s gone?" asked the Hind,
kindly.

"I think Clog's Down was the place that she said, my lady. But, bless
your life, she'll come back here, you may depend. For she's getting
up an old bird, my lady,--"

"And there's no place like home, Bunny," said the Hind.

"Aye," said Bunny, "and that's just what I was saying only yesterday
to the old Woodcock when she comed telling to me about Norway. 'Get
along with 'ee and your Norwayses,' I says; 'isn't Exmoor good enough
for 'ee? Many's the fine brood of Woodcocks that I've seen reared on
Exmoor, without never crossing the sea. Look at me,' I says; '_I_
don't go crossing the sea, and look to the broods I've reared.' And
now, let me think, how many broods is it?--"

But she took such a long time counting, that, though the Hind was
longing to hear, they were obliged to bid her good-day and go on their
way. Besides, to tell truth, the Calf was so much pleased when he
heard her speak of his brown coat that he was dying to find some one
to whom he could show it. And in the very first water that they
crossed he saw the little Salmon come hurrying towards them, and
called out to them, "Come and look at my brown coat."

But they answered all together, "Come and look at our silver jackets.
We've got our silver jackets, we've got our silver jackets! And the
rain will come down to-night, and we'll be off to the sea
to-morrow--hurrah!" And they leaped out of the water and turned head
over tail with joy, taking no more notice of the Calf's brown coat
than if it had been a rag of green weed.

So he passed on with his mother, a little disappointed, and away from
the yellow grass of the forest to the brown heather of Dunkery. And
there the heath was full of great stones, unlike any ground that he
had ever travelled over before, so that he had to be careful at first
how he trod. But he soon found that it was easy enough for him after
he had gone a little distance; and his mother led him slowly so that
he should have time to learn his way. So on they went to the very top
of the ridge, and there where the heather and grass grow tuft by tuft
among the brown turf-pits, in the heart of the bog, they found a herd
of Deer. Such a number of them there were as he had never dreamed of.
Great Stags, with three and four on top, like those that he had seen
fighting, were lying down, four and five together, in perfect peace,
and younger Stags with lighter heads and fewer points, and
Two-year-olds, proud