Ballad of the Lost Hare

In Short

Margaret Sidney’s Ballad of the Lost Hare is a narrative poem following a defiant young hare who repeatedly escapes his family's field despite his father's stern warnings and his mother's discipline. Banished until he can learn to stay put, the runaway embarks on a frantic journey through the countryside, where every encounter—from a startled calf and an aggressive goat to a wild mustang, a roaring bull, and a pack of hunting dogs—endangers his life. Written in brisk, rhythmic verse, this cautionary tale has endured as a memorable illustration of how unbridled willful rebellion leads to permanent isolation and perpetual regret.

The Story

The narrative opens in a rich, pleasant field near a hill and a winding glade, home to a family of hares. Despite having a comfortable place to live, three brothers, two sisters, and a loving mother, the youngest hare is hopelessly rebellious. His father scolds him and his mother punishes him, yet he continually sneaks away to run wild. His siblings weep over his constant escapes, but the naughty hare ignores their grief, preferring to race through fields, meadows, and garden beds. After the leveret runs off four separate times, his father finally reaches his limit. He issues a firm ultimatum: the young hare must not return home until he is prepared to stay in his bed, warning that one more reckless race will mean permanent exile, no matter how much he might beg or cry.

Indifferent to the warning, the hare dashes off once more and becomes hopelessly lost. He wanders so far and for so long that the winds forget his name, and he fades from the memory of those who loved him. His freedom quickly turns into a series of terrifying trials across the countryside. He first stumbles upon Bossy Whitefoot, a gentle young calf grazing in a field and dreaming of becoming a cow. Though the hare politely apologizes for frightening her, he quickly scuttles off while pretending not to be scared.

His brave facade immediately crumbles during his next encounters. A territorial goat confronts him on a rocky outcrop, threatening to butt him off the stone. Frozen with shock, the hare barely escapes before the goat charges. Moments later, he meets a free-spirited Mustang who tries to invite him to play; overwhelmed by fear, the hare rejects the invitation and flees through fences and around trees. His retreat leads him straight into the path of a furious, bellowing bull that chases him in a desperate, hair-breadth race. Exhausted, the hare passes three friendly lambs in a clover field who offer him shelter, but he gasps that he would rather not stop, earning their utter disdain.

Finally, a howling pack of hunting dogs catches his track. The hare runs at full speed past a mill, his paws a blur as he tries to avoid being torn apart by their jaws. At the last possible moment, he dives into a small burrow, leaving the frustrated dogs gnawing at the entrance. Yet his safety is only temporary. Having forfeited his family and his home, the runaway is condemned to a life of perpetual motion. Rain or shine, under the sun or the silver moon, the miserable, homeless hare is destined to run across the landscape forever, forever haunted by memories of his lost bed, his parents, and the quiet comfort he threw away.

How It Unfolds

Rebellion in the glade A headstrong leveret repeatedly disobeys his parents and slips away from his family's pleasant field. His father eventually banishes him, declaring that he cannot return until he learns to behave.

Into the great unknown The hare runs off once too often, traveling so far that he loses his way entirely. He becomes a forgotten wanderer, cut off from his family's love and home.

A polite retreat While scuttling through a pasture, the hare startles Bossy Whitefoot, a young calf quietly grazing and dreaming of growing up. He offers a quick apology and trots away, masking his internal fear.

Frightened by the goat Upon crossing a rocky ledge, the hare is confronted by an angry goat who threatens to butt him into the air. Terrified and unable to think, the leveret leaps out of sight just as the goat charges.

Flight from the mustang A lively Mustang prances over and invites the hare to play in the open field. Mistaking the horse's playful antics for a dire threat, the frightened hare flees through fences and woods.

Escaping the bull A roaring, angry bull spots the running hare and gives immediate chase. The hare narrowly avoids disaster in a frantic, exhausting race across the countryside.

Rejecting the lambs Passing three gentle lambs playing in a lush clover patch, the hare rejects their invitation to join them. The lambs watch him fly past, remarking that his stubbornness will only bring him worse trouble.

