7. Fox Proof

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Hi welcome to Ballyyahoo. I’m Lucy and if this is the first time you’ve visited my blog then you won’t know that this is where I write about the strange stuff that happens in Ballyyahoo. If you start reading here you might miss something. So, if you don’t want to miss anything click here to start reading from the very beginning of Witch-watch.

The Raggy Rabbit disappeared.

It happened yesterday when I went over to feed the Raggy rabbit. I’ve been looking after him for Miss Parrot who has been away. When I got there I couldn’t find him! I searched everywhere, absolutely everywhere, but I had to give in because Raggy was gone and I didn’t know where. All I did know, was that if I didn’t find Raggy before Miss Parrot came home, she would be really, really upset.

I decided to go and look in the fields around Miss Parrot’s house but there was no sign of him. By the time I’d finished searching it was getting late and I knew my mother would be worried about me, so I had to go home. I ran all the way but I was still a bit late and my mum was standing on the step, looking up and down the lane for me.

After we had eaten our dinner, mum came back to Miss Parrots place with me and we searched high and low. We even went through the ditch, pulling the thorny brambles out of the way as much as we could. But we were out of luck, the Raggy Rabbit was just nowhere to be seen.

QUICK AS A FOX

Just as we were leaving I got a really strong uggy feeling. You know that feeling when something is about to happen? It was a bit like that. I was sure there was something behind us, watching and staring, so I turned round really quick – just in time to see a fox. I was lucky I managed to get a picture of her because no sooner had I turned when the fox started running away.

If you’ve ever seen a fox running you’ll know that they can run really fast. I’ve seen foxes around Ballyyahoo before and there are lots of fox trails but I have never managed to get a picture before. They’ve always moved too fast you see. But something was slowing this fox down and if you look closely, you’ll see she wasn’t alone.

There was a little creature running behind her. The fox had a cub. She must have been out hunting for food to feed it. You might think Raggy was taken by the fox because they do take rabbits, as well as hens, lambs and whatever else they can catch. Everyone in Ballyyahoo knows that. We also know that nature has its own set of rules, no matter what humans do.

But still, we didn’t think it was a fox that got the Raggy Rabbit. You see, there would have been signs, blood, guts and fluff, nasty stuff like that. But there wasn’t any thing nasty like that at all! In fact, there wasn’t a single mark or scratch, in or around the rabbit run, or the hutch.

FOX PROOF

Miss Parrot had told me she never worried about a fox getting near Raggy as it was old Paddy Plant that made the hutch and the enclosure. Paddy had lost three of his own chickens to the fox himself, so after that, he made sure everything he made was fox proof.

There was no sign of forced entry, no burrows dug, and no holes in the ground, so we were pretty sure that nothing had burrowed its way in either.

So, if a fox didn’t get the Raggy Rabbit, what could have happened to him? Could it be that he ran away to join his country cousins? I don’t think so because not only was there no sign of a break in, there was no sign of a break out, either.

So, if it wasn’t a break out and it wasn’t a break in, what could it have been? A witch? Is all this my fault? Did my search for a witch bring a bad witch to Raggy?

I admit I had been hoping to find a witch but I wanted to find a good witch, one that would teach me magic spells and fun stuff – not badness and evil! Not a witch like the one in this picture.

I felt confused. I was starting to hope that there’s no such thing as witches – like my mum always says. By the time we got home I was feeling really sad. I tried not to cry but I did a bit. Just a little tiny bit.

My mum said it wasn’t my fault the Raggy Rabbit disappeared, but I felt like it was, because I was minding him. I must admit I was getting to love him too. He’s so fluffy and warm and he feels great when he puts his soft face against mine.

I also knew Miss Parrot was going to be really upset when she got home. She would also be terribly lonely because not only will she be missing Raggy, but the other Miss Parrot has been away as well. She’s been in hospital getting a bit of rusty gate removed from her foot.

A WITCH’S STEW

I am going to keep searching whenever I can. Maybe there’s a chance I’ll find him before Miss Parrot comes back. I really, really, really, really, hope that poor little Raggy Rabbit didn’t end up in a witch’s stew.

Keep your fingers crossed for me and with a bit of luck he’ll be back. If not, then there’s going to be trouble in Ballyyahoo. Big trouble.