"Bunny Racing" by Tyler W. Kurt
Two bunnies race, but one of them has been eating a special carrot from the forbidden forest to help him run faster. (All Ages)
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“Bunny Racing” by Tyler W. Kurt
In the land of rabbits, there were two young bunny rabbits, Hopper and Bounce, and they were the very best of friends. Hopper and Bounce played together almost every day and did the usual things that bunnies did, like scrunch their noses, and scratch their ears, but their favorite thing to do was run.
They ran everywhere they went together and because they ran all the time, they got faster and faster. Sometimes they would race each other, but they were almost exactly the same speed, so it was almost always a tie.
One day they were running in a field when an older rabbit saw them and said, “Dang, you two are the fastest bunnies I have ever seen, maybe the fastest bunnies in the world. You two should enter the Rabbit Racing Championships!” Hopper and Bounce’s eyes immediately lit up with excitement.
“I’m going to be the fastest rabbit in the race!” said Hopper.
“You mean the second fastest rabbit,” Bounce said jokingly, “because you are going to be right behind me!”
Well, they did go to the race, and it was a huge race! There were more rabbits there to watch the race than Hopper or Bounce had ever seen in one place in their entire lives. And there were rabbits there to race, too! Tall rabbits, short rabbits, brown rabbits, white rabbits. Rabbits with big ears, and rabbits with small ears. Rabbits of every shape and size.
Well, pretty soon it was time to start, so Hopper and Bounce lined up with the other rabbits. Then the announcer yelled “Go!”
Hopper and Bounce were fast, and within just a few strides they were already leading the race.
They ran through a field of tall brown grass where they could hardly see, then through a dried-out riverbed. Then over a beautiful field of short green grass that felt soft on their rabbit feet.
“We are … going to … win!” Hopper said to Bounce, through heavy breathing. But just as he said that he saw three other rabbits, led by a rabbit with a bent ear, coming up behind them, gaining ground. Thump, thump. Thump, thump.
“We … have to … run … faster!” yelled Bounce. But there was no hope. Bent Ear and his two friends ran past Hopper and Bounce. Bent Ear went on to win the race, and Hopper and Bounce came in fourth and fifth place.
“They were … so fast,” Hopper said, still out of breath. “They must run all the time. I’m going to hop over to them, and talk to them, and learn everything they have to teach me.” And that’s exactly what he did.
A year later, Hopper and Bounce were back at the race ready to try to win again. This time, however, just as they were heading to the starting line, Hopper pulled Bounce by the ear into a near-by bush.
“What are you doing!” screamed Bounce, “that’s my ear you’re pulling on!”
Hopper looked around to make sure no other rabbits were looking, and then pulled out a very strange carrot. “This,” said Hopper, “is what Bent Ear and his friends were eating before the race last year that made them so fast.”
“What is it?” asked Bounce.
“It’s a special carrot from the forbidden forest —”
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