Kokin The Magic Rabbit

              by John Perez-Sampedro

            

HOME    CHILDREN'S STORIES

 

K

okin lived with his mother and father on a hill at the edge of the forest. He spent hours looking down upon the village below. Papa rabbit had warned him about getting too close to those two legged animals they called men.

One night, chile everyone slept, Kokin sneaked out of the house and with a few gentle hops, arrived to his favorite spot at the edge of the cliff. From there, he could see the lights of the small houses below and the smoke coming out of their chimneys. He wondered how it would be inside the houses and wanted very much to see men up closed. He was not afraid, but would no disobey his mother and father. Suddenly a bright star lit up the night with a strange green glow, then it started to fall from the sky toward the rabbit. Kokin tried to cover his eyes and hide among the rocks at the same time without success. The light seemed to stay on top of the rabbit. It was so strong, that even with his eyes closed, he could still see its bright green color.
Soon, the light was gone as suddenly as it had come. Kokin got up and hopped toward his house as fast as a rabbit could hop.

Next Morning he was awakened by a scream closed to his bed . . .
__!Great mother of carrots! _ Screamed Mama rabbit opening her big eyes in disbelieve.
__ What is it,? What’s the big commotion? _ Asked the father rabbit as he hopped into the room, but when he saw Kokin, he also could not believe his eyes. __ What is it father? __ Asked Kokin , What are you two staring at?
__ Your hair, replied his mother, your hair has turned green.
What? ....What do you mean green? Said Kokin jumping from his bed and landing with a big hop in front of the old mirror.
--Oh no. It’s true, I’m a green rabbit. What will become of me now? --Said Cacán staring at the green reflection of himself in the mirror.
__ Don’t worry Kokin __Said his mother,
__ after breakfast take a swim in the pond, You’ll see. The green will wash away.
__ I”ll take a soap with me and help him wash, you’ll see. The green will wash away, -- said his father.
__ No, I am afraid it won’t, __ Said Kokin, pulling on his hair and examining it closer.
__ It was the green light that did it, _ Said Kokin almost in a whisper.
__What green light asked Papa rabbit and Mama rabbit at the same time.
Kokin sat on the small stool by the mirror and toll his mother and father his encounter with the green light. When he finished. There was a silence.
__I smell something burning -- said Papa rabbit braking the silence.
__! Holly carrots! There will be no dinner tonight --Said Mama rabbit staring at a burned carrot pie.
--I wasn’t hungry said Papa rabbit chile opening a window to let the smoke out.
--I am - --said Kokin. --I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday. I just wish the pie was not burned. --Suddenly a bright green light filled the room blinding everyone. After a few seconds the rabbits opened their eyes, only to see something fantastic. The pie was not longer burned.
-- How is this possible? Said Mama rabbit holding the pie to look at it closer.
---Its Magic. --said Papa rabbit --and it happened after that mysterious green light.
-- And the green light came the moment Kokin wished the pie not to be burned, -Said Mama Rabbit
-- Your right Mama --said Papa with great excitement
-- I have an idea, --he said, turning to Kokin, --
-- Why don’t you wish something else just to see to what happens?
--What should I wish for? --answered Kokin
--! Wait! , --said Mama rabbit, ---Wouldn’t that be dangerous?
- -Nothing happened to him when he wished for the good pie . . . But just to play it safe, wish for something small -- said Papa rabbit.
-- I know, I’ll wish for a guitar, No sooner he had made the wish, the blinding green light appear from nowhere, two seconds later, the most beautiful guitar rested on the floor close to the pie. --! Great mother of carrots! —Exclaimed Mama rabbit, staring at the shining guitar.
--It’s really true.
– Does this mean that we don’t have to be poor anymore,? – Asked Kokin with great excitement.
- Yes, - Said Mama Rabbit, I will wish for new cooking pots, and new clothing for everyone
– And even a bigger house — Interrupted Kokin But wait, before the wishes wear out let me hurry and wish for my hair to be as it was before. - Immediately, a green light filled the room and Kokin hair was returned to its original color.

