'Rabbit': stories for children.

Stories 1 - 6.

Lizzie ran up to the window again, pulled back a transparent curtain and realized that no way she would be able to see what was happening in the street—she could not reach it. She hurried back out of her parents' bedroom into the hallway, opened the door to the closet and banging around started to take out a small wooden ladder that Dad had given her.

Some months ago, Dad brought home something big covered in a beautiful shiny wrapper. Lizzie thought that at last they bought her a board with colored crayons, which she desired for so long. The same board as her group mate Anya had. There was a picture of a little girl assembling a house of wooden cubes on the packaging. She could not reach the top of the house in any way to put a roof on it, on which a rooster was showing off. ‘Lizzie, if you want to look at any of the books from Grandpa's library on the shelves above, take these folding steps—now you can get it yourself. Just be careful.’ It turned out to be a small staircase—three steps and that was it. ‘And why had Dad given it to me after all?’ Lizzie was upset at first. But when next time she wanted to look again through the album, which Dad liked so much, Lizzie realized she couldn't do it—she couldn't reach it. She recalled about the gift and then she understood everything: ‘Dad wanted me to be able to pick up this big picture book myself,’ Lizzie thought. Dad also liked to look through photos, drawings and all kinds of diagrams placed on each page together with her. He used to put her on his lap. With the album on the kitchen table, they would turn one page after another, Dad telling Lizzie stories about all the machines and mechanisms. Dad said that he himself was involved in the creation of almost all of these devices. Lizzie didn't always understand their purpose, how they worked and why they were needed, but she really liked it when Dad had a little time to sit with her in the kitchen. And when Dad was away from home for a long time, for example, when he went on a business trip to the other site, as he himself would put it, Lizzie would ask her mother to give her a large album to look at the drawings and incomprehensible schemes that she liked to study carefully, examining all the details all over again. Now Lizzie could get this big book by herself.

‘Lizzie, what's up with you, dear?’ Mum asked in a loud voice from the kitchen. ‘What are you rattling with there?’
‘Mummy, I’m taking out the ladder to check if Grandma has already arrived. May I?
‘All right, Lizzie. Just be careful. Don't ruin anything out there. Ok?’
‘Okay, Mummy.’

Lizzie pulled out the ladder, wedged in the corner with a bucket and a mop, and carried it along to the bedroom window. Climbing onto the second step, Lizzie could already see what was happening in the street, down there, below the window. Grandma's silver car was still missing. ‘They're probably close by now. They'll be home anytime soon,’ Lizzie thought, resting her elbows on the windowsill and looking at the passers-by on the street. She could see everything very well from the window of her parents' bedroom on the fifth floor. In this room, the windows overlook the street, and there is something happening there all the time. Here's the neighbor, Mrs. Advans, walking her cat. He is eating so much that he has become fat. Mrs. Advans, as recommended by the veterinary surgeon, now puts a special collar on him and walks him for a long time. The veterinary surgeon is a cat doctor, but he also helps all animals—he says that the kitty needs to lose weight. His name is Borvik. Lizzie really likes Borvik. One can strike him. But neither her neighbor, nor her mother, nor even Borvik himself share her feelings. On seeing Lizzie the cat would start snorting, and Mum would say that I should immediately wipe my hands with a special alcohol napkin, ‘if you touch the animal on the street.’ Recently when we used to meet in the yard, Mrs. Advans would proudly pick up Borvik, and they would go to the other side of the house, where it was sunny—the cat loved to sit in the sun. He would close his eyes and freeze like a porcelain figurine in the grandmother's cabinet. And sometimes, when Borvik felt completely satisfied, he would start purring. Then one definitely should not touch him. ‘Don’t you do that! He's in nirvana now!’—one day Mrs. Advans shushed Lizzie when she noticing the cat and the lady on the bench, slowly crept up to them and wanted to quietly strike the cat’s silky fur. ‘He's so soft...almost like Mum's brown fur coat,’ Lizzie thought, going on with observation of the life in the yard.

Uncle Paul's big black car pulled up to the next entrance in the street. Once, it happened in winter, uncle Paul took Dad and Lizzie to the tech center to pick up their Hippo after repair. Hippo is what we call our car. Hippo is short for hippopotamus. Mum says our car looks like a hippopotamus—‘just as big, but very agile.’
‘Did you know that hippos are very agile? They run fast. If you meet them anywhere, you have to be very careful with them!’ Standing near the window on the ladder, Lizzie continued to look out for her grandmother's car. ‘I can already see standing on the second step what’s going on there in our street.’

‘What's up with you—is everything all right, Lizzie?’ Mum entered the room.
‘Well, yes, Mummy. I'm looking at uncle Paul’s shopping. You see how much staff he’s bought again. Look at that! He’s barely carrying it. So many packages are wasted... Mum, did you know that hippos live only in Africa? They spend most of their time in the water and come out on land only at night to eat. Mum, do you know how long hippos live?’ shouted Lizzie.
‘Tell me, please, how many years do they live?’
‘When hippos live near a river or lake—they don't like seawater, it's salty—when they feel good, they live up to 40 years, Mum. And some hippos living in a zoo are record holders: they live up even to 60! Mum, can you imagine, a hippo can be as old as you are!
‘Lizzie, I'm not 40 yet. People live much longer if they take care of their health: eat right, observe the daily routine, exercise and go out walking.’
‘That's what I'm saying, Mum—you need to take care of yourself. And you know what else? Hippos have a very good digestive system. It is effective. Effective is when something works well and efficiently. As it should. Dad says that our Hippo is also effective. It consumes no more than 8 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers. This is also a good indicator, Mum. That's how the hippo is—it eats about half as much as some other large animals in Africa.’

Mum smiled and said:
‘Darling, come and help me in the kitchen to get everything ready for the arrival of the guests. Time to set the table—arrange the plates and the cutlery. I'll tell you which system and order we will keep to when laying the table, so that everyone is comfortable to enjoy the meal and the company.’

Lizzie took a deep breath:
‘Mum, well, you see I'm busy here. I'm looking out for Grandma! What kind of weighing the table we can talk here about. What if she would need help. One has to prioritize after all.’
‘Lizzie, if Grandma needs our help, she will definitely let us know us about it. Let's come to the kitchen. And please don't get your party dress dirty too soon.’

Lizzie looked at the light blue hem of the dress, with bright yellow flowers painted on the edge, and began to carefully descend the stairs:
‘I will make sure that everything is as it should be. We don't need surprises today.’
‘That's right, Lizzie. Put the ladder back in the closet. I'm waiting for you in the kitchen.’

Lizzie and Mum arranged the plates on the table for seven: there are three of them, two grandmothers and two grandfathers as well. Two plates—the larger comes first, and on top of it another one, slightly smaller, for appetizers and salad. Cutlery on the sides—two forks on the left and two knives on the right; the first set, for a light, first course, and the second pair closer to the plates, already for the main one. Mum said to place the glasses to the right of the plates closer to the center of the table.

‘Lizzie, will you pass these napkins through the rings and put them right in front of the plates.’
‘Mum, today I turn five. Everything is ready for the reception of the dear guests.’
‘Very good. Everyone will be home soon, and we will congratulate you together on your birthday.’
‘And what kind of gift will I have, Mum? Will you give me a kitten or a puppy?’ Lizzie looked at her mum.
‘Lizzie, honey, you know Dad's allergic to animals. We can't keep a cat or a dog at home.’

‘I know, Mum. Dad's eyes start watering and he sneezes. And sometimes he even gets covered with some red spots—all this is allergy. This is such a reaction of the body to all sorts of external irritants: pollen, some medications, or for example, house dust, or the allergy like Dad's to animal hair. But I still want a silky kitten so much. So that the fur is like Borvik’s. I would walk him too. I think they might make friends with Borvik—my kitten and Mrs. Advans' pet.
‘Lizzie, let's wait for Dad, grandparents and see what gifts there are for you there. Okay, dear?’ Mum came over and patted Lizzie on the back.
The doorbell rang:
‘Mum, Mummy! They’ve come! I'm going to open the door!’

Having mastered the lock on the front door, Lizzie opened it and stopped in hesitation on seeing a stranger:
‘Hello. And who are you?’ she asked cautiously.
‘Hello, girl,’ a stranger in a brown uniform greeted Lizzie. ‘This is apartment 375, isn’t it? Right?’
‘Yes. We live here.’
‘Please get adults: mum or dad.’
‘Mum! There is some man here!’ Lizzie called out loudly.
‘What d’you mean by some man?’ Mum hurried out of the kitchen and into the hallway.
‘Hello. Are you Catherine Stronkin?’
‘Hello, yes, it’s me.’
‘A delivery for you. Here you are,’ the courier handed a large box to Mum.
‘And what is it?’ Catherine asked in surprise.
‘I don't really know, Mrs. Stronkin. My job is to deliver the package to you.’
‘OK, of course. I understand. And who is this package from? Could you please check. There may be some mistake here. To tell the truth, we weren't expecting you. So I'm trying to check.’
‘Of course. Let's take a look. Well, well... uh... Here you are: Paola Ridgers,’ the courier clarified. ‘Do you know such a person?’
‘I would have thought so,’ Mum nodded. Thank you,’ she signed the paperwork and closed the door.
Lizzie was watching closely, holding on to her mum's leg.

