Brer Rabbit and The Vegetable Patch

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The very old farmer had the best vegetable patch in the village. Well, he would, wouldn’t he? He’d hoe, dig and water his carrots, radish and cucumbers every day. And every year the very old farmer won at least one prize at the autumn fair for his vegetables. Sometimes he’d win two, three, even four prizes. If he wasn’t looking after his vegetable patch he’d be looking after his three hound dogs, Blue, Black and Brown. Many wondered which he loved more, his vegetables or his old hound dogs.

Now Brer Rabbit often watched the very old farmer care for his vegetables from the safety of a large bush. He’d tried to get into the vegetable patch but he had never managed to. You see, the very old farmer was also good at making fences that kept rabbits out. He made them too tall for a rabbit to hop over; he made the gaps too small for even the smallest kitten to squeeze through. (Isn’t it strange that a baby rabbit shares the same name as a baby cat?) He’d also pile large rocks around the inside of the fence so rabbits couldn’t dig under it. Well, that changed one morning when Brer Rabbit noticed a loose nail.

“What have we got here?” Brer Rabbit asked himself, as he carefully pushed the slat in the fence to one side. “Just right for a rabbit to slip through.”

He slipped through the gap and looked around. He couldn’t believe his luck.

“Oh my!” he said. “Where to start?”

Brer Rabbit hopped over to the line of carrots and sniffed them. “Carrot tops, one of my favorites.” He grabbed a carrot top and nibbled and nibbled until it came away from the carrot.

Brer Rabbit hopped over to the line of carrots and sniffed them. “Carrot tops, one of my favorites.” He grabbed a carrot top and nibbled and nibbled until it came away from the carrot.

 “Absolutely delicious,” he said. “I think I’ll take a couple of these home.”

And with a nibble here and a nibble there Brer Rabbit soon had an armful of carrot tops. He then slipped back through the gap and hopped home.

The next morning the very old farmer visited his vegetable patch and as he closed the gate behind him, he noticed the carrot tops were missing.

“The cheek of it! Who’s been at my carrots?” he asked himself. “Perhaps they’ve left me a clue.”

Luckily for Brer Rabbit, just as the very old farmer reached the line of carrots, a gust of wind blew Brer Rabbit’s footprints away. So try as he might, the very old farmer couldn’t work out who’d taken his carrot tops.

That evening Brer Rabbit pulled back the loose fence panel and snuck into the vegetable patch.

“Mmm, what should I take tonight?” he asked himself. He looked around and spotted a line of radish.

“Perhaps just a few of them,” he said. And with a nibble here and a nibble there Brer Rabbit soon had an armful of radish tops. He then slipped out and hopped home to enjoy his feast.

The next morning the very old farmer visited his vegetable patch and as he closed the gate behind him, he noticed the radish tops were missing.

“The cheek of it! Now they’ve been at my radish,” he said, shaking his head. “Perhaps they’ve left me a clue.” Luckily for Brer Rabbit, just as the very old farmer reached the line of radish, a gust of wind blew Brer Rabbit’s footprints away. So try as he might, the very old farmer couldn’t work out who’d taken his radish tops.

That evening Brer Rabbit pulled back the loose fence panel and snuck into the vegetable garden.

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⏰ Last updated: Sep 18, 2014 ⏰

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