Rabunnzel by Cyndi Woods

This week's story from Cyndi is for kids of all ages and just in time for you to share when you're gathered with those close to you on the holiday evenings!

 

   Once upon a time, there lived a King and Queen Rabbit in a land that was plentiful. There were lush gardens and fields of clover. The King and Queen had a lovely castle with a spacious room that overlooked a beautiful garden that belonged to a very stingy and wicked old woman. The Queen longed to eat of its choice carrots that she saw growing there. She loved to gaze out of the window of that room. The Queen desired to have a scrumptious salad with those carrots. The King observed his wife looking sad while she looked down at the forbidden garden, “Why look so sad my wife?” the king asked. “Oh husband, I long to have some of the carrots from the wicked and mean woman’s garden and I know she will not allow it.” “I’ll go to the garden when it is still dark in the morning and get you some carrots.” The King replied, fearing his wife would faint from her sadness.

   The next morning the King rose early and went out to the old woman’s garden to pick some of her carrots. To his fright, she was standing in the garden! “YOW!” the King shouted. “I mean, I didn’t expect to see you here this early.” The King corrected himself. “What are you doing here in my garden?” she demanded. “Well, my wife was admiring the carrots in your garden and desired them so much that she thought she might faint if she couldn’t get them.” He explained. “Is that so?” The woman mused putting a hand to her chin. She appeared to be forming a plan. “You may eat of these carrots…” she began, “on one condition.” The King was reluctant to hear her condition, “And the condition is?” he asked. Placing her paws together she said “You must give me your first-born kit.” “Say what!” the King shouted. The old rabbit smiled a devilish smile. The King knew his wife was in desperate need of these carrots and fearing she may never be content without them, he agreed. He brought the carrots to his wife and she ate them greedily.

   A few years passed and the Queen enjoyed many meals of the delicious carrots from the old wicked rabbit’s garden. Then the joyous day came that the King and Queen learned they were to have a kitten of their own, a precious little bunny bundle. Suddenly the King remembered the conditions the old rabbit woman gave for eating the carrots. He was grieved to have to tell his wife of the agreement. “Uh-uh, no way!” had been her response when he told her. “We have no choice in the matter.” He tried to explain to the Queen, “She may do something dreadful to us if we don’t give her our bunny, we will be able to see her since the wicked old rabbit lives just behind us.” He soothed. The day arrived that their little bunny was born and the wicked old heartless rabbit was right there to snatch her away, taking her to a tower in a faraway place where the king and queen couldn’t find her.

   After many years, the little bunny grew into a lovely young rabbit with an unusual feature. Her ears were exceptionally long. She let her ears unravel one day out her window to see just how long they were. Why they fell all the way to the ground. The tower she was held in was at least three stories tall she knew, and with no way out of her room but for the window, she wondered if someone could rescue her by climbing up her ears. But alas, no one knew she was here. Then she heard a noise coming from the forest just beyond her window. Could it be, could someone be this near? “Hello!” she called in her sing-song voice. Then appeared a rabbit from the woods. He hopped quickly to the ground beneath her window. “Who are you?” he asked. “My name is Rabunnzel.” She told him. “Come down so we may talk together.” He requested. She sadly dropped her eyes to the windowsill. “I cannot come down as there are no stairs or even a doorway to my chambers.” “Uh, seriously?” he asked in disbelief. “Wait!” she said excitedly, “I may have a solution.” She told him. He watched her take hold of one of her ears which seemed to be rolled up and pinned in a peculiar way. She unpinned the roll and he watched in amazement at her honey-gold colored ear drop all the way to the ground. “WOW! That’s a long ear!” he shouted. “Now climb up my ear so we may meet.” She instructed. The unknown rabbit rescuer did what she said. After reaching her window, he hopped inside. “Where do you come from?” she enquired. “From the Carrot Kingdom” he explained. “There has been much sadness there as the King and Queen lost their beloved baby bunny many years ago.” He told her. She shared her story of how she lived in this tower and has never been outside. She told him of her mother’s fear of something happening to her so she kept her in the tower for safety. Rebunnzel glanced longingly out her window and told her knew friend how she would love to see the outside world.