‘Mum, what is it? Who is this Paola?’
‘Dear, Paola is your aunt and also happens to be my sister.’
‘Your sister? My auntie?’
‘Do you remember, Lizzie, I told you about a big scientific project to study the particles that make up everything that is surrounding us? Even you,’ Mum started tickling her daughter on the sides, ‘are made up of such particles!’
‘Mumm-y! Mumm-y-y!’ Lizzie burst into laughter, trying to escape from her mum’s embrace.
‘Enough, don’t do that! It tickles! It tickles!’
‘Okay, okay. Fine,’ mum let her go. ‘Your aunt has been working in a group of scientists for more than a year studying these particles. Aunt has been busy all the time and couldn't come to your birthday… Well, let's see what it is. What Aunt Paola has sent us. I would suggest it must be something interesting. For sure.’
‘Let's have a look, Mum! Lizzie started jumping and spinning. ‘It's probably a gift Aunt Paula has sent me! That's what I think!’
‘Now we will solve this mystery with you.’

Mum took a pair of scissors and cut the packing tape on a large cardboard box. Opening it, both Mum and Lizzie looked inside:
‘Look, there's another box here, Lizzie.’
‘How beautiful it is! Mum, look… I will! I'll get it out myself!’ Lizzie dragged the package to the center of the corridor and started pulling out a box wrapped in a blue shiny paper and tied up with a wide white ribbon. Plastic packaging worms which served to protect the valuable delivery got flying along the corridor.
Finally having finished with the packaging, Lizzie began carefully removing the lid—the box was stuffed with some kind of white thin paper. Lizzie slowly started pulling out the paper. The heart was racing—what’s in there?

‘Mum,’ Lizzie whispered, ‘look! It's a rabbit!’

There was a plush rabbit in the box. The very short white fur on his body seemed to have fallen off a little, reminding that of a little lamb. The rabbit was not fluffy and smooth at all. A light blue jumpsuit with straps was clearly the wrong size for the rabbit, and his paws stuck out of wide pants, like little wooly white sticks. The rabbit's legs, as befits a real representative of the hares family, were very well developed—his feet, slightly disproportionately large, clearly indicated that the rabbit was confidently standing on his feet. Only he didn't have shoes at all.
‘Mum, look, how cute he is! And the velvety ears he has as well,’ Lizzie was striking the rabbit's ears. One ear stuck up, and the other, covering half of the little face, hung down. ‘I've always wanted this!’ She carefully took the rabbit out of the box and hugged him tightly. There was a small postcard sitting at the bottom of the box.
‘Lizzie, there's a postcard from your aunt for you,’ Mum said.

Holding the rabbit with her hand, Lizzie picked up a postcard and started reading:
Hi, Lizzie! Happy birthday to you, dear! We love you! Paola and Oleg.
‘Mum, there are some signs here as well. Look,’ she handed Mum a postcard.
‘PS. It means postscript, Lizzie. That is what your aunt wanted to tell you additionally after she wrote a birthday greeting.’

‘I understand, Mummy: PS is something extra.’
‘Look what Auntie wrote there, Lizzie.’
‘The rabbit is not that simple, Lizzie… What does it mean, Mum?’
‘I’ve no idea. But I think you'll figure it out on your own.’
‘I will definitely figure it out, Mum!’ Lizzie grabbed the rabbit and ran out to her room.

‘Look, this is where I live. This is my room. See the way everything is thought out here. I love it. There, you see, there are dinosaurs on the wall.’ Lizzie put the rabbit next to her on the bed and held him with her hand so that he would not fall on his side. The rabbit was warm. ‘These animals lived on planet Earth many, many years ago. It's been 200 million years since they've been gone. Dad told me that. And this is where I do my work,’ Lizzie pointed to her study table near the window.

Ding-ding. Ding.
‘Grandma! Grandma is here! Lizzie screamed, jumping off her bed and running to the door out of her room.
Suddenly she stopped abruptly and turned around. For a moment Lizzie thought the rabbit had moved. Lizzie stared at him, holding on to the door handle:
‘Rabbit, are you alive?’ not waiting for an answer, Lizzie opened the door and ran cheering to meet her guests.

‘We are finally back to the fold!’ Lizzie ran into the hallway screaming. Dad and Mum followed her. ‘We’ve bought so much good stuff today! Well done! We didn't waste half a day.’
‘Very good, Lizzie,’ Mum said. ‘Come on, take off your shoes, wash your hands and let’s get ready for dinner. In the meantime, you can sort out the shopping in your room.’
‘Okay, Mum. Thank you,’ she took off her white sandals and carefully put them back in the shoe cabinet.
‘So, let's see what we have here…' entering her room, Lizzie held one shopping bag under her arm, while she dragged the other along the floor, rustling it. Standing in front of the bed Lizzie started taking out all her shopping one by one.

‘So... here are our socks. Mum said we needed to buy new ones. These are my three new T-shirts for the summer. See how beautiful they are,’ Lizzie turned to her pets, who were seated in a row. To make it comfortable for them to sit, she fluffed up the pillow every morning, and put it on top of the bedspread. They rested their backs on the pillow.

‘Here is the pink, here is the white, and this one I like the most—the light blue T-shirt. It will be my favorite piece. Mum says it's going to be a hot summer. Therefore, it is necessary to have light clothes in my wardrobe so that I’m comfortable walking outside. Do you know, Australian girl, what a wardrobe is?’ Lizzie asked the brown kangaroo.

Kangaroo is the biggest of all, taken into care by Lizzie. She is brown, with a black nose and black eyes on her muzzle. Very soft. Lizzie loved to cuddle with her more than with anyone else in the household. Kangaroo used to live in Australia. Australia is such a big continent and a country in the southern hemisphere of the Earth. Australia is big—the sixth largest country in the world. There are a lot of different animals in Australia.

‘So, Australian girl, a wardrobe is a place to store clothes or, in a simple way, a closet. We will put all the shopping purchases in it. I also have new sandals now. Look at them! Shiny and there are holes for airing the feet. Very effective. Especially in summer, when it's hot, they will be comfortable for walking.’
After showing the new pieces of the wardrobe to her friends, Lizzie continued to sort out the packages that she had brought into her room.

‘Now here's the most interesting part. I have three new books,’ she took all the three out of the bag. ‘Let's go through everything in proper order. The first book is Stories about a girl who loved to draw. This is a coloring book. I think we will do this right after lunch’. The whole Croods family from Lizzie's favorite animated series and dinosaurs, which she loves to read about, were shown on the cover of the coloring book. ‘Dinosaurs inhabited the Earth in those distant times when there were no people on our planet yet’.

‘What’s there next for us?’ Lizzie picked up the next book. ‘Rabbit-Mabbit. Stories of a desperate warrior in Grandma Urun's Garden’. ‘You know what, my dears,’ she looked at her friends on the bed who were watching closely what was going on, ‘I’ve no idea why I bought this book. We'll figure it out. And here is the third, the thickest book: Getting ready for school. For those who decide to take this step at six. Dad told me to read this book,’ Lizzie turned her eyes up to the ceiling. ‘Well, you understand what I mean’.

On the bed next to the Australian kangaroo-girl, the largest and the strongest, a Lion Cub settled down. He is the smallest of the four, quite a baby yet. But he already has a shaggy red mane, like any serious lion. Fujik looks out to the right of the kangaroo. She looks like an inflated hamster. If you take a hamster and inflate it—of course, just pretending, otherwise it will hurt—that’s Fujik: a small, round, inflated hamster with three black spots on the chest on a light gray body. Fujik is so round that her paws are almost invisible. They are barely noticeable, unless you hold her in your hands and lift her up. Fujik's ears are very nice—they are neatly perched on top of the head.
The eldest of the four is Rabbit. Although he recently joined Lizzie's team, he has already managed to gain authority among her wards. Authority is, for example, when your friends think that your opinion and words are important, that you know how to do something right, that your words are worth listening to. Lizzie has not yet understood which way and why, but Rabbit was rather quick to start enjoying the authority with Australian kangaroo-girl, Lion Cub and Fujik.
‘Until Mum calls for lunch, I'll give you a little read,’ Lizzie took a book about Rabbit-Mabbit and settled down at the desk where she usually studied. The book is rather big when you open it and it's uncomfortable to read it sitting on the bed.
‘Look how pretty Rabbit-Mabbit is!’ Lizzie turned to the bed where all the animals were sitting, showing them the cover of the book. The rabbit’s white fur stuck out in all directions, as if Borvik, Mrs. Advans’s, their neighbor, fat cat, had been dried after washing with a hairdryer. Because of that, the rabbit on the cover had all his clothes a little swollen—with the fur sticking out and pushing on his clothes from the inside in all directions. The bright green bloomers on Rabbit-Mabbit looked inflated, and his blue jacket on the contrary appeared obviously too small for him. The rabbit’s fur paw-hands stuck out of the jacket. In one hand, the rabbit was holding some carrots, and in the other—a small spade. The rabbit was clearly in a hurry somewhere or was running away. Lizzie put the book on the table, opened it getting ready to read.
‘Never!’
‘What’s that?!’ Lizzie whirled around. ‘Who's there?’ But there was no one else in the room. ‘All right. It looks like I’ve heard something again. Let's start reading.’

