The cold, dark night sky was dotted with innumerable glimmering stars. The luminescent crescent moon eerily lit the silent night. No birds chirped, no wolves howled, no owls hooted. In the small chicken coop in the backyard of a small house, three chickens huddled together tightly, trying to keep warm. Under the pine trees that surrounded the backyard, several rabbits slept soundly in their warrens. One young hungry rabbit, Pipkin, crept stealthily out of his den and scampered to the chicken coop.
The chickens, who were fast asleep, did not notice Pipkin, who was smart enough to open the chicken coop door. Pipkin closed the door, then crept over to the leftover food scraps the chickens hadn’t eaten.
“Cucumbers, carrots, lettuce. These chickens are very picky eaters not to eat these delicious foods! But I will certainly take them,” Pipkin muttered to himself.
Abruptly, one of the chickens, Bob, yawned and groggily opened his eyes. Pipkin, too busy munching on his carrot, did not notice the awakening chicken.
“Yo, rabbit! What do you think you’re doing here? I was about to eat that carrot!” Bill said, looking straight at the rabbit. This roused the other roosters, Bill and Bruce. Pipkin turned to look at the chickens.
“I just wanted to eat your leftover scraps, chickens. I’m very sorry if I woke you up,” Pipkin replied innocently.
“Well, I was just about to eat that cucumber,” Bill lied.
“And I was just about to eat that carrot!” Bob said.
Bruce, the kinder rooster, walked over to Pipkin and whispered, “They weren’t about to eat those vegetables. Keep them for yourself. Bob and Bill are very picky and won’t eat their veggies.”
Pipkin nodded continued to nibble on the veggies.
“Why are you still eating my veggies, dim-witted rabbit? Get out of our coop right now or else I will have to fight you!” said Bob.
“Yeah! We have razor-sharp beaks and knife-like claws!” Bill said, intending to scare the rabbit.
“Don’t mind them. They won’t fight. You just go on ahead and eat your veggies.” Bruce said
Bruce turned to face Bob and Bill. “Stop trying to intimidate the rabbit. Apologize right now or else I will call a hawk to come and eat you!”
Bob and Bill, who were both very scared of hawks, immediately and sincerely apologized to the rabbit.
“Well, since you let me eat your veggies, is there anything I can do for you?” Pipkin asked.
“That’s very kind of you, rabbit, but I don’t thi—” Bruce said gratefully.
Then Bob jumped in. “Do you know to open the chicken coop door? We want to roam outside and explore the world.”
“I would be very glad to show you, chickens,” said Pipkin. Pipkin, holding the leftovers in his mouth, opened the door.
“Thank you, rabbit,” Bruce said gratefully, then joined the other two chickens to romp.
The chickens, who were fast asleep, did not notice Pipkin, who was smart enough to open the chicken coop door. Pipkin closed the door, then crept over to the leftover food scraps the chickens hadn’t eaten.
“Cucumbers, carrots, lettuce. These chickens are very picky eaters not to eat these delicious foods! But I will certainly take them,” Pipkin muttered to himself.
Abruptly, one of the chickens, Bob, yawned and groggily opened his eyes. Pipkin, too busy munching on his carrot, did not notice the awakening chicken.
“Yo, rabbit! What do you think you’re doing here? I was about to eat that carrot!” Bill said, looking straight at the rabbit. This roused the other roosters, Bill and Bruce. Pipkin turned to look at the chickens.
“I just wanted to eat your leftover scraps, chickens. I’m very sorry if I woke you up,” Pipkin replied innocently.
“Well, I was just about to eat that cucumber,” Bill lied.
“And I was just about to eat that carrot!” Bob said.
Bruce, the kinder rooster, walked over to Pipkin and whispered, “They weren’t about to eat those vegetables. Keep them for yourself. Bob and Bill are very picky and won’t eat their veggies.”
Pipkin nodded continued to nibble on the veggies.
“Why are you still eating my veggies, dim-witted rabbit? Get out of our coop right now or else I will have to fight you!” said Bob.
“Yeah! We have razor-sharp beaks and knife-like claws!” Bill said, intending to scare the rabbit.
“Don’t mind them. They won’t fight. You just go on ahead and eat your veggies.” Bruce said
Bruce turned to face Bob and Bill. “Stop trying to intimidate the rabbit. Apologize right now or else I will call a hawk to come and eat you!”
Bob and Bill, who were both very scared of hawks, immediately and sincerely apologized to the rabbit.
“Well, since you let me eat your veggies, is there anything I can do for you?” Pipkin asked.
“That’s very kind of you, rabbit, but I don’t thi—” Bruce said gratefully.
Then Bob jumped in. “Do you know to open the chicken coop door? We want to roam outside and explore the world.”
“I would be very glad to show you, chickens,” said Pipkin. Pipkin, holding the leftovers in his mouth, opened the door.
“Thank you, rabbit,” Bruce said gratefully, then joined the other two chickens to romp.
