A Rabbit Called Neon

Children's Book

Once upon a time, there lived a family of rabbits in a little burrow at the edge of a hillside forest. There were three rabbits in the family ̶ there was mother rabbit, and there were her daughters Neon and Storm. They were a very happy family. Mother rabbit would visit the forest every day to pick fruits and roots for food to take care of her babies while keeping an eye on the burrow where her precious children slept. Neon and Storm were not only funny (intelligently so), they were gorgeous. Their mother loved them very much and like all mothers thought that they were the best in the world.

As the baby rabbits grew, they got up to all kinds of well thought up mischief. Whenever they got a chance, they used to sneak out of the burrow to explore the world outside. Mother rabbit forbade them to get out of their burrow without her, in the way of all protective, concerned mothers. But, Neon and Storm were around three weeks old and intent on putting their age to use. Their teeth were about to emerge, and they were determined to try out these new tools. Whenever Mother rabbit was busy, Neon and Storm sneaked out of their home and scoot around to investigate everything.

One day, they decided to surprise their mother, though it may not have been a plan as such. They were up early and set out into the woods on their own. It was a beautiful day, full of potential, as they could see. Summer was fading fast, the air smelled fresher and the bunnies felt energetic enough to test the great outdoors.

What they had in mind was a bit of foraging to help mother bunny in her task, with of course, a good dollop of outdoor fun. They had had their fill of the fun part, and were ready for home. But this time, they did not know which way that was.

‘Are you sure we are on the right track?’ asked Neon

‘I am not sure, isn’t it the way we came here?’ Let’s go back home this way’ said Storm.

Neon reluctantly followed Storm

“I have a bad feeling about this,” she sniffed.

Both knew by now that they were lost. But like most energetic children, they were not going to give up so easily.

After hours and hours of running, they entered the densest, the scariest part of the forest. Worse, they could not find their cozy home. They sniffed all around for familiar smell tracks, but could not find their way out of the forest. By now, they had been out all day. Darkness would soon fall, they knew, as little animals will know. The two sisters were more than a little scared, to say the least.

It was going to get worse.

“We aren’t anywhere near home, are we?” Stated Neon.

“Do you think we could die?” Said Storm

Just when Neon and Storm thought that all was lost, they thought they espied a great light. Now, they racked their brains and remembered what their mother had told them (though it was a little late for that). They remembered that she had said that big scary animals feared the light. In their minds, if they were to avoid those, they would have to go towards the light.

Now, that light was a fire that some men had lit. What the little bunnies did not know was that these men were cruel hunters and catchers. They were trappers who trapped and sold animals smaller than themselves. The trusting little bunnies thought that they may have come to safety. Neon and Storm went to the men and told them-

‘We have lost our ways, mister. Can you please lead us back to our home?’

The leader of the hunters was very clever and wicked. He immediately set his sights on how many more baby rabbit skins he might be able to count on. He asked them-‘Do you have any more brothers and sisters?’

‘No, sir.’ They truthfully replied

‘Well well’ said the leader, ‘why don’t you stay with us for the night and we will send you back home in the morning?’

The bunnies agreed. They ate with the men and went to sleep in the tent with them. Again, there was something they were unaware of. They may have been truthful, but the men were not. They did not know that there was sleeping potion in their food. They slept deeply, without a clue of what was happening to them. What happened was that the two small ones were put into a soft cloth bag, fast asleep. When they got back to town, the catchers sold the bunnies in a pet shop of a very big town.

When Neon and Storm awoke up after a whole day, they found themselves in a small cage the door of which was latched and had a little lock hanging outside. They were alone and they were frightened. Not only did this not look like home, which the people they had trusted had promised to take them to, but this looked like they were not free to go anywhere, not even back to the scary forest.

Neon and Storm started to cry. They had to try and get out!

Needless to say, that did not work. The cruel storekeeper had his own ideas about what to do with the two. He caught them and separated them from each other. He moved Neon all the way to the front of the store and left Storm at the back, all alone. Neon and Storm realized now that humans could not be trusted. They had been fooled by all the humans they had come across. It was too late, but they had learnt to distrust humans.

There was a young woman named Aurora in the little town of Georgevilla. She was twenty-five years old and very pretty. She had sleek brown hair and brown, sad eyes. When you looked into her eyes, you can see the sadness brought on from a lifetime of mistreatment and hardship. But that was the only place where life’s mistreatment dwelt.

Aurora remained sweet-natured, always very helpful and generous. She had remained persistent to her early beliefs, and would always stick to her commitments. And so Aurora would be very loyal, hardworking, responsible and kind hearted. Once she gave her word, she would stick to it irrespective of the consequences. She was unwavering in her decisions, once she had decided; it will be hard for anyone to convince her to give it up.

Aurora was not only considerate in her decisions, but she was intuitive. She had the ability to put herself in someone else’s shoes. She could understand why they felt what they felt. As was her nature, she would deny her own feelings. At these times she would tell herself that she had to let her mind rule her heart.

For instance, Aurora would keep her problems to herself. If she did reveal them to anyone else, it was to let someone else, who was similarly bothered, know that they were not alone in what they faced. One of Aurora’s convictions was that all problems large and small could be overcome (though she had not always been blessed with such an outcome). She would patiently listen to anyone who cared to speak to her about their own dilemma, so that they could together work something out.

Sometimes, this could create further worries for the young woman, but no matter. At times like that, her angel could despair about Aurora’s innocence and ability to reach out to others at cost to herself. Aurora herself would remain unfazed.

Aurora may have remained unchanged in many ways, but the more she got to know about the downside of human nature, the sadder she got. Her family was gone and so were all of her pets �" her animal companions, she had had from the time she had turned thirteen.

In fact, Aurora had been on her very own since that tender age. She had material comforts and she did not go hungry, but she had no one to share this with. Aurora went to sleep in an empty home every day and woke up to her nightmares on her own. She was someone who could reach out to others, but there was no one to reach out to her at times like these.

It was not friends that she lacked; though the best of those had moved away. Also, the fact slowly dawned on her that people could pose as new friends, only to take advantage. She had come across the sort who, when they discovered how kind and soft a heart she had, would not stop before they got vicarious pleasure out of taking advantage of her kindness and then make fun of her and hurt her. It also slowly dawned on Aurora that such behavior, in some perverted way, made up for such type of people because they were not happy in their lives.

The worst had been when she’d brought some ‘new’ friends home. They had taken her for a soft target, mocking and bullying her, stopping to try and gain control by saying that they would send the neighborhood thief to steal from her if she did not obey their every demand.

All the same, Aurora strove on, never letting that stop her from helping others.

There were still others who had heard that a young teenager by the name of Aurora was very kind-hearted and at the same time, wealthy. These people tried to work out a friendship though their intention was to take what she had for themselves. Aurora, being trusting, took upon herself stories of homelessness and of hunger. She thought she knew how it felt to be mistreated from time to time.

And so, Aurora shared what she had with such ‘users’. She opened up her home and invited others in at mealtimes, only to have the ‘users’ walk away when they had got what they wanted.

Worse, when it was Aurora’s turn to ask, these friends used to avoid her. All the same, it took the young woman some time to realize that it was her who was giving the gifts and the tea-parties. It was she who was inviting others to share a new dish. When she did, friends would come in like a storm. It took Aurora time to realize that these friends were not true friends. They did not love her or even care for her. They were just pretend friends. All they wanted was to use her.

Aurora found out that the very people she was helping were turning against her. Should she then have given them more? The very thought drove Aurora to feel even gloomier. At the start, she had told herself that all she wanted from the world was some love and peace in life. Now, she was finding it difficult to trust humans and felt very alone.

This loneliness was all consuming now, for all she was aching for one true friend whom she could trust to share everything with. When should such a true friend appear?

It took a long time to get over the betrayal. Aurora was now on her own, and lonely, to say the least. She decided to get busy and now happily took up drawing and painting, singing and listening to her favorite songs. She became a voracious reader and read many books.

But at the end of it, she was still all alone even if she was working hard to earn enough to get her by. Aurora maintained a clean, beautiful home, even if she had to spend time by herself in the home.

Now, Aurora became very ill. She stayed in bed for days. Slowly, she recovered, as she tried to get back her normal life. . As she recovered, Aurora gave herself up to imagining what it would be like to have a life surrounded by love and happiness, a life in which she would have freedom from her past.

Aurora went back to reading.

It so happened that she took up a book about rabbits as pets. The book told her that rabbits be great friends for humans. Could this be true? Aurora thought back to the time when she had been a little girl, living with a loving family around her �" a family which kept many pets. She thought back to the time they had had a few rabbits, and Aurora was allowed to feed them in their hutch with curly green lettuce leaves.

Aurora would get herself a rabbit companion at home!

Aurora thought long and hard about her decision. Finally, it came to a day when she was housebound again, and on her own. One cold day in winter, she realized that she would have to get up and go do some grocery shopping. Her house, too, was calling for her attention. It was time for a long walk. As she walked down towards the big grocery store, the young woman crossed a pet store she had often passed and wondered at the cute pets in the window.

Today, they had a tiny little rabbit, not more than a few weeks old. It was Neon whom the pet shop owner had let loose behind the plate-glass of the pet shop window. Aurora took one look at the little rabbit. Neon had very beautiful and bright golden furs, with two adorable eyes and slightly lopsided long ears. She was so tiny and precious. She even looked very lost and seemed to be crying. She had to be missing someone or more than that. The woman knew that this rabbit would have to be her companion. Had she lost more than family…had she lost a home, somehow?

Aurora had named her Angel by the time she had paid for Neon and put her into her grocery bag to take home.

Neon may have been relieved to have found a home, but it could not be said that she was happy with the arrangements or with her present circumstances. Her first objection was that she missed Storm terribly; besides her mother and besides their own little burrow where her mother had made their home. Then, there was the fact that Neon had developed a deep dislike of humans. Neon showed all this from inside the little cage that Aurora had bought to keep her in. ‘Here you go missy,’ the pet store owner had said to Aurora when she’d got a new cage. The old man followed it up with ‘bunny is a very good pet, good choice’.

Despite all these assurances on her behalf, Neon was not impressed. Once home with Aurora she started to scratch the inside of the cage with her tiny paws and she began to cry all over again.

Poor Aurora was at a loss as to what to do. She could not bear to see the little bunny so distressed. She thought the little one might feel better once she was out of the restricting cage. Aurora opened the cage door and let Neon (though she was not aware of that name) free to roam. It worked. Neon felt better right away, and hopped out of the cage. She gave a squeal of joy and started hopping around the house.