Once upon a time there was an old lady called Urun, living in a small settlement in the steppe somewhere in the east. The old lady lived in a big house alone, as her children decided to move to the city, and the old man, her faithful companion in life, recently made his transition to the spirit world. Once a year, the whole big family gathered at the grandma's house. All the children and grandchildren came to grandma from all over the world to congratulate her on her birthday. Grandma Urun loved to work hard. She had a large household—a cow giving milk, goats and pigs, chickens regularly laying eggs, geese and rabbits... It was not easy for her to cope with all the animals and the garden, which was also large. But grandma knew that the guests dear to her heart would come for her birthday, and she should be ready to meet and treat them with goodies and sweets for three days. Three days—that's for how long the children and grandchildren usually stayed at grandma Urun for the celebration. Preparations for the birthday took almost a whole year. She had to have time to grow and harvest vegetables and fruits, cook goat cheese for her grandchildren, make jams, stock up on meat and bacon, which her children loved so much…— grandma had a lot of worries around the house. She knew that she had to get up every morning, early-early, and work all day until sunset in order to be able to do all the necessary work on time, before the arrival of a large family. Grandma Urun did just that—she got up early and worked, preparing for her birthday. But one winter day, when the weather was fierce, it was very frosty outside and a strong wind was blowing, grandma was cleaning paths in the snow in the yard outside and caught a cold—grandma Urun fall ill. The doctor who came to see her and prescribe medications for her to recover, strictly ordered that she should not get out of bed for a week. Grandma was very worried about her household and the animals: ‘how are my pigs and goats going to survive there, my cow and chickens, rabbits and geese…' She understood that she had to strictly follow the doctor's instructions in order to recover as quickly as possible and get back on her feet. And as soon as she felt better, and when the doctor said she was already fit to return to her household chores, the first thing grandma did was rushing to check on her animals—whether everything was all right with them, whether they were all safe and sound. Grandma Urun entered the barn where all the animals lived, and wow… to her surprise: a rabbit dressed in trousers and a jacket stood next to the cow and goats and was feeding them hay. Everything was clean and tidy, everyone was fed and well-groomed. The grandma couldn't believe her eyes. She shut her eyes and shook her head—no way it could possibly be true. She opened her eyes again—the rabbit in bright green pants and a blue jacket was right in the same place looking at grandma. Only then with the rabbit’s paw resting on his hip, one foot on the toe, he asked: ‘So what are you looking at me for? Going to help or not?’ Grandma was just dumfounded. The floor of the barn was lined with hay…, so it helped.

‘Not a chance!’
Lizzie stopped reading the book in mid-sentence, turned her head to the bed where everyone was sitting—Australian kangaroo-girl, Lion cub and Fujik, Rabbit:
‘Who is this?’
‘Not a chance, any self-respecting rabbit would ever clean a barn, feed pigs and cows... Ha-ha-ha! It wasn't a rabbit, probably it was a guinea pig!’
Lizzie stared at the rabbit with her mouth open and her eyes wide.
‘I'm telling you,’ Rabbit continued, ‘there’ll never be such a thing as rabbits! Rabbits!’ he raised his paw-hand up, ‘serving people in a pigsty. Maybe this one… rabbit would have hired someone to help grandma cope with a management crisis, but he definitely wouldn't have lifted the paw himself. I'm telling you that! Rabbit!’

Lizzie couldn't believe her eyes. She also squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head like Grandma Urun. Sitting on a chair helped her, otherwise she would have also come bump on the floor in surprise.
‘Are you a talking rabbit? Are you alive? Smart, or what?’
‘First of all, not a rabbit, but Rabbit. I would ask you to treat me with respect. Second, what do you think I am—alive or not, smart or a guinea pig?’
‘Well, it just does not happen… dear Rabbit,’ Lizzie checked herself, adding the required form of address when talking to Rabbit.

‘It wouldn't happen here, my dear Lizzie. But we have lots of things happening there, you know. You’d be surprised. But, as they say, first things first. Yes, there's something else,’ the rabbit got up on the bed on his paw-feet. ‘A rabbit would never dress up as a buffoon. How was it? Bright green pants and a blue jacket—ugh. This never happened and will never happen. Here you are, Lizzie, look at me—simple and elegant, and not like a cockatoo.’

‘What is an elegant cockatoo, Rabbit?’ Lizzie asked, recovering a little.
‘Oh, yeah. Sure. I forgot completely. You're yet a little girl.’
‘I'm not little at all! See here, I'm already going to school,’ Lizzie picked up a book from the table Getting ready for school. For those who dare...

‘Oh yah… And I heard about it when you presented your purchases to us today,’ Rabbit nodded. Elegant cockatoo, rather inelegant cockatoo is Rabbit-Mabbit from the story about Grandma Urun. Elegant is like me: calm and reserved, noble and relaxed, neat. A cockatoo, Lizzie is a neighbor of Australian kangaroo-girl, a parrot bird that lives in Australia. I got to tell you, Lizzie, the name for the kangaroo that you have come up with... No comments. We’d need to change it! I mean it. Otherwise, the poor animal will have a mental disorder. Do you happen to know how much an appointment with a psychiatrist is now? It's better not to learn. And should you have to leave someone in stationary conditions for a couple of days... It's better not to think about it at all.’
‘Rabbit, what sort of station? Why leave the kangaroo at the station!’ Lizzie got off the chair and walked over to the bed where Rabbit was pacing back and forth.

‘Oh, my God! I'm going to have hard time with you, Lizzie, as I see it. Well, there it is. After all, you and me have met for a reason. Do you understand that, Lizzie?’
‘Rabbit, I'm very glad that you're alive! And may I…’

Mum opened the door to Lizzie's room.
‘What kind of meeting are you having here, Lizzie? Are you discussing your shopping with someone here?’ Mum looked around the room.

Lizzie looked at the bed nervously: Uh! Good. Rabbit is sitting, his back against the headboard, and Australian kangaroo-girl, Lion cub and Fujik are sitting near the pillow. Mum haven’t noticed anything.

‘Let's have some lunch, Lizzie. Then you'll show everything to your friends.’
‘What d’you mean by friends, Mum?’
‘Well, I mean…You've got a whole club here, as I see. Led by the rabbit…’

‘Rab-bit. Ra-b-bit. Rabbit!’ Lizzie came up to her bed in the room and started calling Rabbit. ‘Rabbit, please. Are you there, Rabbit? Why don't you answer? Rabbit!’

Rabbit stretched slowly, half asleep, and looked at Lizzie:
‘Don't you see, I am having my afternoon nap. Why are you bothering me, girl?’
‘Rabbit! You're here! Oh, well, I'm sorry, please, I didn't mean to wake you up. But I have to show you something. Definitely to show it.’

‘Well, what is it then?’ Rabbit carefully and gently smoothed with his paw-hand his white silky ears almost completely covering his muzzle. His blue jumpsuit with straps slid a little sideways on his stomach while he was asleep. Rabbit got up on his paw-legs, straightened his clothes, bent forward several times and twirled a little. ‘Now that's a different story altogether. Come on, Lizzie, what d’you want to show me?’ Rabbit said feeling cheerful and refreshed.

Lizzie, as well as Australian kangaroo, Lion Cub and Fujik, was closely watching Rabbit taking his exercise. To exercise means someone regularly doing some exercises or movements, for example, in the morning to be fit and healthy.

‘Well, Rabbit, have a look, I'm showing this to you,’ Lizzie touched the visor of a bright blue cap and adjusted it on her head. ‘My dad gave it to me!’
‘And what's the occasion for the gift, Lizzie?’ Rabbit was looking at the head wear with interest.

‘Dad finished a big project at work. They've been working on it there for several years. Now the operating efficiency of the electric motor will increase significantly! Do you understand what this means, Rabbit?!’ Lizzie knelt down in front of the bed.
‘Well, is it that Dad will get a big bonus?!’ Rabbit perked up.
‘Nope. I don't know. Maybe they will give something. Now the caps were presented to them on the occasion of the completion of the job. Do you like it, Rabbit?’

Rabbit started examining his new protégé carefully. After all, it's not the first time Rabbit takes care of someone, no matter a girl or a boy. He likes to help children, patronize them, that is, to provide support. But of course he doesn’t forget about himself either. After all, Rabbit has an important plan. So, this way Lizzie became Rabbit's new protégé.

For her age—Lizzie had recently turned five—she was already quite a tall girl: 1 m and 10 cm. Lizzie would regularly mark her height on the wall in her room, and also weighed herself on her mum's scale and made notes in the Measurement of Lizzie's weight table specially set up for this purpose. The most recent entry: 17 kg and 500 g—moderately thin. Shoulder-length blonde hair curling in a funny way. ‘It's your eyes that I like the most, Lizzie. They go perfectly with my overalls—light blue,’ Rabbit thought. Today Lizzie put on a new light blue T-shirt that mum’s bought the other day, and blue linen shorts to keep cool. It's the height of summer outside.

‘The cap is great, Lizzie. I approve of it’, Rabbit smoothed down his ears with a paw-hand. ‘And tell me what, Lizzie, does your dad work for a car company? Big boss?’
‘Yes, Rabbit, Dad is an engineer,’ Lizzie took off her cap and put it on the bed in front of Rabbit. ‘See, this is the logo of the company where Dad works. A logo is a sign which marks out an organization of some other ones. Well, like the last name, only in the picture. Dad explained that to me.’
‘Yes, I do know, what a logo is,’ Rabbit waved his paw. ‘And you'd better tell me, is Dad's position bossy?’ Rabbit took a few steps towards Lizzie and sat down next to her.

