Stories from Near and Far

An African Story: The Rabbit’s Wish

DESCRIPTION

This is a story from Africa about a rabbit who wants to become big, but in the end realizes he was better off the way he was.

Colour the snubby ear sad and the tall ear happy rabbit

Transcript

This story is about the time when the rabbit along with her tiny body, short legs, had ears that were small and stumpy on top of her head.

One of the rabbits always had a deep desire to be big like the enormous elephant or the tall like a giraffe or strong like a bull. She didn’t like to be the teeny tiny animal that she was.

So, one day, Rabbit got an idea and decided to go to the Earth Spirit — the creator of all the animals — to grant her a wish. 

She said, “Dear Earth spirit, please make me big. I am tired of being so little.”

The earth spirit calmly explained, “ Rabbit! Why do you want to be big? You’re wonderful just the way you are! I created each and every animal to be special in their own way.”

The rabbit retorted, “Special? I am not special in any way!”

The earth Spirit added, “Well, I specifically made you to be one of the swiftest animals around! I also made you one of the smartest.” 

The Rabbit shrugged, “ Whatever. So I’ve got speed, I’ve got brains. But seriously — what good are those things when I’m such a dwarf? Most everyone is bigger than me, and stronger too— not to mention how many other animals want to eat me!”

The earth Spirit said, “Okay, Rabbit, I can make you bigger, but you have to earn it.”

The Rabbit quivered with delight and jumping up and down said, “ I’ll do anything you say! “

The Earth Spirit went on, “ Alright. Here’s what you need to do. You must bring me two things. First, a whisker from a Lion. Second, a feather from an Eagle.”

Do you think it would be difficult for the rabbit to get the above two things?

Well, let's listen ahead.

When the earth spirit asked the rabbit to bring a whisker from a lion, and a feather from an Eagle. Rabbit’s froze in fear. She started trembling so hard her whiskers were shaking.

Rabbit’s smile turned upside down she stammered, “Ummm, with due respect, Earth Spirit — Lion and Eagle are two of the big, scary animals who want to eat me for breakfast! And lunch and dinner and even as a midnight snack.”

The Earth Spirit said, “Oh, I know! I didn’t say the task would be easy. But then, you’re a quick one, isn’t it? both body and mind! I am sure you’ll figure it out. Now, hop on to it!”

The Rabbit dragged herself back to her burrow underground and thought to himself, “ Well, this is great. Just great. I ask Earth Spirit to make me bigger, and now she wants me to get Lion’s whisker? And Eagle’s feather!? All those two ever think about is their next meal. How could I possibly ever --…uuuu . Wait a minute. ‘Their next meal!’ That’s it!” 

A plan brewed in her smart mind.

The next morning, the Rabbit scrambled out of her burrow to the forest where the Lion was creeping out of his den., and he was just about to start his morning hunt.

The rabbit humbly said, “ Hey, Lion, good morning!” 

The lion stretching and yawing said, “Well, hello, Rabbit! Delivering me breakfast in bed?”

The rabbit went a little closer, “Actually lion, your majesty if you play your cards right, I can deliver you two breakfasts.”

The Lion raised his shaggy head, “What do you mean, ‘two breakfasts’?”

The rabbit said, “ Well, Lion, I heard a top-secret way you can make two of me! You just pluck out your magic whisker, poke my fur two times, and then two Rabbits!

The lion scoffed, “ I don’t have a magic whisker!”

But thinking about the prospect of two rabbits he added, “ But then I’m pretty hungry, and hey, what have I got to lose? Other than, you know, a whisker?”

The Lion lifted his paw and yanked out a whisker. Then he poked Rabbit’s fur with it, two times.

Nothing happened.

The lion roared, “ There’s still just one of you! Don’t fool me.” 

The rabbit scratching her snub ears said, “ Hmmm ... maybe you’re not doing it right. Here, let me try.”

 The Rabbit snatched the whisker from Lion’s paw.

What do you think the rabbit would do now?

Listen ahead. To find out

The rabbit instead of poking herself with it grabbed it from him and began leaping away.

The Lion growled and took off after the Rabbit.

But the little creature was so fast, by the time Lion reached Rabbit’s burrow, she’d already gone into the narrow hole, where the giant beast could never reach her.

The lion snapped, “ I’ll get you next time, Rabbit. You can’t escape the king of the jungle for very long!”

Inside the burrow, the Rabbit fell asleep feeling delighted that had met one of the two conditions of the Earth Spirit

A few hours later, she woke up all refreshed, nibbled some turnips, then climbed out of her burrow and bounced over to the river.

