A Tale of Nonsense and Friendship, or, Never Give Up.

Old Friends

Rabbit was out for a hop, when a coyote jumped out and grabbed him by the rear leg. He pulled and pulled, and finally pulled free and ran away to a hiding place he knew. When he got there he was bleeding badly and weak from blood loss. He knew he would never see his family again, and moaned softly as he lay dying.

Tortoise was passing by when he heard a moaning sound, and walked into the crevice as far as he could go to see what was going on. At once he saw his friend Rabbit, bloody and unmoving, but he couldn’t reach him. “Rabbit” he called!! “RABBIT!!!!” When he received no answer he knew he had to do something fast because although Rabbit was breathing, he looked like he was dying. So Tortoise picked up a nearby stick and poked Rabbit, all the time calling “Rabbit wake up.” “Rabbit WAKE UP!!” 

Rabbit moaned again and looked up and saw his friend and said “Tortoise, tell my family I love them.” Tortoise said “Tell them yourself! You think I will leave you here to die?” “But Tortoise, I can’t get home and I am dying.” “Nonsense” said Tortoise, “You just have to get on my shell and I will take you home.” “I can’t. I am too weak. The bleeding has stopped and I think I am out of blood.”

Well, Tortoise was really worried, but decided the best thing to do was not to let his friend know, so he just said “Nonsense. If you were out of blood you would be dead, and you are clearly not. Come on, wiggle yourself to the end of the crevice and I will get you home.” Rabbit panted a minute and then tried to move. And he DID move! Not much, but some. Not enough. Tortoise said “Come on Rabbit. I haven’t got all day you know.” So Rabbit tried again and moved again. And he tried again and moved again, and this time he was close enough to Tortoise so Tortoise could grab his tail and pull him out of the crevice.

“WAIT!!” cried Rabbit. "The coyote will get me now that I am not in my hiding place." “Nonsense” said Tortoise, “We will get you on my shell and get you home, and coyote better not mess with me or I’ll bite his paws off.”  Rabbit then tried to climb onto Tortoise's shell but was too weak.
“Hmm,” thought Tortoise,” remembering the time he helped Dove, "I will have to dig a pit next to Rabbit so he can roll onto my shell.” And so he did. And when Rabbit saw what he was doing, for the first time he felt a shiver of hope. When the hole was deep enough, Rabbit rolled onto Tortoise's shell and off they went, slowly but surely to Rabbits house.  When they arrived sometime later, Rabbits wife  screamed when she saw the blood and hugged Rabbit fiercely. “Ow. That hurt.” Said Rabbit. Tortoise and Mrs. Rabbit helped Rabbit into the house, got him on his bed and Mrs. Rabbit started to clean his wounds. Tortoise was forgotten, and slowly walked away.

He didn’t get very far before Mrs. Rabbit and all her children surrounded him, hugging and kissing and saying “THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.  You saved him. We will never forget this act of kindness and courage.” Tortoise said “Nonsense. Rabbit would have done the same for me. I was just helping out a friend from a bit of trouble.” And off he went.

But WE know what a brave and loyal friend tortoise was. Tortoise knew and WE  know the coyote could have killed them both, and WE know that Tortoise was a hero.

 And since then, rabbits and tortoises have always been friends.  

Image: http://www.distractify.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads//2014/08/tortoise-hare-620x.jpg