~*~

Let's see if we can know more about you, in a way. We can play a little game, if you like, and it might tell me more about the kind of person you are. It won't be the most interactive game, you and I can only do so much there. But let's try to play anyway. I'll hide a secret word somewhere in here that will make you turn to the next page, using one magic letter in it. If you touch it, the page will just turn on its own, as if by magic! If you can't find it, that's okay, you can just turn the page normally too, just as you've always done. I won't be upset. Not much anyway, it's just a silly game. Only words.

But for now, I'll tell a little story, and you can hunt for that ever so special word. Just keep a sharp eye open, I know you can do it, I have faith in you!

Here we go.

Once there was a little rabbit who lived in a large burrow with a bunch of other rabbits under an old oak tree. Although the rabbits were fearful, they would venture out into the sunlight every day in order to feed upon sweet grass and bright white daisies. When they heard the call of an owl or hawk, they would simply dart back into their burrows as a group, and huddle there comforting each other until the danger had passed. When the sun was out, they would use its warmth to keep their fur cozy and nice. The little rabbit grew up in this way, even since when he was small, and always did as the others did. When they ran from the owl's call, he ran along with them. When the sun shone on him, he basked in its warmth like the others. And he grew and grew, surrounded by his kin, only venturing out in the glorious day, and sleeping safely underground at night.

When he was grown the not-so-little rabbit made a family with one of the others in his burrow. He had twelve beautiful little kits with her, and they were a happy family in the ever growing burrow under the oak tree. He taught them to run from the sound of the hawk or owl. He taught them to only eat the sweetest grasses and daisies, and he taught them to bask in the sunlight when they could to let it warm their little bodies. And of course, he taught them that night time was for sleep and hiding, but nothing more.

But he forgot to teach them one very important thing, and that was because he had never learned it himself. None of the rabbits had yet learned a lesson, but that time was soon to come.

It was late one evening, and the sun had set. All the little rabbits and big rabbits were settling down for a long sleep deep in their holes, when the not-so-little rabbit thought he heard something strange from outside. It was like a low rumble of thunder, but gentle and soothing like a lullaby. It continued for some time, and even as many of the other rabbits began to fall asleep, he stayed up and listened to it. After a while, the slow, undulating rumble became words.

"Why do you stay inside, Rabbit?" it said, so softly and sweetly. "It is a wonderful night out here."

"It is night time," said the rabbit. "And my family is tired from eating sweet grasses and daisies, and sleepy from the warmth of the sun. It is time for us to rest."

"That is a shame," said the voice, cool as ever. "The night time is so crisp sweet. Even the air tastes sweeter than any daisy you could imagine."

Here, the rabbit perked up his long sleek ears to listen. He liked the taste of sweet things, and he had never known a time where the very air around him tasted sweet. He imagined the purple black of night time tasting like flower petals touched with dew.

"It does?" he said, licking his lips.

"Oh yes," said the voice, the shuddering rumble returning to its tone. "And there is no one here to eat the grass with me."

"Do you eat grass?"

"Well of course I do!" the voice exclaimed. "I always come out at night for just such a thing, because I can keep it all to myself. It does get lonely sometimes, but the flowers are oh so delicious after they have closed up their sleepy heads for the night."

The rabbit had never seen flowers close up for the evening. He imagined it must look like they were shutting their eyes to dream.

"That sounds wonderful!" he admitted. "But aren't you afraid of the owls? We cannot see them well except during the day, so we hide here during the night. Without the daylight, they would snatch us up and eat us for dinner! Aren't you afraid?"

"Me?" said the voice, then it laughed, a sound like pebbles tumbling down a cliffside. "I am too big to be afraid of the owls."

"Aren't you a rabbit, like me?" the rabbit asked.

"Yes, but I am much bigger than you, so I can stay out at night and eat all of these grasses without fear."

"I have never seen a rabbit bigger than me."

"There are many things you have never seen. And all because you stay inside at night, so afraid to come out and enjoy the evening. But you know... I could watch over you and your family, if you like. I would deeply enjoy the company."

The rabbit was delighted to hear this. He wanted to taste the sleeping flowers, savor the flavor of the evening air, and let his family feast to their heart's content as they never had before. This strange voice outside sounded so kind, and was so generous to offer, and his family could do with one less night of sleep for a chance like this! He considered waking up the rest of the burrow, but decided that this was a treat only for him and his family.

"Alright," he told the voice, as he awakened his family and told them the good news. "We're going to come out. But do you promise us that no owls will harm us?"

"I promise," the voice said kindly. "No owl will harm you."

Kicking his heels together, the rabbit and his wife and all of his twelve kits rushed out into the evening air to dance beneath the starlight and feast on grass and daisies. As he emerged, he went to call for his new friend, the big rabbit, but then...

In the morning, the rest of the burrow of rabbits awoke to find that there was one family missing from their ranks. When they came out of the burrow, they found the sweet grasses and daisies had been stained a dark red, as if all had been dipped in paint. There was no sign of the family of rabbits, save for a few wisps of fur still clinging to the daisies, and a set of cat footprints leading away back into the woods.

It was on that day that the rabbits learned something very important. They had lived their lives in a state of sweetness, always trusting each other and their instincts to serve them right. They had always leaned on others to survive, and had always relied on the goodness in the hearts of those they knew to steer them right. But this proved to them that their perfect little world was not as they thought it was. It was merely a fraction of a bigger world, one full of deceit, pain, and loss. From that day on, when little rabbits became grown, they taught their kits to eat the sweetest grasses, to eat fresh daisies, to hide from hawks, and to bask in the sun. But they taught them one other, very important thing:

People lie.

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