“I am sure, my dear, it would be too much trouble to you; rabbits require a great deal of care and attention, and you so soon get tired of anything you take up, that I fear it would soon suffer from neglect.’ “‘I am sure I should never _neglect_ it, mamma; and, if you will give me a shilling, I can buy a beauty--a real white French rabbit, with red eyes, and a coat like swansdown. Do, dear mamma, give me a shilling.’ “‘No, my dear,’ said she, ‘I really must refuse you.’ “Now, although Edwin was a little boy, he said to himself, ‘I know it is only because mamma wishes to save her money; ’tis not because she really thinks I shall neglect the rabbit, but because she does not like to part with her money.’--He thought himself very cunning; did he not? “So Edwin began to pout and whine, and to tease his mamma, being determined to let her have no peace. “‘You know, mamma,’ said he, ‘I shall be so fond of it; I will make it a house; and then I could cut down some grass, and dry it, and make hay for it to lie upon; and I could sow some oats for it in my garden; I should not want anything else to amuse me all the year round.’ “Whether to humor Edwin, or to teach him a lesson, I will not say, but his mamma gave him a shilling, and off he ran, and purchased the milk-white, red-eyed rabbit. “Joyful enough was he when he brought it home: he paraded it round the house, showed it to every member of the family, housemaid, gardener, footman, and cook; and everybody praised the rabbit, and said it was a most beautiful creature. “The next morning Edwin rose betimes, and began to look for wood to build his rabbit-hutch. He procured saw, nails, and hammer; and at last found some old planks, and began to saw them, and cut them, and chisel and plane, till his little arms ached again. “He had soon cut two or three pieces of board up, but to no purpose; one was too short, and another too long; a third had a knot in it; and a fourth was spoiled in splitting. Vexed with his want of success, Edwin said, ‘I shall not make him a house to-night--he must be content with being fastened in the coal-hole to-night--he will have plenty of room to run about.’ “So Bunny was put into the coal-hole with a handful of cabbage-leaves, and told to make himself happy till the morning; and, as it happened to be a holiday, Edwin went to amuse himself by letting off fireworks. “In the morning Edwin went to the coal-hole to look after Bunny. There it was, sure enough; but instead of its being a beautiful white rabbit, by hopping about among the coals it had become almost as black as the coals themselves. “‘Well, I never!’ said the little boy--‘what a dirty little thing it is;’ and so he tried to catch it; but Bunny, not liking to be caught, led the youngster a fine dance in the coal-hole, and at last he fell over a large lump of coal, and dirtied his clean frill and white apron.