She considered hiding somewhere in the house. That way, she might be able to run out, get back to the pet shop, free Storm and get both of them back to the forest.

Neon hid, and stayed hidden for a while. But no one had come rushing after her to grab her and put her back in the cage. Neon wondered about that. After what seemed like a long, long time, she heard a sweet voice (it had to come from Aurora) calling out for ‘Angel.’ Aurora was saying, “Angel, come on sweetheart, I have something nice for you to nibble on.’

‘Now, who is this Angel?’-thought the bunny,’ let’s see who she is calling.’

Just in that moment Aurora entered the room where Neon was hiding and looking at her she said-

‘Awww! Here you are my little Angel. Come baby come. I have made something special for you.’

‘So I am Angel then.huh!’ thought Neon, and ‘what about food?’

She followed that woman into another big room and knew when she was being lifted from the ground. Neon looked at the hands lifting her. They were very soft and caring and she was really feeling good. Then she realized what was in front of her.

There were carrots, well washed and made into a soft paste. There was spinach in a dish, green and very leafy and delicious looking. Neon sniffed the vegetables. Should she give it a try? She was hungry after all. Soon, Neon was eating like she had never eaten before.

She ate her fill, then tilted her head to look at that woman with her cute tiny eyes and, voila, noticed that she’d come in with more carrots, and green vegetables in hand!

Neon was feeling a lot better. She felt she was on more firm ground than she had been since she and Storm had left their burrow. She’d been given home �" never mind that awful cage, she’d been let out of it. Then, the lady who had brought her here had gone out of her way to give her a slap-up meal �" Neon’s first in ages.

Neon knew when she was picked up, as she was at this instant. She was picked up, and felt nice and warm over her head as Aurora planted a kiss.

‘She kissed me?’ Exclaimed Neon happily. Did she really kiss me? Wow!’’

‘Hello little baby, I am Aurora, and you are my Angel from now on. Do you like the name?’-said that woman.

‘Hello, I am Neon, but you can call me Angel’-came back from the suddenly happier Neon.

‘You can speak? That is amazing. Thank you, God, thank you. Oh Angel! You do not know how much I am happy to get you. Will you please stay with me?’

‘You are not going to put me in the cage again?’

‘No, I would never.’

‘Then I will stay with you, always.’

Thank you, my dear child. Now why don’t you some rest? I am sure you are very much exhausted. Neon looked into Aurora’s eyes and saw the kindness within.

Aurora showed Neon to her bed. It was a little bread basket lined with fluff. She tucked her in. Neon was going to fall asleep soon enough, a real good sleep after a long time. As for her ever-active brain, Neon could think only one thing at that instant

‘This must be a really nice dream.’

*******************

Neon slept through the night and most of the next day. It was almost evening when Neon woke up from her sound sleep. She had slept so well that she could not instantly recall the tumultuous happenings of the day before at the point at which she awoke.

Then, she heard Aurora calling out for Angel and memory came flooding back.

Aurora came into the room and saw Neon sitting on her bed. She went to her and scooted her onto her lap. ‘Did you sleep well my darling’ �" she asked the timid rabbit.

‘Yes, it was like my best sleep ever.’ �" replied the bunny.

‘Good, Let me show you around the house.’ “Coming, darling?” said Aurora to the bunny.

Neon’s nose twitched so hard that Aurora laughed with happiness to see such a pretty sight. Neon was too busy looking around to notice.

“This is fun, Angel. Don’t you think?” whispered the smiling Aurora.

The house felt warm. It felt safe, and little Neon could see that there were a great many places where she could play (and sometimes hide). Neon also knew that it was cold outside.

They started from the bedroom. Neon noticed a huge bed, with beautiful cream-colored linen sheets. Neon noticed the mirror finished cherry wood of the bed. She noticed the soft, fluffy pillows with sapphire blue embroidered borders. She even noticed a huge mirror in a corner, where she could see herself! Their next stop was the sitting room. It had a big sofa set with a round glass center table. The bunny noticed the legs of the table. They had been allowed to look like the tree the table had been taken from. It brought back memories of the forest. Would she ever get there again? The kitchen and adjacent dining room were spacious. Not a bad place to remember, for the future, if she should need chocolate, jam, cookies, cakes, pies, cereals, and foods Neon had not seen before. There was a garden outside the kitchen door. And that garden had more vegetables, it was where the carrots and lettuce had come from. Besides, there were fruits and flowering bushes. This too Neon would remember.

Neon also noticed that though Aurora had a big house, no one else used to live in there. Aurora lived in that grand mansion completely alone. She was an inquisitive little bunny, and had to find out more about this. So, she asked Aurora

‘Do you live here all by yourself? Where is your family?’

Aurora had been asked this before, and had learnt to be wary of such questions. But now her eyes grew moist. ‘I had a family when I was little. I had a sister too. When I was eight, she caught fever and died within three days. My parents also died four years later in an accident. All my animal friends passed on to their heavenly home. I had human friends too, but they moved. One of them stole from me and mistreated me when I didn’t give her everything she demanded. Since then, I have nobody else to call a family or friend.’

Oh! That is so sad!’ thought Neon. But her sister Storm hopped into her head now. Storm was still imprisoned in the pet shop cage! ‘Maybe if I request Aurora to buy Storm too, she will.’ thought Neon, ‘after all she is such a nice human’.

She buckled up all her courage and told Aurora -

‘Do you know I have another sister too?’

‘Aurora did not know, ‘really?’ she asked.

‘Yes. She was also in the shop, in a cage all the way in the back. Her name is Storm. “Please free her from there, please, please,” Neon began to weep.

‘No no baby, don’t cry. We will go and free her tomorrow. It has got already very dark. We will rescue your sister tomorrow morning, I promise.’-Aurora consoled Neon.

Neon realized that Aurora was right. She was right, and Neon was tired and sleepy by now…time to go to sleep. Aurora hurriedly got supper ready and coaxed her bunny to eat it. Then she picked her up in her arms and kissed her forehead. Neon was already half asleep, but she could hear Aurora.

Aurora’s voice was low as she said, ‘Sleep tight sweetheart.’

She put Neon into her bed and left the room. When she came back an hour later to check, Neon was still awake, busy exploring the closet. When she saw Aurora, she hopped on the bed excitedly, sniffing and with her rabbit nose and whiskers twitching.

“Would you like to share my blanket?’ said Neon to sleepy Aurora.

“Oh, Could I?” asked Aurora, though she knew that she would not be able to get into the little bed.

“Sure!” said Neon, rubbing her cheek on her blanket. “Mine may be small, but it may be softer than yours.”

“Oh, thank you!” said Aurora, her hand under the tiny blanket. Neon was pleased.

“” I’d love to!”

“How nice to get such a soft blanket!” Neon sighed contently.

“Ooooo,” Baby Neon snored.

Next morning when she woke up, it was a new day. She was feeling so good that she took three hopping rounds of the house and grounds. Aurora dressed as she laughed and patted Neon, Breakfast was another treat �" fruit salad and spinach juice, two carrots �" one for each of them.

‘Are you going somewhere? Am I to be alone in this manor all day?’-asked Neon.

‘No dear, we are going to free your sister today, remember?’-said Aurora.

‘Oh yes!’-said the bunny, hopping around in circles. “Yes, yes, yes!”

The next stage of this adventure started within half an hour. Neon had got into a navy-blue outfit. It had suited her well. Aurora wore a beautiful pink dress with lovely pink shoes and cute silver clips in her hair. Neon thought she looked like a beautiful princess.

Aurora had packed a purple outfit for Storm Navy blue, pink and now purple. They would make a well-dressed family. Through her happy daze, Neon wondered about what it would be like for the three of them to live in Aurora’s home. She, for one, wouldn’t mind at all.

Nor did she mind the wicked shop keeper who asked Aurora, when they got to his shop, ‘What is it dear? Is the naughty thing giving you trouble?’

But where was the cage at the back of the shop which Storm had last been seen in? They had been so sure. Someone must have taken Storm home, in the same way that Aurora had chosen Neon! Both of them felt like crying. ‘Actually, I came to buy another bunny, Mr. Bodine, that one I saw yesterday, the one at the back in the small cage, you remember?’

‘Oho! That one!’ Mr. Bodine was shaking his head sadly, ‘that one actually died last night. It was doing strange things- scratching the cage all the time, did not have food either. It was getting on my nerve, so I scolded it for that. Next thing I know is her lying dead in her cage.’

Neon could not speak, she could not even think. Her baby sister was dead. Storm, her beautiful twin sister was gone, gone forever. She is never going to come back, to see her, talk to her. Neon was numb with grief. She did not notice when Aurora took her in her arms and headed home.

Aurora wept, but made sure that Neon would not be able to see her tears. She had lost her near and dear ones to death, and she knew how it felt. Now, she remembered how Neon had scratched desperately at her own cage. She should have come here earlier, thought Aurora. Neon was crying too. She had been given fine foods. She had slept well. She should have thought of Storm earlier; they should have come to the shop earlier. ‘I am the reason she is dead now’-said Neon to herself.

‘No darling, it is my fault.’ said Aurora, ‘I should have taken it more seriously. Maybe you should go back to your parents. Tell me where? I found you, I know, but families are more important.

Neon looked up and saw Aurora crying, her tears streaming down. Now Neon had started out a good bunny, loving and full of life. She had taken her lessons hard, vowing not to like humans. But Aurora’s goodness had undone all that. Looking at Aurora, Neon felt that she felt for her. Aurora had no one she could turn to for support.

She thought back to just a while ago, when she had wondered what it would be like, for the three of them to live in Aurora’s home, to be a sort of family. She knew what it would be like for sure, for the two of them in Aurora’s home. As Aurora had said she was like her baby, her friend, and family member. Neon was not going to leave such a good person. And she knew Storm would have loved Aurora.

So she went to Aurora and hugged her. Then she wiped away Aurora’s tear and said-

‘I will be here forever. It is true that I have lost my mother, my sister. But I don’t want to lose my new family for that. I love you Aurora and I will always be there for you. I am never going to leave you.’

“Friends…furever!” Neon sniffed.

Aurora agreed happily” friends…furever.”

Aurora was so happy that she started to cry again, this time in joy. That night, Aurora sang a lullaby to put Neon to sleep. They were to sleep in Aurora’s bed in her large bedroom. She sang:

“I love you and you love me and we are a happy family and a great big hug and a kiss from me to you I will always love you.”

Neon snuggled closer to Aurora with a sigh. Aurora patted her, gently and with a few kisses on Neon’s ears and nose.