– Wait, — Said Papa Rabbit, — We have to be careful not to wish so much and so many things so fast that we lose control of our lives. After all - Continued Papa Rabbit after a pause.
-- We have been very happy in this small house.
–You are so right -- said Mama Rabbit, – We don’t really need any thing, we have plenty of Carrots lots of wood to keep us warm during the winter and above all, we love each other very much.
- But what about the bad wolf? – Said Kokin with a tone of fear in his voice.
–We forgot about him –Replied Mama Rabbit and Papa rabbit at the same time.
For a moment there was silence in the cozy room of the small cabin.
–I know what I’ll do – Said Kokin with excitement, – I will wish the Bad wolf to be good.
That way, he won’t want to eat any one.
-That is a good idea, – Said Mama Rabbit
–Al right, -Said Papa Rabbit not too convinced that it was the best idea -- Right after breakfast we’ll go to the pond deep in the forest were the bad wolf lives and Kokin will try to change him into a good wolf.
No one spoke during breakfast, Everyone was worried about the trip to the pond. After all, the bad wolf was very big and always hungry and no one dare to too close to him. Mama Rabbit had packed some left over carrot pie from the knight before. The trip was going to be long and difficult and filled with danger. Mama Rabbit stood at the door watching as Papa Rabbit and Kokin disappeared with gentle hops into the forest, around the bend in the road.
- How long would it take us to get to the Bad wolf? --asked Kokin with an inquisitive look in his eyes.
- A good three hours — Answered Papa Rabbit without stopping his good pace
After two hours of hopping both rabbits sat to rest on an old tree laying horizontally on the side of the road.
Suddenly a deer came out of the bushes.
– Oh it’s you - She said, walking toward the Rabbits with a pronounced limp. – I though it was the big bad wolf, so I hid in the bushes. Than God. It was you. -
--What is the matter with your leg? Mrs. Deer. --Asked Kokin when he noticed her limping
– I have been like this since the big fire. You see, I had to jump into the river from a high rock, it is very painful, but there is nothing anybody can do.
– I which your limp and your pain would go away --said Kokin
– Than you – Replied Mrs. Deer. As she turned around to go her way, a flash of green light engulfed Mrs. Deer and the two rabbits.
–It looks like a storm is coming – commented Mrs. Deer referring to the flash
Kokin and Papa Rabbit stood up to continue their journey when suddenly they heard a scream of happiness coming from Mrs. Deer.
- My God, it is a miracle. I have no more pain and I don’t limp anymore when I walk.
- It’s a miracle, It’s a miracle – Repeated Mrs. Deer in amazement as she ran and jumped among the trees,
– Good- by Kokin Good by Papa Rabbit – Happily Shouted Mrs. Deer chile Disappearing in the thick forest.
– Kokin and Papa Rabbit remained silent. They new that the green light had granted another wish and were glad that they could help Mrs. Deer. They looked at each other with a smile as they increased the pace of their hopping.
Another hour had passed. They were getting closer to the pond where the big bad wolf lived. They slowed down their pace looking in all directions. Their hearts were beating faster than usual. They knew they could stumble against the bad wolf any time. Suddenly, the sur light was brighter, They were arriving to the edge of the forest. The pond was larger than they had thought. It looked more like a lake. The water was blue except for the green reflection of the trees. The giant Pine trees looked upside down when reflected in the stilled waters of the pond.

For a moment we forgot about the bad wolf. We drank the refreshing water of the pond and rejoiced at the beauty all around us. We where not along. Not far from us, there were two small deers also enjoying the water.. And further down a large turtle was slowly, as turtles do, making her way back to the lake. We could hear her complaining of the hot sur and her heavy load.
–Every one has a house to go to — Said the turtle, talking to herself
– Except me, I have to carry my house every where I go.......
Suddenly the hundreds of birds that where basking in the sur took to the sky. So fast and so many at the same time, that they sounded like a thunder. The deers quickly disappeared into the woods.
Not knowing were to run or why, Kokin and Papa rabbit took refuge in a hole near a rock by the lake. Unfortunately, not a very safe hiding place. Suddenly they heard the familiar howling of the bad wolf. The big animal was so close that they could smell his stench. Unfortunately the Bad wolf could also smell them and he didn’t take long to find their hiding place. Before the hungry Wolf could jump on the trembling rabbits., Kokin managed to speak.
__ Mr. Wolf – called Kokin addressing the hungry wolf.
– I wish you become a good wolf and stop eating the other animals of the forest.
–You got to be kidding – Said the bad wolf – I f you think you are going to talk me out of eating you , you are crazy. You are the best meal I have found in a week and I am not letting you go.
– The rabbits were trapped with their backs against the big rock , with no place to run to. They new they were going to be eaten by the wolf. Suddenly, Kokin said:
– I wish we both were safe at the cabin in front of a good fire. –No sooner Kokin finished wishing, they both found themselfs in their leaving room to the big surprise of Mama Rabbit.
Once in the safety of their cabin, Kokin and his family began to ponder on all the strange things that had happened to them since the night before. A Happy fire warmed the room. Papa Rabbit was sitting on his favorite chair smoking a corn pipe, and Mama Rabbit was nervously knitting next to papa rabbit. Every so often she would remember something and without saying a word, she would shake her head in a nodding fashion . It was Kokin who finally broke the silence
– I am sorry that I could not make the bad wolf into a good one, The green light didn’t work on him.
- I know – said Papa Rabbit chewing on his old pipe.
- I t seems the green light can only help those that are good at heart. We should help everyone we can without telling anybody about the green light. I should have known that only God can turn the bad into good and not even the green light can do that. The Goodness of our heart is our hidden treasure, and Love is the greatest magic of all.