Once upon a time, three naughty little rabbits lived with their mama in a cosy hillside burrow.
One day, Mama said, “You’re getting so big! Come and help me make your sleeping corners bigger.”
The naughty little rabbits didn’t want to help Mama.
“We want to play outside!” they cried.
“First, there is work to do,” their mama said. But the naughty little rabbits ignored her and scampered off to the meadow, leaving their poor mama behind.
In the meadow, the first little rabbit twitched his nose excitedly. “I wish we had someone to play with,” he said, looking around for some fun.
“Why don’t you play with me?” called a squirrel, hopping down from a tree branch. “Just do what I do, and we’ll have some fun.”
The squirrel scampered up a tall tree, balancing on the highest branch with ease. “Try climbing up here like me!” he called.
The first little rabbit tried to follow but could only hop up a small stump. He quickly slipped and tumbled back onto the grass.
“Don’t worry, we’ll play another way,” said the squirrel, plucking a handful of acorns. He began throwing them playfully, but the acorns rained down hard on the little rabbits.
“Ow! Stop!” cried the first little rabbit, dodging and hopping away. “This isn’t fun at all!”
The other rabbits laughed nervously. “What else can we do?” asked the second little rabbit, feeling restless.
“I wish we had something to eat,” he said, his tummy grumbling after all the running.
“Why don’t you have lunch with me?” croaked a little frog from the edge of a pond. “Just do what I do. Close your eyes, stick out your tongues, and you’ll catch a yummy fly!”
The little rabbits wrinkled their noses in disgust. “Yuck! We don’t eat flies!” they spluttered, pulling their tongues back in as fast as they could.
The frog only chuckled. “Suit yourselves, but you’ll never know what you’re missing.”
Still hungry, the second little rabbit hopped away with his siblings, grumbling, “I don’t want to eat frog food! I want to go home for a nice meal.”
By now, the third little rabbit was feeling tired after all the hopping and running around. “I wish we could have a cosy nap,” he said, flopping down under a bush.
But before they could settle, dark clouds gathered, and rain began to pour. The little rabbits didn’t like the cold, wet drops soaking their fur. Shivering, they huddled together and hopped as fast as they could back home.
When they reached the hillside burrow, they found their mama still hard at work, digging and pushing earth to make their sleeping corners bigger. She was muddy, tired, and working all alone.
Seeing their mama’s effort, the little rabbits felt a pang of guilt.
“We’re so sorry, Mama!” they cried, crowding around her. “We shouldn’t have run off and left you all by yourself.”
Mama wiped her paws and gave them a warm smile. “You’re home now, my little ones, and that’s what matters. Can we help you with the work now?”
“There will be plenty of work for you to do another day,” Mama said gently. “For now, come inside where it’s warm, eat your supper, and promise me you won’t run off again.”
The little rabbits nodded, their bellies rumbling. They realised how much they had taken their mama’s hard work for granted. She had always made sure they were fed, warm, and safe. Now, they understood how much she loved them and why she needed their help.
The hungry, sleepy little rabbits ate their supper. Then they crawled into their sleeping corners.
And guess what? Someone had made each one a little bit bigger.
Now, who do you think had done that?