Once a lady-bird took a walk down a blade of grass, over his head;
she was so top-heavy that pretty soon she tumbled off and fell to the
bottom, and had to begin all over again. But Raggylug never moved his nose
nor his paws; he lay still.
The sun was warm, and it was very still.
Suddenly Raggylug heard a little sound, far off. It sounded like "Swish,
swish," very soft and far away. He listened. It was a queer little sound,
low down in the grass, "rustle--rustle--rustle"; Raggylug was interested.
But he never moved his nose or his paws; he lay still. Then the sound came
nearer, "rustle--rustle--rustle"; then grew fainter, then came nearer; in
and out, nearer and nearer, like something coming; only, when Raggylug
heard anything coming he always heard its feet, stepping ever so softly.
What could it be that came so smoothly,--rustle--rustle--without any feet?
He forgot his mother's warning, and sat up on his hind paws; the sound
stopped then. "Pooh," thought Raggylug, "I'm not a baby rabbit, I am three
weeks old; I'll find out what this is." He stuck his head over the top of
the nest, and looked--straight into the wicked eyes of a great big snake.
"Mammy, Mammy!" screamed Raggylug. "Oh, Mammy, Mam--" But he couldn't
scream any more, for the big snake had his ear in his mouth and was
winding about the soft little body, squeezing Raggylug's life out.
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