THE Velveteen Rabbit.docx

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