A Tale of Early Promise: Little A is a Hero.

Rabbit get Hydration Treatment

On a warm and sunny afternoon the boy went back to the valley to see his friend Rabbit. School was out for the summer, and he missed his friend and their walks and story sharing. He looked and looked and called his name but could not find Rabbit anywhere. He was just about to leave when he heard a soft trembling voice. “Boy? Are you Little A?” Little A looked around but didn’t’ see anyone so said that he was. Then the voice said “If I come out you won’t step on me will you?” “Of course not. But where are you?” And with that, a small mouse crept from behind a pine cone and said “Here. Rabbit has gone away. His mother sent him to take care of his Grandmother in the next valley. He never came back and we are all afraid to go look for him. Would you?”

Little A said “Or course I will. Which way did he go?” Mouse showed Little A the path that lead to Grandma Rabbit and Little A ran off as fast as he could. On the way over the hill into the next valley, Little A noticed a bit of fur on the ground and cried out “Oh No!! That looks like rabbit fur. Oh I hope it isn’t Rabbit’s.” On he went until he found Grandma Rabbit’s burrow and called in “Grandma Rabbit? Grandma Rabbit? Is Rabbit home?” Well, Grandma was a bit surprised when she limped to the entrance and saw a human, but being old and wise in the ways of the world she knew that this boy was not a danger. “Who are you? You mean my Grandson Rabbit? Why should he be here?” “His mother sent him here several days ago to help you. Didn’t he get here?” “No” said Grandma. “I haven’t seen him since the last time I had dinner at his burrow. Oh dear! Something must have happened to him. I will go out looking right now!” “Please Grandma Rabbit. Let me. I will call him and ask other animals. He must be somewhere between here and his burrow.”

And so Little A backtracked and asked some birds, a few mice, and a frog, but no one had seen Rabbit. The sun was going down, and Little A had to be home before dark, so he headed off towards his house, which was not the direction of Rabbit's burrow. And a good thing he did too. Not far from the path he found a snare, and there was Rabbit, caught by his hind legs, hanging upside down, and almost dead. Little A gently released the loop and held Rabbit tight to his chest. He said “Rabbit? Rabbit? Can you hear me? I am going to take you home and get you some help. Please don’t die. Please?”

Rabbit opened his eyes a bit and said “I am very weak and thirsty. I don’t think I will die, but please hurry.” A week later, Little A took Rabbit, much stronger now and rested, back to his burrow and his mother. He had seen a mouse on the way to his house and asked the mouse to tell Rabbits mother that Rabbit was hurt and he, Little A, would take care of him. It was a fine reunion when Rabbit hugged his mother at the entrance to the burrow. Little A was the hero of the Valley and for many years after he graduated from Vet school Little A continued to treat wild animals, and was known far and wide. He always had a special place in his heart for rabbits, though, and never forgot his friend Rabbit.

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