‘Rabbit, I have to ask Dad what his position is. I do not know about this. But Dad always says it doesn't really matter what you do. It’s important that you like your work and you do it well, from the bottom of your heart. That's it, Rabbit. Dad says he really likes his job. You see, they’ve given him this cap too—it means that he is respected at work, his authority is recognized.’
‘That's right,’ Rabbit replied thoughtfully. ‘This is, of course, important. Well, okay. We'll count on your dad getting a big, very big bonus. You and me, Lizzie, we need to provide for everyone. Look at the household,’ the rabbit pointed with his paw at the animals perched near the pillow. ‘And I'll give a thought on how I can help your dad on my part. Maybe I'll intercede for him. There at my place,’ Rabbit raised his paw-hand up.

Lizzie looked where the Rabbit pointed—at the ceiling.
‘Rabbit, where is it—there? What's there? Who's there?’
‘Ha! You girl! Well, you know something about business. You're looking straight to the core. How to explain it to you... where, what, who... hmm-hmm... And tell me, Lizzie…’ Rabbit got up and walked over to Lizzie and took her hand.
‘Оops, Rabbit! What nice paws you have! Such smooth fur, such a coat! Can I stroke you?’

‘You wait, Lizzie, about the fur... Can you keep secrets?!’ Rabbit stood up and looked Lizzie straight in the eyes.
‘Rabbit, I haven't told anyone anything about you. This is our secret—the secret of our team.’
‘Yes, Lizzie, we will respect confidentiality. No one should know about our friendship with you. Well done, Lizzie. You're doing everything right. Will you promise not to tell anyone about me?’
‘Yes, Rabbit. I promise.’
‘Well, very good. So you know how to keep secrets. Then I can tell you where it is—there. Where I live, Lizzy, each of us, each representative of the animal world has its own Council. The Council is such a small group of participants, whoever it is, who are responsible for ensuring that everyone is doing well. This is our main duty—to keep everyone OK. We call our Council—the Board of Directors,’ Rabbit looked carefully at Lizzie. ‘Do you understand, Lizzie?’
‘Well, yes. It turns out that you have a Board of Directors of rabbits there, and a Board of Directors of lions, pigs and seals?’

‘Exactly!’ Rabbit clapped his paw-hands. ‘You are a fast learner! It's not in vain that fate brought us together. Well,’ Rabbit continued, ‘each species has its own Board of Directors, which should take care of the prosperity of its tribesmen. The most outstanding representatives of the group can join the Board. Like me, for example,’ Rabbit smoothed his silky ears with a paw-hand and looked at Lizzie. She was looking at Rabbit with great attention.

Feeling happy, Rabbit continued:
‘Well, that's it. So, the best-the brightest representatives of rabbits, like me, Rabbit, can join the Board. So I decided that I should be on the Board. Decided—got done. I would like to note that this most important event in our rabbit community happened recently. But it's not the main thing—the timing of it. I am doing very well, I am making my way quickly, climbing the hierarchic ladder—one step up every year. No less.’
‘Rabbit, what is a kick career?’ Lizzie asked.

Rabbit took a deep breath:
‘Yes, of course, Lizzie. A career is when you want to gain respect in your group and strive to be the best and major, boss and leader. It is important that you, like, for example, your dad, do your job well putting your heart into your work, then everyone will appreciate your efforts. And the hierarchic ladder is also very important, Lizzie. It means the place you occupy in your community —are you just a rabbit or are you already Rabbit, like me, on the Board. Do you understand now?

Lizzie thought for a while and said:
‘A career means that you work hard and can become a boss.’
‘One couldn't be more precise, Lizzie. Well done!’ Rabbit raised his right paw-hand in a greeting manner. ‘I have a plan Lizzy for the way of building my career in our world. At first I was just a rabbit. And I was perfectly happy, doing my simple rabbit’s everyday affairs: I had to plant carrots and cabbage, whatever else; then harvest my crops and store away for the winter. Well, you know—small everyday things. Well, that's it. And one day I thought—it can’t be that such a very, very bright and elegant rabbit like me limits his useful activities only to harvesting vegetables. No, Lizzie, don't get me wrong: I do like carrots and all sorts of other vegetables. But I always felt there was some great power hidden in me, the untapped potential!’ Rabbit smoothed his gorgeous ears with his paw-hand again. His unruly left ear fall on his little muzzle. ‘By the way, I want to tell you another big, big secret. Promise to keep it confidential, Lizzie, will you?’ Rabbit looked straight into Lizzie's eyes.

‘Yes, Rabbit, I promise,’ Lizzie began tapping her hands impatiently on the bed. Rabbit staggered almost falling down.
‘Lizzie, Lizzie! Gently, please. Otherwise I'll fall down, and it will be completely inelegant,’ Rabbit got embarrassed.
‘Oh, I'm sorry. Please let the secret out, Rabbit! Please!’

Rabbit came close to Lizzie and whispered into her ear, covering his mouth with his paw-hand so that no one would overhear for sure:
‘I really like to eat chocolate. And I like chocolate eggs especially.’
‘Rabbit! So do I! I also love chocolate eggs. They are very tasty and there are great toys hidden in them!’
‘Quiet, Lizzie. Quiet,’ Rabbit hissed. ‘They can hear us. It's a secret!’
‘All right, Rabbit,’ Lizzie answered softly. ‘And what about your strength, Rabbit?’
‘Well, yes, of course. My strength. So, that’s what I'm telling you, I always knew that there was a lot of power hidden in me. I decided to apply for seat in our Rabbit Council, locally, where I used to live and grow all sorts of vegetables. The Council told me that they would take me in if my rabbit neighbors supported me, if the neighbors said that I was the best of the best rabbit in our settlement. I know that I am the best, but after all, the neighbors might have not be of the same opinion. That's the difference. Do you understand? I sat down and thought carefully about how I could get the support of my closest relatives to get into the Council. And I came up with it. I
began to help the neighbors in every possible way: I gave advice someone on how to grow carrots better; I helped some others to harvest and store away for the winter; I also provided my shovel for the garden and a rake for use to someone else, temporary, of course, but still…
In a word, I became actively involved in the life of our community and helped the rabbits. Time flies fast, and when the moment came to choose a representative to the local Rabbit Council, I nominated myself for it. That's what I said then. I remember it now.

Rabbits, listen to me, hear me! I'm your neighbor.
It is now for long that I have been helping you with both in deed and word. And may I note especially—I have never asked anything from you, fellow rabbits, in return. But now, on this important day for all of us—the elections to the Council—I want to ask you all for support. I, Rabbit, think that I will be the best representative of our rabbit community in the local Rabbit Council. I ask you, rabbits, to support me—your candidate worth voting for!’

‘Lizzie, and the rabbits supported me!’ Rabbit continued. ‘It was one of the best days of my life. You know, I was very moved then. It was my first election to the Council. And so, step by step, having started my managerial career in a local settlement, in three years I reached the level of the central Council of Rabbits. The Central Council is the main governing body of all the rabbits, all matters that relate to rabbits’ life. A lot of responsibility lies on the shoulders of our Council, Lizzie. Big, big responsibility. Do you understand?’

Lizzie nodded her head.
‘Well, that's it. Now my next career task is to take the place of the chairman of the Board of Directors of Rabbits. You see! This is the most important position for rabbits. There isn’t anyone more important,’ Rabbit sat down next to the animals, who though not understanding anything of what Lizzie and Rabbit were talking about, listened very attentively. However, Australian kangaroo-girl seems to have dozed off a little. She was falling on her side, going to sleep. Lion cub bit her slightly from time to time so that she would not fall asleep altogether, thereby showing complete disrespect to Rabbit. He would be very upset.

‘Oh, Lizzie, somehow I'm really tired,’ Rabbit continued. ‘We had such a meaningful conversation with you. I need a good rest. Oh, there’s something else! How could I have missed to mention the most important thing—why I am here? What is my goal, here with you, with people on planet Earth?
Rabbit leaned on his paw-hand, placing it on the bed, and crossed his legs.
‘I want to understand how everything works out here. How your best of the best succeed and take their place on the Board of Directors. I want to learn from your Earth experience. How do you like this plan, Lizzie? Eh?’
‘Rabbit, do you want me to talk to Dad! He will definitely help you!’
‘What d’you mean, Lizzie! What are you talking about! Do you remember we’ve agreed on a secrecy and confidentiality?’
‘Of course I remember. But I can tell Dad everything.’
‘Lizzie, please. Please don’t. Our friendship is a big, big secret and you can't tell even your best Dad and Mum about it. They just won't understand us. That's the thing. Ok?’

Lizzie took a deep breath and said:
‘All right, Rabbit. We'll figure it out ourselves. I have access to our home library. Do you know how much valuable knowledge is there in books! You and me, Rabbit, we will sit down and think about our plan of action!’
‘See, there you go! Rabbit got up on his paw-legs. High five!’

‘Lizzie, are you ready? It's time to leave,’ Mum opened the door a crack and peered into Lizzie's room.

Lizzie laid out all the items and things on her desk which might be useful for her during the upcoming trip: a compass that her grandfather gave her; a map of her hometown; a plastic water bottle; two chocolates with nuts; paper napkins; alcohol wipes for hands; a notebook and a pen; a spare pair of socks; a bright blue cap with the logo of the company where dad works; a rope and a flashlight.

