Pixie the Rabbit by Brenda Kay Winters - HTML preview

Pixie the Rabbit

Pixie was called Pix by her Mother. She was born on warm Fall day when the nights were cool and the moon was full. The moon was bright on the night Pix came to life. It was strange though-she was the only one born to her Mother. Usually a Mother rabbit has many babies, but Pix was the only one.

Mother rabbit had a home far away from the city. The Country was lush and had plenty of green grass and plants to eat all day and night long. There were gardens there and many to choose from. Mother rabbit taught Pix that rabbits eat most of the time in the night. There may be snakes in the garden so be careful she would warn.

Vegetables like carrots and lettuce grew well here. There were greens from turnips and many kinds of good food. The lake was near for water and there were ponds all around too. The ponds and lake had many fish swimming in them. Mother took Pix down to the lake and they left their footprints in the mud. It had rained so the mud was all around. Their tiny feet left prints near the water. Two prints in the front and two in the back for their hind feet.

Pix was learning to see and she opened her eyes for the first time and the first thing she saw was her Mother.

Pix had cousins in a nearby field. Her Mother had one sister who had many babies not too long ago. Here is their picture.

Their bunny noses were cool and could smell well. They would sniff the new grass and pretty flowers and use their nose to see what to eat.

Their eyes could see very well and they were large and black. Their big eyes would twinkle in the moonlight.

Hop, Hop Hop- they would go and each of them would hop away from home to eat. They had a large hole in the ground to go into to when the weather was wet from rain or cold. Inside there was fur and grass that made a soft bed.

The bbies played all day long and were so tired when they came home-they fell asleep quickly. Sometimes Mother Bunny would tell them stories and they would listen well. She said their cousin knew of a place where all the bunnies were white. We were brown with soft fur and white tails. Our tails were very small.

One of the cousins had a white spot on his head so they called him Star.

The other two bunnies were named Taffy and Sis. All day long Mother bunny would teach them how to live well. She gave them milk so they had strong bones and teeth. Their fur was shiny and beautiful. It was brown and grey.

Mother told Pix not to get too far from the rabbit hole because there was a big black dog who would eat her if he could catch her. She said if the dogs comes around he will bark and bark so run as fast as you can and go into the hole. Stay there until the dog goes away.

One day around lunch time, the big black dog came running and Pix saw him just in time. She remembered to get into the hole as fast as she could. Now she was safe as the dog could not eat her. She was afraid when he barked and barked at her. He went away after awhile. But he tried to dig into the rabbit hole. He got tired soon and went to his home. He belonged to a small boy who lived in a nice home close to the hole. His name was Mark.

Mark hunted for the rabbits and deer with his Father when it was hunting season to find food to eat so Pix stayed far away from him. But Mark had set a rabbit trap in the trees. It was a cage made of wire and had food inside. Pix was hungry so she went into the cage and the door slammed shut and she was caught and did not know what would happen. Mark came and picked up the cage and took Pixie to his home. In his backyard there was a playhouse and he put her into it. It had high windows and one front door. He had a latch on the door to lock her inside so now she was trapped. He did bring her pellets and food from his kitchen every day and she had a water bowl. Pix guessed Mark would keep her for a pet.

One day, Mark came into the playhouse and chased Pix until she screamed. She ran around and around until she could not breathe well. He made her so tired-all she wanted to do was sleep.

Mark laughed when Pix screamed-he had never heard a rabbit scream. Most of the time a rabbit is quiet and peaceful but not when he or she is made to be so afraid.

After a few days, Pix started to cry because she was still young and missed her Mother.

Mark left the door latch open so she nudged against the door and it flew open. She crept out and onto the grass and hopped away to find her home.

She sat upright and perked up her ears to listen to the sounds around her. There was no more danger now and she finally made it home to her Mother. Pix was looking at her Mother and she came close to her and Mother was happy now. Mother said please be more careful as you were lost and could have never found your home.

Her Mother told Pix that Daddy rabbits are called bucks, Mothers are called a doe and the baby is called a kit or kitten like a cat baby. She said rabbits are also called bunnies or hares.

Pix had a big Daddy rabbit who came to see them sometimes. He stayed busy in the forest most of the time.

Pix was thirsty so she hopped to the pond and took a cool refreshing drink. The water was clear and clean and it made her feel good.

She watched the ducks swim with their babies called ducklings and they would fish with their beaks.

Peta was a snake who lived out by the fence under the grey rock. One day Pix was not watching were she was going and came very close to her. Peta held up her tail and made it rattle. Pix asked her why she did that and she said to warn her of a bite. If Peta did bite Pix she would surely die, so Pix hopped away as fast as she could. Peta had poison sacks in her mouth to inject the small animals like rats and mice she would eat.

One day, Pix felt the cold wind blowing in from the North and she knew Winter time was coming. There would be rain, snow and ice storms and she knew she had to gather food to put into the hole. She had never played into the snow and looked forward to doing just that.

Pix went to a farm one day and saw pens holding chickens and rabbits and she knew they were pets. One rabbit was black and she called to her and she said go away or the farmer will put you into a cage. He does not like us to eat his vegetables in his garden.

Pix said why is your fur so dark and the black rabbit said she did not know but she was born with this color of fur. Pix said you are so beautiful to see and she hopped away.

The black rabbit was named Hatch. She said Pix could visit her again some time after Winter was gone.

Mother rabbit made Pix a coat and it was warm and pretty. She kept it in her room in the hole.

Pix did not feel well and she had a fever so Mother took her to the rabbit doctor. He was nice to her and he put a stethoscope to her chest and listened to her lungs and heart. He said they sounded good and Pix would get well soon. She needed to rest and drink plenty of water. Mother took her to Grandmother’s hole. There her grandmother would read to her and tell her great stories and teach her how to be a better rabbit. Some day, you will have babies of your own and you will need to take good care of them she said. In about three days Pix was well and went home to her Mother.

It was getting late and the sun was going down when a fox came to get Pix and eat her. Pix was very afraid but she told the fox he could get some free eggs at the farmers house where there were chickens so the fox left.

The next morning Pix was too close to the edge of a cliff and fell off to the ground far below. She had the breath knocked out of her and could not move.

After awhile, her Mother came to her and said,” Are you sure you did not break any bones?” Pix said she did not think so and she got up slowly but was sore all over. That was close. She could have died. I do not want to do that again Pix told her Mother.

After many years, Pix was still healthy and strong and met a man rabbit and got married. Now she would have her own babies and her Mother and Father would be bunny grandparents for the first time.

Pix had her own rabbit bunnies. She had two boys and one girl bunny. She was a good Mother just like hers had been.

Pix grew old and enjoyed her days spent most of the time alone. She had many friends to visit anytime she felt like traveling to their homes.

Pix had her bunny babies who were all grown up now visit her often. They brought her flowers and food most of the time.  As Pix liked back over her life she was glad to have such good parents and babies and such a blessed and happy life.