Cornered by hounds A pack of baying hunting dogs catches the hare's trail and pursues him past a mill. With the dogs snapping at his heels, he barely squeezes into a small hole just in time to survive.

The eternal wanderer Though he survives the hunt, the hare can never return home or rest. He is condemned to run forever through cold, heat, rain, and snow, endlessly regretting his foolish disobedience.

The People

• The Lost Hare: A headstrong, reckless young leveret who craves independence above all else. He ignores his mother's discipline, his father's warnings, and his siblings' tears to chase the thrill of running wild. When his stubbornness leads to permanent banishment, his bravado instantly vanishes, replaced by sheer panic as he encounters the outside world. He ends up a pitiful, homeless wanderer, forever fleeing across the hills and longing for the quiet home he abandoned.
• The Father Hare: A stern, authoritative parent who tries to enforce order through reprimands and rules. Deeply frustrated by his youngest son's constant escapes, he ultimately sets a strict boundary, banishing the leveret until he can learn self-control. His decree seals the young hare's fate.
• Bossy Whitefoot: A gentle, idealistic young heifer grazing peacefully in the grass. She spends her days dreaming of the time when she will grow into a full-sized cow, serving as a tranquil contrast to the frantic, displaced hare who startles her.
• The Goat: An aggressive, territorial creature who guards his rocky perch. He has no patience for trespassers and immediately threatens violence, giving the hare his first real taste of the dangers outside his family's field.
• The Mustang: An energetic, playful horse who bounds around the countryside. Though his intentions are harmless and friendly, his imposing size and wild movements terrify the anxious hare.
• The Bull: A fierce, hot-tempered farm animal who charges the hare without hesitation, initiating a dangerous, high-stakes chase that nearly costs the young runaway his life.

In Its Own Voice

"Far from wild, / Once he fled, / Twice he fled, / Over meadow / And garden bed."

The opening stanzas establish the young hare's persistent disobedience as he repeatedly escapes the safety of his family's lush pasture.

"I'm sorry I have scared you," / Said this Hare considerate, / "Good bye, I must be going, / For it is very late."

Meeting Bossy Whitefoot in a quiet field, the hare attempts to maintain an air of polite composure despite his growing nervousness.

"In cold, in heat, in rain, in snow, / This poor little creature must go--must go;"

The concluding lines capture the melancholy reality of the hare's ultimate fate as an eternal, restless exile who can never stop running.

What It's Really About

At its core, the narrative explores the delicate balance between youthful independence and the safety provided by family and boundaries. Through the hare's dramatic downfall, the poem argues that freedom without discipline or respect for authority quickly devolves into chaos and vulnerability. The open world, which the leveret initially views as an exciting playground, is revealed to be an unfeeling environment populated by hostile forces and indifference. The story poses a fundamental question for young readers: is absolute liberty worth the loss of security, love, and belonging? By contrasting the warmth of the home with the relentless, lonely terror of the wild, the poem suggests that true safety relies on knowing when to curb one's impulses.

Why Read It Today

Ballad of the Lost Hare remains an engaging read for parents, children, and lovers of classic children's literature who appreciate rhythmic, traditional verse with a clear moral compass. Margaret Sidney's fast-paced rhyming couplets and dramatic pacing create a lively narrative momentum that keeps young audiences engaged from start to finish. The poem excels at evoking a strong sense of movement, matching the hare's rapid footsteps with dynamic, bouncing meters that make it ideal for reading aloud.

Modern readers should note that the story reflects 19th-century educational sensibilities, where filial disobedience carries severe, unyielding consequences. The narrative does not offer a gentle, forgiving resolution; instead, it enforces its lesson through a surprisingly bleak, tragic ending in which the protagonist is permanently exiled. Rather than lessening its charm, this uncompromising approach gives the fable its distinct emotional weight. Readers who enjoy classic cautionary tales like Peter Rabbit or Der Struwwelpeter will appreciate the poem's sharp narrative drive, vivid animal characters, and timeless reminder of the comfort found in home.