Timpoochee noticed Waya’s mind began to wander off from the fire circle and the story. His eyes first left, then right, then off somewhere else.
“Waya,” Timpoochee called out. “Can you imagine a rabbit so out of its mind that it would swim to try to capture a duck?”
Waya suddenly directed his attention back to Timpoochee’s eyes.
“I am beginning to wonder, Ulagu, what it is that drives us out of our minds,” he said.
“Pay attention to the rest of the story, young one,” Timpoochee shot back.
“The rabbit held on to the noose tired around the duck’s legs as they climbed higher and higher into the sky,” Timpoochee continued after a short moment of silence.
“‘But after a while he could hold on no longer and plummeted toward the ground where he fell into a large, hollow sycamore tree.
“He was trapped and could not get out. He became hungry and having no food he began to eat his own fur - as rabbits still do when they get hungry.
“In a few days he heard children playing around the base of the tree and he began to sing,
“‘Cut a hole in the tree and find what you will see…
‘I’m the prettiest thing, come look at me…’
“The children ran to get their father who returned with them and began to cut a hole in the tree with an axe
“‘Cut it larger so you can see me better,’ the rabbit sang. ‘I’m so pretty.’
“The father chopped and chopped and made a very large hole.
“‘Now, stand back,’ said the rabbit. ‘So you can get a good look at my beauty.’
“The father and children did as they were told and out like a flash ran the rabbit and off, away into the woods and freedom.”
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