fine horse, who asked Harry if he had
seen the hare. Harry made no answer; but, upon the gentleman's repeating
the question in a louder tone of voice, he answered that he had. "And
which way is she gone?" said the gentleman. "Sir, I don't choose to tell
you," answered Harry, after some hesitation. "Not choose!" said the
gentleman, leaping off his horse, "but I'll make you choose in an
instant;" and, coming up to Harry who never moved from the place where
he had been standing, began to lash him in a most unmerciful man