Part 3: A Tiny Fairy
The next day when the gardener picked up the sack to take it away to be burned,
the Velveteen Rabbit was not in it.
Then it started to rain. The Velveteen Rabbit felt sad - so far away from the Boy,
never again to be nice and cozy inside together and now soaking wet, too! A tear
fell from Velveteen Rabbit’s eye, over his cheek. It plopped onto the grass.
All at once, at the spot where the tear fell, a flower grew up. The bud of the
flower opened. Inside was a tiny Fairy!
“Little Rabbit,” said the Fairy. “Do you know who I am?”
“Should I know you?” said the Velveteen Rabbit.
“I'm the Fairy that takes care of toys that are well loved,” said the Fairy.
By then, the Velveteen Rabbit was shabby and frayed. The boy had loved off all
of its whiskers. The pink lining in the ears had worn into a light grey. Its dark
brown spots, once fresh and bright, were now faded and hard to see.
“It is time for me to make you Real,” said the Fairy.
“I think I remember Real,” said Velveteen Rabbit. What was it that Cowboy Horse
had said? Ah, yes! When you are Real, you move when you want to move. If you
are loved, you can love back.
With one touch of the Fairy’s wand, the Velveteen Rabbit felt
different. Tickly. All of a sudden, its two legs that had always been sewn
together tight, could move apart!