The Rabbit who looked for truth

There once was a short eared rabbit who, gazing up at the moon and the stars often wondered;

 

“They’re there tonight and they were there yesterday night but will they be there tomorrow night?”.

 

But then while it was gazing and contemplating, its long eared friend who was nearby usually chewing on a cloverleaf would prick up its ears or start to sniff with its nose and say.

 

“Never mind that. There’s a fox nearby. Run; back to the burrow”.

 

“But how do you know the fox is dangerous?”, the short eared rabbit would ask.

 

“Foxes are always dangerous”, his friend would reply.

 

“But it might be a different kind of fox”, the short eared rabbit would argue, “We haven’t seen every type of fox there is in the world. Perhaps there are foxes that don’t eat rabbits. Perhaps it’s a lettuce eating fox”.

 

“If there’s a fox that eats lettuce”, his friend would say, “Then I’ll eat my tail. Now stop jabbering and run or you’ll end up as that foxes lunch”.

 

Then the fox would usually appear and, much to the short eared rabbits disappointment, rather than munching upon a head of lettuce or chewing upon a carrot it would start to chase them, snapping its large jaws full of sharp teeth and they’d have to leap into their burrow for safety.

 

But the rabbit would still hold on to his conviction,

 

“One day”, he’d say , “I’m sure I shall meet a fox who does not eat rabbits. That will refute your assertion that all foxes are the same”.

 

“Every fox I’ve ever seen has tried to eat me and that’s enough to convince me there’s no such thing as a good fox”, his friend would reply, “If you want to try and prove me wrong then, by all means, go and ask every fox what it eats but I guarantee you’ll get more bites than you’ll get answers”.

 

However, one time, while the two rabbits were talking, unbeknown to them, the wily fox who had chased them, stayed to listen,

 

“So”, he said smiling, “A little rabbit who seeks knowledge and truth. Just the perfect rabbit, I think, to feed falsehoods and deceive”.

 

And, going away, the next day, when the fox saw the short eared rabbit chewing upon a leaf, he didn’t chase after him.

 

Instead he shouted, “Can anyone spare a lettuce or a bunch of carrots? I am so hungry”.

 

And, looking up, the rabbit, instead of running away, because he was curious, asked, “Lettuce? Carrots? Why do you want those?”.

 

“Why because I’m a vegetarian fox”, said the fox, “There’s nothing that I like better than a crunchy lettuce or a juicy carrot”.

 

Hearing this, the little rabbits heart leapt up, “I knew it!”, he said, “I knew there must be foxes that didn’t eat rabbits. Just wait till I tell my friend”.

 

“Oh”, asked the fox, “Will you take me to him. Perhaps he has some carrots and lettuce”.

 

“I will, I will”, said the rabbit excitedly, “Just follow me”.

 

But when the rabbits friend saw the fox and heard his claims to be a vegetarian he was very sceptical,

 

“If you really eat carrots and lettuce”, he asked the fox, “Then why do you have teeth like a meat eater?”.

 

“Why?”, asked the fox, trying to think up a lie, “Well..err.. because they’re so good for pulling carrots out of the ground. I just grab hold of a carrot between my teeth and pull. They give me an excellent grip”.

 

“Alright”, said the rabbit, “But if you eat carrots and lettuce then why do you have a long nose and eyes like a hunter”.

 

“Uhh.. because my nose helps me sniff out carrots and lettuces”, said the fox, “And my eyes help me to spot them, even in the dark”.

 

“Hmm?”, thought the rabbit, “Well. It is possible I suppose”.

 

“You see”, said his short eared friend hopping up and down excitedly, “I told you”.

 

But the long eared rabbit was still not as convinced as his friend, for he was used to the wily tricks of foxes and so, pulling some leaves out of the ground he threw them down in front of the fox.

 

“One more thing”, he said, “If you’re really a vegetarian then eat those leaves”.

 

And so the fox had no choice but to pick up the leaves and stuff them in his mouth and, chewing upon them, he pretended to enjoy them.

 

“Mmm…delicious”, said the fox although the leaves tasted disgusting to it and then, chewing them up as much as it could it gulped them down.

 

“See”, said the short eared rabbit, “I told you. I told you there were vegetarian foxes”.

 

“Well, I suppose I shall have to eat my tail then”, said his friend.

 

Just then however, while the fox was grinning and feeling proud of how it was managing to deceive the rabbits, its face started to change colour becoming very green.

 

“Why has your face turned green”, asked the long eared rabbit.

 

“Oh well”, said the fox, “Because the leaves were green. You should see me after I’ve eaten a beeroot, I turn beetroot red”.

 

But then the fox started to be sick.

“Bluggh”, it said, the leaves it had eaten coming back up.

 

This was also the long eared rabbit needed to see.

 

“He’s no vegetarian”, he said grabbing hold of his short eared friend by his paw, “You’ve been lied to. Quick run, back to the burrow”.

 

So then both the rabbits turned and ran as fast as their little legs could carry them back to the safety of their underground dwelling and, though the fox tried to chase them, he was still queasy from eating the leaves and couldn’t keep up.

 

“Oh what a fool I’ve been”, said the short eared rabbit, feeling embarrassed, “That fox almost had us both for its supper”.

 

“Well”, said the rabbit, “Some can afford to wonder whether the sun will rise tomorrow; others just have to trust that it will”.