Ronny, the baby rabbit hopped out of his burrow, after his mother. He looked around. The meadow looked green and was awash with a warm golden sunlight. Summer flowers had burst forth in glorious colours, filling the air with their fragrance.
“Today is your first day in the meadow,” mama said. “You will enjoy meeting new creatures.”
Ronny smiled. He stared at a red flower blooming on a bush.
“Be careful,” mama said, “there could be a bee inside the flower.”
A wish
Ronny plucked the flower and tucked it behind his ear.
“You look cute,” mama smiled.
Sunlight glinted off a large blue bead under a bush. Ronny picked it up. Holding the bead in his paw he hopped towards his mother.
“Let me see what you picked up.” Mama studied the bead. “Seems to have fallen off someone’s gown”
Ronny took the bead back and held it tight.
“The birds fly in the sky,” mama pointed to the birds.
Squinting his eyes, Ronny stared at the birds in the sky. “It would be nice if we had wings and could fly,” Ronny said. If they had wings they could go where ever they wanted.
Ronny’s eyes widened as two pairs of white wings sprouted on his and mama’s body. Mama stared in shock at their wings. In a few seconds, they were airborne. The ground fell beneath them as they flew higher and higher.
“What is happening?” mama was scared. “Fly near me,” she urged.
They shivered as a cold wind blew around them. Their fur was no protection against the harsh wind. A few birds flying past threw strange looks their way.
“I’m feeling giddy,” Ronny said.
“Don’t look down.”
They flew on and on, leaving the meadow far behind. Ronny held the bead tight.
“I’m getting tired, mama,” he cried. “I want to go back and play with my brothers.”
“I’m wondering how we can get back to the ground,” mama said.
“How did we start flying?”
“You wished for a pair of wings and the ability to fly,” mama said.
“I’ve just realised why we sprouted wings,” mama said excitedly.
“Why?” Ronny asked.
“That blue bead you found,” mama said. “Do you have it with you?”
“Yes,” Ronny said.
“I think it is magical and grants wishes,” mama said.
“How do we get back to the ground?” Ronny asked.
“Wish you were back in the burrow,” mama said.
“I wish we are back in our burrow,” Ronny said softly.
Within a few minutes they were flying low over their meadow.
“Now wish we shed these wings,” mama said.
“Please let the wings go away, we want to be rabbits not birds.”
They were outside their burrow. Their wings had disappeared.
“That was scary,” mama sighed. “Give me that bead,” she held out her paw.
“No,” said Ronny. He moved away from his mother, tripped over a protruding root and fell. The bead slipped out of his paw and rolled into an anthill.
“Good riddance,” mama smiled.
