after a while he came round and burst into tears. he cried loudly and bitterly. he rocked himself to and fro in his hopeless grief. it seemed too terrible to be real that his faithful old wife had been killed and cooked by the badger while he was working quietly in the fields, knowing nothing of what was going on at home, and congratulating himself on having once for all got rid of the wicked animal who had so often spoiled his fields. and oh! the horrible thought; he had very nearly drunk the soup which the creature had made of his poor old woman. "oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!" he wailed aloud. now, not far away there lived in the same mountain a kind, good-natured old rabbit. he heard the old man crying and sobbing and at once set out to see what was the matter, and if there was anything he could do to help his neighbor. the old man told him all that had happened. when the rabbit heard the story he was very angry at the wicked and deceitful badger, and told the old man to leave everything to him and he would avenge his wife's death. the farmer was at last comforted, and, wiping away his tears, thanked the rabbit for his goodness in coming to him in his distress.