До Адама

           Thisdearth,itisfairtoassume,wascausedbytheexorbitanceofRed-Eye,anditillustratesthemenacehewastotheexistenceofthehorde.ThentherewastheSwiftOne,whomIhadnotforgotten.

           Atanyrate,duringtheperiodofLop-Ear’smarriageIknockedaboutfrompillartopost,indangereverynightthatIslept,andnevercomfortable.OneoftheFolkdied,andhiswidowwastakenintothecaveofanotheroneoftheFolk.Itookpossessionoftheabandonedcave,butitwaswide-mouthed,andafterRed-Eyenearlytrappedmeinitoneday,Ireturnedtosleepinginthepassageofthedouble-cave.Duringthesummer,however,Iusedtostayawayfromthecavesforweeks,sleepinginatree-shelterImadenearthemouthoftheslough.

           IhavesaidthatLop-Earwasnothappy.MysisterwasthedaughteroftheChatterer,andshemadeLop-Ear’slifemiserableforhim.Innoothercavewastheresomuchsquabblingandbickering.IfRed-EyewasaBluebeard,Lop-Earwashen-pecked;andIimaginethatRed-EyewastooshrewdevertocovetLop-Ear’swife.

           FortunatelyforLop-Ear,shedied.Anunusualthinghappenedthatsummer.Late,almostattheendofit,asecondcropofthestringy-rootedcarrotssprangup.Theseunexpectedsecond-croprootswereyoungandjuicyandtender,andforsometimethecarrot-patchwasthefavoritefeeding-placeofthehorde.Onemorning,early,severalscoreofusweretheremakingourbreakfast.OnonesideofmewastheHairlessOne.Beyondhimwerehisfatherandson,oldMarrow-BoneandLong-Lip.OntheothersideofmeweremysisterandLop-Ear,shebeingnexttome.