Once upon a time, there was a little Rabbit. She lived in an open green forest, basked in the warmth of the Sun during the day. The Moon lit her way and kept her company during the night. The Stars sang her to sleep and she never felt alone. As much as the Rabbit loved the Sun, she longed for the night so she could see the Moon. He told her stories until she drifted off or used his light to play with her when she was restless. The Sun perfectly understood, as her own favorite part of the day was dusk and dawn, when she was able to spend time with the Moon.
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One day, the little Rabbit awoke when the Sun rose. They danced and sang, but there was the slightest chill in the air. This was odd, but she did not think much of it. The night fell and the Rabbit felt that something was wrong. She looked to the sky and called out for the Moon, but he did not answer. The night was incredibly dark and even the Stars were dim. Fear exploded in the Rabbit's chest and she began to run. She could not see a single thing without the Moon lighting her way. She ran without direction in desperate search of the Moon, but she could not find him because he was too tired and had to shut his eyes for a bit. The Cage spotted the little Rabbit and seized the opportunity to fill the emptiness inside him.
The Rabbit’s body slammed into something cold and hard. Aching, she attempted to run a different way, and again, she hit something cold and hard. Left, right, forward, and backward, she tried to run, but could not. I’m trapped, she thought to herself. Terrified and chilled to the bone, she curled herself in the center of the enclosure to keep the walls from touching her.
“Help me, please,” she whispered to the stars. There was no answer. “Please,” she said again, her voice breaking. There was still no reply.
It felt as if the Sun would never return, but she did. With her lighting the whole world, the Rabbit saw the black metal Cage surrounding her on all sides. Her throat felt tight as she began to cry. The Cage watched her but never said a thing. Later, she found herself looking to the Sun.
“I can’t get out, please, tell him to let me out,” the Rabbit said.
“I’ve tried, little one. He never listens to me,” the Sun replied softly.
The Rabbit laid her head in one of the Sun’s beams, trying to warm herself. Another dark night fell and it was another night full of fear.
“I can’t get out, please, tell him to let me out,” she pleaded to the Stars. “Ask him yourself,” the Stars answered sternly.
I can’t, she thought. She could barely look at the Cage, let alone speak to him. She kept her eyes down and promised herself that she would ask another day. Many days and many nights passed, and the Rabbit remained trapped. She tried to tell the Cage that she was not happy, but that only resulted in beratement.
“You are safe from predators in this house and I’ve given you such a nice mat to sleep on! You are ungrateful, I am helping you!” yelled the Cage. The Rabbit shrank and any courage she had evaporated.
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As time went on, the Rabbit confided in the Sun. She comforted the Rabbit and always answered when she called. The days grew longer because the Sun did not want to leave the Rabbit alone with the Cage.
“Sun, can you help me?” Asked the Rabbit.
“Of course, little one. What do you need me to do?” The Sun answered.
The Rabbit decided she was done. She was tired of the Cage, she was tired of being trapped in her own fear. She asked the Sun to use her rays to burn the lock on the Cage, and the Sun willingly complied. The Rabbit walked up to the door, her hands were shaking, but her voice was strong, “I’m leaving. You cannot keep me here any longer.”
“You cannot survive in the wild without me, you’ll be attacked!” The Cage said
angrily.
“I was fine without you before, I’ll be fine without you now,” she said simply. She opened the door and left, not even sparing the Cage a glance.
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Once upon a time, there was a little Rabbit. When the Moon needed to rest, she got trapped. She freed herself and if she comes across another cage, she knows that she is brave enough to get out.
As twilight glimmered, the Rabbit smiled softly when the Moon yawned awake.