blinking into the bright air。 In his left hand he was holding a battery…powered
hedge…clipper。 He tugged a fresh handkerchief out of his back pocket with his
right hand； wiped his lips with it； and tucked it away。 Snow； they had said on
the radio。 It was hard to believe； even though he could see the clouds building
up on the far horizon。
He started down the path to the topiary； switching the hedge…clipper over to
the other hand。 It wouldn't be a long job； he thought； a little touch…up would
do it。 The cold nights had surely stunted their growth。 The rabbit's ears looked
a little fuzzy； and two of the dog's legs had grown fuzzy green bonespurs； but
the lions and the buffalo looked fine。 Just a little haircut would do the trick；
and then let the snow e。
The concrete path ended as abruptly as a diving board。 He stepped off it and
walked past the drained pool to the gravel path which wound through the hedge
sculptures and into the playground itself。 He walked over to the rabbit and
pushed the button on the handle of the clippers。 It hummed into quiet life。
〃Hi； Br'er Rabbit；〃 Jack said。 〃How are you today？ A little off the top and
get some of the extra off your ears？ Fine。 Say； did you hear the one about the
traveling salesman and the old lady with a pet poodle？〃
His voice sounded unnatural and stupid in his ears； and he stopped。 It
occurred to him that he didn't care much for these hedge animals。 It had always
seemed slightly perverted to him to clip and torture a plain old hedge into
something that it wasn't。 Along one of the highways in Vermont there had been a
hedge billboard on a high slope overlooking the road； a