They looked each other in the eye and they knew. That theirs was true friendship. “I love you, my sweetheart,” said Aurora before she pulled the covers all the way to her chin and dozed off.

Before she fell asleep, Neon whispered in Aurora’s ear-

‘I will never leave you’

This was a promise she kept for lifetime.

In time, Neon and Aurora became almost inseparable. In the daytime, Aurora would go to work. She used to work at a school near the town. Neon would play around the house for the whole day. Then when Aurora returned home in the afternoon, Neon, tired after her endeavors of the morning, would jump onto her lap and started to snore. Aurora loved it. .

Neon knew she could make Aurora laugh. Neon knew a couple of tricks she could play while she ate. She could do a somersault into the bath. Everything about her was wonderful, thought Aurora. She just had to go look for Neon when she felt sad, and matters would once again be alright.

Neon was an adorable bunny with special talents, as with her mealtimes. She loved munching on parsley, apples, melons and cereals, �" whatever Aurora would get from the market. Besides, she knew the sounds which meant that the grocery bags were being brought in; she knew a treat would follow. She liked the rattle of the cereal box because she loved chewing those grains.

Neon was a foodie and always had been. She loved her own fresh vegetables and would also go for Aurora’s cooked stuff. She could eat her way through all.

Aurora did not mind; they were family and if Neon were ever to decide that all the food in the house was hers, so be it. Neon would want to be fed at mealtimes, between meals and even in the gap between the cooking and the cooked food coming to the table.

Neon would always be an obedient, loving daughter. Both of them loved music, with songs which they enjoyed every Sunday.

Then, there were Neon’s toys bought by Aurora.. Stuffed ragdoll bunny was Neon’s love. It reminded her of Storm. She also loved her shake and chew toys. Neon enjoyed being stroked by Aurora and was always eager to listen to her soft, gentle voice.

Neon would hop on the bed while Aurora sorted her laundry, and sometimes she would help. Neon could arrange and rearrange the pile of clothes, or smooth out the bed-sheets with her paws. Other times she would be happy to stretch out on the bed to supervise the quality of work accomplished by Aurora and would stare at her with her wide bunny eyes. Neon was growing up fast and never failed to compliment her mother.

The little bunny knew that Aurora was well turned out. Neon would be too. She would spend hours in front of the mirror to make herself prettier.

On occasion, Aurora and her foodie daughter will dress up like princesses and pose for photographs. Aurora has got some very beautiful dresses stitched for Neon and Neon enjoyed flaunting these. She enjoyed playing and chewing her blankets and her toys, loved to kiss and cuddle with her momma and enjoyed traveling, and attending picnics and hanging out with her friends and neighbors.

Neon’s untidy bed could also be cause for a game. Aurora could mock-scold. Neon would give her most innocent looks. Aurora would forget her frustrations and pamper her lovely cute daughter endlessly with hugs and kisses.

There were other games, too. They would play ‘catch’, though it would be Neon who would begin with a playful grunt, then hop and jump up and down on Aurora’s blue and black sofa. The next instant, she would be tired enough to want a cuddle in her mom’s arms and listen to her stories and a song or two.

That would mark the end of playtime. Her head with its long ears, now flattened, would remain under Aurora’s cupped palms. Neon loved being pampered and would always let out a sigh of content with her eyes half closed.

Neon carried on being an angel. She would hop around behind Aurora wagging her furry tail. Besides, Neon was active and agile as a child. She could jump far up when she wanted and play games of tag with mom. But Aurora could see a transformation as she grew all the good bits intact.

Neon would awake, stretch and yawn. When her surroundings came into focus she would go in search of Aurora, to see if mom needed her. Had Aurora had a nightmare the night before? Was Aurora feeling well? If she was not, she would have little Neon by her bedside. Besides, Aurora too could be cuddled. Anything to make mom feel better when she was not at her best

The routine of their day became magical. Neon never failed to show reluctance at letting Aurora go, when she left every morning. On her return home, the ball of fur would zoom in to the front door, lightning quick. Both stopped to count their blessings and never forgot their prayers at night, to thank the almighty for the love they had received after the horrors of their previous existence. It could be Aurora at home, cooking. Neon would be at the kitchen stool wagging her little furry tail. Neon the foodie was lavishly indulged by her mom. Neon the music lover would be sung to sleep by her mom. Neon was an extraordinary bunny, very beautiful and lovable, intelligent and friendly. She knew how to greet visitors to their home and she knew how to make them feel welcome, even showing the children her toys and wanting to play.

True to her word, Neon retained that special pure quality and was an innocent. She stayed loving, happy and cheerful. Besides, for her education and betterment, she had quickly learnt to be good mannered at all times. As she grew, she learnt the quality of selflessness. Like Aurora, she gave up something if she thought it might benefit someone else.

Aurora, for her part, could remember all that kitchen activity when Neon would eat everything when she’d been a baby. It was a lesson well learnt. It took one look at Neon for Aurora to melt at the sight of Neon looking back, her head tilted to one side, one adorable floppy ear hanging straight down. Aurora had only to look into those beautiful big brown eyes to feel the familiar rush of warm, happy love for another.

The two of them would look at each other for a couple of minutes. Then they would say (at the same time “I love you.”

But apart from her cute, adorable looks what made Neon special was her talent to judge between right and wrong. Aurora had carried on calling her ‘Angel’ and she really was like a guardian angel for Aurora. She would thump her paws to warn Aurora of any suspicious noises.

Since Neon could judge well, she would warn her mom if she happened to listen to an exaggeration, an untrue hard luck story, as she did occasionally on the phone or someone seeking assistance, who might be not quite right themselves. Neon would warn simply with a hard knock on the telephone receiver, or a scratch. She could warn by letting her normally long floppy ears stand up straight. What more could Aurora want? Nothing. She knew that her search for one true friend, another family member, was at an end. She had found that person.

Neon and Aurora ate together, slept next to each other and comforted and exchanged wisdom with each other.

It applied to each and every day except on very hot days when they were both exhausted from the heat and on days when they were able to see through to the true nature of a person who would have them think otherwise. Now that could be as unsettling as the weather in these parts, but not when it rained or snowed, as it did over the long, cold winter.

As for rainy days, the two would cuddle up and try and keep their feet dry. Snow was always occasion for more fun and play, a chance to make a snow bunny with carrot ears.

On Christmas Aurora will dress her baby up and Neon would look like an Angel dressed up in a long silver and white dress. She would even have gauzy wings pinned on her back and carry a toy wand. Both of them had a merry time as Neon asked to be put on top of the tree. Aurora too thought it was a wiz of an idea, for Neon to be the Christmas fairy atop the tallest branch.

What got Neon back down were Aurora’s Christmas feast. When it came to Christmas eats, Neon discarded the wand and picked up a slice of long matured Christmas cake, not to mention the cookies and biscuits on the table. The two would do a special dance-hop for their very own Christmas tree singing to Christmas carols before they settled down to opening the gifts from Jesus in the morning.

But it was summer, and the two decided to set out for a picnic. Aurora drove there to a spot she knew of, with Neon next to her inside the picnic hamper. They left the car walked down some distance, with Neon still in the basket. Both were enchanted by all they saw.

Butterflies flitted about among the green growth and the wild flowers. The breeze lifted Neon’s bunny ears. She looked up and could see the birds above them. Neon had not seen birds like this, except when she had advanced out of her burrow with Storm as a baby bunny. “Look at those birds, momma, Look!” shouted Neon, pointing to the birds as they flew away.

“Yes,” said Aurora smiling.

“They are pretty,” she said, brushing a leaf off her head. Above them was the clear, blue sky with fluffy white clouds. Aurora hummed as they went.

Then, there were the sounds. It was a gurgling, rippling sound that made them turn. They saw a blue stream with fish. They followed the stream to where it flowed past rocks to lower ground. The fish jumped up and the stream sprang up in tiny and large droplets, till the droplets fell back to the lower level.

Neon clapped her paws together. “Momma, you have given me a house to live in, but this is like where I came from,” she said. “Can we eat here?”

_” Think so, baby,” said Aurora. She spread out a red and blue checked cloth in a clearing beside the brook. Neon hopped out of the hamper, and then she played around excitedly while she munched on the fresh grass and berries. Finally, the pretty bunny agreed to sit still as Aurora had, to partake of their picnic goodies. She sat down on the blanket. They were having fun alright.

The bunny began to eat. She nibbled on the delicious treats. Aurora was entranced by the movement of the water in the stream. Could it be alive? Suddenly, she gave a little start. She’d seen some movement on the other side. To Aurora’s mind, it was her angel, Neon. She looked a little bothered. She thought that Neon had wandered and was playing in another clearing far from here.

Aurora looked down at the bunny by her side, the bunny nibbling her way through one sandwich after another. She had to have been mistaken. But Aurora knew from Neon how she and her sister had emerged from the burrow, the home of their birth when they had still been tiny babies all of three weeks old.

Nom, nom, nom. Aurora too, picked up a sandwich. She resolved to eat just the one. She would make sure her foodie daughter Neon got her fill.

Mmmmmm, yummy, said Aurora as she ate.

It was a glorious day alright, but a shadow had crossed Aurora’s mind. She bent down in the middle of Neon’s sandwich eating. She picked her up and cuddled her; she kissed the top of her head and said that it was time to talk.

“You do know, Angel baby, don’t you that little ones do not stray from home?” Neon looked up and could make out the concern in Aurora’s face and in her voice right away. “Yes mother, but I did it once. I lost my sister in the process, but I did find you. I found a home and we’ve been together just as I promised, ever since.”

Neon was saying that she had learnt her lesson, but that in a way, it had brought the two of them together. Aurora persevered. “We found each other, but at what cost?” “Neon, I’m asking you, because I want to be sure that we’re never going to lose each other again. And I don’t want to scare you, but I’m asking with reason.”

Nom, Nom, Nom. This was Neon still eating her way through everything, not to mention the edibles which seemed to grow all around them �" leaves and flowers, berries and fruit.

Aurora took one sandwich. “Mmmmm, yummy,” said Aurora.

“This is the best picnic ever,” said Neon, hopping around Aurora. Aurora patted her in agreement.

Again, she saw it and her attention was completely distracted. A little fluff of a tail disappearing into the tall grass, but too far for Neon to notice. And then, another slightly larger tail following it, keeping an eye.

“Neon! If you are finished eating, there is something I have to investigate. Coming?” But though Neon had finished…or had nearly finished, she would have liked to stay on the checked cloth and doze under the afternoon sun. It was her first picnic, and she wanted to savor every bit of the day.

