Once upon a time, there was a little boy who received a soft, velvety rabbit as a Christmas present. The Velveteen Rabbit was beautiful, with a shiny coat and bright, twinkling eyes. He quickly became one of the boy’s favorite toys, although he often found himself overshadowed by more modern and mechanical toys.
In the nursery, the Rabbit befriended an old, wise Skin Horse. The Skin Horse had been in the nursery for many years and was well-loved by the boy. He was shabby, with much of his fur worn away, but he was kind and full of wisdom.
One day, the Rabbit asked the Skin Horse, "What is Real?"
"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's something that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but really loves you, then you become Real."
"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "But when you are Real you don't mind being hurt."
"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"
"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, your eyes drop out, and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."
The Rabbit longed to become Real, to be truly loved. The boy played with the Rabbit often, and over time, the Rabbit's fur became worn, his whiskers fell out, and he lost his shine. But the Rabbit didn’t mind because he was happy and loved.
One day, the boy fell ill with scarlet fever, and the Rabbit stayed by his side throughout his illness, providing comfort and companionship. After the boy recovered, the doctor ordered that all the boy’s toys be burned to prevent the spread of the infection.
The Rabbit was placed in a sack with other old toys and taken out to be burned. He felt lonely and scared, wishing he could have become Real before it was too late. As he lay in the sack, he shed a real tear.
That tear brought a magical transformation. A fairy appeared and took the Rabbit in her arms. She told him that because he had been so loved and given so much love in return, he would become Real to everyone. She kissed the Rabbit, and he found himself in a beautiful forest with real rabbits who were just like him. He could hop and run, and he had real fur and bright eyes.
Later, the boy returned to the garden where he used to play and saw a rabbit that looked familiar. He didn't recognize it, but he felt a special connection. The Rabbit had become truly Real and was living happily ever after in the forest, remembering the boy who had made him Real through love.
The story of the Velveteen Rabbit teaches that true beauty and reality come from being loved and giving love in return. It reminds us that the essence of being Real is not about appearance but about the depth of our relationships and the love we share.
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