What would it have been like to be in Hannibal’s campaign against the Romans? In the pages of this novel, a child who lived at that time and was taken prisoner recounts his experiences. My name is Mesilea, but you can call me Mes. In my village not many people call me Mes, and nobody calls me Mesilea, except for Sylia, my mother. Some people call me Rabbit because I’m a fast runner. But I prefer Mes because it’s nice and short, and things that are long resemble the Snake, and the Snake is disgusting. I don’t like the Rabbit much either, except when it’s roasted, because the Rabbit is a coward and I’m not. I’m 12 or maybe 13 winters old, my mom doesn’t remember, and I look after the sheep.