Neon tried to tell Aurora this, and then remembered that good bunnies were also obedient bunnies. “Yes, mom, I’m going to help you put everything back in the hamper, and then we can go.” Today, of all days, Aurora could not wait to get her chores done. She had seen something, she had sensed something, and she was determined to follow up on it.

Finally, they were done and ready for the next stage of their picnic day adventure. “I’m ready, mommy” she said, “I do remember that a bunny should never wander off on her own. I’m coming with you.” The two of them set off paw in hand in the direction Aurora thought she had seen signs of rabbit life.

They crossed the stream along where the boulders were, Neon skipping easily enough, Aurora stopping to balance herself on each. “Careful, mom, you aren’t a bunny,” teased Neon. They had got to the other side, and now could clearly make out a bunny who looked just like Neon and its rabbit mother. Aurora had stopped and had put her arms out, willing the two to come and play with them.

Neon on the other hand, had stopped in her tracks near the stream. Her nose twitched violently, and her whiskers quivered. She wanted to talk, but could hardly breathe, she was so amazed. Finally, she let out a great squeak. “Storm, is it you? And mother?”

Neon had found her long lost mother, and a sister she had been told had died in a cage in the pet shop.

Aurora raised her hands skywards and did a little pirouette. The three bunnies came together, cuddling and nose rubbing. She picked all three up in her arms. It was an even more eventful day than anyone had thought possible. There was much to talk about and much to discuss.

In the meanwhile, the four of them could not but help hugging and reaching out to the other; they kept making sure that all were really here. There was much happiness and laughter at the reunion. Aurora had never seen Storm and their mother �" her’s and Neon’s. Finally, they had to sit down and tell each other their story.

Aurora began by saying she should have known when she saw Storm. She was, after all, Neon’s twin, and the two looked identical �"white and gold fur, a little pink rabbit nose, big brown eyes, and long floppy ears you could put satin ribbons on. She was most respectful to mother rabbit.

Now all agreed that they needed to hear Storm’s story first. Storm talked of the first day and the first night in the pet shop. It was true that the pet shop owner Mr. Bodine had separated them, putting Neon at the window and Storm in a cage at the back. Storm was, of course, in a panic. She figured out quickly enough about pet shops.

Something was telling her that she had to get out of here. She clawed with her little paws frantically on the inside of the cage. The shop owner Mr. Bodine was not nice, as Neon had been able to make out long ago. He was irritated by the constant scratching noise and had even lashed out at her, telling her that it served her right to be at the back of the shop. Everyone knew that the pets in the front would get people to buy them and new homes to live in. He said that the scratchy bunny’s sister, in any case, had gone.

Storm felt that she might die. She prayed hard to the keeper of the souls of rabbits, “no, don’t take Neon away. I’ve lost mother and our home. I have to have someone!” The shop keeper came back to snort at the silly bunny and Storm played dead.

Mr. Bodine threw out what he thought was her body, in the garbage bin in the alley behind the shop, and Storm thought that she was really going to die. But it rained, and she was revived. A kind alley cat took one look at her and told to make a run for it. “I know you are from the woods over in the suburbs,” he had said as he pointed the way.

Storm may have been frightened and weak, but she knew a good turn when she saw one. She had hopped and skittered her way back. Other birds and animals had helped her. Owl had mentioned how mother bunny had spent two frantic days and nights looking for her little ones. Storm, too, believed in the goodness within all living creatures. She had followed her instincts and came back to the burrow.

It was mother rabbit’s turn to speak. “I had begun by teaching my babies what was wise and what if you don’t understand, �" unwise. I would have gone on to right and wrong. Now I find that life has taught them to have a right judgment in both. Unfortunately, both of you, Neon and Storm, have had to learn the hard way.”

Here mother rabbit turned to Aurora. “The hard way, happily, has turned out to be the way my Neon seems to have found a human mother. I sense so much love here. You don’t mind, I hope?” Aurora and Neon made their joy at finding each other known, now. Aurora was able to convey her great disappointments she had encountered in humans. She spoke of how she had been used. Neon vouched for her sweet, kind, loving and trusting nature. She explained to both her rabbit mother and Storm, how easy it was for humans to cut a sorry figure, and then take advantage.

Storm nodded. She was thinking of the trappers they had encountered in the forest, the ones who had sold the two of them in the town. She was thinking of the pet shop owner, the one who had told her sister and her benefactor that she had died.

The rays of the late afternoon sun began to weaken. Both the mothers knew it had been the most wonderful, the longest day for the two sisters. It was time to go home. Their rabbit mother and Storm agreed that it was best that they return to their burrow, while Aurora would carry on giving Neon her love, care and attention in the grand house that was their home.

Neon was tired, and as she did at home when she needed sleep, she fell asleep right where they were. Her gorgeous eyes opened sleepily just once, when Aurora lifted her up into her basket. They were going home, now.

Aurora walked thoughtfully back to her car in the parking lot with her bundle of joy.

“Purp” Neon’s stomach settled. She was fast asleep on her way home.

Aurora smiled tenderly. She heard the gentle hum of Neon’s breathing. That sound of satisfaction, of picnic treats had gone down well with Neon. The sound of her stomach settling was precious, and told Aurora that her baby had fallen asleep after eating the choicest treats. Of course, Neon also made another soothing sound when she was sleeping and moving around, as an active little rabbit. Neon would hum when she walked on Aurora in her sleep. Aurora and Neon gave each other cuddles and comfort when they slept.

Neon slept on the drive home so that Aurora had to carry her in and put her down gently onto her bed. Neon had found her own family, and she was going to be able to keep her human mom as well. Their love would always bind the four of them.

One lovely day, Neon woke up happy, as she tended to be when she awoke. But today she was even happier because it was a special day. Today was her birthday �" hers, and Storm’s, as they were twins. Aurora had told her this just the week before, and Neon had been counting ever since.

Neon was wide awake now. Wake up! Wake up! Neon thumped excitedly on Aurora’s chest with her hind legs.”Today is my birthday, mommy! You told me so!” shouted Neon jumping up and down.

Aurora turned over sleepily and smiled. her eyes fluttered open and focused on her baby. Neon cheered. But Aurora would’ve liked to rest just a little bit longer.

“Stop, baby, mommy’s still sleeping” groaned Aurora in mock despair. But Neon was too excited. If it was her birthday, the birdies craning their necks to look in would have to know. Everyone would have to know. Mommy knew, but was acknowledging it too sleepily. Neon would not rest till she had set things right.

But being a good little rabbit, she hoped and reminded Aurora every five minutes. So after tossing and turning, Aurora got up. The first thing she did, was to stretch out her arms and pull neon close.

“Happy Birthday, Kiddo” she said with a smooch to Neon’s head.

“I love you, kiddo” And she held out a gift packed in shiny red foil. Neon was so thrilled she could not sit still. Her tiny paws undid the wonderfully satin bow and brought out…a brand new cuddly teddy as big as herself. Neon hugged it and said that from today onwards, this teddy was going to be her hug pillow when she slept.

Neon jump for joy so high that it would be a record for a little rabbit. This was especially so, because she had a hunch about what would follow that day. Could it be possible…was it possible that Aurora had lined up a special treat for her birthday and Storm’s as well?

The signs were there- the curious cat looking in through the window, the neighbor’s dog lolloping around, impatient to come in for a treat and the birdies twittering around thrilled, saying that there was a birthday party on. It was true that Aurora had arranged a birthday treat for Neon and Storm. She thrown a grand party and invited all the neighborhood pets.

Quite a few of the birds-the ones who flew free and the little ones came too. As did some of the farmyard friends from a farm not too close to Aurora and Neon’s home.

Everyone played games, laughed and giggled until it was time to go home. They wore paper hats and tooted paper furl whistles and ate cakes and pies, Aurora’s special brand of sandwich and exotic nuts for the birds. They wolfed down jellies and homemade biscuits with cheesy dips and jams till they thought their stomach would burst.

Everyone sang before the two sisters jointly cut their birthday cake. Neon and Storm were elated.

Mother rabbit scampered about, sweeping up the crumbs and looking for lost return gifts for the ducklings. Their guest list was long and listed the cream of the neighborhood innocents. Neon knew that her friends who would come numbered Lucky Chester the Dog, Billy the Goat, Robbie the Rabbit, Polly the Scorpion, Katie-Neon’s pal, Andre the Turtle, Derbie the Duck, Percy, Tracy, Pom Pom the bunny, Tuffy, Snorphy, Mitchie, Mitten and Tigger the Cats, Ella the Cuckoo, Melody the Owl, and Mow Mow Owl

They all got nice gifts for Neon and Storm, including Aurora.

‘This is for you Hunny,” said Aurora, giving Neon and Storm a basket filled with goodies and toys, but Neon liked the one from Aurora the best. She reached down and stroked the warm, golden furs on top of their heads. Both their stubby puffball tails wagged.

“Yay!” cried Neon and Storm, and joyously imagined what there could be inside the basket.

Neon sniffed the basket with joy.”Thank you, momma,” said Neon.

“Hooray!” cried everyone. They were happy and excited for Neon and Storm.

Right then, it began to rain. The water poured down in buckets. But that didn’t stop anyone from having the best time ever. They all danced in the rain with Neon and Storm before they set off for home.

Neon saved the best dance for Storm, Aurora, mother rabbit and all of them had a great time together and Neon’s friends thanked the unseen for mothers like Aurora and mother rabbit. Aurora gave them goodies to take home and mother rabbit gave them the goody bags. Neon and Storm were so happy that they couldn’t stop giving the mothers lots of hugs. An overwhelming feeling of joy came over everyone as they said their goodbyes.

“This was a wonderful birthday party.” The friends shouted as they waved good-bye to one another and set off for home.

It was four and a half years later. A long time had passed, and Neon was growing up fast. She was not a baby any more but had kept all of her sweet wise nature intact. Neon and Aurora would always be the same to each other-the best of friends, and the best of a family.

Everything was in order for them �" for Neon in her grand house and for Storm in her natural burrow. They loved each other and their mothers. Neon would visit Storm and her mother every summer for a couple of weeks. Aurora and rabbit mother said that it was necessary for her to come back to her roots.

Storm would visit Neon and Aurora over luxury weekends and for their birthday party. The mothers said that it would make her worldly wise.

As Neon and Storm grew, they were not only cute beautiful rabbits, their healthy and thick, soft and silken fur turned out golden white. They were both unusual to look at, and better still, entirely unconscious of their good looks. Neon smell wholesome at all times- of freshly baked vanilla.

