The Velveteen Rabbit

[dizzle]

Our Pastor today did a great illustration based upon the lessons in the Velveteen Rabbit (a story which scarred me as a child BTW) in which the horse was telling the rabbit about the progression of becoming "real" and that i the process your fur will be rubbed off with love, and you will generally be all ragged, but that is part of being "real." I thoguht it was pretty kewl.

[dizzle]

Sigh, no one else into the Rabbit eh? Boom had never even heard of it.

[Piebald]

I don't even remmeber the story of that particular lagamorphic fabric. Can you summarize it?

[Sher]

This was one of my *favorite* childhood stories ... wow ... what a memory recall

EDIT: http://www.writepage.com/velvet.htm

That night, and for many nights after, the Velveteen Rabbit slept in the Boy's bed. At first he found it uncomfortable, for the Boy hugged him very tight, and sometimes he rolled over on him, and sometimes he pushed him so far under the pillow that the Rabbit could scarcely breathe. And he missed, too, those long moonlight hours in the nursery, when all the house was silent, and his talks with the Skin Horse. But very soon he grew to like it, for the Boy used to talk to him, and made nice tunnels for him under the bedclothes that he said were like the burrow the real rabbits lived in. And they had splendid games together, in whispers, when Nana had gone away to her supper and left the night-light burning on the mantelpiece. And when the Boy dropped off to sleep, the Rabbit would snuggle down close under his little warm chin and dream, with the Boy's hands clasped close round him all night long.

And so time went on, and the little Rabbit was very happy -- so happy that he never noticed how his beautiful velveteen fur was getting shabbier and shabbier, and his tail becoming unsewn, and all the pink rubbed off his nose where the Boy had kissed him.

Spring came, and they had long days in the garden, for wherever the Boy went the Rabbit went too. He had rides in the wheelbarrow, and picnics on the grass, and lovely fairy huts built for him under the raspberry canes behind the flower border. And once, when the Boy was called away suddenly to go to tea, the Rabbit was left out on the lawn until long after dusk, and Nana had to come and look for him with the candle because the Boy couldn't go to sleep unless he was there. He was wet through with the dew and quite earthy from diving into the burrows the Boy had made for him in the flower bed, and Nana grumbled as she rubbed him off with a corner of her apron.

"You must have your old Bunny!" she said. "Fancy all that fuss for a toy!"

"Give me my Bunny!" he said. "You mustn't say that. He isn't a toy. He's REAL!"

When the little Rabbit heard that he was happy, for he knew what the Skin Horse had said was true at last. The nursery magic had happened to him, and he was a toy no longer. He was Real. The Boy himself had said it.

That night he was almost too happy to sleep, and so much love stirred in his little sawdust heart that it almost burst. And into his boot-button eyes, that had long ago lost their polish, there came a look of wisdom and beauty, so that even Nana noticed it next morning when she picked him up, and said, "I declare if that old Bunny hasn't got quite a knowing expression!"

[dizzle]

Well after I read that story as a child, I felt horrible about discarding toys!!!

[Piebald]

So beautiful :sad:

[Sher]

Dee Dee Warren:

Well after I read that story as a child, I felt horrible about discarding toys!!!

I guess I can see that ... but I looked at it from how the V. Rabbit became real.

I can see how this would be a great springboard to a great sermon about becoming a new person ... a temporary existance in this world ... like the temporary reality the Bunny was to the boy ... but not the same as being REAL.

[Piebald]

I wonder if Tendril ever desires to be real.

Strike that thought. That frightening thought.

[dizzle]

The Pastor using it as an illustration though I thought was terribly clever. He spoke about how the love of God brings us through trials and He sometimes loves our fur off, but we become Real and not Plastic, and once you are Real you don't care about such things so much (and I would add that at the end of the road of bondage to decay is the fabulous transformation at which we become the perfect us!!)

[Piebald]

That Pastor is very creative. Pick of the Day

[Sher]

Hamster:

I wonder if Tendril ever desires to be real.

Strike that thought. That frightening thought.

:rofl: