The Skin Horse Tells His Story from The Velveteen Rabbit

HeHewaswassosooldoldthatthathishisbrownbrowncoatcoatwaswasbaldbaldininpatchespatchesandandshowedshowedthetheseamsseamsunderneathunderneath,,andandmostmostofofthethehairshairsininhishistailtailhadhadbeenbeenpulledpulledoutouttotostringstringbeadbeadnecklacesnecklaces..

HeHewaswaswisewise,,forforhehehadhadseenseenaalonglongsuccessionsuccessionofofmechanicalmechanicaltoystoysarrivearrivetotoboastboastandandswaggerswagger,,andandby-and-byby-and-bybreakbreaktheirtheirmainspringsmainspringsandandpasspassawayaway,,andandheheknewknewthatthattheytheywerewereonlyonlytoystoys,,andandwouldwouldneverneverturnturnintointoanythinganythingelseelse..

ForFornurserynurserymagicmagicisisveryverystrangestrangeandandwonderfulwonderful,,andandonlyonlythosethoseplaythingsplaythingsthatthatareareoldoldandandwisewiseandandexperiencedexperiencedlikelikethetheSkinSkinHorseHorseunderstandunderstandallallaboutaboutitit..

""WhatWhatisisREALREAL??""askedaskedthetheRabbitRabbitoneonedayday,,whenwhentheytheywerewerelyinglyingsidesidebybysidesidenearnearthethenurserynurseryfenderfender,,beforebeforeNanaNanacamecametototidytidythetheroomroom..

""DoesDoesititmeanmeanhavinghavingthingsthingsthatthatbuzzbuzzinsideinsideyouyouandandaastick-outstick-outhandlehandle??""

""RealRealisn'tisn'thowhowyouyouarearemademade,,""saidsaidthetheSkinSkinHorseHorse..""It'sIt'saathingthingthatthathappenshappenstotoyouyou..WhenWhenaachildchildloveslovesyouyouforforaalonglong,,longlongtimetime,,notnotjustjusttotoplayplaywithwith,,butbutREALLYREALLYloveslovesyouyou,,thenthenyouyoubecomebecomeRealReal..""

""DoesDoesitithurthurt??""askedaskedthetheRabbitRabbit..

""SometimesSometimes,,""saidsaidthetheSkinSkinHorseHorse,,forforhehewaswasalwaysalwaystruthfultruthful..""WhenWhenyouyouareareRealRealyouyoudon'tdon'tmindmindbeingbeinghurthurt..""

""DoesDoesitithappenhappenallallatatonceonce,,likelikebeingbeingwoundwoundupup,,""heheaskedasked,,""ororbitbitbybybitbit??""

""ItItdoesn'tdoesn'thappenhappenallallatatonceonce,,""saidsaidthetheSkinSkinHorseHorse..""YouYoubecomebecome..ItIttakestakesaalonglongtimetime..

That'sThat'swhywhyititdoesn'tdoesn'thappenhappenoftenoftentotopeoplepeoplewhowhobreakbreakeasilyeasily,,ororhavehavesharpsharpedgesedges,,ororwhowhohavehavetotobebecarefullycarefullykeptkept..

GenerallyGenerally,,bybythethetimetimeyouyouareareRealReal,,mostmostofofyouryourhairhairhashasbeenbeenlovedlovedoffoff,,andandyouryoureyeseyesdropdropoutoutandandyouyougetgetlooselooseininthethejointsjointsandandveryveryshabbyshabby..

ButButthesethesethingsthingsdon'tdon'tmattermatteratatallall,,becausebecauseonceonceyouyouareareRealRealyouyoucan'tcan'tbebeuglyugly,,exceptexcepttotopeoplepeoplewhowhodon'tdon'tunderstandunderstand..""

""IIsupposesupposeyouyouarearerealreal??""saidsaidthetheRabbitRabbit..AndAndthenthenhehewishedwishedhehehadhadnotnotsaidsaiditit,,forforhehethoughtthoughtthetheSkinSkinHorseHorsemightmightbebesensitivesensitive..ButButthetheSkinSkinHorseHorseonlyonlysmiledsmiled..

""TheTheBoy'sBoy'sUncleUnclemademadememeRealReal,,""hehesaidsaid..""ThatThatwaswasaagreatgreatmanymanyyearsyearsagoago;;butbutonceonceyouyouareareRealRealyouyoucan'tcan'tbecomebecomeunrealunrealagainagain..ItItlastslastsforforalwaysalways..""

TheTheRabbitRabbitsighedsighed..HeHethoughtthoughtititwouldwouldbebeaalonglongtimetimebeforebeforethisthismagicmagiccalledcalledRealRealhappenedhappenedtotohimhim..

HeHelongedlongedtotobecomebecomeRealReal,,totoknowknowwhatwhatititfeltfeltlikelike;;andandyetyetthetheideaideaofofgrowinggrowingshabbyshabbyandandlosinglosinghishiseyeseyesandandwhiskerswhiskerswaswasratherrathersadsad..

