The Rabbit’s Den – Read and Print

By Rachel Dunstan Muller, copyright 2020

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The Rabbit’s Den – by Rachel Dunstan Muller, copyright 2020.

At this very moment, not far away, there is a forest, a peaceful, forest, waiting just for you. And when you’re ready – when your toes feel heavy, and your feet feel heavy, and your legs, and your hands, and your arms, and your head. . . When your whole body feels wonderfully heavy – you take a breath, and close your eyes. And there you are in the Indigo Forest, under a silver moon and a sky filled with stars.

There are trees around you, beautiful trees, in every direction. If you listen, you can hear their leaves whispering: “Hush – – – hush. All is well; all is well.”

The Indigo Forest is full of sleepy woodland creatures, but tonight a little brown rabbit is waiting to lead you to his den for a special visit. He’s waiting on the path just in front of you, with a lantern to light the way. He’s so happy to see you, his nose is twitching with delight.

“This way,” he says, and so you follow him, down the winding forest path, past little fir trees and big fir trees, past towering maples and slender pines. You cross a little bridge over a rushing stream, and listen as the water ripples and babbles and splashes.

On and on you go through the woods, behind the little brown rabbit. And just as your legs are beginning to grow tired, the rabbit turns off the path towards a great big tree with a little blue door in its trunk.

“We’re here,” says the rabbit, with another twitch of his nose. Then he puts his paw on the door handle and hops inside.

There’s a whole family of rabbits in the cozy den: a mama rabbit, a papa rabbit, and five more little rabbits. The other little rabbits are seated at a low table in front of a fireplace with a cheerful, flickering fire. The little brown rabbit takes a seat beside his sisters and brothers, while Papa rabbit pulls up an extra chair for you. Then Mama rabbit serves warm biscuits with butter and fresh strawberry jam. Everyone gets their own china plate, and a cup of berry tea to wash the biscuits down.

The biscuits are delicious, but as you finish your tea, you feel your eyes growing heavy, and your head beginning to nod. Around you, all the little rabbits are yawning too, and stretching their paws towards the warm fire. “Sleepy time,” Mama rabbit says.

There’s a cozy bed for each little rabbit on the far side of the room, and there’s an extra bed for you. It’s just the right size, and so you pull back the blankets, climb under the covers, and lay your head down on the soft, soft pillow. Mama rabbit hums a lullaby, and comes and tucks the blankets under your chin.

All around the Indigo Forest, other woodland creatures are curling into sleep: beavers in their lodges, and foxes in their dens, and birds in their nests. And you – you are safe and warm and snug in your own cozy bed, with a fire crackling in the hearth, and a family of sleepy rabbits settling in around you. “Good night,” says Mama rabbit. “Sleep tight, little bunnies. All is well, all is well.”

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