Even when Aurora came home after dark in the cold winter months, her heart would warm at the sight of her Neon’s brown eyes twinkling and her tanned fur glittering in the starlight. And then, the lights of their home would blaze and the two would greet each other.

Aurora had evolved as a charming beautiful lady with soft tanned skin, her brown hair complementing her complexion. She had doe eyes, as, surprisingly, did mother rabbit Neon and Storm and mother rabbit marveled at Aurora’s long and slender legs, yet she said she liked their stubby legs.

Aurora wondered if Neon could now be called a spunky and funny live-wire and a adorable teenager? No, in bunny years, she was a charming, beautiful lady with soft tan coloring and light hair to complement Aurora’s. But Neon also had doe eyes and lips like ripe strawberries. She also had tiny feet, bunny back paws and slender legs and a cuddly puffball body.

Neon and Aurora- the two looked good together, as everyone commented. Owl thought of it first, and then everyone agreed that the two of them radiated happiness. The two of them gave out a definite happy glow; they were so content in each other’s company. They said they were blissfully happy.

Not so everyone else, at the sight of Neon and Aurora together. Not everyone appreciated it when their eyes sparkled, their innocent looks shone through, they smiled at each other and each reveled in the company of the other. The worst of them were the witches who lived around the corner of the street.

Unfortunately, Aurora and Neon’s joy brought on jealous whispers at first, before it transformed to downright mean remarks from the witches. Now these witches, like most of their kind, were rather wicked. Worse they had no goodness in them that anyone would notice, and they had no good thoughts in their hearts and minds. All they could ever think of, was how to harm others and how to get the better of other people. Worst of all was the fact that they tended to target the best of people, those who were good at heart (as they were not) and those who were happy, healthy people (as they would never be).

The witches had made a rule for themselves that they would not stand something…or anything good in someone’s life. Their rule stood steadfast for one reason- that the witches were not happy in their lives, and were destined never to be happy.

They used to trick people by earning their trust and then made their life miserable. The witches used to enjoy misery in others’ lives. In fact, after they had wrought this pattern a number of times, they knew for sure that they enjoyed it. They quite liked being able to see just how miserable they could make their victims.

The witches had watched and known Aurora through the years because of their nature, they did not mind at all, the time when Aurora lost her family and felt wretched after she had been tricked and let down by those who had pretended to be friends. They had quite reveled at the betrayal which had strung Aurora so keenly, when she had been alone and sad.

Unfortunately, the witches had also watched the transformation in the girl after Neon came into her life. They had witnessed how she and her pet had blossomed, their happiness and wholeness as they became close friends, as Neon assuaged Aurora’s fears and taught her all over again, what it was like to trust someone whole heartedly and be trusted with a life, in return.

In short, the witches did not like it. They watched with growing annoyance the love the two shared, a love that shone through and made happiness whole.

One day, they called a witches’ meeting to discuss the matter.

They told each other that they had to put a stop to this unseemly happiness. They told each other that it was not fair, that they should be miserable now, just watching Aurora and Neon in their complete joy. They decided that they had to do something to put an end to the happiness and joys in Aurora’s life.

They would tackle her first, and then decide as what to do about the nonsensical bunny, whose happiness would also naturally dissolve once Aurora’s had.

The witches’ aim was to make Aurora’s life painful and even more miserable than the last time around, when Aurora had been conscious of her own anguish and distress. All agreed that the best way of making sure that they found their mark in this project, would be to come up with a plan, which would be more like a trick.

Now Aurora insisted on walking. She said it kept her trim and in good shape, to be able to walk to school and back. One day, when Aurora was returning from her place of work, a sweet looking girl came up to her. She introduced herself very politely and told her that she was poor. She said she felt unliked and even unloved, because she did not have anyone and everyone whom she approached till now had shooed her away.

The girl had obviously decided that nobody liked her. But she was also saying something about a family. She was saying,” I need help for my family.” A family, that most precious of all relationships, that Aurora had lost! So, Aurora, being as sweet, gentle and kind as she was, asked about her family.

The girl was elaborating. When Aurora asked her about her family, she said that she did not think that her family had any love to offer her, either. Why, they had not even said that they did not like her. Aurora was aghast. How could the family reject a girl as sweet as this child who had come up to her and was telling her all about herself, her relationships?

“Never mind about that,” said the girl. Aurora asked where they lived and what about them? “They live in Old Brook Hill,’ she told Aurora. This was very true except that it was the abode of her witch family, for the girl’s angelic looks were only a disguise, a mask- she was one of them, the youngest. She had more to say.

“However, I am ready to stand by them, because they are my family.” This was also true in a way.”They need help, and have asked me. They are really poor, without any food to eat and without a proper home to live in.” Aurora asked some more, and found, to her horror that the girl’s family members could lose their rented home, because they had run out of money to buy food with, or pay their rent.

Aurora was aware that the times were difficult, but she persevered, asking, “Could none of your family find some work? I know that you are too young to work, but surely you have someone who can?” The girl, who was, unknown to Aurora, really a witch, was prepared.” But they have the opposite problem to me, dear lady. They are too old to work, anyway, they are too sick, too ill, as well.”

Aurora was very kind at heart and she felt very sorry for the girl and her family. She decided that she would help the girl and try her best to help her family. Which is also what the girl had in mind. And so the seemingly sweet natured, engaging girl played her next card to win Aurora over. She dropped her voice a bit, and in dulcet tones, informed her that she did not wish to go home right away, because of the kind of home she would have to go back to. She also let Aurora know that because of her strange family, she was desperately unhappy.

Right now, she said, what she needed was a home and a friend. She would rather send help to her family but not be with them to do this. Now Aurora was not only a good, kind hearted person, but she felt that she was drawn to this girl because she had once been in the situation that the girl was in, now.

Aurora had once known what it was like to feel sad and alone in the world. That had been a long time ago, and she was happy with her home with Neon, but she thought she knew what the girl was going through. She felt compelled to do something.

Aurora felt that it would be a simple enough task to take this girl under her roof to live with herself and Neon. Aurora and Neon did not need much to get by, what with their thoughtfulness and consideration for each other. Besides, Aurora was a wonderful cook and Neon was always appreciative of everything Aurora put on their table, not to mention their kitchen garden, which did not need money for the goodies to be brought in and shared. In short, Aurora now had a perfect life, one that she thought that she would be able to share with this stranger, if their company would make her feel better and let her put some wholesome food in her stomach, as Aurora and Neon could.

‘I can have complete family with Neon, and now she too, can have a sister again,”-she thought in the innocent way she had. Aurora was glad for her decision as she directed the girl to follow her to her house. Aurora turned in the direction of her home. She missed it fleetingly- the expression of vicious victory on the girl’s face, as though of triumph after a well- thought ploy had been successful.

Which it had. Little did she know that this girl was not actually some poor, sad girl (though she was poor alright) but she was one of those wicked witches, who were determined to ruin her. Besides, the other witches had been hiding behind a fence, priming the girl- their fellow witch, in every move. They silently cackled in glee when they saw what the first stage of their plans had come to fruition.

The first step was to get the youngest among them into Aurora’s home. The rest of it would be easy as pie. They had made a fool of Aurora with their first move, and were a little happy once more, that Aurora was soon going to find herself in trouble once they had their way.

Those witches were always very glad to make a fool out of Aurora and were happy when the witch disguised as a young girl headed for Aurora’s home ̶ Aurora thought for a roof over her head, but the girl-witch had other designs.

Most of all, the witches’ wicked eyes lit up with a gleam when they saw their own head off, invited into Aurora’s house by Aurora. The witches had often scoped out Aurora’s house in the past, and knew it well. Now, to make a grab to take away some of Aurora’s silly happiness.

Despite all their finding out, the fact of Neon was a bit of surprise for the witches. They had not known about her, and that she had this innate sense-of recognizing the good from the bad. The witches had reckoned without Neon. The little witch was amazed to see Aurora, her prize catch, talking to a bunny when they got to the house.

Neon somehow knew right off, what the witch was about. Her sixth sense was warning her, revealing the fact that this was one of the bunch of witches, and that she had come here to their house with Aurora disguised as a needy, good natured girl who had had to suffer in life. That was it! She must have fed Aurora a hard luck story, so that Aurora would feel that she had to involve herself and do something to alleviate her misery.

But the fake girl had a big fake smile plastered on her face. She would ruin Aurora’s life and get some pleasure out of it, as far as Neon could see! Neon had to warn her, she knew, and hopped as quickly as she could into the kitchen, where Aurora would soon get busy fixing a grand dinner for all of them.

But Aurora did not want to hear anything! Her move to invite the girl in had made her feel good. She sang as she cooked for herself and the witch girl. Neon plucked up all her capabilities and said,” Aurora, I have something rather alarming to talk to you about. But people can be preoccupied, as Aurora was now. She said to Neon ‘not now my sweet Bunny Love, I have so much to celebrate today…why I have brought home a sister for you and for me. I am busy preparing a grand feast for all of us. Even I have lot to share with you; I will talk to you, but not now…maybe before we go to bed?’

Now bunnies can sulk, as Neon did, now. But she was also worried for Aurora as she knew that the witch was there to harm them, to steal their happiness. But could she? No, she would tackle Aurora with her very strong feeling of hurt, of being passed over for the new addition. Aurora would have to listen, thought Neon.

Neon hopped sadly back to her room. Would the love that she and Aurora shared, the fun they had all these years, end because of this newcomer? Something- her sixth sense, no doubt, was telling Neon that they were going to lose a great deal. Was it going to be their togetherness, their bond, their happiness? But Neon was also a spunky little bunny. She could be tough. She could be strong.” I will never let anything of the sort happen,” she told herself.

Neon told herself that she should not think of the worst that could happen. Aurora had said that they would talk before going to bed- she would be able to speak her mind and truth with Aurora after dinner. And so, Neon lost herself to day-dreaming, to the old secure feeling, the warm cocoon that Aurora had ensured her would last for as long as both of them lived in this house.

Neon shook herself out of it when she heard the musical voice that could only be Aurora, calling her in to dinner.” Angel, my baby, dinner is ready. I have cooked all of your favorite dishes tonight. Come, come into my arms and we will go to the dinner table.’ The witch was annoyed at this show of affection, at the bond between Aurora and Neon she could plainly see. Neon was upset when she saw the witch at the dining table, but appreciated the fact that Aurora had set it with love and affection for all of them, and for them to enjoy this meal.