HeHewishedwishedthatthathehecouldcouldbecomebecomeititwithoutwithoutthesetheseuncomfortableuncomfortablethingsthingshappeninghappeningtotohimhim..

ThereTherewaswasaapersonpersoncalledcalledNanaNanawhowhoruledruledthethenurserynursery..

SometimesSometimessheshetooktooknononoticenoticeofofthetheplaythingsplaythingslyinglyingaboutabout,,andandsometimessometimes,,forfornonoreasonreasonwhateverwhatever,,sheshewentwentswoopingswoopingaboutaboutlikelikeaagreatgreatwindwindandandhustledhustledthemthemawayawayinincupboardscupboards..

SheShecalledcalledthisthis""tidyingtidyingupup,,""andandthetheplaythingsplaythingsallallhatedhateditit,,especiallyespeciallythethetintinonesones..

TheTheRabbitRabbitdidn'tdidn'tmindmindititsosomuchmuch,,forforwhereverwhereverhehewaswasthrownthrownhehecamecamedowndownsoftsoft..

OneOneeveningevening,,whenwhenthetheBoyBoywaswasgoinggoingtotobedbed,,hehecouldn'tcouldn'tfindfindthethechinachinadogdogthatthatalwaysalwayssleptsleptwithwithhimhim..

NanaNanawaswasininaahurryhurry,,andandititwaswastootoomuchmuchtroubletroubletotohunthuntforforchinachinadogsdogsatatbedtimebedtime,,sososheshesimplysimplylookedlookedaboutaboutherher,,andandseeingseeingthatthatthethetoytoycupboardcupboarddoordoorstoodstoodopenopen,,sheshemademadeaaswoopswoop..

""HereHere,,""sheshesaidsaid,,""taketakeyouryouroldoldBunnyBunny!!He'llHe'lldodototosleepsleepwithwithyouyou!!""AndAndsheshedraggeddraggedthetheRabbitRabbitoutoutbybyoneoneearear,,andandputputhimhimintointothetheBoy'sBoy'sarmsarms..

ThatThatnightnight,,andandforformanymanynightsnightsafterafter,,thetheVelveteenVelveteenRabbitRabbitsleptsleptininthetheBoy'sBoy'sbedbed..

AtAtfirstfirsthehefoundfoundititratherratheruncomfortableuncomfortable,,forforthetheBoyBoyhuggedhuggedhimhimveryverytighttight,,andandsometimessometimesheherolledrolledoveroverononhimhim,,andandsometimessometimeshehepushedpushedhimhimsosofarfarunderunderthethepillowpillowthatthatthetheRabbitRabbitcouldcouldscarcelyscarcelybreathebreathe..

AndAndhehemissedmissed,,tootoo,,thosethoselonglongmoonlightmoonlighthourshoursininthethenurserynursery,,whenwhenallallthethehousehousewaswassilentsilent,,andandhishistalkstalkswithwiththetheSkinSkinHorseHorse..

ButButveryverysoonsoonhehegrewgrewtotolikelikeitit,,forforthetheBoyBoyusedusedtototalktalktotohimhim,,andandmademadenicenicetunnelstunnelsforforhimhimunderunderthethebedclothesbedclothesthatthathehesaidsaidwerewerelikelikethetheburrowsburrowsthetherealrealrabbitsrabbitslivedlivedinin..

AndAndtheytheyhadhadsplendidsplendidgamesgamestogethertogether,,ininwhisperswhispers,,whenwhenNanaNanahadhadgonegoneawayawaytotoherhersuppersupperandandleftleftthethenight-lightnight-lightburningburningononthethemantelpiecemantelpiece..

AndAndwhenwhenthetheBoyBoydroppeddroppedoffofftotosleepsleep,,thetheRabbitRabbitwouldwouldsnugglesnuggledowndownclosecloseunderunderhishislittlelittlewarmwarmchinchinandanddreamdream,,withwiththetheBoy'sBoy'shandshandsclaspedclaspedclosecloseroundroundhimhimallallnightnightlonglong..

AndAndsosotimetimewentwentonon,,andandthethelittlelittleRabbitRabbitwaswasveryveryhappyhappy––sosohappyhappythatthathehenevernevernoticednoticedhowhowhishisbeautifulbeautifulvelveteenvelveteenfurfurwaswasgettinggettingshabbiershabbierandandshabbiershabbier,,andandhishistailtailbecomingbecomingunsewnunsewn,,andandallallthethepinkpinkrubbedrubbedoffoffhishisnosenosewherewherethetheBoyBoyhadhadkissedkissedhimhim..

TheTheSkinSkinHorseHorsehadhadlivedlivedlongerlongerininthethenurserynurserythanthananyanyofofthetheothersothers..