StoryBook Club, Velveteen Rabbit and being REAL

Hey Ho Intrepid Storycologists!

Merlyn here, to tell you another Magickal Story! (A Story! A Story! A Story! :)

Last night, a bunch of silly and smart adults met at the appointed hour at the Woodsy Squirrel Haven to discuss Margery Williams children's book:

"The Velveteen Rabbit ~ Or How Toys become Real".

It is almost Easter/Eostre and bunnies did abound in this season of Fertility!
Guests included: Stephanie, Lynn, Kate, Christine, Phil (and their new baby "Pixie the puppy"), Nick, Val, Terry, Harry, Monty Joe the Storybook Schnoodle and myself.

The table was filled with fun themed items for our StoryBook Bunny Feast too!There was a delicious soup called "Blushing Bunny" (otherwise known as Welsh Rarebit),
2 kinds of deviled eggs (Phil even made "Bunny" ones!), a bunny cupcake cake, decadent Velvet cupcakes, Strawberries and Cream, chocolate bunnies, Chamomile tea, Wine...
BUT the hit of the night?
Stephanie's Bunny Peep S'mores roasted over the "Burning Barrel" of Life (sterno :)
(Ok, so we all have a deliciously sick and fun sense of humor!)

After nibbling like ravenous rabbits in a field full of clover, we all sat down to chat about this amazing book. Margery (like Beatrix Potter) was only 17 when she wrote and published this book! It has sold MILLIONS of copies!

Some of us knew the story nearly by heart and others had just discovered it with StoryBook Club! It is the "TAIL" of a sawdust stuffed bunny who lives in the nursery with the other toys, some of which who are quite negative and mean to him. He also hears tales of "becoming real" someday. The skin horse is an old and worn toy who mentors him and teaches him about it all. The skin horse is honest and as candid as can be telling him that "becoming real sometimes hurts, as you get your fur all rubbed off and you may lose your pretty glass eyes or buttons, and your skin may droop, but it is worth it to be REAL."

One day the little boy starts playing with the toy bunny and he becomes the little boys special constant companion. The boy makes the little rabbit REAL. They have all kinds of fun adventures in the raspberry thickets and the garden until one day when the boy comes down with Scarlet fever. The bunny is there with the sick boy through thick and thin until he recovers from his scalding fever and illness. However....the doctor says that the room must be disinfected and all the toys must be burnt for health purposes.

Yes, the bunny must go.

By this time in the story, the Velveteen Rabbit has indeed captured your heart and soul and you feel his pain. But his emotions have grown so that he is grateful of what has happened and is remorseful of the way his story is about to end. Then something amazing happens. This sawdust filled stuffed toy sheds a tear of love. This tear embodies all his emotions and is rewarded by a fairy! The Velveteen Rabbit DOES have a happy ending.
The best of all happy endings. He becomes a REAL BUNNY.

He gets to run and jump and play with other rabbits for the rest of his days.
Truly a bunny heaven!Margery Williams, in her young years, of "tween time" between child and adult found and presented us all with a great truth with this story!

We all have an "Inner Bunny" within us....the one who gets picked on and discouraged and hurt...but who also is capable of MUCH love and joy and gratefulness.

Yes, LOVE is wondrous and full of joy and promise.

Yes, we can get hurt when we risk and love.

But LOVE transforms us into better REAL people.

Go ahead....

EMBRACE THE BUNNY :)Next Month?

PETER PAN!