‘Well, it’ll do. I think we can go now. Nothing left behind,’ Lizzie carefully examined everything. A green backpack with a dinosaurs print was also ready to devour everything selected for a shopping trip to the mall.
‘Lizzie, dear, are you ready?’ Mum repeated her question.
‘Oh, Mummy, I'm sorry. I’ve just wondered how much there's to think about when you're going camping.’

Mum came up to Lizzie's desk and looked at her daughter's preparations:
‘Won’t it be too heavy for you to carry all this around? We will be shopping up till lunch time and most likely have our lunch there as well.’
‘Why, Mum, you can’t leave your place for such a long journey without this staff. I have thought out everything carefully and in detail. I've stocked up on food for the three of us—for you and Dad, and me. And what if we get lost! I just need to fill the bottle with water, and that’s it.’
‘All right, Lizzie. Come on, please put all your gear in a backpack and let's go. Dad is already waiting for us outside in the car’.
‘Mummy, may I take my team with me?’
‘What, all of them?!’ Mum looked at the animals perched on the bed near the pillow.

Australian kangaroo-girl, as the biggest and the strongest, was sitting in the back. This way she didn't block anyone's view, and was comfortable leaning on the pillow that Lizzie tucked under her back. Lion Cub and Fujik perched at Kangaroo's feet. Nearby, but separately, Rabbit settled down. He put his paw-hand on Kangaroo's shoulder. It wasn't very convenient for him. Australian girl was big and tall. But Rabbit decided that he should position himself just like that—with his paw-hand on the shoulder of Australian kangaroo-girl. This way he would patronize her. The animals should get used to the fact that he, Rabbit, was the main authority there.

‘Lizzie, I don't think it's worth taking everyone along with you. You won’t manage with them in the store. Let's take just one of them. Take the rabbit with you. You haven't gone anywhere with him yet.’
‘Okay, Mum. I think Rabbit will agree. Rabbit, do you want to go to the store with us?’ Lizzie asked. But Rabbit, of course, didn’t seem to hear. No way he was going to answer…
‘Mum, he's just shy of you. That's why he says nothing. I'm going to find out everything with him now.’
‘All right, Lizzie. Come on, please, pack up quickly and let's go. You have 3 minutes. I'm waiting for you,’ Mum said leaving the room.

‘Rabbit, why are you silent again?’ Lizzie came up to Rabbit and gently took his paw-hand. ‘Lizzie, Lizzie, I’ve told you before… Confidentiality mode… Have you forgotten? Eh?’ Rabbit said. ‘No, Rabbit, I remember how we agreed on it with you. I keep everything a secret. But one might tell Mum everything.’

Rabbit looked at Lizzie carefully and replied:
‘All right, Lizzie. Are you ready? Dad won’t be waiting for us for ages.’

‘We are almost there, Rabbit. Just need to fill in the bottle with water, and pack up everything.’
‘And how are you going to carry me, I wonder? Eh, Lizzie?’
‘Well, why don’t we do it this way!’ Lizzie pulled back the bottle-holding straps on the front of the backpack. ‘I'll shove you in there. You should be very comfortable here, Rabbit. I'll plug your paw-legs here, and your paws-hands here—it will be safe, and you won't get lost for sure.’
Rabbit seemed to be skeptical about the suggestion to be carried in such a way:
‘Oh my Lord, what should I do…' he said in a subdued voice.

‘You know what, Lizzy, why not just hold me in your hands. But you have to hold me tight, so that I wouldn't fall in any case.’
‘Okay, Rabbit! Sure, I will. We are ready to travel!’ Lizzie had already reached the door of her room, but stopped looking back at the bed where Australian kangaroo-girl, Lion Cub and Fujik remained seated.
‘Lizzie, let's get going,’ Rabbit rushed her up displeased. ‘I assigned them one task. Don't you worry about them. They won't be bored, promise.’ Rabbit carefully smoothed down his silky ears with his paw-hand.

‘Lizzie, what is it that you have in your backpack? Are you going camping or something?’ Dad asked as everyone got into the car. ‘Of course!’ Lizzie called out from the backseat. ‘One has to prepare thoroughly for the journey. We've thought it all out. I took along only the most necessary things with me.’
‘I see, Lizzie. Got it. You didn’t leave behind a map and a compass did you?’ Dad asked.
‘No way, Dad! Rule No1 when going on a journey—take a paper map and a compass with you,’ Lizzie adjusted the bright blue cap on her head that her Dad had given her. ‘If the phone breaks down, how would you know where to go next, which direction the house is? The map and compass will help us! The grandfather taught me that.’
‘Our grandfathers know a lot about inland navigation. I totally agree with you, Lizzie.’

Lizzie's parents were talking about something up there, while Rabbit was showing his discontent with Lizzie. ‘Look, I’m so uncomfortable sitting like that,’ Rabbit hissed softly so that the adults wouldn't accidentally hear him. ‘It rocks me back and forth here, like some kind of a tumbler, and I can't see anything. Would you hold me in your arms so that I can see how you live here, what kind of a city this is.’

Lizzie reached for Rabbit in the next seat from her child safety seat. Only in such special seats children can go by car—it is safe.

‘Come on, Rabbit, let’s watch out the window together.’
‘Well, that's something different. Thank you, Lizzie.’
‘Rabbit, we're a team! I'm always here for you. And what about you?’
Rabbit turned around, looked at Lizzie and replied:
‘Do you remember me telling you recently how I helped my neighbours, where I used to live, that was even before I joined the Rabbit Council?’
‘Of course I remember, Rabbit—it's about your career.’
‘So, Lizzie, it's in my DNA to help everyone. I am compassion itself,’ Rabbit started to smooth his silky ears with a paw-hand, but the car bumped over something and jumped a little—Rabbit kissed the glass of the door immediately.
‘Now look. I was just going to praise your dad for careful driving. And here you are!’
‘Rabbit, Dad drives a car very well. And d’you know what driving experience he has! He's been driving for a year and a half!’
‘Yeah. Then I see…' Quite unhappy Rabbit rubbed his little rabbit face with his paws.
‘Rabbit, would you tell me please what DNA is?’ asked Lizzie.

‘DNA... hmm... How do I explain it to you, Lizzie,’ Rabbit replied thoughtfully. ‘Let me put it this way, it’s a biological code of natural origin, which stores all the information about who we are, how we look, what health issues we might have. Well, you have blue eyes, like my elegant jumpsuit, and your hair is light and curly—you are a blonde with blue eyes. All this genetic information about you, about what you are was passed on to you from your parents through DNA. That's what DNA is, Lizzie. Got it?’
‘Hm... Rabbit, it's somewhat complicated—DNA. DNA is the code of who we are, what we are. Like this? Right?’
‘Yes, Lizzie, that's right.’

‘Lizzie, we're almost there. How are you and your Rabbit doing there?’ Mum turned around from the front seat.
‘We're fine here, Mum. Rabbit is telling me what DNA is.’
‘Is he? What a good rabbit you have,’ Mum looked at Rabbit, whom Lizzie was holding tightly in her hands, hugging him so that he wouldn't hit his little face against something once more should the car run into some bump again.
‘I wonder, Lizzie, how old is the rabbit now?’
‘I don’t know, but I will definitely ask him and tell you.’
‘Okay, deal, Lizzie.’

Mum, Dad and Lizzie have been walking around the huge store for some time. The parents planned to make repairs in the kitchen—they needed to see everything with their own eyes.
Which options are offered for kitchen furniture—cabinets, tables and chairs; which options are available for wall and floor decoration—wallpaper or tiles, wooden floors and many other solutions; what kind of lighting; what kind of appliances to go for—a hob for cooking food, an oven, a dishwasher, a microwave for heating food and many other devices which make life much easier.
Both Lizzie and Rabbit got tired of walking with Mum and Dad looking at all these boxes for pots and cans.
‘What’s so interesting about that…', Lizzie thought when they entered the next kitchen furniture store.
‘Lizzie, listen, maybe while Mum is studying the next kitchen design, we should ask Dad to do something good?’
‘What is it, Rabbit?’ Lizzie replied a little wearily.
‘What if we go to a shop where they sell chocolate! How about that? Eh, Lizzie?’
Rabbit started patting on her hand.
‘Rabbit! That tickles me so much! Ha-ha... ah-ah... Please, Rabbit! Don’t…’

Dad came up to them: ‘Are you all right here? What’s so funny, Lizzie?’
‘Rabbit tickles me, Daddy! Tickles and tickles! Dad, Rabbit suggests going to the chocolate shop while Mum studies everything here. What do you think? Is this option appropriate?’
‘I would have thought it's quite OK, Lizzie,’ Dad replied smiling.
‘Your rabbit gave a great idea. Let's do this. If Mum lets you and me go, we'll go to the chocolate shop. Agreed?’
‘Of course, Dad! Good luck negotiating!’

‘When negotiating, Lizzie, most important is to take the right position so that there is room for maneuver and compromise,’ Rabbit was quick to continue the interrupted conversation with his protégé as Dad went to talk to Mum.
‘You won’t tickle me anymore, will you, Rabbit?’
‘Well, you and I have almost achieved what we wanted. Why tickle for nothing?’ Rabbit wondered.
‘Rabbit, what is a compromise position? What's that?’ asked Lizzie.
‘Hmm-m-m. Well, look, Lizzie. Let's say your goal is to buy 5 chocolate eggs. At Dad's expense, of course,’ Rabbit smoothed his silky ears with his paw-hand. ‘And not just a chocolate, but with a toy inside.’

