English
Muchmaybegainedbysittingstill
Ifyoubuthavethestrengthofwill.
—Whitefoot.
JumpertheHarecrouchedatthefootofatreeintheGreenForest,andalittlewayfromhimonastumpsatWhiteytheSnowyOwl.
Hadyoubeentheretoseethem,bothwouldhaveappearedaswhiteasthesnowaroundthemunlessyouhadlookedveryclosely.
ThenyoumighthaveseentwonarrowblacklinesbackofJumper’shead.
Theywerethetipsofhisears,fortheseremainblack.
AndneartheupperpartofthewhitemoundwhichwasWhiteyyoumighthaveseentworoundyellowspots,hiseyes.
Theretheywereforalltheworldliketwolittleheapsofsnow.Jumperdidn’tmovesomuchasahair.
Whiteydidn’tmovesomuchasafeather.Bothwerewaitingandwatching.
Jumperdidn’tmovebecauseheknewthatWhiteywasthere.
Whiteydidn’tmovebecausehedidn’twantanyonetoknowhewasthere,anddidn’tknowthatJumperwasthere.
Jumperwassittingstillbecausehewasafraid.
Whiteywassittingstillbecausehewashungry.
Sotheretheysat,eachinplainsightoftheotherbutonlyoneseeingtheother.
ThiswasbecauseJuniperhadbeenfortunateenoughtoseeWhiteyalightonthatstump.
JumperhadbeensittingstillwhenWhiteyarrived,andsothosefierceyelloweyeshadnotyetseenhim.
ButhadJumpersomuchasliftedoneofthoselongears,Whiteywouldhaveseen,andhisgreatclawswouldhavebeenreachingforJumper.
Jumperdidn’twanttositstill.No,indeed!Hewantedtorun.
YouknowitisonthoselonglegsofhisthatJumperdependsalmostwhollyforsafety.
Buttherearetimesforrunningandtimesforsittingstill,andthiswasatimeforsittingstill.
HeknewthatWhiteydidn’tknowthathewasanywherenear.
Butjustthesameitwashard,veryhardtosittherewithonehesogreatlyfearedwatchingsonear.
ItseemedasifthosefierceyelloweyesofWhiteymustseehim.Theyseemedtolookrightthroughhim.Theymadehimshakeinside.
“Iwanttorun.Iwanttorun.
Iwanttorun,”Jumperkeptsayingtohimself.Thenhewouldsay,“ButImustn’t.Imustn’t.Imustn’t.”
AndsoJumperdidthehardestthingintheworld,—satstillandstareddangerintheface.Hewassittingstilltosavehislife.
WhiteytheSnowyOwlwassittingstilltocatchadinner.
Iknowthatsoundsqueer,butitwasso.
Heknewthatsolongashesatstill,hewasnotlikelytobeseen.
ItwasforthispurposethatOldMotherNaturehadgivenhimthatcoatofwhite.
IntheFarNorth,whichwashisrealhome,everythingiswhiteformonthsandmonths,andanyonedressedinadarksuitcanbeseenalongdistance.
SoWhiteyhadbeengiventhatwhitecoatthathemighthaveabetterchancetocatchfoodenoughtokeephimalive.
Andhehadlearnedhowtomakethebestuseofit.
Yes,indeed,heknewhowtomakethebestuseofit.
Itwasbydoingjustwhathewasdoingnow,—sittingperfectlystill.
Justbeforehehadalightedonthatstumphehadseensomethingmoveattheentrancetoalittleroundholeinthesnow.Hewassureofit.
“AMouse,”thoughtWhitey,andalightedonthatstump.
“Hesawmeflying,buthe’llforgetaboutitafterawhileandwillcomeoutagain.Hewon’tseemethenifIdon’tmove.
AndIwon’tmoveuntilheisfarenoughfromthatholeformetocatchhimbeforehecangetbacktoit.”
Sothetwowatchersinwhitesatwithoutmovingforthelongesttime,onewatchingforadinnerandtheotherwatchingtheotherwatcher.
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