The sun was right above her head and it was lunchtime, and an Eagle was soaring in the sky, her sharp eyes fixed on the water below for some prey that would be his delicious lunch.

Waving one of her paws, the rabbit said, “ Hey, Eagle! Eagle! Come Over here!”

When Eagle saw Rabbit, the majestic bird swooped down, her pointy talons outstretched. He said, “ Good afternoon, Rabbit! You’re just in time for lunch!”

The rabbit gathered her courage and said, “ Just a minute, Eagle! If you play your cards right, I can make you two lunches!”

Intrigued, the Eagle glided down to the ground, “Wait — what do you mean, “two lunches”?”

The rabbit smiled, “ Well, eagle, I heard a top-secret way you can make two of me! You just pluck out one of your magical feathers, poke my fur two times, and then two Rabbits!”

The Eagle scowled, “I don’t have a magic feather! But no harm trying for I am famished!”

The Eagle used one of her talons to pluck out a feather. Then, he poked the rabbit fur two times. , but nothing happened.

The eagle screamed, “Wait, there’s still only one of you!”

Rabbit took the feather from Eagle’s talon, “Hmmm. Maybe you’re not doing it right. Hang on. Let me try” 

Can you guess what she did next?

That’s right!

The rabbit clutched that feather in her fuzzy little paw and began scampering away!

Eagle flapped her wings and took off after Rabbit. But, as with Lion, by the time Eagle reached Rabbit’s cozy burrow, Rabbit was safe and snug under the ground.

The eagle was angry, but couldn’t do anything He yelled out, “ Rabbit! I’ve got my eagle-eyes on you!”

Rabbit waited until the coast was clear. 

So children where do you think the rabbit will go now?

That’s correct 

With Eagle’s feather in one paw and Lion’s whisker in the other, she scuttled out of her burrow and proudly showed her items to the Earth Spirit.

The Earth Spirit said, “ Well, well, well! I am impressed Rabbit. You’ve succeeded in obtaining two objects from two animals who could easily swallow you in one gulp. And you’ve done it just as you are — with nothing but swift feet and a swift mind!”

The rabbit ignoring the words of the Earth Spirit said, “It’s time for my wish, you promised you’d grant my wish.”

The Earth Spirit sighed, “ Alright, Rabbit; a promise is a promise.”

There was a blinding flash of light, then Rabbit felt a tug on her front side. Next, she felt a tug on her backside.

The rabbit was amazed by her growing size and exclaimed, “ Woah! Holy moly! Look at this!” 

Now, her entire body was stretching and growing, growing and stretching — until she was nearly as big as a goat!

While the rabbit was still admiring her new, bigger self when she heard some familiar voices. Some familiar angry voices.

Can you guess whose angry voices were those?

Well, Listen ahead to find out. ..

“There she is! The trickster who stole my whisker!” roared the lion.

“And my feather!” added the eagle.

They both rapidly rushed towards the rabbit.

Do you think the rabbit would escape? 

Listen ahead

The Rabbit’s instinct was to scamper off like she’d always done before. But her new, bigger body felt heavy and it was difficult to run.

Without thinking, Rabbit staggered to her burrow. But when she tried diving down the narrow hole, the bigger body got stuck!

By now the Lion and Eagle were getting closer and closer. 

Rabbit fought back her tears and pleaded actually to the earth Spirit, “ Earth Spirit! I was wrong. I never should have asked to be a different size. I was fine before. No actually— I was awesome! Please! Can you turn me back to the way I was?”

The earth spirit said, “ Well, I can’t reverse a wish once I’ve granted. But there is one thing I can do.”

There was another flash of light, and all at once, Rabbit felt herself shrinking and shrinking, until her body was small enough to slip through her burrow and escape the mighty paws of Lion.

The lion hitting the ground with his paws in frustration 

said, “ She escapes yet again.” 

The Eagle soaring back in the sky thought to himself, “ These rabbits are swift and smart and very difficult to hunt.”  

Now, Rabbit’s body was back to its regular size. But her ears — her formerly stubby ears —were still big! The Earth Spirit had left Rabbit’s ears long — as long as a corn cob! Not only that, but they could even tilt and turn in any direction, so that now when other, bigger animals wanted to get revenge for Rabbit’s tricks she could hear them coming from a mile away!

Probably, that how the rabbits’ short and snubby ears became tall like the ones they have now.

Bigger doesn’t always mean better. Sometimes best things come in small sizes.