The Velveteen Rabbit Wants to Whirr

A retelling of The Velveteen Rabbit

Classic tales
3 min read
Ages 4–5

Siddharth hugs a stuffed bunny in a bedroom with a Christmas tree.

Rustle, rustle! Out of Siddharth's Christmas stocking popped a spotty velvet rabbit. Siddharth hugged him, then spun to stare. Tin toys whizzed under the tree. "Whirr! Whirr! Look at ME!" Rabbit had no key. Not one whirr. Something hot and wobbly crept into his ears.

A plush rabbit and the Skin Horse stand on a rug in a room with a Christmas tree and a window.

Clip… clop. The old Skin Horse creaked over. "Hot ears? Wobbly tummy? That's jealous," he said. "Breathe in slow… and out slow." Rabbit breathed. The wobble shrank. Then he said what he wanted: "I want to WHIRR!" The Skin Horse's mane drooped. "Oh dear."

A brown and white plush rabbit lies upside down on a red cushion on a wooden floor.

So Rabbit puffed his cheeks. "Whirrrr…" Pthhhbbt! A big spitty raspberry. Next, instead of hopping, he rolled. Roll, roll, roll… BUMP! Into a cushion, his long ears twisted in a knot. "Whirr! Whirr! Look at ME!" he giggled, upside down. Then he spotted Mango the cat.

A stuffed rabbit and Mango the cat are in a bedroom with a tipped-over cup on the floor.

Rabbit marched toward Mango. "BEEP! BEEP! I am a ROBOT!" Mango opened one eye. Then her mouth, wide, wider… YAWN. Siddharth scooped Rabbit up anyway, for garden tea parties and bedtime stories, until his velvet rubbed thin and shabby. High on the window, something twinkled.

Siddharth sneezes in bed while a stuffed rabbit stands in front of him.

A-CHOO! Siddharth had a sniffly cold. He sneezed on Rabbit and lay in bed, glum. The tin toys whirred. He only sniffed. Then Rabbit had an idea. He swung his long ears round and round, faster and faster. "Whirr! Whirr! Look at ME!" Siddharth giggled. Mum peeped in. "A sneezy bunny? Bath time!"

A small brown rabbit stands on a lawn in front of a house where two children look out a window.

Rabbit's ears trembled. "I'm scared." He breathed in slow, out slow. "Skin Horse, will you wait?" "Right here," said the Skin Horse, on the laundry basket. "Only clothes and toys go in the washer," said Mum, and she pressed the button herself. Out came Rabbit, fluffy and warm. The Skin Horse nodded, proud. That night the twinkle floated down: the nursery fairy! She waved her wand, and Rabbit's velvet turned to real fur. Next morning he hopped across the garden. Siddharth and Mum waved from the window. Hop! Hop! Look at ME!