• The Little Rabbit Who Wanted Red Wings

The pictures are at the end of the story

Once upon a time, there was a little white rabbit with soft white fur, long pink ears, and four tiny feet. He was a very pretty little rabbit, but he wasn’t happy. You see, this little rabbit didn’t want to be himself. He wanted to be someone else.

When he saw Mr. Bushy Tail, the squirrel with a big, fluffy gray tail, the little rabbit said to his mother, “Oh, Mommy, I wish I had a tail like Mr. Bushy Tail’s!”
When Mr. Porcupine walked by, the rabbit said, “Mommy, I wish I had sharp, bristly spikes like his!”
And when Miss Puddle-Duck waddled past wearing her shiny red boots, the rabbit sighed, “Mommy, I wish I had red boots like hers.”

His mommy grew tired of his wishing. One day, Old Mr. Groundhog overheard him and said, “Little rabbit, if you go to the Wishing Pond, look at yourself in the water, and spin around three times, your wish will come true.”

Excited, the little rabbit ran through the woods until he found the Wishing Pond. It was a small pool of green water inside a tree stump. A tiny red bird sat on the edge of the pond. When the rabbit saw the bird’s bright red wings, he thought, I wish I had red wings like that!

The rabbit looked into the pond, saw his reflection, and spun around three times. Suddenly, he felt a strange tickling on his shoulders—his wings were growing! He waited by the pond all day, and by evening, his red wings had fully grown.

He raced home to show his mommy, but when he hopped into their tree hole, she didn’t recognize him. “Who are you?” she asked. “You can’t be my little rabbit. Rabbits don’t have red wings!”

The little rabbit was sad and left to find somewhere else to sleep. First, he knocked on Mr. Bushy Tail’s door. “Please, can I stay here tonight?” he asked. But when Mr. Bushy Tail saw the red wings, he shut the door quickly.

Next, the rabbit went to Miss Puddle-Duck. “Miss Puddle-Duck, may I sleep in your nest tonight?” But she only peeked at him before hiding in her nest. “I’ve never seen a rabbit with red wings!” she said.

Finally, the little rabbit went to Old Mr. Groundhog, who let him sleep in his hole. But the ground was covered in sharp beechnuts, which hurt the rabbit’s feet all night.

The next morning, the rabbit decided to try flying. He climbed a hill, spread his red wings, and leapt into the air. But he didn’t get far before landing in a prickly bush. Stuck and tangled, he cried, “Mommy! Mommy! Help me!”

His mommy didn’t hear him, but Old Mr. Groundhog did. He helped the little rabbit out of the bush. “Don’t you like your red wings?” Mr. Groundhog asked.

The rabbit shook his head. “No, they’re not as fun as I thought. I want to be myself again.”

“Then go back to the Wishing Pond,” Mr. Groundhog said.

The rabbit hurried to the pond, looked at his reflection, and spun around three times. His red wings disappeared! He ran home to his mommy, who hugged him tight. “Now you’re my little rabbit again!” she said.

From that day on, the little rabbit never wished to be anyone else. He was happy just being himself. 

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