The Rabbit Who Crossed the Sea     Once there was a white rabbit who wanted to cross the sea.  Across the waves he could see a beautiful island and he wanted very badly to go there.  But he couldn't swim and there were no boats.  Then he had an idea.
    He called to a shark in the sea and said: "Oh, Mr. Shark, which one of us has the most friends, you or I?"
    "I'm sure I have the most friends," said the shark.  "Well, let's count them to make sure," said the rabbit.  "Why don't you have your friends line up in the sea between here and that island over there?  Then I can count them."
    So the sharks all lined up in the sea, and the rabbit went hopping from the back of one shark to the next, counting, "one, two, three, four. . ."
Finally he reached the island.
    Then he turned to the sharks and said: "Ha, ha!  You dumb sharks.  I certainly fooled you.  I got you to make a bridge for me, without your even knowing it."
    The sharks became angry.  One of them reached up with his long snout and snatched off a piece of the rabbits fur.
    "Oh, it hurts!" cried the rabbit and began weeping.
    Just then the king of the island came by.  He asked the rabbit what was the matter, and when he'd heard the rabbit's story, he said: "You mustn't ever fool others and tell lies again. If you promise to be good, I'll tell you how you can get your fur back."
    " Oh, I promise, I promise, "said the rabbit.
So then the king gathered some bulrushes and made a nest with them.
" Now you sleep here in the nest of bulrushes all night, " said the king, " and your fur will grow back."
    The rabbit did as he was told. Next morning he went to the king and said: " Thank you very, very much. My fur all grew back and I' am well again. Thank you, thank you, thank you."
    Then the rabbit went hopping off along the seashore, dancing and singing. He never tried to fool anyone again.
                                                 The End Home