10 The Poor Bunny's Magic Present

Once upon a time there was a place where animals were suffering greatly from drought and hunger. A very poor bunny was walking sadly through the fields when, all of a sudden, a wizard appeared in front of him. The wizard offered the bunny a bag filled with little bouquets of flowers.

“They are magical, and they're even more magical if you know how to use them properly, ” said the wizard. The bunny was dying of hunger, but he decided not to eat the bouquets. He wanted to put them to good use.

On his way home, the bunny met a very old and very poor sheep who could hardly walk any more.“Can you spare me something? ”asked the sheep. The bunny had nothing except his bouquets, and since they were magical,he was reluctant to give them to the sheep. But he remembered how his parents had always taught him to share everything; so he pulled a bouquet out of the bag and gave it to the sheep. As soon as he did this, the bunch shone with a thousand colours. Magic was at work.

The bunny continued on his way, feeling both happy and a bit annoyed. He had given away one of the bouquets, but at the same time it was obvious that the sheep needed it more than he did. As he continued his journey, the very same thing happened to the bunny when he met a blind duck and then a lame cockerel.When the bunny arrived home, he had only one magical bouquet left. He told his parents all about what had happened with the wizard, and his parents were very proud of the bunny's behaviour. He was about to pull out the final bouquet, when his little brother arrived home, crying with hunger. The bunny gave his brother the magical bouquet.

At that moment, with a great rumble of thunder, the wizard appeared again. He asked the bunny, “Where are the magical bouquets I gave you? What have you done with them? ” The bunny was frightened and he started to apologise. But the wizard interrupted, saying, “Didn't I tell you that if you used them well they'd be even more magical? Well, go outside and see what you've done! ”

The bunny went out, shaking. And what he saw was that, thanks to the way he had used his magical bouquets, for as far as the eye could see the whole countryside had turned into wonderful, green farmland. Farmland with enough water and food to feed all the animals!

And the bunny felt very happy that he had acted as he had, and that the magic of his generosity would bring happiness to everyone.