A Children's Fictional Short Story About a French Lop Rabbit that Jumps Out of His Hutch and into Danger

Bump, the French lop rabbit, hopped to the front of his cage. "Wow, my door is open. Someone forgot to close it." The rabbit sniffed the air and then called to his friend Black-Berry, the cat, "Stop hunting mice and come look!"

Black-Berry sat a few feet away, staring at a mouse hole in front of her. She stuffed a paw into it and pulled out nothing but a dirt clod. "Drat, no mice there."

Bump jumped out of the hutch, hopped over to the cat, and thumped his hind leg on the ground. "Hey, look. I'm free!" The rabbit wiggled his whiskers and squiggled his nose. "I smell something wonderful-fresh corn in the garden."

"Visiting the vegetable patch isn't a good idea," Black-Berry mewed, scratching her neck. "There's no one to help if you get into trouble."

Bump shoved off with his big, brown hind legs and bounded to the lawn. "I'm a fast runner and no one can catch me." The grass tickled his tummy and he nibbled on the tender blades. "Green grass tastes better than mice," he called to Black-Berry.

The cat stalked over. "Greens never taste as good as mice." She planted her sleek, black body in front of him. "Go back to your hutch before something bad happens," she said, swatting him lightly on his furry head.

The rabbit leaped high into the air and sailed over Black-Berry. "You can't stop me," he whooped. "I'm too fast for you. I'm too fast for everyone."

Black-Berry rumbled in her chest and gave a small hiss of displeasure. "If you get hurt, don't blame me." She padded to a nearby elm, poked her sharp claws into the trunk and pulled herself up the tree, still keeping an eye on the rabbit, far below.

Bump stood tall on his hind legs, sniffed, and then licked his lips with his soft, pink tongue. "Mmm, that corn smells sweet. Ready or not, here I come."

Before he had a chance to take another hop toward the garden, a dark shape flew over. "It's a hawk!" screamed Black-Berry from high in the tree. "Lie flat so he'll think you're a patch of brown grass!"

Bump flattened his round, soft body against the ground. BAH-BOOM, BAH-BOOM! His heart echoed in his ears.

The bird dipped down and flew back over. "Feeewww, feeewww," he called as he cocked his head and looked. With a flick of his wingtips, he flew in a circle and drew closer to the lawn. Suddenly he dove straight for Bump.

"Run," yowled Black-Berry. "Run for your life!"

With a hard kick, Bump jumped straight into the air, spun around, and landed on the ground. His hind legs lashed out and he zig-zagged across the lawn. The hawk zoomed closer and closer.

"Help, Black-Berry, HELP!" Bump hollered in fear.

Black-Berry leapt from the tree and landed on her padded feet. Running through the grass, she sprang in the air like a lion and her claws caught the bird's tail feathers.

"Aaaaak!" the bird squawked, flapping his wings until he jerked free. As the he flew away, a soft feather floated down and landed on Black-Berry's shiny nose. "Hawks," she hissed in disgust as she swiped it off. Then, she looked around. "Bump, where are you?"

The leaves rustled in the breeze, birds chirped in the trees, but Bump didn't answer. Black-Berry prowled the bushes, looking for him. "Bump, are you hurt?"

"I'm in my hutch," Bump squeaked, in a wobbly voice in the distance.

Black-Berry pussyfooted over. "Are you all right?"

The frightened rabbit's whiskers trembled. "I think so ... I'm a fast runner, but not fast enough. It's a good thing you're a very fast catcher."

"It is," Black-Berry whispered.

Bump tucked his puffy tail. "Home is the best place for me."

Black-Berry put her face inside the hutch door and gently touched Bump's nose with hers. "You've had a busy day. Why don't you lie down and I'll tell you a story?"

Bump stretched out, lowered his head onto his paws and sighed. "You're the best friend ever."

Black-Berry blinked her golden eyes at him and rumbled a soft purr. Then she said, "Once upon a time there were three rabbits named Flopsy, Mopsy ..."

And before she got any farther, Bump fell fast asleep.

Sources:
Personal Experience