‘Rabbit, why so many eggs?’
‘Lizzie, you're absolutely right. You don't need all these chocolate eggs at all. We’ll go fifty-fifty with one egg for you, and I'll take the rest... we’ll take the rest: Australian Kangaroo-girl, Lion Cub and Fujik, well, and me. That's just it—one plus four equals five. Five eggs is our goal. You ask Dad for this: a Three in One chocolate cake, three chocolate eclairs, three dark chocolate bars—there’s even more chocolate in it than in milk chocolate... hmm-hmm... so, what else... ah! Well, yes! Five bags of chocolate jelly beans... Do you like chocolate jelly beans, Lizzie?’
‘Eating so much chocolate is very bad for you, Rabbit. Don't you know that?’

‘And again I agree with you, Lizzie. But the right tactics is important here. You see. Well, okay. What happens next. Dad says, Rabbit began to pretend to be Dad, lowering his voice: Lizzie, look, it's very bad to eat so much chocolate. You have to make your mind—choose one thing.’

‘And then you,’ now Rabbit started speaking in a high voice, like Lizzie: Well, then, Dad please buy me just five chocolate eggs—this is for our whole team.’
‘At this moment,’ Rabbit continued, ‘you have to look carefully, precisely into Dad's eyes. And it's very important that you don't look away until Dad agrees to buy what you’ve asked him for—five chocolate eggs,’ Rabbit rubbed his paws dreamily.
‘There you go, Lizzie. Have you got it? This is what to take the position in negotiations means, and to come in the end to the required compromise. Lizzie, we have to try. Master through practice.’

Dad came back to Lizzie: ‘Mum wouldn't mind at all, Lizzie. Let's go to the shop. What is it that you want at the chocolate shop?’

‘Have they left yet?’ whispered Fujik.
‘I don’t know’, replied Lion Cub.
‘And what if they haven’t left yet? said Australian kangaroo-girl. ‘You’d better go and check it out, Lion Cub’.
‘Why me?! You are big! You are the oldest! You go yourself!’ Lion Cub replied.
‘And you are the smallest, Lion Cub. No one will notice you. Go, crawl there carefully and quietly... crawl to the door and look out into the hallway—is there anyone out there? If there is someone there, run back—bounce, and you're back here on the bed. As if nothing has happened. And if not, if no one is home, wave your tail. Have you got it, Lion Cub?’ Australian kangaroo-girl asked trying to clarify.

Lion Cub looked at her, then looked at Fujik. She snuggled up to the kangaroo's tummy and looked at him warily. Fujik was clearly afraid that she would be sent on a mission. Lion Cub took a deep breath and said: ‘Okay. I'll take my chances! I'm going!’

Fujik started giggling and bouncing on the bed: ‘Hooray, hooray! Lion Cub will go to check! Lion Cub! I'll be sitting here next to Kangaroo, close to the Australian tummy. It's warm here!’

‘Well, whatever! And I'll be the first to see what's in the hallway. And here you remain seated next to the tummy.’ Lion Cub began to gently descend to the floor on the bedspread on Lizzie's bed. He held onto the bedspread with his front paws, looking up, and with his hind paws going down step by step, groping for the floor. At first he was a little scared. It was the first time he'd ever gotten out of the bed by himself. To add to that, Rabbit gave them an important assignment. ‘There is no way to let Rabbit down. I must go forward,’ Lion Cub's hind leg sank to the floor. ‘Well, now I'm going to crawl to the door,’ Lion Cub thought.

Fujik moved to the edge of the bed to see how her friend Lion Cub was doing. She was worried about him. Kangaroo was worried about Fujik—what if she falls down now. Kangaroo decided to act swiftly. Kangaroos have strong hind legs. With the help of their hind legs kangaroos jump and can move very quickly—up to 50 kilometers per hour. It's very fast. Cars in the city drive at such a speed through the streets.

Australian kangaroo-girl jumped up to the edge of the bed so as to grab Fujik with her front paws as a back-up—should she suddenly fall again. But Kangaroo missed something in her calculations.
She's the biggest of all and the heaviest. When Kangaroo landed on the edge of the bed, the mattress sprung under her weight—like going on a seesaw with a friend, one up and the other down—Fujik immediately flew up and plopped right on Lion Cub crawling on the floor.

‘Oh, oh! Tut-tut! What is it? What? Who?! Ry-yy-yy-ry!’ shocked with the unexpected attack, Lion Cub quickly turned towards the bed and looked around. He even started growling! Fujik, landing safely on Lion Cub, rolled head over heels to the door. She's almost completely round, almost like an inflated hamster, you can't even see Fujik's paws until you lift her up. Fujik rolled right out into the hallway. Kangaroo started worrying—wondering if everything was fine with Lion Cub and Fujik. Determined, she jumped again—straight from the bed to the door in order to get to her friends as quickly as possible.
Landing near the passage to Lizzie's room, Kangaroo asked anxiously: ‘Well! Are you all right? Alive?!’
‘Yea-yea,’ Lion Cub and Fujik replied in unison.
‘Uh-huh... I got worried so much. It's good that Lion Cub comes from the cat family. Cats are very flexible animals. They have such a special skeleton structure.’
‘Look!’ Fujik shouted. ‘Now we're all in the hallway together! Nobody seems to be home.’

Friends started looking around. Not a sound, indeed, everything was quiet. There was no one at home.
‘We can complete Rabbit's task!’ Lion Cub started bouncing in all the directions in the hallway. ‘Lion Cub, please, would you calm down!’ said Kangaroo. ‘Otherwise something will happen again or someone will plop somewhere.’
‘Let's hold a meeting!’ Lion Cub said. ‘Rabbit has instructed us to conduct a full survey of Lizzie's house. We need to plan everything—how we are going to look for chocolate eggs and chocolate in general. Together or will everyone of us check in their own dedicated room?’
Kangaroo and Fujik came closer to Lion Cub, agreeing with his proposal—before starting any job together, you need to think carefully and plan the work: agree on the task and goal, who in particular and which job will do.

‘And that’s what Rabbit has told me to look for: Fujik, you have to look carefully at everything. It is important to pay attention to any signs of vital activity of other rabbits that could have made their way into Lizzie's house earlier. These could be, for example, furry rabbit skins or products made from them, any images with rabbits, texts and books about rabbits… or one more thing—porcelain figurines. Special attention to be paid to rabbit’s feet.’

‘Rabbit said,’ Fujik continued, ‘that all this is a licensed content, and he, Rabbit, should receive copyright royalties. I can't figure out what it all means. Do you know what to do, Australian kangaroo-girl?’ Fujik asked.

‘No. I also don't understand which royals Rabbit is talking about. We have to ask him about everything. That's what I think,’ Kangaroo nodded encouragingly to her friends. She decided that the team needed support.
‘And what is it that Rabbit has told you to do, Kangaroo? What's your assignment?’ Lion Cub asked.
‘Mine?’ Kangaroo looked around to make sure that there was no other kangaroo there.
‘Well, yes, yours. We don't have any other kangaroo here,’ Lion Cub replied.

‘What did he say? What did he say?… Rabbit said to me like this: And you watch, make sure that Lion Cub doesn't eat anything chocolate, and Fujik doesn't hide anything rabbity. You'll be in charge, that's what he said. Your task is to help them so that the job is done by the time we return,—that's it’, said Kangaroo.

‘All right, Fujik and Kangaroo,’ Lion Cub summed up. ‘We have two tasks—chocolate and rabbits. I suggest we do everything together. So the work will be done efficiently. And Rabbit always says that you have to put your heart into it.’ Fujik and Australian Kangaroo nodded in agreement with the conclusion made by Lion Cub. That settled, the team began to survey the apartment.

On the evening of the same day, when Lizzie and her parents were having dinner at home in the kitchen, Rabbit gathered his assistants for a meeting in Lizzie's room.

‘So, is everyone ready? Let's get started,’ Rabbit sat down, leaning back on the pillow against the bedhead. On his right there were five brand-new chocolate eggs in a package. Rabbit carefully examined his wards standing in front of him. Australian Kangaroo: the brown skin is shiny, the nose is black, the eyes are in place. Sunny Fujik: gray skin, three black spots on the chest and small ears in place. And the smallest one is Lion Cub: the shaggy red mane of a little sturdy cub is in place.
‘I see you are all fine and healthy. Very good. Well done. Have you completed the mission? Come on,’ the animals started shifting from one foot to the other looking at each other. ‘Well, you’d better sit down, sit down. Please,’ Rabbit pointed to the bed with his paw.

‘So, Australian kangaroo-girl... you were in charge. Please, what are the results so far?’ he nodded to her, and the silky ears echoed his words.
‘Dear Rabbit,’ Kangaroo began the report.
‘Oh, come on! Friends! Why such formalities. Please, please... let's do it without any complications. We don't need all these conventions, titles and protocol at all, do we?’…
‘Of course, sure, Dear... Rabbit,’ all of them—Kangaroo, and Fujik and Lion Cub nodded affirmatively. Kangaroo continued: ‘We had two tasks set for a mission: to search the house and find all the chocolate eggs—first; second—to find all the facts of illegal use of patented rabbit material.’

