Digging for Victory at Rookery House by Rosie Hendry

Author:Rosie Hendry
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rookery House Press

CHAPTER 24

Saturday 19th April

‘Can I see them?’ George whispered, peering into the open door of the hutch where Flopsy, the doe rabbit, had made her nest. ‘Please.’ His eyes shone with excitement.

‘Just a quick peep. We don’t want to upset their mother.’ Flo glanced at Flopsy who’d gone out into the run and was feasting on the pile of plants that Flo and George had gathered a short while ago after he’d come home from school.

Flo gently teased the hay nest apart, which was lined with soft fur that Flopsy had pulled from her body to make her babies a warm bed. ‘Can you see them?’

George’s face was alight with delight. ‘They ain’t got no fur!’ he whispered. ‘And their eyes are shut.’

‘They’ll soon grow some and will open their eyes,’ Flo reassured him.

‘How many are there?’ Betty asked as she peered in the hutch.

‘I’m not sure yet. I’ve seen at least four, but there could be more. I’ve only just had a quick peep.’ Flo checked that Flopsy was still busy eating. The doe’s enormous appetite would ensure she could produce enough milk for her babies.

‘Can we hold one?’ Betty asked.

‘No, they need to stay in the warm and we don’t want to upset Flopsy. She’d be able to tell if you had by the smell from your hands,’ Flo explained. ‘Once the babies are old enough to venture out of their nest, then you can.’ She gently closed the nest over again and shut the hutch door.

Betty, satisfied that there was no chance of holding a baby rabbit right now, stood up from where she’d been kneeling next to the hutch and headed off to the house while George remained, watching Flopsy eat.

‘She ain’t got a big tummy now her babies are born,’ he said.

‘No, but it’s not surprising it was round with at least four babies in there. I wonder what colour the babies’ fur will be when it grows?’ Flo mused. ‘Some might look like Flopsy or like Benjamin.’

‘I don’t mind what their fur looks like,’ George said. ‘They’ll all be lovely.’

Flo looked at the little boy and smiled. ‘Yes, they will be. Are you going to stay here and watch Flopsy?’

He nodded. ‘I promise I won’t look at the babies again. I don’t want to upset Flopsy. I just like watching her eat. Shall I give her some more from the sack if she finishes that lot?’ He pointed at the pile of plants, which had already gone down since they’d put it in the run for Flopsy to tuck into.

‘Yes, she needs to eat plenty. And I trust you not to look at the babies, George.’ Flo patted his shoulder. ‘I know how much you care for the rabbits.’

He nodded and gave her a beaming smile and then returned his attention to watching Flopsy, who was now chewing a long piece of hogweed. It was disappearing into her mouth at a rapid rate, her jaws moving from side to side, her whiskers twitching.

Flo stood up and went to the greenhouse, where she had some pricking out of seedlings to attend to.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.