   He was looking at her so closely and she asked why he was doing so. “It couldn’t be…” he said quietly. “What are you talking about?” she asked nervously. “You look so very much like the Queen herself.” He expressed. “Huh?” she asked. “The King and Queens daughter that was lost, was taken by the wicked old rabbit that lived on the other side of the garden behind the castle.” He regaled to her. “You must be her!” he exclaimed. Just then they heard a voice below the window, “Rabunnzel, Rabunnzel, let down your ears!” It was her mother’s voice. “It’s my mother” she said in a whisper. He hopped under the bed and she went to the window. Her ears tumbled down and her mother climbed up. “I must go away for three days so I brought you extra food to have while I’m gone.” The old rabbit said. “Oh, I’ll be just fine.” Rabunnzel said. Her mother left out the window and down her ears again. “Now’s our chance” Rabunnzels's new friend said crawling out from under the bed. Gathering her courage, they both leapt from the window. After landing safely on the ground, Rabunnzel rolled her ears up again and pinned them into place. They hurried through the forest and back to the kingdom. They sped along paths and raced around corners. Rabunnzel came to a halt when she saw the castle in sight. “This is the Carrot Kingdom?” she asked breathlessly. “Indeed, it is” her traveling companion answered. Just then they heard a shout from behind them. “Rabunnzel!” the shriek of her mother’s voice made Rabunnzel turn sharply around. Staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed. “Mother!” she cried. “Just where do you think you are going and with this stranger?” her mother asked in calm but frightening voice. “Home, I’m going home mother.” Rabunnzel said gaining courage now that she was so close. “I’ve learned that you are not, in fact, my mother.” She exclaimed. The old wicked Rabbit turned tearful. “But… I am the one who took care of you all these years!” “But all the while my real mother has been worried sick and so very sad for my absence.” Rabunnzel expressed to her. But I was so very lonely and wanted someone to love.” The old rabbit said fully welling up with tears now. Moved with compassion for the rabbit who cared for her for so long, Rabunnzel said “Why don’t you come back to the kingdom with us?” “The King and Queen would surely have me banished.” The old rabbit told the two bunnies. “But surely they will see that you took great measures to keep Rabunnzel safe all these years.” The rescuing rabbit offered. “I will be sure they know that you were only terribly lonely and wanted to love someone and care for them.” Rabunnzel promised, so moved by the pitiful rabbit’s tears and sorrow. “Why would you do that for me?” the sniffling rabbit asked. “Well I just believe in second chances. After all, I’m getting one now.”  Rabunnzel explained gesturing toward the kingdom that lay before them.

   Feeling ashamed but hopeful, the old rabbit accompanied Rabunnzel and her new friend the rest of the way to the kingdom. As they approached the gate, the King was in the yard and saw them coming. He wasn’t sure who the two younger rabbits were but he surely recognized the old wicked rabbit. Feeling alarmed, he looked at the young ones again. Could it be? Was the old rabbit bringing his little bunny back to them? But who was the other rabbit he wondered. Not sure how to take this all in, he called for his wife. She came from just beyond the corner of the castle. “What is it husband?” she said in a weary voice. “Look!” he cried pointing to the gate. She gazed upon the gates black bars and hopped a little closer to get a better look. She stopped short when she saw the trio of rabbits at the gate. She too recognized the wicked old rabbit but not the other two. She looked back at her husband in confusion and then back at the waiting rabbits. “What is this all about?” the queen asked in a shocked trembling voice. “I have brought you back your precious little bunny that I took from you all those years ago.” The old rabbit said looking down at the grass. “Mother it’s me!” the young female rabbit said gleefully, “It’s Rabunnzel!”

   The King and Queen quickly opened the gate to embrace their daughter. “Oh Rabunnzel!” her mother cried while both her parents hugged her. “How I’ve missed you!” As they were greeting Rabunnzel with hugs and kisses, her ears became unpinned and they tumbled down spilling onto the grass. They kept unrolling until they were several feet behind her. With utter surprise, the King and Queen both shouted “Whaaaa!” Rabunnzel looked sheepish and replied, “Um, I have really long ears. In fact, they are how I was able to leave the tower I was in.” The King and Queen looked at each other in horror. “A tower?” they said in unison. Then they turned their attention to the wicked rabbit and the King said “Why did you take our daughter only to keep her in a tower?” “I was so terribly lonely and wanted someone to care for.” She explained as her tears began again. “Mother could this lonely sole be our new friend, as well as my other new friend who found me? I really have no ill will toward this old rabbit. She was just so troubled by her loneliness.” Rabunnzel requested.

   After talking with Rabunnzel and her knew friends, the King and Queen made a new decree that the wicked old rabbit was now Rabunnzel's lady in waiting. The brave young rabbit who rescued Rabunzel was now the head guard of the kingdom. They all learned lessons of forgiveness, friendship, compassion and so much more. We should all learn these lessons as well. Oh, and the Queen was able to enjoy as many carrots from the now non-forbidden garden as she wanted. She made wonderful salads, cakes, breads, and many more delicious things for all of them to enjoy together.