Rabbit shook his head vigorously in protest. His silk ears began to shake moving completely chaotically. Rabbit froze and began to breathe—inhale and exhale, inhale and exhale, ... paw-hands folded on his knees and his eyes almost closed quietly watching what was happening in front of him. The animals were completely embarrassed. Fujik slowly crawled up to Kangaroo and began to squeeze into her tummy. And Lion Cub, shifting from paw to paw, started crawling back. Kangaroo shushed and waved her upper paws, calling friends to order. Rabbit opened his eyes, and everyone froze at once. All the fuss and worry went away. Rabbit ran his paw-hand over the silky ears, and the discussion continued.

‘Australian kangaroo-girl,’ Rabbit said in a somewhat stately manner, ‘friends, we’re in Lizzie's house. This means that we treat our dear Lizzie and, of course, her parents with respect and kindness, in a friendly attitude and with gratitude for shelter given to us and her care. This is our basic, prime position. I want you to be absolutely clear on this... Let's continue, my friends,’ Rabbit folded his paws and nodded to Kangaroo.

Kangaroo inhaled and began:
‘Rabbit, we delivered. As you asked, we have carefully looked around, what's what and what’s going on... This is what we get. There is a lot of chocolate around here.’ Kangaroo looked around with a friendly smile, searching for Lion Cub. ‘Ah, there you are, Little Lion. Come out, please,’ Australian Kangaroo was pushing Lion Cub forward with her paw. ‘Tell Rabbit about the results of your mission carried out.’

‘Dear Rabbit,’ Rabbit sighed and lowered his gaze. Lion Cub continued. ‘We searched everywhere, all over the place. Large stocks of chocolate are hidden in the kitchen. Here you are.’

‘Well, well. Very interesting, Lion Cub. Would you tell me please in more detail: where exactly, what, how much was found, and maybe even anywhere else …'
‘Yes, Rabbit. We found a whole basket of chocolate bars in the top row of drawers in the kitchen. There are many, many of them, of these bars. I can already count to ten... I counted, but there were even more…’
‘I see…' Rabbit took a deep breath again. ‘And how did you get there, Little Lion, to these top boxes? They're high up.’
Kangaroo looked a little embarrassed.
‘Rabbit, Kangaroo threw us up there. That's how,’ Lion Cub looked at Rabbit. ‘We tried very hard to complete all your assignments.’

‘You did a great job! I'm amazed. Initiative, creativity, diligence and whatever else... Well, and that’s what you really are, my faithful friends!’ Rabbit greeted them with a gesture, lifting his paw-hand from his knee. ‘So, good. What about eggs? Have you found out anything about the eggs?’
‘No. We didn't find any stocks of eggs,’ Kangaroo replied, and Lion Cub nodded his head in affirmative. ‘But that's not all, Rabbit. A chocolate cache was found. Lion Cub, go on, report... eh, please tell us what else you've discovered.’

‘Dear Rabbit, we found a few more bitten chocolate bars with nuts in the drawer of Lizzie's dad desk. It was Fujik who smelled it…’
‘What a disgraceful attitude to the product. I just can't help myself,’ Rabbit snorted. ‘Very well. Let it be so. Is there anything else, Little Lion?’
‘No, Rabbit. That’s it. We crawled around and searched... even twice... here and there... nothing else…'
‘Good, good. Well done! You're doing very well. A true companion. Thank you, Lion Cub.’

Lion Cub backed away. Australian kangaroo-girl immediately began to push Fujik with her tummy so that she would start telling her story to Rabbit. Fujik did not give in, pressing even more into the kangaroo.
‘Fujik, Rabbit is waiting for you. Please take a step forward and tell us about the results of your... hmm... research,’ Kangaroo has already despaired of pushing Fujik out, turning to methods of persuasion. But Fujik seemed to be even more shy. She turned her back to everyone and burrowed into Kangaroo fur.

‘Well, there is no help to it... Our girl is completely embarrassed,’ Rabbit tried to calm her down. ‘Fujik, we're all friends here, we're like one family. We do everything together. And the results of our work also belong to all of us,’ Rabbit cast a look to the right, where all the five eggs were laid on the bed. ‘You see, we’re having new assets today…' Rabbit had a little cough. ‘Active collaboration, friends, will definitely bear fruit!’

‘Fujik, please, time, time, time is running out... Lizzie will be back from lunch now, too.’
Fujik turned half around and began to speak softly: ‘I... I... Rabbit, I found lots and lots of rabbits all over the house... they're rabbits everywhere. On plates, on towels, on some soft pieces of paper in packages, on books, ... there are many, many of them all over the house... And you, Rabbit, also had mentioned rabbit figurines—and we also found them. I don't know yet how to count at all. Lion Cub promised to teach me. But a lot, a lot, I would have thought is more than chocolates that Lion Cub has found.’

Fujik stole a glance at Rabbit who was bursting into a smile. His little face radiated happiness and satisfaction. Fujik recalled Lizzie’s story about the neighbour's cat Borvik, who loved to sit and bask in the sun. ‘Our Rabbit is very nice and kind. After all, he's happy,’ thought Fujik.

‘Friends!’ Rabbit got up on its paw-legs. ‘You've done a great job! And I must say, well done!’ Rabbit smiled, his paw-hands out. ‘I have always known that there is a great potential for our enterprise here on Earth. Just imagine how many families live in this block, in the city... and in the country! And in the world!!! Just imagine what fees we can provide for the Council on our current patents..’ for a moment, Rabbit raised his dreamy eyes up. ‘I'm happy we have found each other. We are the team! Come, come to me... Come on, please... group hug... friends!’

They all got together next to Rabbit. He patted everyone on the back in a festive manner and stroked their muzzles. ‘Friends! I have an announcement to make for you! I'm asking for your attention for a moment, please.’ Rabbit began to smooth his silky ears with his paw-hand, waiting for the animals to calm down. ‘By the power given to me by the Rabbit Council, I, as a permanent member of the Rabbit Council, award you, each of you: you, faithful Australian kangaroo-girl; you, sunny Fujik; and you, my devoted athlete Lion Cub—I award you the title of my Attendants!
So be it!’

‘Rabbit! Rabbit! Look how beautiful she is!’ Lizzie ran up to the fence of the aviary. From behind the fence, a mother deer and her cub, their light brown backs and sides dotted with white spots, were watching them. ‘I think she looks very much like our Australian kangaroo-girl.’

After the rain, the air was saturated with the thick smells of the conifer forest. It was still overcast in the morning, the clouds in the sky had not yet had time to clear away, but the day promised to be wonderful and sunny. As far as the eye could see, it was green everywhere. Foliage on trees, shrubs, grass and even young growth on the ground—nature in this corner of the world was in harmony with man.

Rabbit raised his head and looked at Lizzie: ‘Well, you know, Lizzie, I won't agree with you, though. How can a deer look like a kangaroo?’
‘You see, Rabbit, they have very kangaroo-like faces, just as beautiful.’
‘Do they? Well, you know better, Lizzie. What is really good, is that they have such a big paddock here. There is enough space for running,’ Rabbit replied critically examining the area allocated for the needs of even-hoofed mammals.

‘You know, Lizzie, they look different in winter. The beautiful white spots on the back disappear, and the fur turns dark brown—this is how they prepare for winter. While rabbits are always up to the mark, as they say. Winter or summer—quality always costs—the skin is always at best price. That is, I want to say that rabbits are always good, under any conditions, circumstances and in any weather.’
The deer turned away from Lizzie and Rabbit and walked towards the wooden shelter-house located in the center of the plot. The fawn followed her.

Lizzie looked around—her parents were watching something in a nearby aviary. An aviary is a fenced area where, for example, animals such as a fallow deer with a cub can be kept.
‘Rabbit, then I'll ask you.’
‘When then, Lizzie?’ asked Rabbit.
‘I thought Dad was nearby, but he's over there…’
Unhappy with the inappropriate comparison, Rabbit replied: ‘Well, then ask me, Lizzie, since you have no alternative more worthy and suitable,’ he turned his head abruptly in the opposite direction.

‘Why Rabbit, are you hurt, or what? I love you the most. Dad, Mum, and then you, Rabbit,’ Lizzie hugged Rabbit tightly to her. He settled comfortably in a special carrier on Lizzie's chest, like a second paratrooper. This way it was convenient for the Rabbit to watch everyone.

‘Well, okay, okay. All right,’ Rabbit protested. ‘So what's your question, Lizzie?’
‘Won't you get hurt again?’
‘I didn't take offense at you at all.’
‘Rabbit, you are an animal, aren’t you?’
‘Hmm! In your human terms and concepts, Lizzie, yes—I, as a representative of the Hares&Rabbits family, am an animal. Why?’
‘Then why are you talking to me right here, and she, this animal-doe, is sitting over the fence there?’
‘Well, Lizzie. You are hitting the mark straight away,’ Rabbit answered thoughtfully.

