Once upon a time, in a cozy nursery filled with toys, there was a Velveteen Rabbit. The Rabbit was plush and new, a Christmas gift to a little boy. But amidst the more mechanical and modern toys, the Rabbit often felt out of place.
“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse, the wisest and oldest toy in the nursery. “It’s a thing that happens to you when a child loves you for a long, long time.”
The Rabbit’s ears perked up. “Does it hurt?” he asked.
“Sometimes,” the Skin Horse said, “but when you are Real, you don’t mind being hurt.”
As time passed, the Velveteen Rabbit became the boy’s favorite toy. They played in the garden, lay together in the grass, and the Rabbit slept in the boy’s bed every night. Through their adventures and the boy’s love, the Rabbit began to change.
One evening, the Rabbit heard the boy say, “You’re not a toy; you’re real!” Those words filled the Rabbit’s heart with joy. He was Real to the boy; his hops felt bouncier, and his ears twitched with happiness.
But joy turned to sorrow when the boy fell ill, and the Rabbit stayed with him throughout his sickness. When the boy recovered, the doctor ordered that everything the boy had touched must be burned to prevent the illness from spreading, including the Rabbit.
As the Rabbit lay in a sack waiting to be burned, a tear fell from his eye. From that tear, a beautiful fairy appeared. “I am the Nursery Magic Fairy,” she said. “You are Real because of the boy’s love. Now, I will make you Real to everyone.”
With a wave of her wand, the Velveteen Rabbit was transformed. He found himself hopping in the grass, real as any other rabbit. The boy saw him from his window and thought he looked familiar, but what he didn’t know was that it was his own beloved Rabbit, now real, hopping in the fields, loved and Real forever.
“The Velveteen Rabbit” teaches the power of love and the beauty of becoming real through the affection we give and receive. It’s a heartwarming story that continues to be beloved by children and adults alike.
Also Read: The Ginger Bread Man. If you like Rabbits then you’ll love The Tale of Peter The Rabbit
Moral of the Story
The moral of “The Velveteen Rabbit” is that true love and affection grant authenticity and meaning to our existence, transcending the physical and material aspects of life. It teaches that being real isn’t about how you are made, but about being loved and cherished for who you are.