Raising Hare

By May, the fields are full of bluebells and the weather is warmer. The leveret loves to sunbathe and frolic in the garden. Although others who have written about raising hares have noted their disinterest in humans, Chloe’s leveret often seeks out her company. Its habits are regular and observable: It loves to wedge itself into tight spaces and sits on Chloe’s ankles when she is in the garden. It dislikes bumblebees and will avoid them whenever possible. It fastidiously shakes the moisture from its body so that it never accumulates. The leveret is always clean and dry. It develops a fascination with seams and enjoys running its increasingly large teeth gently along the seam on Chloe’s trouser leg. Twice a day, at dusk and dawn, it races into her room and leaps around on the bed. Although she cannot prove it definitively, she is certain that it prefers some fabrics to others. The leveret is adept at camouflaging herself and spends an increasing amount of time among the tall grasses in the garden.

Chloe continues to read about hares and is bemused to find descriptions of their behaviors and habits that contradict her observations. She has not seen the kind of crazed, erratic movements that so many people write about.