Rabbit Story- 2: Capture and Escape

Now full, the cottontail rabbit checked her surroundings. Nothing. But.....THERE! She heard a rustle in the bushes in front of her burrow. Her kits had found a way out! The mother charged at her kits and frightened the babies. The babies squeaked in fear and scrambled back into the burrow. Just then, a hawk swooped down, missed the kits by an inch, and caught the mother instead. The babies watched with wide, frightened eyes as their mother was carried away.

In the air, the mother rabbit started thrashing and kicking. She was being carried over the cattails when she kicked the hawk's belly. Caught by surprise, the hawk dropped the mother into the soft cattails. Because of the soft landing, no bones were broken so she started licking her wound where the hawk's talons had gripped her. To calm herself, the mother cottontail rabbit raced over to the lush green grass by the gate to eat just as it was nudged open by a large, furry snout. The cottontail's breath got caught in her throat when she realized the snout belonged to a coyote.