, but Mammy had heard the first cry. Straight over the fields she flew,
leaping the stones and hummocks, fast as the wind, to save her baby. She
wasn't a timid little cottontail rabbit then; she was a mother whose child
was in danger. And when she came to Raggylug and the big snake, she took
one look, and then hop! hop! she went over the snake's back; and as she
jumped she struck at the snake with her strong hind claws so that they
tore his skin. He hissed with rage, but he did not let go.

Hop! hop! she went again, and this time she hurt him so that he twisted
and turned; but he held on to Raggylug.

Once more the mother rabbit hopped, and once more she struck and tore the
snake's back with her sharp claws. Zzz! How she hurt! The snake dropped
Raggy to strike at her, and Raggy rolled on to his feet and ran.

"Run, Raggylug, run!" said his mother, keeping the snake busy with her
jumps; and you may believe Raggylug ran! Just as soon as he was out of the
way his mother came too, and showed him where to go. When she ran, there
was a little white patch that showed under her tail; that was for Raggy to
follow,--he followed it now.

Far, far away she led him, through the long grass, to a place where the
big snake could not find him, and there she made a new nest. And this
time, when she told Raggylug to lie low you'd better believe he minded!

THE GOLDEN COBWEBS[1]

A STORY TO TELL BY THE CHRISTMAS TREE

[Footnote 1: This story was told me in the mother-tongue of a German
friend, at the kindly instance of a common friend of both; the narrator
had heard it at home from the lips of a father of story-loving children
for whom he often invented such little tales. The present adaptation has
passed by hearsay through so many minds that it is perhaps little like the
original, but I venture to hope it has a touch of the original fancy, at
least.]

I am going to tell you a story about something wonderful that happened to
a Christmas Tree like this, ever and ever so long ago, when it was once
upon a time.

It was before Christmas, and the tree was trimmed with bright spangled
threads and many-coloured candles and (name the trimmings of the tree
before you), and it stood safely out of sight in a room where the doors
were locked, so that the children should not see it before the proper
time. But ever so many other little house-people had seen it. The big
black pussy saw it with her great green eyes; the little grey kitty saw it