She may be a witch, but maybe she did not have such nice meals where she had been? Thought Neon, forcing herself to feel a little more charitable. There was melon juice for all of them, a bowl of nuts, vegetable soup and her favorite fruit salad- mostly for Neon. There were bowls of soup, pies and cakes, buns and wines for the girls to have with their meal. Yes, the girl had to be very hungry, the way she was getting at the food, gobbling it all up, without a thought for Aurora or even Neon, and without a word of praise for Aurora’s lavish spread.

The witch also tended to waste the food on her plate and she was also drinking up a lot of the wine. But Aurora, it seemed, was happy just to indulge her. And having consumed a huge quantity of food, the girl went off to her room to sleep. Aurora and Neon washed up, tidied up and then retired for the night. Neon fell asleep like she always did, but awoke to the slightest sounds. It was midnight when she awoke to a footstep in Aurora’s bedroom. Like all rabbits, Neon would sleep with her eyes slightly open. She was looking into the dark to see who might have come softly in. Sure enough, it was the girl. Neon held her breath. Was she going to harm them? But she stood over Aurora’s gently sleeping figure, muttered incantations as she touched Aurora and left as softly as she had entered. For one, she wished bad dreams upon her, casting aside the sweet dreams which Aurora and Neon always wished each other before they hit the pillow.

She looked at the girl for clues in the daylight, but if she had anything in mind, she kept it to herself. This- stealing into Aurora’s bedroom, and an innocent act in the daytime, were repeated often. Neon was at loss, because she could see that Aurora trusted her.

Worse still, the girl seemed to be drawing Aurora away from all the souls she had been friends with. She went into the woods and bad mouthed her to their friends and their woodlands well-wishers. She spoke badly of Aurora and Neon to other innocent souls. Would Neon’s friends still stand by her and Aurora, or would they believe the half-truths from the witch, which were also shrouded in cowardly convincing stories about them?

Neon tried to remind herself all the good upbringing pointers that Aurora had taught her �" the virtue of patience, and so on. All the same, the lies did test Neon the intelligent bunny’s patience.

Neon had to do something about it. She would have to talk to Aurora about what was going on behind both Aurora and Neon’s backs. Neon waited in their room for Aurora to return from work. When Aurora returned home in the evening and Neon had her undiluted attention, it could have been just like the old times, �" except that she was reminded of the newcomer’s presence. For Aurora entered the room crying out, ‘Angel, Angel bunny Neon, I get home as quick as I can, to all of us here. Baby now you have a sister to sing lullabies to put you to sleep. Now you won’t get bored when I go to work. There will be someone to care of you in my absence. ’Why can I not see her or you, where are you?”

Aurora entered the bedroom and at last saw Neon on the floor near the bed. Her face lit up, and she was about to say something more, but Neon stopped her. Neon forgot all about the lessons on the virtues of not being critical of others, she forgot to be patient. Neon interrupted in between ‘I have something to tell you, this girl you got home is not a sweet, poor girl. She isn’t very nice, and is a witch. Witches take advantage of innocent people like you momma and make their life sad and painful…”

Aurora, though, was too far gone under the girl’s influence. She cut in at this point, with ‘Stop it Neon, you should be ashamed of yourself. Can’t you see I’m trying to help this poor girl? I thought you would support me. There is also her family that we have to think about.

But as she said these words to Neon, Aurora could feel that something was terribly wrong. She felt very uneasy but brushed it aside. She tried to believe the best of the girl. She felt sorry for her, and thought that she probably had had a hard life like her and just needed someone to care of her, put her on the right track. Aurora felt a surge of tenderness.

Neon was shocked that Aurora could come down so heavily on her and not even tries to see her point of view. She felt terrible because Aurora had never scolded her in this manner. She wept for a while and then fell asleep. In her sleep she had a dream and in the dream, she saw the witches. They had entrapped Aurora in a dark prison.

Neon awoke with a start. She could see that she was trembling. She knew by now that it was in vain to try to explain anything to Aurora. Aurora was a kind hearted, and seemed set on this course- of wanting to do something for another soul, who might be as unloved and without any means, as she had once been. Aurora, besides, was guileless and innocent. But Neon was sharp; Neon knew the truth about the girl. Neon also made up her mind to be alert and with Aurora at all times, if she were to protect her from those witches.

Neon felt that she ought to do something, but what? Aurora’s purity of heart and innocence had let her down in the past when she had come up against the worse side of human nature. Was it going to let her down again?

Now the girl began showing her hand, but still, behind Aurora’s back. When Aurora left for her job at the school in the morning, the younger witch began to open the back door to let the other witches into Aurora’s house. The witches hated Neon for taking up so much of Aurora’s love and attention, and for giving her the special happy feeling. So, they would think up punishments and tricks to try and teach Neon a lesson, as they told themselves.

The witches would hide the toys that Aurora had brought for Neon, sometimes lock her in her room and polish off everything from the fridge and larder, some of which were the special meals and salads Aurora had made for Neon. They were spiteful enough to tear, break and destroy things inside the house and make it seem like Neon’s handiwork. Should Neon try speaking plainly with Aurora again, the bunny wondered? What was the use, Aurora would never listen to her. In any case, Aurora did not believe Neon was capable of destroying anything. She knew that her baby bunny Neon would always be well-behaved. It is just that she had not stopped to listen to Neon, as she should have. It would be Aurora’s biggest mistake, and have the worst possible consequences a little later.

Aurora remained busy, but the doubts began to find their way in. She also noticed that the supposed poor young girl she had befriended and provided with shelter seemed to be developing an insatiable appetite �" she ate a great deal more than little Neon, who had a healthy appetite herself. Aurora had now taken to working all day and at more than one job. She had to, to meet their growing expenses. Their food was getting eaten up every day and she had to shop and cook when she got home all the time. Worst of all, the witch would not help Aurora with the household chores, made worse because of the huge household mess the gaggle of witches would make when Aurora was at work. Aurora also mistakenly told herself that it was all for a good cause.

Aurora was proud of her garden, once. But the witches had plucked all the flowers off their stalks and fruits off the fruit trees. There had been a time when the girl pretended to care about Neon and Aurora. But now it was getting harder for her to pretend because she was wicked at heart. Her nastiness showed trough when she was teasing Aurora. Gone was her attempt at appealing to Aurora to help her come up in life.

But Aurora remained steadfast, smiling and appearing calm, no matter what she felt. Her compassion was being sorely tested. But finally, Aurora had to admit to missing her money from her wallet and her home. She asked, and Neon was blamed. But Aurora knew bunnies did not have use for money. Now, she sat down and despaired- at human greed, at never-ending needs, though strictly speaking, the witch girl was not really human. Aurora thought hard about how to tackle the situation.

She became more reflective and spoke less, found solace in song. She still enjoyed Neon’s bath times, when she would sing to her, in the same way that she carried on with the bedtime lullabies though it had been Aurora who had promised her bunny that the new addition to their family would sing her to sleep- that had not transpired. As before, Neon kept quiet about all this, because she could sense that Aurora’s heart was heavy, and Neon would like to share her problems. Neon did not want their lives to become sad and dull. Neon wanted to send a message to Mother Rabbit and Storm to come and help them but thought better of it. She did not want them to become unhappy.

Sunday was grocery shopping day for Aurora. But one thing that Aurora would never miss will be her’s and Neon’s favorite cartoon program on TV. Before they left for the stores, Aurora and Neon would cuddle on the couch and watch their favorite TV cartoon programs-Bugs Bunny, Winnie the Pooh, and Tweety and Sylvester. The witch would watch the two of them watching TV, and would not be pleased at the happy family scene one bit. Invariably, she would express her displeasure through more demands on Aurora.

One day, the witch demanded money. There was none that Aurora could give and told her so. The witch, however, felt it was her right and was incensed. She suggested that Aurora move in with her family at Old Brook Hill and that Aurora go to work from there. Neon listened to this exchange helplessly, not daring to cut in. Now Aurora took a firm stand.

She simply refused to move �" for Neon’s sake. Neon would not have access to the fresh garden salad vegetables. She was not going anywhere where Neon could not be comfortable, and could not go. The witch girl had revealed herself. And Aurora saw a chance of backing out of a situation where she would otherwise always be present. Finally, Aurora could save herself and Neon from the situation.

The witch did what she knew best. She told Aurora that it was a do- or- die situation. “You either move to Old Brook Hill with my family, or else I kill your rabbit and lock you in a dungeon forever.” Aurora was frightened. She could see now that Neon had been right to warn her, but it may already be too late for them.

Aurora regretted trusting the strange girl and wished she had put a stop to her and this mean nature which she had not fully noticed. Right now, all she could do, was to look at Neon and sobbed, asking for forgiveness and saying,’ my darling angel you warned me, I am sorry for not listening to you. I have put both of us in great trouble. Our life has become so miserable and our happiness gone. I am sorry sweetheart for making you go through all this.

It would be up to Neon to remind her of her strength of character. “Never mind, mommy, we had managed earlier on what you earned. It saw to our needs rather well. You thought up the best of meals, and I helped you to eat them up. I don’t want us to leave our beautiful home, this manor.

Aurora was numb, cold and nauseous by now, she was so miserable, sure that her heart was torn to shreds, so wrong to trust the witch. She cried, her body shaking with grief. Briefly, she tried, for Neon sake, to regain her composure, but the tears continue to pour.

Would they ever be able to go back to the time when Aurora and Neon were happy on their own, without the presence of any witch? For the nth time, she berated herself for not paying attention to Neon’s judgment. Now their lives were in the hands of unthinking others. Her eyes burned, her throat was dry and her head reeled. She told herself that she had to stay alert, if she was to save Neon. She must not let her eyes close and her fingers slacken on the little body she held.

The little witch felt it was time to speak again” If you want that stupid rabbit of yours to live then don’t waste your time crying. Go pack! We will leave for old Brook Hill early morning tomorrow.” She gave Aurora a great push.

Aurora may still have been frightened, but she had found the strength to confront the little witch. She drew herself up and addressed their old-new addition, “I did not know who you were when I took you in. I trusted you, but you have broken that trust. I have made up my mind now. Neon and I do not need to move anywhere else.”

The little witch was in a fury. But Aurora had somehow found her inner strength. She could not intimidate her and she could not scare her into submission. Her plan had half worked If only she had been able to gain full control over the woman! The little witch went home that weekend to Old Brook Hill. She complained bitterly to the older, more evil witch sisters.

The more evil, meaner witches heard out their youngest. As was their nature, they began by blaming her. She had the witch power. Why had she not been able to gain complete control over an innocent woman and a silly rabbit? Through her sobs the little witch informed them that it was because the little rabbit had seen through her ways from the very beginning.

