The narrative follows two rabbits: a fierce, impolite one who seizes a carrot from a gentle companion and injures him, and the gentler rabbit who retreats into a burrow. A man with a gun mistakes the creature on a bench for a bird and fires; only a carrot and a tuft of fur remain. The aggressor later runs by missing tail and whiskers. Simple sentences and bold watercolor illustrations convey a moral about rudeness and consequence for a young audience.