A Bunny and a Shooting Star

There was once a small bunny.

A bunny, who enjoyed staring at the sky when the stars would come out at night.

She would tell herself every day, ‘Someday, I want to put my own star too.’

But unlike most days, a thick veil of clouds filled the skies with a foggy darkness.

The critter watched with a heavy heart and her pulse somehow quickened by a feeling of uncertainty.

When the time finally came and she, tools in hand, was ready to take its first hop into it, the overwhelming darkness of the atmosphere was too much to bear. It seemed a much easier task to think of something rather than doing it after all.

‘I have never done this before.’ She thought. ‘There are so many stars already, beautiful, and bright. What if my own is not as pretty or shinny? What if, it’s not good enough? Or what if I can only imitate what other stars look like up there?’

The grip of her tools appeared to loosen a little when a beautiful shooting star came so close, that it almost made her lose her grip on them entirely.

Swiftly, the clouds were parted momentarily by its speed.

Our bunny’s pink eyes sparkled with delight. Transfixed in the glow of the sudden visitor that she almost forgot to breathe.

Sometime afterward, the star slowed its flight at the sight of the little creature, and, with much curiosity and delight, shoot its way after her.

Now the poor thing did drop her tools, for the star danced and swirled so much around her that she became dizzy for a moment.

“Why, you are a crafter! Hello, it’s so nice to meet you! My maker is a crafter too!” The star said delighted, and so fast that it was already hard to catch the words properly in its tiny voice.

“Oh, I’m not a crafter. I mean, I would love to be one, but it’s just a hobby you see. I don’t think I’m particularly suited for it.” She answered shyly. Each word whispered lower, and her somber mood showed on her face.

“Well, that’s curious. My maker once told me the same thing! But that was before I was born, so you see, I didn’t hear it from her, but she told me herself one day. Oh wait, I guess I did hear it from her but not from her at the time…”

It rambled on and on, but its words certainly took our bunny by surprise.

“But you are so beautiful! Surely your maker must be very skilled!’ She blurred without thinking and the star immediately began swirling and burning even more brightly than before. It was clearly so happy by her words that its delicate sterling color took a roseate tone as if it were blushing.

“Why you are so kind! I’m sure my master will be happy to hear that! When you make your own star, I will ask it to be my friend so it can come with me and show it to my master!’

“But what if my star is not as pretty as you? Wouldn’t that be sad? Besides, there are so many of you already, and…what if I just end up copying how other stars look like?”

Her scarlet gaze dropped to see the tools still lying on the grass. Her doubts kept growing inside her chest that it hurt.

“What do you mean by so many of us already? Why, I wished there were even more of us so we could all play, and dance, and travel together! Besides the sky is so big that we all wish there were more crafters, so every corner was filled with us!’

“You really think so?” The little one asked, not quite expecting that sort of answer.

“I know so! Every one of us says so! Besides, even if we look like other stars, it doesn’t mean we are exactly the same. All of us are unique in our own way, and that is what makes it fun!” The star spoked so excitedly that the last word tingled like the sound of a crystal.

The critter bent her tinny legs to pick the tools she dropped before. Her heart felt extraordinarily lighter.

At that moment, the clouds dispersed as the sky filled with a shower of stars; the glow so bright it almost seemed like daylight.

The sight was so beautiful the bunny started smiling. Her grin grew wider and wider that soon laughter poured from her lips at the spectacular sight.

“Well, I better get going, or I’ll be left behind. It was nice to meet you, Ms. Crafter. Be sure to tell your little star to look for me. I’ll teach it all there is to know about flying, and dancing, and all the fun things too!’

Before the bunny could reply or thank it, the light rushed off so quickly that it took no time at all to catch its fellow travelers in the sky.

Silence returned, but the clouds were gone, and a starry veil decorated every inch of the atmosphere.

With a little shake of its nose, the bunny let out a brief giggle of relief.

She closed her eyes for a moment as the smile reached her whiskers; the weight of her hammer and brush felt in her tiny paws.

“Until we meet again…shooting star.”

Copyright © Bunny Jack, 2022