The Velveteen Rabbit & Other Stories Read Free Page A

thought what he was doing he lifted his hind toe to scratch it.
    And he found that he actually had hind legs! Instead of dingy velveteen he had brown fur, soft and shiny, his ears twitched by themselves, and his whiskers were so long that they brushed the grass. He gave one leap and the joy of using those hind legs was so great that he went springing aboutthe turf on them, jumping sideways and whirling round as the others did, and he grew so excited that when at last he did stop to look for the Fairy she had gone.
    He was a Real Rabbit at last, at home with the other rabbits.
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    Autumn passed and Winter, and in the Spring, when the days grew warm and sunny, the Boy went out to play in the wood behind the house. And while he was playing, two rabbits crept out from the bracken and peeped at him. One of them was brown all over, but the other had strange markings under his fur, as though long ago he had been spotted, and the spots still showed through. And about his little soft nose andhis round black eyes there was something familiar, so that the Boy thought to himself:
    â€œWhy, he looks just like my old Bunny that was lost when I had scarlet fever!”
    But he never knew that it really was his own Bunny, come back to look at the child who had first helped him to be Real.

The Frog Prince
    O nce upon a time, there lived a king whose daughters were all beautiful, but the youngest was the most beautiful of all. On warm days, the youngest princess liked to sit by the side of a nearby well. When she was bored she would throw a golden ball, her favorite toy, up high and catch it.
    One day, the princess’s ball rolled straight into the water. She looked inside, but the well was so deep that the bottomcould not be seen. She began to cry until a voice said, “What ails you, Princess? You weep so that even a stone would show pity.”
    The princess looked around and saw a frog stretching forth his big, ugly head from the water.
    â€œI am weeping for my golden ball, which has fallen into the well,” she said.
    â€œDo not weep,” answered the frog. “I can help you, but what will you give me if I bring your ball up again?”
    â€œWhatever you want, dear frog,” said she, “my clothes, my pearls and jewels, and even the golden crown that I am wearing.”
    The frog answered, “I do not want anything but for you to love me and let me be your friend, and let me sit by you at yourlittle table, and eat off your little golden plate, and drink out of your little cup, and sleep in your little bed. If you will promise me this, I will bring your golden ball up again.”
    â€œOh, yes,” said she, “I promise you all you wish, if you will but bring me my ball back again.” But she thought, As if a silly frog could really be a person’s friend!
    The frog dove into the water and retrieved the ball. The delighted princess picked it up and ran quickly away.
    â€œWait!” called the frog. “Take me with you. I can’t run as fast as you!” But the princess ran to the castle without looking back.
    The next day, while she was dining with the king and all the courtiers, something crept splish-splash, splish-splash up themarble staircase, and then knocked at the door and cried, “Princess, open the door for me!” She ran to open the door, and there sat the ugly frog. Frightened, she slammed the door and sat down to dinner again. The king saw plainly that she was afraid and said to her, “Daughter, why are you so afraid? Is there perchance a giant outside who wants to carry you away?”
    â€œIt is no giant but a disgusting frog,” replied the princess. She explained what had happened at the well. In the meantime, the frog knocked a second time and called for her again.
    The king said, “What you promised, you must do. Go and let him in.” She went and opened the door, and the frog hopped inand followed her, step by step, to her chair. And so