‘You see, the matter is... life is complicated. Sometimes it turns out that often someone might not understand at all where and for which reason one may find oneself right here and now. Look, take me, for example. I have already told you that I volunteered here, to your Earth, to your planet. In our world everything is arranged somewhat different compared to what you have here. No one is kept in cages. Our animals are the same as me—intelligent, bright and elegant representatives of their kind. However, I should note that, as a matter of fact, it’s common that intelligent, bright and elegant—are a minority of course with us too, not to mention your place... but that’s another story.
I'm not talking about that now. Well, that's it. Each species has its own representative, like I am a representative of rabbits. In order to ensure the most complete and objective representation of the interests of each species, fellow congeners elect seven of their delegates to the Council, the one I told you about. This is the same Council that I am a member of. The very Council where I will take the chair, sooner or later,’ Rabbit ran his paw-hand over his silky ears. ‘Fallow deers and cats, hippos, crows and even buzzing flies have got same sort of councils. Lizzie, everyone has such bodies—councils lobbying for the interests of each species of fauna and flora. Do you understand? Eh?’

‘Is this how my parents take care of me, Rabbit?’
‘Well... you could put it like that. Yes, your parents will always be on guard of your interests. But the situation we are talking about is much more complicated. By the way, representatives of people also have their own council. Would you imagine, Lizzie! This is, of course, top secret. But I can tell you. Your species are also represented over there,’ Rabbit pointed up with his paw-hand. ‘So, pencils, cars, houses, trees, planets, paper clips with rivets, tape and putty have such councils, even galaxies! Can you imagine, Lizzie?! Both the pin and the whole cluster of galaxies have councils which take care and are responsible for their organic, that is, natural and healthy development. They, the councils, lobby for their interests.’

‘Rabbit, what’s that supposed to mean… that the pin has interests?... I don't understand. What sort of interests do they have? They don't have a brain, do they?’
Lizzie and Rabbit ran up to the next plot in the reserve. A wild-life reserve is, for example, like a large city zoo, only in a natural environment. Usually reserves are located outside the city.

‘What's this?’ asked Lizzie. ‘Why are there so many birds sitting in a cage?’
‘It's a birdhouse, Lizzie. This is where they, these birds live in fact. In our world, they also have their own council. And by the way, each subspecies has its own one. Do you understand?’
‘I think so, Rabbit. The eagles—they're sitting there in a cage, they're kind of sad—have their own council, and the geese have their own.’

‘Yes, that's right. Why is it all arranged this way? You might ask yourself that question, Lizzie. And I'll tell you what. Geese have taken root on people's farms, for example, they are also used for cooking, they live in the wild, and eagles are hunters. These two groups have very different tasks and purposes. One could say, they have different interests. And councils stand guard over them, defend and lobby for them. So are the pins we were talking about, Lizzie. A pin is necessary in order to pin or fix something, for example, some kind of fabric. To make a simple pin, it is required to perform very, very many different actions—to extract metal, process it so that something can be produced from it, send it to a factory where the final product will already be made from this metal. For example, a pin. And what will happen after the pin completes its task? Eh? How and where to dispose of it, that is, to recycle it effectively?’

‘Rabbit, somehow it's all incomprehensible, very confusing…’
‘Ha! Lizzie, this isn’t even the tip of the iceberg yet. The point is that the world, both ours and even yours, is so complex, so many different interconnections that only the very best can understand this story, and even then only within their own competence! Competence is akin to a lot of experience in a certain narrow area. Well, for example, like me—I, Rabbit, am a rabbit specialist. This is my competence—I know everything about rabbits. You know what? I'll tell you a very big secret. Promise to keep a secret, Lizzie?’

Lizzie took Rabbit out of the carrier and looked at him. He's so cute: light blue jumpsuit, long thin paw-arms, paw-legs sticking out of pants. The whole Rabbit’s body is covered with white fur, like that of a small lamb. And, of course, Rabbit's silk ears: one sticks up, and the other hangs down, covering part of his face.

‘I promise, Rabbit, to keep it confidential,’ Lizzie wanted to give Rabbit big hug. But she restrained herself—he doesn't really like to be purred at all the time. That’s what Rabbit says: Well, there is no need for this excessive display of feelings. Please don’t lisp talking to me.

‘That's fine, Lizzie. Then give it a try. And the secret is this. All these countless councils of everyone and everything in different worlds are combined into one, the biggest Council of the Main Ones!’ Rabbit dramatically raised his paw up. ‘This Council includes not the most-most, but the most-most-most, that is, the chairmen of the Councils. You understand! Cream of the cream! This is the Olympus of everything!’ Rabbit was shaking with agitation.
‘Yeah, Rabbit,’ Lizzie echoed him dreamily. ‘Rabbit, does it mean that Australian kangaroo also has her own сouncil? Do I get it correctly?’
‘Yes, Lizzie. But they have a very small lobby there. You don't have to think about them at all. Everything is so small there... Fu-fu… Rabbits are another matter. Oh... there are a lot of rabbits, very, very many. People on Earth love rabbits. This means that royalties could be collected... you won't certainly collect everything, you won't collect it for sure... That's why I wanted to get to your planet…’ Rabbit looked at Lizzie. ‘Yes, and, of course, you are such warm-hearted people. It's so nice to be with you. I think, Lizzie, I'm very lucky that I’ve met you, that we are friends.’

‘Rabbit, I'm very happy too! We're best friends!’
‘Bet we are, Lizzie! And if you and I could exceed the plan for patent fees... uh-uh... Oh, Lizzie, Lizzie, ... I'll be your friend forever.’
‘Rabbit, you mentioned some patents recently. I didn't understand then. Why do you need them? Those patents?’

‘Why, Lizzie! Don't mention this to anyone ever! Not to know what patents are in our business is absolutely unacceptable’, Rabbit snorted meaningly.
‘Oh my. As a member of the Rabbit Council, I have the right to receive income from everything related to our rabbit movement on Earth. For example, we recently conducted an investigation here, so to speak, at your house, Lizzie, ... hmm... Revealed multiple signs of the use of rabbit themes. The simplest example is that you have figurines with rabbits at home. And that's fine! They are of exceptional cultural value. Now, knowing about this important fact and as a person of responsibility, I am entitled to some commission! The more people here use rabbit themes in their lives, including all the stories and tales about rabbits, the more commission is due. Well, not only to me, of course, but to the Council of Rabbits, and therefore to all rabbits. That's how it works, Lizzie. Do you get the idea?’

‘I don't know, Rabbit,’ Lizzie replied. ‘That's what I think. You get some kind of payments for everything that relates to your rabbit species. Is it so?’

‘Exactly, Lizzie! Everything is right. In fact, there is nothing so complicated here at all! Look, your dad is an engineer, isn’t he? Surely, the outstanding one?’
‘Indeed he is. They even gave him a blue cap!’
‘That’s it! How could I’ve missed it! A very beautiful cap... with a logo.’
‘With the logo of the company where Dad works.’
‘Well, Lizzie,’ Rabbit continued. ‘Your dad, as an engineer, when he invents something unique and innovative, registers a patent and will be able to receive some fees from all those who will use his invention. This is the essence of patents—to secure the right, for example, to an engineering invention.’

‘Well, now it's finally clear to me, Rabbit. You could have put it like that right away from the beginning,’ Lizzie said with obvious relief. ‘Rabbit, and how is everything arranged over there? Where you live? And where are your councils held? And how does everything look there?’

‘Oh, Lizzie... One day I'll definitely tell you everything in detail. I'll be honest with you. I often feel nostalgic about our world. Do you know how it is? This is when you really miss something, when you miss your home, family and friends. I have such large stocks of chocolate eggs at home, Lizzie,’ Rabbit's gaze dreamily rushed somewhere ahead. ‘I really miss home. After all, I used to count them almost every day, to wipe them, every and each, and arrange them…' Rabbit sighed. ‘Well, there’s nothing to be done! We’ll start a new collection here! Will you help me? Will you help, Lizzie?’

‘Rabbit, I'm ready to give you my chocolate egg. Nothing’s too good for you.’

‘I tell you, Lizzie, that I'm very, very lucky with you! Let's keep looking, who's sitting in the next cage.’
‘Rabbit, is it good that animals are kept in cages? It's bad for them there.’
‘Whether they feel bad or good, Lizzie, depends on conditions which are created for animals. If it's like here, for example, in this reserve—then it's good. You see how everything is cleaned up here, the animals have large areas to wander around. They are fed and watered, they are safe. If the animals are well cared for, then they are okay both in a wildlife reserve and in a zoo. But if not, then it’s a different story, Lizzie.’

‘Lizzie, you and Rabbit keep talking about something of your own here, and have completely forgotten about us,’ said Mum. Dad and Mum caught up with Lizzie.
‘Yes, Mummy! Rabbit has told me so many interesting things today!’
‘And what’s your topic of conversation today?’ Dad asked.

‘The main thing is a patent law and the hierarchical structure of the world, where each council lobbies for the interests of its own species,’ Lizzie folded her hands on the Rabbit’s belly, who froze motionless in her carrier.

‘Wow, Lizzie, you and Rabbit do have topics in your interest club, indeed!’ Dad went up to his daughter and stroked naughty curls on her head. ‘Will you introduce me to your friend sometime?’
‘I don't think, Dad, that he will want to communicate with you. Rabbit isn’t just a rabbit at all—he's on the Council! Do you understand?’
‘Of course, I do understand. You can see it right away that he is not a simpleton at all. But Mummy and I live in hope that he will turn his attention on us one day,’ Dad smiled, took Rabbit by the paw and gave him a tight man-to-man handshake.