I'm your host, Amanda Weldon.
Today's story is a throwback episode.
Tune in to hear one of our classic stories from the archive that you might have missed the first time around.
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Once upon a time, in a sprawling forest in China, the moon rose full and bright.
Like enchanted silver or a tear from the fey, it shone with glistening magic.
It seemed bigger than normal, the glow stronger, the shine steadier.
Its fairy light moved through the forest like a song, making the river sparkle and the trees dapple with shadow.
It was the first full moon of the year, and all the animals looked on with wonder.
"'This is a special moon,' said the monkey, sitting in his tree.
"'A giant special moon.
Don't you think so, friends?'
"'Oh, it's a beautiful moon!' sang the otter from her river below.
'A wondrous moon, a loony lunar moon, a mooner, moony moon.
A lunar loony mooner, moony moon, to be sure.
Look how it makes my water shiny-finy!'
She spun in the stream, splashing her flippers and flashing her belly.
The water sloshed into the nearby bush and a little rabbit came out, shaking herself dry.
And the water on the leaves looks like little crystals, the little rabbit said, sitting by her bush.
It's so pretty.
I just love it.
They all looked up together, enjoying the moon's gentle glow.
After a minute of peaceful silence, the monkey stood up on his branch.
We should honor the moon's spirits, he said.
Let's gather some food and bring it to the lucky rock.
Wouldn't that be good?
Oh, that sounds perfect! said the otter, splashing playfully in the water.
Some food for the moon, some yummy tummy food for the moony moony moon.
Yummy tummy loony moony, we'll honor you soony soony.
All right, sure, said the little rabbit, without much enthusiasm.
The monkey could get bananas all over the forest, and the otter could always find her fill of fish.
But the little rabbit wasn't so lucky.
Small as she was, she usually just stayed out of the way and ate grass.
And grass, even a lot of grass, was no kind of tribute for such a lovely moon.
Of course, the monkey knew that.
Since he had so much.
He always seemed to think it was funny to make fun of the rabbit for having so little.
It made her feel terrible, but she was too embarrassed to say anything about it.
Maybe we could do something instead of food, though the little rabbit ventured, hoping to change the plan to something she could actually help with.
Like, maybe we could do a dance?
Or we could sing a song?
Maybe we could do some art?
Or, I don't know, something?
No way, shouted the monkey, hanging from his tail to stare at the little rabbit upside down.
It needs to be food.
Get what you can and meet us at the little rock.
He grinned a mean little grin and then swung and leapt from the tree.
He disappeared swinging from vine to vine deeper into the forest.
Oh, see you there, little hare.
Ha ha ha, ha ha ha, said the otter, flipping over with a splash and disappearing into the silver shining river.
The little rabbit kicked at the ground, looking around at the waving moonlit grass.
See you there, she said to herself, heaving a sigh.
I guess I'll see what I can find.
She hopped through the forest, looking for something to give as tribute to the beautiful full moon.
As she looked, she thought about the carrot she had back at her burrow.
It was small and withered, but it was the only one she had managed to find.
Truth be told, she had been looking forward to eating it for weeks.
It would make a better tribute than grass, but it was all she had, so she was determined to find something else to share.
She hopped through the berry patches, but they had already been bushelled.
She dug in the mud, but there were no more carrots to be found.
She waded near the river's edge, but the clams had all been claimed.
The mountains and the meadows, the basins and the bamboo.
All of it was picked clean or guarded by bigger tougher, meaner animals.
In the end, the little rabbit came up empty-handed and all she could find was the sweet grass she ate most days to fill her belly.
A poor gift for such a lovely moon, she said to herself sadly.
Such beauty deserves better.
But what more can I do?
There's no food I can find.
There's no gift that really shows how much I care.
Oh, I would just do a dance, but the monkey will never stop teasing me.
I need food.
She looked up at the moon.
I wish I could give you all the fruit, like monkey, or all the fish, like otter, but all I eat is grass.
And carrots.
She looked to the little carrot she had been so carefully saving.
Inside, she was torn.
On the one hand, she wanted to save the carrot for herself.
It was her only special treat.
On the other hand, she wanted to give something nice to the moon.
The gorgeous, silver moon that lit up her world and let her move about at night.
