MAKING THE RABBIT-HOUSE. 39

been clipped, Mr. Bevan said he was now quite
ready to set about making the rabbit-house, and
he called one of the men to drive in four posts into
the ground, close to where Mrs. Snow and the
chickens lived; for, as the farmer said, it would be
just as well to have all her pets together. Then,
when the posts were secured, a box was put upon
them with a number of holes bored in the bottom,
and then a sloping roof, just like a little cottage.
The front was open, with a wire-netting guard, and
the door was at the end, so that Bertha could open
it to push the food in. The box was divided into
two compartments-one for sleeping in, and one
for eating in; and altogether, it was just the very
nicest rabbit-house a pair of rabbits could have.
 As Mr. Bevan said the rabbits liked dandelions
better than any other food, Bertha one morning got
a basket and an old knife from Martha, and, with
nurse's permission, she set off for the wood to dig
some up. She was told not to go into the wood
itself, but somehow she saw such lots of flowers,
that, after she had filled her basket, she thought
she would like to take some of them home; and
she said, "Oh, I will just go a little way, and no-
body will know." At last she was startled by
hearing voices, and looking through the bushes,