Long ago, Great Hare made the world. He made all the stars, too, and the world is one of the stars. He made them by scattering his droppings over the sky and this is why the grass and the trees grow so thick on the world. Great Hare makes the rivers flow. They follow him as he goes through the sky, and when he leaves the sky they look for him all night. Great Hare made all the animals and birds, but when he first made them they were all the same. The sparrow and the kestrel were friends and they both ate seeds and flies. And the fox and the rabbit were friends and they both ate grass and plenty of flies, because the world was new and Great Hare shone down bright and worm all day.
Now, White Rabbit was among the animals in those days and he had many wives. He had so may wives that there was no counting them, and the wives had so many young that even Great Hare could not count them, and they ate the grass and the dandelions and the lettuces and the clover, and White Rabbit was the father of them all. And after a time, the grass began to grow thin and the rabbits wandered everywhere, multiplying and eating as they went.
Then Great Hare said to White Rabbit, “Prince Rabbit, if you cannot control your people, I shall find ways to control them. So mark what I say.” But White Rabbit would not listen and he said to Great Hare, “My people are the strongest in the world, for they breed faster and eat more than any of the other people. And this shows how much they love Lord Great Hare, for of all the animals they are the most responsive to his warmth and brightness. You must realize, my lord, how important they are and not hinder them in their beautiful lives.”
Great Hare could have killed White Rabbit at once, but he had a mind to keep him in the world, because he needed him to sport and jest and play tricks. So he determined to get the better of him, not my means of his own great power but by means of a trick. He gave out that he would hold a great meeting and that at that meeting he would give a present to every animal and bird, to make each one different from the rest. And all the creatures set out to go to the meeting place. But they all arrived at different times, because Great Hare made sure that it would happen so. And when the blackbird came, he gave him his beautiful song, and when the cow came, he gave her sharp horns and the strength to be afraid of no other creature. And so in their turn came the fox and the stoat and the weasel. And to each of them Great Hare gave the cunning and the fierceness and the desire to hunt and sly and eat the children of White Rabbit. And so they went away from Great Hare full of nothing but hunger to kill the rabbits.
Now, all this time White Rabbit was dancing and mating and boasting that he was going to Great Hare’s meeting to receive a great gift. And at last he set out for the meeting place. But as he was going there, he stopped t rest on a soft, sandy hillside and while he was resting, over the hill came flying the dark swift, screaming as he went, “News! News! News!” For you know, this is what he has ever since that day. So White Rabbit called up to him and said, “What news?” ‘Why,” said the swift, “I would not be you, White Rabbit. For Great Hare has given the fox and the weasel cunning hearts and sharp teeth, and to the cat he has given silent feet and eyes that can see in the dark, and they are gone away from Great Hare’s place to kill and devour all that belongs to White Rabbit.” And he dashed on over the hills. And at that moment White Rabbit heard the voice of Great Hare calling, “Where is White Rabbit? For all the others have taken heir gifts and I have come to look for him.”
Then White Rabbit knew that Great Hare was to clear for him ad he was frightened. He thought that the fox and the weasel were coming with Great Hare and he turned to the face of the hill and began to dig. He dug a hole, but he had dug only a little of it when Great Hare cam over the hill alone. And he saw White Rabbit’s bottom sticking out of the hole and the sand flying out in showers as the digging went on. When he saw that, he called out, “My friend, have you seen White Rabbit, for I am looking for him to give him my gift?” “No,” answered White Rabbit, without coming out, “I have not seen him. He is far away. He could not come” So Great Hare said, “Then come out of that hole and I will bless you instead of him.” “No, I cannot,” said White Rabbit, “I am busy. The fox and the easel are coming. I you want to bless me you can bless my bottom, for it is sticking out of the hole.”
Then, Great Hare felt himself in friendship with White Rabbit who would not give up even when he thought the fox and the weasel were coming. And he said, “Very well, I will bless your bottom as it sticks out of the hole. Bottom, be strength and warning and speed forever and save the life of your master. Be it so!” And as he spoke, White Rabbit’s tail grew shining white and flashed like a star: and his back legs grew long and powerful and he thumped the hillside until the very beetles fell off the grass stems. He came out of the hole and tore across the hill faster than any creature in the world. And Great Hare called after him, “White Rabbit, your people cannot rule the world, for I will not have it so. All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.” And White Rabbit knew then that although he would not be mocked, yet Great Hare was his friend. And every evening, when Great Hare has done his day’s work and lies calm and easy in the red sky, White Rabbit and his children and his children’s children come out of their holes and feed and play in his sight, for they are his friends and he has promised them that they can never be destroyed.
