Page 12 - My FlipBook

The Rabbit sighed. He thought it would be a long time before this

magic called Real happened to him. He longed to become Real, to

know what it felt like; and yet the idea of growing shabby and

losing his eyes and whiskers was rather sad. He wished that he

could become it without these uncomfortable things happening to

him.

There was a person called Nana who ruled the nursery. Sometimes

she took no notice of the playthings lying about, and sometimes,

for no reason whatever, she went swooping about like a great

wind and hustled them away in cupboards. She called this "tidying

up," and the playthings all hated it, especially the tin ones. The

Rabbit didn't mind it so much, for wherever he was thrown he

came down soft.

One evening, when the Boy was going to bed, he couldn't find the

china dog that always slept with him. Nana was in a hurry, and it

was too much trouble to hunt for china dogs at bedtime, so she

simply looked about her, and seeing that the toy cupboard door

stood open, she made a swoop.

"Here," she said, "take your old Bunny! He'll do to sleep with you!"

And she dragged the Rabbit out by one ear, and put him into the

Boy's arms.

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