But all of them were, in a way, evil sisters. They decided to stick together and give Aurora’s rabbit companion and Aurora the fright of their lives. The two would have to give in to them. It was what they had planned from the very start. They decided to consider the present setback as just that �" a setback. They were not going to give up so easily. They would use the weekend profitably, to think up still more evil schemes and plan how to get a toehold back in Aurora’s household.

Neon, meanwhile, was going to look forward to a different kind of fun that weekend. It would be family fun for her, she thought. Her twin sister Storm would come visiting. And Aurora had a great deal of fun things, well thought out days and considerate outings planned for the two sisters.

Mother rabbit too was coming along, just to keep an eye on everything and to make sure that her Storm and Neon would only get into safe mischief, if they got up to their kind of twinning and bonding that only they could do. She would have to be there when they did. And so, would Aurora. It was family time.

Saturday arrived bright and early. Neon remembered how special a day it was, the instant she opened her eyes. She hopped up and jumped up and down for joy on Aurora’s soft bouncy bed. Some of her jumping landed her on Aurora’s stomach. Aurora had to wake up, stretching and yawning, feeling the joy of the new day as she stretched her long arms and legs.

She had done her grocery shopping because she did not want to miss a second of this loving family weekend. She awoke, showered and dressed, and went off to see to their breakfast. It would be pancakes today. If the rabbits wanted to get imaginative, she could always manage a rabbitty filler for the pancakes. Neon hopped into the kitchen and up on the table. “I’m going to help you, mommy, she said.”

Aurora felt that her heart was full. What more could she want? Then she remembered. She could want the whole family. She wanted them around her, to complete their �" her’s and Neon’s, happiness. A tweet at the window reminded them that their birdie friends were up and about and wanting to know why this day seemed so special. Were they going on a picnic? Was it time for another party?

“No,” laughed Aurora and Neon in unison. “It’s going to be even better than that.”

Just then they heard the soft of patter of paws on their doorstep. There was a scratching at the door. The ding dong doorbell went off. Both Aurora and Neon rushed to open the door. Their rabbit mother and Storm were there, their little bundles of forest produce in their paws. They greeted each other as only sisters, and got-together families could.

They ran back to the kitchen. It was going to be blueberry pancakes for breakfast today, with fresh blueberries plucked from the forest. Everyone was hungry and Aurora put out her best cooking skills. Also, Aurora worked in a school. She was smart and knew about a number of health foods.

As she cooked, Aurora spoke of the health benefits of wild blueberries. She called them nature’s antioxidant superfruit. Aurora knew, she knew that wild blueberries had twice the antioxidant capacity of ordinary blueberries. And they were called superfruit because they were supercharged with anti-aging phytochemicals. A dozen pancakes were done in a jiffy. Mother rabbit said there was no way she could make them as Aurora could, in her burrow kitchen.

But it was time to eat now. Aurora got down to it, too. In a little while the little birdy came back, to check on whether she could join in the fun. All she could hear was a “Nom, nom nom,” the sound of serious tucking away. And yes, she could join in the eating fun.

Their breakfast had long since been eaten, every little crumb of it. The two little sisters helped to do the washing up while the mothers rested at the kitchen table. Now mother rabbit wanted to know everything about Aurora and Neon’s lives since she had last seen them, and Aurora wanted to know about the rabbits’ days.

The two rabbits had encountered a coyote trying to put its snout into the entrance to their rabbit burrow. They had scratched at that coyote snout till the coyote yelped and ran off. Both mother and daughter Storm had taken part in that exercise and helped each other to get the better of the bigger animal.

Now Aurora told mother rabbit about the little girl who had come to stay with them. She told her that it was her who had invited her in, because the girl did not seem to have a proper home or food to eat. She said that Neon and she had enough and could get by on what she, Aurora earned at the school, so why not bring in one more girl child who had nothing?

Here Aurora paused to try and explain to mother rabbit the discomfiture she felt on occasion by the side of the child’s personality she had not earlier sensed when she had brought her into the house. She told her about how it had led to her misjudging Neon’s warnings, on occasion, only to find out in the end, that Neon had been right. Aurora could discuss all this with another mother and at the same level. She loved Neon as her own, but she had to tap mother rabbit’s good sense and equanimity of judgment.

The two little rabbit sisters busy at the kitchen sink listened, but did not wish to cut in on the adult discussion. They held their breath. What would mother rabbit have to say? Mother rabbit was thinking about what Aurora had to say to her. She could see that things had not been going well. She paused to think it all over, Finally, she spoke in a low, even tone.

“You, Aurora are sweet natured and kind. You have taught my Neon to be like you, but she has also been gifted with natural instincts. So has the person you thought was a little girl in distress. She had to show her true nature in the end. But you did the right thing all along �" first, taking in someone you thought deserved your love and sympathy, and then letting her know that you are a strong, independent beautiful and bright woman, with your own values and with your own family whom you care most for. You have been right in all your decisions. Now, just go along with what your heart and head tell you is right.”

Mother rabbit had sorted it all out. She had given Aurora the confidence back in herself. She had given Neon the confidence she needed back in herself too. But Aurora had something to do. She got up now from the kitchen table where the two grown-ups had been sitting and talking things over. She went across to the two little sisters who had been waiting expectantly, their chores done.

Aurora looked at her little Neon and at Neon’s twin sister Storm. Both had their long ears tied up in bows and flattened down on their heads as they looked up at Aurora with two pairs of large brown eyes. Aurora bent down and put her arms around both pairs of shoulders. The twins instinctively buried their noses in her soft cheeks. Neon and Storm felt the love from her. Aurora too spoke now.

“I’m sorry I ever doubted your judgment, dear daughter. You were right all along, and it is I who was wrong. I’m glad that I saw matters for what they really are. I could not have managed if you had not been here to turn my mind in the right direction, Neon. Your love has saved the day. We can be safe again.”

Now the four of them had got together. Nothing could break their family bonding. No one would ever come between them, pretend to be otherwise and put them in any danger again, whether it was to give Aurora bad dreams or get at her hard-earned money. No one was going to make her feel inadequate and tell her that she did not earn enough!

Neon’s love for her mommy and Aurora’s love for her baby had saved the day. Mother rabbit’s good sense had told Aurora she was right. And Storm was there for a fun-filled weekend.

If the witches had earlier thought up a wicked plan of how to try and undo Aurora’s happiness and take advantage of her trusting nature, the four of them would now have fun making their own plans of how to stop them. Storm and mother rabbit were here for the whole weekend, and there was much their love and good sense could not achieve. The four of them were together now and no one could dare and break their charmed circle, least of all a couple of wicked witches.

It was the sisters’ turn now. They planned on what to do to tell the supposedly sweet little girl that she could not control Aurora; she could not plant her own misdeeds on Neon. They knew she would be back from her supposed family visit to Old Brook Farm road, and they would have to put their heads together now and think of how they would go about this.

Neon and Storm also felt that a little harmless mischief could do no harm to Aurora’s cause. In the meanwhile, they would carry on making the most of their weekend together. Aurora and mother rabbit went into the kitchen garden and brought back the freshest cabbage for all of them. There was lettuce and baby carrots as well.

Mother rabbit put in her cooking knowledge and inputs; Aurora consulted her school nutrition books and all in all they brewed a wonder brew, tasty and delicious, energy-giving and mind enhancing. They would retain their own sweet, good and kind persona. Best of all, they would have each other.

It was Sunday evening. The wicked witch girl decided it was time to come back, after she’d been primed by her older wicked witches as to what to do and say, how to get Aurora completely in their clutches. They would squash her relentless goodness once and for all, they had decided. They would also get rid of the cute pesky little bunny who could see through every ruse the little witch girl came up with.

Aurora and mother rabbit, Neon and Storm, were cuddled on the couch watching TV. They had just seen Bugs Bunny and his antics �" Neon’s favorite. They were watching Winnie the Pooh and Storm declared that that was her favorite. A whole new program had just begun �" Tweety and Sylvester, which might have been declared everyone’s favorite, when the doorbell went off.

The musical chimes reverberated through the house. It was followed by a thumping on the door. Who could it be? Curious Neon would have hopped right off to go check, but cautious Storm stopped her. “Remember the plan?” She asked, “Remember what we have decided?”

Neon stopped in her tracks. Rabbit mother and Aurora were looking at them indulgently. “We know, Storm, we know Neon.” It would be a brave rabbit who will put it into action. Go ahead.” All of them laughed. All of them were in it. Neon was to hide. Storm was to go get the door.

She did, to find a really grumpy little witch girl waiting on the doorstep. She of course thought that Storm was Neon (since the two looked identical) and she was not aware of the existence of Storm. She began to scold Storm for being so late to open the door. Storm, of course, did not care. Nor did she have to feel as sad or guilty as Neon would have.

Storm looked straight up at the supposed poor child. She said, “But I did not have to, did I? Aurora and I look after each other. We’re good to each other and everyone who is good to us.” The witch girl thought it cheeky and would have said so. She would have started an argument, but the older witches were hiding behind her. They thought it judicious that the girl enters the house before she began any mayhem, before she got to work on Aurora. They told her so and the witch girl did as told. Storm heard them.

Storm was a clever little bunny, as clever as Neon and as good as her rabbit mother had brought her up to be. She took in the information that the witch child had older witch help in doing whatever she had come here to do. She would do something about it. Also, the witch child thought that she was Neon, as the two of them intended. It was part of a huge joke they would play. And they were about to play it only on the wicked ones.

So now Storm said that she was sorry that the addition to the household had had to wait on the doorstep. She ushered her in, and tried to show sympathy. The older wicked witches stayed outside, attempting to secret themselves. They wanted to stay and watch and advise the girl witch as to what to say and do, to get at Aurora and Neon. They wanted to stay and watch till they were sure that victory was theirs and the bad had prevailed over the good, �" till both Aurora and Neon felt as miserable as they did and stopped to love each other.

That was their goal.

But matters were not going to go the way they had planned. For starters, the girl witch was extremely annoyed at the sight she saw when she entered the living room. There was Aurora looking happy. There was a sweer, cute mother bunny snuggled up close to her, and they were watching what she knew to be Neon’s favorite TV show �" the cartoons with good little birds and animals that talked and walked and did amazing things.

This would not do, she thought. Outwardly, she was wily enough to compose herself. She decided right away to lecture those happy souls on the couch, and the one she thought was Neon, on the ills of TV watching. She crowed over Aurora, saying that she would spoil her eyesight and have to wear glasses. That should spoil her good looks! She pointed to her own unblemished face.

