Extract from Run! Rabbit! Run!

'Run! Rabbit! Run!’ and other titles are available from our online shop.
Run Rabbit RunRabbit grew up in a warren. She was always sad. She was always bad. She was afraid. She didn’t like living in the warren. It was dark and cold. She always had to fight. She knew it was wrong. She was always being hurt. She knew it wasn’t right. Rabbit never was able to do baby rabbit things. She wasn’t allowed. She was always in pain, again and again. She was never able to relax or play. She never knew fun. Instead, Rabbit had to grow up fast. She had to learn to run. She had to survive. To stay alive, she had to be the fastest. This she did.
As soon as Rabbit could, she ran from the warren. She was only half grown, but that was enough. She ran. She would grow with time. She knew nothing about the outside but it had to be better than the warren. She chose outside. Rabbit ran fast. She ran from the past. She chose the unknown in preference for the known. Without a backwards glance, Rabbit ran. She had no regrets about leaving. She said no farewells. She told no-one. She would miss no-one and nothing. The only thought that Rabbit had was to run as far and as fast from the warren as she could. This she did.
Rabbit found the outside world to be very different. The only thing she knew for certain was she must hide where she came from. No-one must know about the warren. Beyond that, she knew nothing. It was hard to learn things she didn’t know. She never even knew what it was she didn’t know. She needed to know things, but didn’t know what things she needed to know. She needed to know. But she didn’t know what she didn’t know. How could she? She knew all about warren life but nothing about outside life. She had to watch carefully to try and find out everything. This she did.
Occasionally, some things seemed familiar, but when she looked closer, they were different. At first she made many mistakes. Then she would run. In time, she learned to cover mistakes and pretend. She became very good at pretending. When she could not pretend, she ran. As time went on she made fewer mistakes. She no longer needed to run as often. Rabbit learned very fast. She could learn nearly as fast as she could run. She wanted not to have to run. She studied the outside carefully. She needed to know and she needed to learn. This she did.
The outside was difficult to live in for Rabbit. She didn’t fit. She didn’t know the ways outside. She did not know the rules outside. She did not even know the language outside. It was difficult. It was more difficult because she could not ask anyone for help. She didn’t need it. She had to do it alone. No-one knew of the warren therefore no-one knew her ways. No-one could understand. She had to learn the outside ways. She had to learn the outside rules. She had to learn the outside language. She had to do it all alone. This she did.
All that Rabbit ever wanted from life was to be left alone. She never was. In the warren, she was never left alone. Someone was always getting at her. So she had run. On the outside, it was better. Mostly, no-one got at her. That was much better. Every once in a while though, something bad would happen. It was sad. Just as she thought she was going to be left alone, someone would get her. Again and again this happened. Rabbit would always run. She would run fast. Rabbit had a strong will to escape. She had the strongest will to survive. She could always run. This she did.
Rabbit grew tired of running. She liked where she was on the outside. She wanted to stay. She didn’t fit properly, but she managed to try. She knew she would always be different but she copied and coped. She knew it would always be difficult but she hoped and survived. Sometimes she still pretended, but no-one minded. Rabbit was getting by. Rabbit was helping. She was contributing. She was nearly doing good enough. She would try to do better. This she did.
One day, Rabbit was feeling scared. She had been got at again and wanted to run. This time though, she didn’t. She was fed up with running. Instead, she stopped and thought. Why wasn’t she left alone? Who kept getting at her and hurting her? Why did they do this? She thought long and she thought hard. Suddenly, she knew. It was the warren! They had come after her. It must be them. Again and again they had got to her. They would never leave her alone. She had dared to leave. Leaving the warren was not allowed. Terrified by this thought, she thought harder. The warren was on the outside too. It was everywhere. She needed to hide. She needed to think. This she did.
As she thought, she watched and listened. She saw warren signs everywhere. The outside didn’t see them. They must be blind. She watched rabbits running and hiding everywhere. The outside never noticed. They must be stupid. She heard burrowing all around. The outside couldn’t detect the digging. They must be deaf. Then, suddenly she realised the outside didn’t know anything. They didn’t know about the warren. The warren was not safe. The outside was not safe. Rabbit needed to stay safe. There was no safety. She needed to survive. This she did.
Rabbit was afraid. She didn’t want to run anymore. There was nowhere to run. The outside was stupid. Why didn’t they see the warren? Why didn’t they defend themselves before it was too late? The warren was dangerous. Rabbit wondered how the outside didn’t know. The outside should beware the warren. She had not said, but she couldn’t say. She was afraid. The outside should be aware? Someone should warn them. Rabbit liked the outside. She didn’t want the outside to become like the warren. The outside should know about the warren. Not from her. She had to stay alive. To survive she had to stay silent. This she did.
Then Rabbit remembered she didn’t know what she didn’t know when she first came outside. She remembered all the hurting in the warren. She remembered others got hurt too. She remembered the pain and fear. She remembered the dread and she remembered the dead. She remembered she did not like the warren. She remembered why she ran. She did not like to remember. She had to survive. To stay alive, she had to remember. This she did.
The warren was on the outside and no-one was safe. Not her, nor any other. Someone had to warn outside about the warren. She lived outside now. The outside was in danger and didn’t know it. They had to know about the danger. They had to be told. They had to know about the warren. Before it was too late someone had to break silence. She looked for someone. There was no someone. Rabbit grew frantic. Someone had to tell…..
This Rabbit did!