The Little Red Bunny
The Little Red Bunny Written by: Wairimu Mugo Illustrated by: Christina Fares
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They named her Valentina for she was born on Valentine’s Day. With fur as red as roses and hair as thick as hay. Her eyes as blue as diamonds and ears the size of sheets, they named her Valentina because she was unique.
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And everywhere she walked. And everyone she’d greet. The other bunnies stared with a look of such despair. But Valentina didn’t notice. She never really cared. She thought she wasn’t different she thought that it was fair.
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One morning she woke up. And something in her struck. So she ran down to tell Mommy with a
Thump, Thump, Thump.
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She said, “Mom, why aren’t my eyes like yours? The color of trees and sandy shores.” But her mom said, “Oh Honey, in this world there is no one with eyes quite like yours.”
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Nevertheless, she found a way to cover the eyes that she despised. And off she went to school thinking she was cool.
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So when she got to class she couldn’t see around. And found that it was hard to move without a sound. And everybody giggled when she fell down on her face. And she said, “I didn’t come to be laughed at. I came to have a place.”
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Soon the next day she woke up in disarray. And realized a troubling thought in dismay. “My ears are too big, they flop and they wiggle. And wherever I go people laugh and they giggle. If I pin down these ears onto these overalls, then maybe they won’t seem so big after all.” And so she did.
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But at school the bunnies all play a game. Valentina wants to be the same.The bunnies shout, “No. You can’t just come play. You ears may not be long, but you still don’t belong.” Running with tears, overcome by her fears. Valentina runs home where her heart ever roams.
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This morning she woke up with quite a complaint. “My fur is too red, so I’ll color it with paint.” “Are you sure you want to do this?” said her mother with a hiss. “All my friends’ fur is the color of snow, my fur just looks like a sun-burn kiss, you know.” Off she went without regret, grabbing her paint she tries not to forget, and a few seconds later her mother heard.
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SPLAT!
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Her mother came running for Valentina was crying. “I’m going to give up. I just feel like dying.” Her mother gave her a hug and showed her some love and said, “Valentina in this universe you’re my shining star. Your father and I love you the way you are.” And off they went to wash off that paint.
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That day at school Sidney bunny asked “Hey Valentina, you haven’t changed yourself today. You’ll look different, you’ll never be the same,you’ll never be worthwhile, and you’ll never be chic.” But Valentina just smiled and said “I’m not different, I’m simply...
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UNIQUE!”
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