Part 5 (1/2)

[7] The Flemish low-wheeled cart drawn by dogs.

The sun played with the gold in the leaves of the walnut-tree; and the radiant tree-top was all aswarm and astir and little golden shafts were shooting in all directions. The first b.u.t.terfly of the year rocked like a white flower through the air.

”I smell something!” said Dolfke.

They all sniffed and:

”Mates! They're taking the cake-bread out of the oven!”

They rushed indoors one on top of the other. On the table lay four golden-yellow brown-crusted loaves, as big as cart-wheels, steaming till the whole house smelt of them.

”First let it cool! Then you can eat it,” said mother and gave each of them a flat scone.

”Yes, mother.”

And they trotted round the kitchen holding their treasures high above their heads and screaming with delight.

Behind the elder-hedge they heard father's voice humming:

When the sorrel shows, 'Tis then the month of May, O!...

They ran to him, took the tools out of his hands and:

”Father, the rabbits! The rabbits now, father?”

”Will it be fine weather to-morrow?” asked Horieneke.

”For sure, child: just see how clear the sun is setting.”

He pointed to the west; and the boys stood on tip-toe to see the sinking, dull-glowing disk hang glittering in its gulf of orange cloud-reefs, pierced through and through with bright rays that melted away high in the pale blue and grey, while that disk hung there so calmly, as though frozen into the sky for ever.

Father had one or two things to do and then the boys might come along to the rabbits.

”The two white ones, eh, father?”

Father nodded yes; and Sarelke and Dolfke skipped along the boards to the hutch and came back each carrying a long white rabbit by the ears.

Dolfke held his close to the ground, hidden behind a tree, so that it shouldn't see the other's blood and foresee its own death. While father was sharpening his knife, Fonske took a cord and tied the hind-legs of Sarelke's rabbit and hung it, head down, on a nail under the eaves.

Father struck it behind the ears so that it was dazed and, rolling its eyes, remained hanging stock-still. Before it had time to scream, the knife was in its neck and the throat was cut open. A little stream of dark blood trickled to the ground and clotted; and some of it hung like an icicle from the beard, which dripped incessantly with red drops.

Fonske carefully put his finger to the rabbit's nose and licked off a drop of blood.

”It's going home,” said Sarelke.

”Is it dead, father?” sighed Wartje.

”Stone-dead, my boy.”

He ripped one b.u.t.tock with his knife and pulled off the skin; then the other, so that the blue flesh was laid bare and the little purple veins.

One more tug and the creature hung disfigured beyond all knowledge, in its bare b.u.t.tocks and its fat, bulging paunch, with its head all over blood and its eyes sticking out. The belly and breast were cut open from end to end and the guts removed; the gall-bladder was flung into the cess-pool; two bits of stick, to keep the hind-legs and the skin of the stomach apart, and the thing was done. The other was treated likewise; and the two rabbits hung skinned and cleaned, stiffening high up on the gable-end.