"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came in to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"
"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse, "It's a thing that happens to you, then you become Real."
"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "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 haave to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and 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 Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
Puggy is twice-loved. He was my mother's teddy bear first, and then mine.
@kerristephens@mrssmith@kezzam@digitalrn Thanks everyone- so glad you liked the caption Kerri; it's one of my all-time favorites. Yes, Mrs. Smith, I agree- a very beautiful story to help us treasure some very beautiful toys. (o: Thanks Kerry- The Velveteen Rabbit has always been a favorite of mine too- although I discovered it after my own childhood and during my college years while studying Children's Literature. Thanks Rick- Puggy is one of my most treasured things and I can't even begin to count the memories he holds! Thank you all for your kind comments! Glad you liked the picture!
I always tear up when I read this story, especially the end when the boy sees a similarity between the rabbit in the garden and his stuffed bunny. What a beautiful story and fantasy it is.
@allie912 Thanks Allison- it is a precious story; no wonder it is an all time favorite for many people. The "real" explanation is my favorite part, but I do like the ending too.
July 11th, 2011
Leave a Comment
Sign up for a free account or Sign in to post a comment.
