THE Velveteen Rabbit.docx
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THEVelveteenRabbit
THE
VelveteenRabbit
OR
HOWTOYSBECOMEREAL
byMargeryWilliams
IllustrationsbyWilliamNicholson
DOUBLEDAY&COMPANY,INC.
GardenCity NewYork
ToFrancescoBianco
from
TheVelveteenRabbit
ListofIllustrations
ChristmasMorning
TheSkinHorseTellsHisStory
SpringTime
SummerDays
AnxiousTimes
TheFairyFlower
AtLast!
AtLast!
HEREwasonceavelveteenrabbit,andinthebeginninghewasreallysplendid.Hewasfatandbunchy,asarabbitshouldbe;hiscoatwasspottedbrownandwhite,hehadrealthreadwhiskers,andhisearswerelinedwithpinksateen.OnChristmasmorning,whenhesatwedgedinthetopoftheBoy'sstocking,withasprigofhollybetweenhispaws,theeffectwascharming.
Therewereotherthingsinthestocking,nutsandorangesandatoyengine,andchocolatealmondsandaclockworkmouse,buttheRabbitwasquitethebestofall.ForatleasttwohourstheBoylovedhim,andthenAuntsandUnclescametodinner,andtherewasagreatrustlingoftissuepaperandunwrappingofparcels,andintheexcitementoflookingatallthenewpresentstheVelveteenRabbitwasforgotten.
ChristmasMorning
Foralongtimehelivedinthetoycupboardoronthenurseryfloor,andnoonethoughtverymuchabouthim.Hewasnaturallyshy,andbeingonlymadeofvelveteen,someofthemoreexpensivetoysquitesnubbedhim.Themechanicaltoyswereverysuperior,andlookeddownuponeveryoneelse;theywerefullofmodernideas,andpretendedtheywerereal.Themodelboat,whohadlivedthroughtwoseasonsandlostmostofhispaint,caughtthetonefromthemandnevermissedanopportunityofreferringtohisriggingintechnicalterms.TheRabbitcouldnotclaimtobeamodelofanything,forhedidn'tknowthatrealrabbitsexisted;hethoughttheywereallstuffedwithsawdustlikehimself,andheunderstoodthatsawdustwasquiteout-of-dateandshouldneverbementionedinmoderncircles.EvenTimothy,thejointedwoodenlion,whowasmadebythedisabledsoldiers,andshouldhavehadbroaderviews,putonairsandpretendedhewasconnectedwithGovernment.BetweenthemallthepoorlittleRabbitwasmadetofeelhimselfveryinsignificantandcommonplace,andtheonlypersonwhowaskindtohimatallwastheSkinHorse.
TheSkinHorsehadlivedlongerinthenurserythananyoftheothers.Hewassooldthathisbrowncoatwasbaldinpatchesandshowedtheseamsunderneath,andmostofthehairsinhistailhadbeenpulledouttostringbeadnecklaces.Hewaswise,forhehadseenalongsuccessionofmechanicaltoysarrivetoboastandswagger,andby-and-bybreaktheirmainspringsandpassaway,andheknewthattheywereonlytoys,andwouldneverturnintoanythingelse.Fornurserymagicisverystrangeandwonderful,andonlythoseplaythingsthatareoldandwiseandexperiencedliketheSkinHorseunderstandallaboutit.
"WhatisREAL?
"askedtheRabbitoneday,whentheywerelyingsidebysidenearthenurseryfender,beforeNanacametotidytheroom."Doesitmeanhavingthingsthatbuzzinsideyouandastick-outhandle?
"
"Realisn'thowyouaremade,"saidtheSkinHorse."It'sathingthathappenstoyou.Whenachildlovesyouforalong,longtime,notjusttoplaywith,butREALLYlovesyou,thenyoubecomeReal."
"Doesithurt?
"askedtheRabbit.
"Sometimes,"saidtheSkinHorse,forhewasalwaystruthful."WhenyouareRealyoudon'tmindbeinghurt."
"Doesithappenallatonce,likebeingwoundup,"heasked,"orbitbybit?
"
"Itdoesn'thappenallatonce,"saidtheSkinHorse."Youbecome.Ittakesalongtime.That'swhyitdoesn'thappenoftentopeoplewhobreakeasily,orhavesharpedges,orwhohavetobecarefullykept.Generally,bythetimeyouareReal,mostofyourhairhasbeenlovedoff,andyoureyesdropoutandyougetlooseinthejointsandveryshabby.Butthesethingsdon'tmatteratall,becauseonceyouareRealyoucan'tbeugly,excepttopeoplewhodon'tunderstand."
"Isupposeyouarereal?
"saidtheRabbit.Andthenhewishedhehadnotsaidit,forhethoughttheSkinHorsemightbesensitive.ButtheSkinHorseonlysmiled.
TheSkinHorseTellsHisStory
"TheBoy'sUnclemademeReal,"hesaid."Thatwasagreatmanyyearsago;butonceyouareRealyoucan'tbecomeunrealagain.Itlastsforalways."
TheRabbitsighed.HethoughtitwouldbealongtimebeforethismagiccalledRealhappenedtohim.HelongedtobecomeReal,toknowwhatitfeltlike;andyettheideaofgrowingshabbyandlosinghiseyesandwhiskerswasrathersad.Hewishedthathecouldbecomeitwithouttheseuncomfortablethingshappeningtohim.
