“But sometimes I am hungry, and sometimes I am cold.”

“Come and live with me,” said the white rabbit.  “There is room enough in my house for two.”

Now Bunny knew he would not like to live in a house all the time, but he thought he might go and visit the white rabbit.

So Bunny and Whitie, as Bunny called him, hopped off toward the barn.

“That is my home,” said the white rabbit, and he pointed to a little house under the apple tree.

There was a yard in front of the house.  And there was a fence around the yard,—­a fence with a gate that could be shut and locked.

Bunny saw the house and he hopped along after Whitie.

But he was frightened.  He had never been so near the barn before.

What if Mr. Man or Jip should see him.

II

At last they reached Whitie’s house and the two little rabbits hopped through the gate.

“Oh, see these cabbage leaves,” said Whitie.  “Jack left them here for my dinner.”

But Bunny did not look at the cabbage leaves, for just at that moment he heard Jip barking.

And then he heard Jack talking to the dog.

Poor Bunny’s heart began to beat very fast.

“What shall I do?  What shall I do?” he said.

“Jack and Jip will not hurt you,” said Whitie.  “I think Jack is coming to close the gate.”

Bunny hid himself in one corner of the house and held his breath for fear Jack would see him.

“Why, Whitie!” Bunny heard Jack say, “I left your gate open this morning.  I must close it now or you will be taking a walk in the garden.”

Jack closed the gate, and Bunny was caught.

When Jack had gone away, Whitie called to Bunny to come out in the yard.

“Come and eat some of these good cabbage leaves,” he said.

But Bunny could not eat.  He could only sit and look at the closed gate.

“I want to go home,” he said to Whitie.  “I don’t like to stay in this yard all the time.”

“But you will never be hungry here,” said Whitie.  “Come and eat something now.”

Bunny was not hungry.  He could not eat.

All day long he sat in the house.

He wondered what Bobtail and Billy were doing.

He wondered if Mother Rabbit was hunting for him.

Just before dark he heard Jack coming to see Whitie again.

He did not hear Jip barking.

“Perhaps Jack is alone,” thou| Bunny.  “If he is I think I can get away.”

He sat very still and listened.

Then he peeped out and saw Jack coming across the grass.

He was all alone.  The dog was not running along beside him.

Bunny turned around and looked at Whitie.

“Good-by,” he said.  “I am going to hop out when Jack opens the gate.

“You have a very good home here.  But I like my home in the woods much better.