A Tale of Bravery and Compassion

Unlikely Friends

One day a young rabbit was playing near the woods when he noticed a rustling in the bushes nearby. He went to investigate and found a baby hawk, weak from struggling, caught in the branches. The rabbit ran home and found Grandpa Rabbit and asked him to go with him to help the baby. Grandpa said “Boy, hawks are the enemy of all Rabbits. They are PREDATORS who kill and eat our kind. We do not help them. Go away.” and he promptly fell asleep.

The young rabbit was really upset and confused by his Grandpa’s response, and went to find his mother. When he told his story, his mother said the same thing that his Grandpa had said. “Hawks are the enemy. Stay far away from that baby.” “But mother, the baby hawk isn’t an enemy. And if we help it, couldn’t it become our Friend?”  “No”, said Mother. “It is the hawk’s nature to kill and eat rabbits. They cannot change that. Best leave the baby to its fate.”

Well, thought the young rabbit, nuts to that. So he ran back to the woods and found the baby hawk, weaker still, and heard a high keening sound. He looked around and found a young Mother Hawk sitting on a rock, crying. He crept up and said “Why are you so sad?” Well, the young hawk was at first startled then angry at the nerve of this young rabbit. “Leave me alone you fur ball. I have lost my only baby and I am very, very upset.” The rabbit said “Lady, I know where your baby is, and I will take you there if you promise not to kill and eat me.” The hawk promised and rabbit led her to the bush, in time for her to save her baby.

Later that week rabbit was again playing near the wood when a shadow slipped over him. As he looked up a hawk flew straight at him, talons out. “I am caught” he thought. But no, the hawk landed next to him and stared for a moment. “You are the rabbit who led me to my baby, are you not?” “Yes” whispered the rabbit is a tremulous voice. “Please don’t kill me?”

“Kill you?” said the hawk. “I have been looking for you for days to thank you for saving my baby. You did a very brave thing. And I realize that although it is the nature of Hawks to kill rabbits, I have decided to become the protector of all the rabbits in my territory, and keep others from hunting you. Maybe we can learn to live in peace.”

The rabbit was so relieved and happy that he actually hugged the hawk. Later, when he told his grandfather what had happened, Grandpa just said “Harumph. Can’t get a hawk to change its feathers”, and went back to sleep. But a funny thing happened. For many years, no rabbits were killed by hawks, and some swore that they saw a rabbit and hawk walking and talking together near the woods.

Image: http://www.birds-wallpapers.com/bird/wild-hawk-rabbit.jpg