But the three �" Aurora, mother rabbit and Storm (supposedly Neon) had espied something. They could see a couple of broomsticks near the entrance. What mode of transport had the girl used to get here from Old Brook Farm road, they now asked.

She was trapped with that query, and was at first flustered. But as was her nature, the little witch tried to turn it around and accuse those accusing. Her voice grew shrill as she became defensive and tried to shoot back with “that is no business of yours, how I and my family come and go. All you need to know is that you must keep this house free for me, and if you, Aurora don’t have the cash I need to live well, why, you should vacate and come over to Old Brook Farm to look for a job there.”

Aurora had been frightened the last time the girl had tried to bully her with similar words. She had wondered how Neon was going to manage without her and what kind of work she would have to find, for the girl to be satisfied when she took her wages away from her. Now, Aurora had thought it over and talked it over with her rabbit family and could see how ridiculous the demand was. She could also see that she need not feel guilty about not giving into such demands, either.

Now Aurora knew that she had support from those who had her concerns at heart. She knew what would come next, to expose this little advantage taker for what she was. Sure enough, the little witch was being primed by the big witches hanging around outside. They were asking her to demand her supposed dues.

The girl asked what they had eaten lately. She said she was hungry, and wanted to eat what they had had. Witches have a very acute sense of smell, and though all of them �" Aurora and Neon, mother rabbit and Storm, had gorged on blueberry pancakes a good day and a half ago, the girl was sniffing around.

“Fee-fie-fo-fum,” she was going as she strode towards the kitchen. “I smell blueberry pancakes �" yum,” she was saying. Aurora and Neon, mother rabbit and Storm had to hold their breaths. The girl did not care. She swung open the kitchen door with all her might.

“Crash!” What could have happened? The family inside were still holding their breath. The older witches outside could be heard twittering and voicing concern, albeit in a high cackle. “These good, happy souls have not harmed our sister, have they?” Could be heard wafting in from somewhere near the front door. Then, they made themselves seen and rushed to the kitchen window. Their faces were masks of frightful anger at having being outwitted. …of a practical joke played at their expense, on one of theirs!

The girl witch was sprawled on the floor, a tin of neon paint pouring down her hair, face and pointy chin. Someone had balanced the tin on the upper edge of the kitchen swing door. She had simply pushed too hard on the door and the paint had upturned itself onto her head, the sister bunnies intended it to.

The girl was crying and shrieking. She had been tricked! Someone had pulled off a joke at her expense! She would not stand for this! One of the witches outside had found it funny. She had broken into a cackling laugh. There was a tremendous amount of noise and confusion.

Aurora and Neon, mother rabbit and Storm, thought it best to leave their comfortable couch in front of the TV and come take a look. They took their time, hoping that some of the noise would die down. They knew what to expect. They finally arrived at the kitchen door. The girl witch was still sprawled on the floor, and there were now four pairs of eyes, three of them large round brown bunny eyes, that took in the sight.

But soon enough, it was the girl’s turn to stare. She was looking at two Neons. She asked for help from her sisters at the window, to sort out this sight and to sort herself out. They did not even know the one Neon. All that they had been told by her was that there was a woman who lived in this house who begged to have her home and money and sense of self taken away. They had been told about a pesky bunny, it was true, but not about so many rabbits who had minds of their own and who knew how to deal with advantage takers who wished to rob them of their peace of mind, among many other things.

In short, all the witches, young and old, were at a loss as to what to do and how to go about matters at this point of time.

Not so Neon and Storm, who had everything going according to plan, their sense of mischief and fun, and right and wrong intact. Neon and Storm were pointing their paws at the girl on the ground. They were arranging their faces into expressions of mock seriousness. They were in fact pointing at the girl’s head. They said that they could see a pointy black hat, previously hidden and now exposed. They said that the neon paint would outline it, and not allow it to be hidden from view.

Neon and Storm had caught out the witches’ broomsticks and they had caught out their witches’ black hats.

The little witch was now truly and properly exposed for what she was.

So were her sister witches.

The little blue bird who had come to ask whether the foursome were planning to go on a picnic or have a party a day ago, came by now. She flapped her wings and laughed twitteringly at the sight that greeted her. All the same, she was a tad frightened to see so many witches making so much noise.

The little blue bird decided that she needed reinforcements. She went back to bring her other bird and animal friends. She returned soon enough with a large posse, of their friends and neighbors. There was Lucky Chester the dog, Billy the goat, Robbie �" another rabbit, Polly the Scorpion,Katie-Neon’s pal,Andre the turtle, Derbie the duck, Percy, Tracy, Pom Pom another bunny, Tuffy, Snorphy, Mitchie, Mitten and Tigger the cats, Ella the cuckoo, and Melody the owl.

Everyone had an opinion on what could have happened, but the evidence pointed to one thing �" that either one or more unwelcome guests had inflicted their presence on a couple of innocents, and most of all, on Aurora, who taught at the local school, had a great deal of information stored in her head and who was a good, kind woman who had the most fantastic birthday parties for Neon and Storm. Besides, she was Neon’s human mom and had brought her up in her own as someone who was good, kind and considerate, and someone who was a warm and loving being.

The fun and mischief was Neon’s own. Their friends and neighbors were looking long and hard at both the bunnies now �" Neon and Storm, and agreed on the fact that the fun and mischief could be all theirs. In any case, they had exposed a seriously flawed group of persons (if they could be called that) who lived round the corner in their very own neighborhood.

Everyone agreed that this should not have been allowed. Why, the witches were a lot of unhappy souls, and might want others around them to be as unhappy. In fact, they may not approve of happy, loving individuals like Aurora and Neon, would they? They must not be allowed to remain, said everyone.

And so the witch girl who had attempted a disguise to get her own evil ends as dictated by the group of witches was made to depart. She was made to depart not only Aurora’s home with the neon paint still stuck to her head, but all the witches had to leave their neighborhood. The witches were not happy about this, but they left very quickly on their broomsticks, swooping away at speeds close to lightning.

They shrieked their disapproval and disappointment as they went, but everyone was so relieved at their departure, that they did not mind the means or the sound effects all that much.

Aurora went to work on the Monday morning as she always did, but asked mother rabbit and Storm to stay on for another week, till the next weekend. Her teacher’s salary was more than adequate to provide for the four of them. They ate fresh and healthy produce from Aurora’s garden in this time, and mother rabbit even made a day-long foray back to the forest for those special wild berries which Aurora had confirmed were healthier, more nutritious than the farm produce their supermarket offered.

Besides, Aurora had a very special reason for asking her rabbit family to stay on till the next weekend. That Saturday, the four of them went for a picnic back to the same spot where the families had come together, where Aurora and Neon had found mother rabbit and Storm �" Storm, who they had believed was no longer part of this earth, and mother rabbit, who Neon thought she would never see again, either.

This time, the wind was high, the sky a little more cloudy than the last time, and the stream babbled on, as though alive. The fish jumped high at the point where the stream flowed over the rocks and boulders. The group of four had taken their picnic hamper of delicious eats and interesting sandwiches. They could not get enough of the welcoming outdoors, of each other’s company and of the joys of life, of being here and of the very interesting lives they had had in their years on earth.

But as with all the wonderful days that had gone before, this day too was coming to an end. The rays of the late afternoon sun were longer and less bright. Soon it would be time to go home. It had been a good way to wrap up their time together, except that there was going to be a little more.

Aurora drove the family home, with the empty picnic hamper, every little crumb consumed. Once home, she and rabbit mother tucked Neon and Storm into bed. It was Aurora’s big, soft bed which all four of them now shared. Neon and Storm had fallen asleep on the drive home and remained blissfully asleep through all this.

***

Aurora had another special treat the next day. She had decided on a surprise party for Neon and Storm before mother rabbit and Storm left for their burrow outside the faraway forest. Aurora had told no one, not even Neon or Storm or mother rabbit. As was her habit, she wanted it to be a total surprise for all.

It was.

Aurora had invited all their neighborhood friends that very day, and she greatly enjoyed the look of surprise on the children’s faces as their guests entered one by one. It slowly dawned on Neon and on Storm that a party was to begin in the home. Neon, ever conscious of others, hoped that there would be enough refreshments for everybody.

Aurora had, of course, thought of that when she had decided on the party. Now she trundled out an enormous cake iced in creamy white icing. It featured a park with trees and shrubs, and even a little stream with fish, all outlined in blue and purple icing sugar.

The bunnies ran around the cake and could see that there was even more on the other side. There were three bunnies there, two of them with their long ears tied up with pink ribbon and all three of them with enormous round brown eyes. Neon jumped up on Aurora’s lap. She was so overcome. Storm followed, and both the girls covered Aurora with kisses. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” they chorused.

Aurora said that mother bunny had had a hand in making the cake. All of them had a big family cuddle. Neon let out a loud and definite “I love you, mommy” to Aurora. Storm followed suit, and both of them hugged and kissed rabbit mommy. They had another family cuddle, while their neighborhood friends danced and sang and ate cake.

She went over them for a good while. Aurora looked at the two bunny heads. She told them that they were the best children she had ever seen, and that they were her family.

“Oh mommy, you are so kind,” said Neon.

Later, when the cake had been eaten and the balloons and streamers taken down, when a host of tired neighborhood children had been seen off and the party had drawn to a close, Aurora drew her dearest and nearest around her. “You know what kept me going through the darkest hours, when I thought I would never be happy again?” She asked them. The rabbits waited for her to go on.

“It was you, Neon.” She said. And your sister. “You are everything I always expected you to be,” she was saying. “I could not have asked for more.”

That was another happy-sad night when they went to sleep. Neon was very sure of Aurora’s love. She knew that nobody, least of all no witch, was ever going to come between her and her mommy. Aurora was never going to talk roughly to her; she would never be unfair to her.

Storm said that this had been the best holiday ever. And that it had been made possible because of the ministrations of Aurora and their rabbit mother. Someone, somewhere, knew what it took to put things right after they had gone horribly wrong. She sighed with happiness as she thought of their burrow they would go back to, the very next day.

In a way, both the sisters were attached to where they lived �" Neon to the beautiful house that she and Aurora lived in and Storm to the cozy little burrow on the other side of the far woods, where she lived with rabbit mother.

Aurora and rabbit mother would soon compose lullabies which wove in all the wonderful �" and some not-so-wonderful adventures all of them had been through. When she was a little older, Neon asked Aurora why life had to have so many ups and so many downs. “So that we know about the ones who care, and about the ones who make things right for us,” said Aurora.

“Mommy, I do love you and will always want to be with you,” said Neon as she dropped off to sleep. Tomorrow would be another day.