A hidden treasure
Following his A Meadow Awakens and Run, Rabbit, Run tales Harry, the DM Collection stall holder, concludes his literary tale about Daniel's Meadow creatures ...
"The red fox lands within feet of the startled rabbit with the oversized ears. In a split second they look into each others eyes: but what wild amber eyes this rabbit has - in fact they don't look like rabbit eyes at all, and the sheer size of the beast! Instinctively the fox gives chase.
Now, if the fox was chasing one of the meadow rabbits he previously had his eyes on, the race could have well been over by now - with the fox enjoying an early bunny breakfast - but this rabbit has not even attempted to follow the other rabbits down a burrow to escape his assailant, and if truth be told he doesn't need to: he is a natural runner, a free spirit, a hare!
As the last of the mist disperses in the fresh morning air, a lone doe anxiously walks to the edge of the neighbouring wood and scans the glorious meadow in front of her. She left this grassland just before sunrise in search of food, for although the meadow provides an abundance of grasses and foliage to consume, she specifically chooses not to eat there. With her beautiful dark eyes she scans the far end of the meadow which is basking in sunshine and twitches her ears to access the situation. Something has got her back up, and that something is the smell of a predator: the scent fox. She daintily steps past the last few trees and enters the meadow. With a long purposeful stride she sets off towards the part of the field where the rabbits survived their recent ordeal Occasionally she stops to check for danger, but no, there's nothing to see or hear, only to smell… she must go on.
By the time the deer is nearing her destination the first few brave (or foolish) rabbits have left their burrows and are enjoying the dew soaked clover again. But it causes no stir when she walks past these fellow herbivores, and continues her stride towards the same hedge where the hare was previously doing his best rabbit impression. She stops and lowers her head in the tall long grass: but she isn't grazing, no, she has a beautiful fawn to attend to. The mum gently licks her offspring who bleats with appreciation, relieved to have his wandering mum again - and relieved he should be, if it wasn't for the hare, well, need we say anymore.
Please don't think ill of the mother, for there was no neglect involved. She instinctively leaves her young hidden in the grass for their own safety, for their scent is weak, and a large mother deer doesn't want to advertise her young. As for the fox, well, I probably don't have to tell you that the fox was unsuccessful with his hunt that morning; thanks to the accidental hero of this meadow tale, the magnificent hare!"
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