TherewasapersoncalledNanawhoruledthenursery.Sometimesshetooknonoticeoftheplaythingslyingabout,andsometimes,fornoreasonwhatever,shewentswoopingaboutlikeagreatwindandhustledthemawayincupboards.Shecalledthis"tidyingup,"andtheplaythingsallhatedit,especiallythetinones.TheRabbitdidn'tminditsomuch,forwhereverhewasthrownhecamedownsoft.
Oneevening,whentheBoywasgoingtobed,hecouldn'tfindthechinadogthatalwayssleptwithhim.Nanawasinahurry,anditwastoomuchtroubletohuntforchinadogsatbedtime,soshesimplylookedabouther,andseeingthatthetoycupboarddoorstoodopen,shemadeaswoop.
"Here,"shesaid,"takeyouroldBunny!
He'lldotosleepwithyou!
"AndshedraggedtheRabbitoutbyoneear,andputhimintotheBoy'sarms.
Thatnight,andformanynightsafter,theVelveteenRabbitsleptintheBoy'sbed.Atfirsthefounditratheruncomfortable,fortheBoyhuggedhimverytight,andsometimesherolledoveronhim,andsometimeshepushedhimsofarunderthepillowthattheRabbitcouldscarcelybreathe.Andhemissed,too,thoselongmoonlighthoursinthenursery,whenallthehousewassilent,andhistalkswiththeSkinHorse.Butverysoonhegrewtolikeit,fortheBoyusedtotalktohim,andmadenicetunnelsforhimunderthebedclothesthathesaidwereliketheburrowstherealrabbitslivedin.Andtheyhadsplendidgamestogether,inwhispers,whenNanahadgoneawaytohersupperandleftthenight-lightburningonthemantelpiece.AndwhentheBoydroppedofftosleep,theRabbitwouldsnuggledowncloseunderhislittlewarmchinanddream,withtheBoy'shandsclaspedcloseroundhimallnightlong.
Andsotimewenton,andthelittleRabbitwasveryhappy–sohappythathenevernoticedhowhisbeautifulvelveteenfurwasgettingshabbierandshabbier,andhistailbecomingunsewn,andallthepinkrubbedoffhisnosewheretheBoyhadkissedhim.
Springcame,andtheyhadlongdaysinthegarden,forwherevertheBoywenttheRabbitwenttoo.Hehadridesinthewheelbarrow,andpicnicsonthegrass,andlovelyfairyhutsbuiltforhimundertheraspberrycanesbehindtheflowerborder.Andonce,whentheBoywascalledawaysuddenlytogoouttotea,theRabbitwasleftoutonthelawnuntillongafterdusk,andNanahadtocomeandlookforhimwiththecandlebecausetheBoycouldn'tgotosleepunlesshewasthere.HewaswetthroughwiththedewandquiteearthyfromdivingintotheburrowstheBoyhadmadeforhimintheflowerbed,andNanagrumbledassherubbedhimoffwithacornerofherapron.
SpringTime
"YoumusthaveyouroldBunny!
"shesaid."Fancyallthatfussforatoy!
"
TheBoysatupinbedandstretchedouthishands.
"GivememyBunny!
"hesaid."Youmustn'tsaythat.Heisn'tatoy.He'sREAL!
"
WhenthelittleRabbitheardthathewashappy,forheknewthatwhattheSkinHorsehadsaidwastrueatlast.Thenurserymagichadhappenedtohim,andhewasatoynolonger.HewasReal.TheBoyhimselfhadsaidit.
Thatnighthewasalmosttoohappytosleep,andsomuchlovestirredinhislittlesawdustheartthatitalmostburst.Andintohisboot-buttoneyes,thathadlongagolosttheirpolish,therecamealookofwisdomandbeauty,sothatevenNananoticeditnextmorningwhenshepickedhimup,andsaid,"IdeclareifthatoldBunnyhasn'tgotquiteaknowingexpression!
"
ThatwasawonderfulSummer!
Nearthehousewheretheylivedtherewasawood,andinthelongJuneeveningstheBoylikedtogothereafterteatoplay.HetooktheVelveteenRabbitwithhim,andbeforehewanderedofftopickflowers,orplayatbrigandsamongthetrees,healwaysmadetheRabbitalittlenestsomewhereamongthebracken,wherehewouldbequitecosy,forhewasakind-heartedlittleboyandhelikedBunnytobecomfortable.Oneevening,whiletheRabbitwaslyingtherealone,watchingtheantsthatrantoandfrobetweenhisvelvetpawsinthegrass,hesawtwostrangebeingscreepoutofthetallbrackennearhim.
Theywererabbitslikehimself,butquitefurryandbrand-new.Theymusthavebeenverywellmade,fortheirseamsdidn'tshowatall,andtheychangedshapeinaqueerwaywhentheymoved;oneminutetheywerelongandthinandthenextminutefatandbunchy,insteadofalwaysstayingthesamelikehedid.Theirfeetpaddedsoftlyontheground,andtheycreptquiteclosetohim,twitchingtheirnoses,whiletheRabbitstaredhardtoseewhichsidetheclockworkstuckout,forheknewthatpeoplewhojumpgenerallyhavesomethingtowindthemup.Buthecouldn'tseeit.Theywereevidentlyanewkindofrabbitaltogether.
SummerDays
Theystaredathim,andthelittleRabbitstaredback.Andallthetimetheirnosestwitched.
"Whydon'tyougetupandplaywithus?
"oneofthemasked.
"Idon'tfeellikeit,"saidtheRabbit,forhedidn'twanttoexplainthathehadnoclockwork.
"Ho!
"saidthefurryrabbit."It'saseasyasanything,"Andhegaveabighopsidewaysandstoodonhishindlegs.
"Idon'tb