She wrestled with the thoughts in her burrow, tossing and turning so badly her ears were all tied up in knots when she was through.
She combed them free again and headed out to the lucky rock to meet the monkey and the otter.
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It's about time you showed up, the monkey said when she arrived.
We've already brought our food for the moon.
Oh, we've brought foodie foodie for the moony woony, sang the otter from the water.
Fill its belly welly, make it swelly swelly.
What, um, what did you bring?
Asked the little rabbit, afraid of the answer.
Well, said the monkey, moving a branch to let the moonlight shine on the pile of food at his feet.
As you can see, I've brought all the bananas I could carry.
They're bright yellow and so creamy you can almost drink them.
He crossed his arms, a smug smile on his face.
And what did you bring?
The little rabbit stammered, but luckily the otter jumped in.
Oh, I brought fishy wishies for the loony moony.
She said, flapping at a pile of wriggling fish by the lucky rock.
They're so wriggly giggly, I know I'll eat them soony soony.
They look great. said the monkey before turning back to the little rabbit.
He smiled the same mean little smile from earlier.
And what did you bring, little rabbit?
Some grass, I'm guessing?
The little rabbit flushed, angry and embarrassed, but determined to keep her cool.
No, I didn't bring grass, she said, stepping forward.
I brought this.
She reached out and laid half a carrot on the ground.
It was a sad and withered thing, barely as big as the little rabbit's paw.
Still, it was the best she could do.
Oh, a carrot, where it?
The otter sang with a smile.
What a nice treat for the moony, woony.
Oh, loony, moony, moony, moony.
The monkey, though, he just snorted a laugh.
That's all you brought?
Half a dinky little carrot?
He shook his head.
Look at all the bananas I brought.
It's practically a feast.
You should be ashamed of yourself.
Hey, the little rabbit said.
This was the best I could do.
Well then, said the monkey.
It's pretty clear who will be the moon spirit's favorite.
Oh, yes, pretty cleary-deary.
Wait, who would be the favorite again?
The monkey started to talk, pointing proudly at himself, when there was a strange twinkling light just above the lucky rock.
What in the world, the monkey said.
The twinkling turned to an unearthly glow which seemed to bend and flow into the shape of a person, a person hooded in a deep robe of pure silver moonlight.
The moon spirit, the monkey said.
The animals all bowed their heads, awash in her radiant glow.
Thank you, my friends. the spirit said, shimmering like an opal.
When she moved, the air rang with musical chimes and smelled clean and cool.
Your generosity is appreciated, and one of you has been generous above all.
Such generosity must be rewarded.
The little rabbit hung her head.
She was so embarrassed that she'd only brought half her little carrot.
The monkey had a pile of fruit, the otter a pile of fish.
She could at least have brought the whole carrot.
Now she had to watch the mean old monkey get a reward.
Tears stung at her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.
Thank you for noticing, moon spirit, said the monkey, dusting off his shoulders.
I did bring quite a lot of bananas, didn't I?
Now, about my reward, I was thinking... Not you, said the moon spirit sternly.
You have so much.
All the bananas you can eat.
And instead of being nice to the little rabbit, you make her feel bad about what she has, just to make yourself feel better.
The moon spirit shook her head.
No, the true generosity is from the little rabbit.
What?
But she only brought half a carrot.
I brought a whole load of bananas.
Yes, but you have endless bananas.
The little rabbit only had a single carrot in the whole world.
And even then, she gave me half.
Would you be that generous, monkey?
Would you give me half of everything you own?
The monkey looked down at his tail, embarrassed.
No, he said slowly.
I suppose I wouldn't.
The spirit nodded and then knelt down to look at the little rabbit in her little eyes.
I'm sorry you struggled.
It was sweet of you to think of me.
You didn't have to go to any trouble, but I appreciate the carrot.
I know it can't be easy to be so little.
Thank you, the little rabbit said.
I'm really happy you liked it.
I think your moonlight is very beautiful.
You do?
Would you like to come and see it up close?
The little rabbit gasped.
Really?
I would love that!
The moon spirit held out her arms and the little rabbit hopped into the glowing robe.
You're not all bad, monkeys.
Just remember, not everyone has a forest full of bananas to choose from.
You need to remember, not everyone is as fortunate as you are.
I'll remember, said the monkey, seriously.
I promise I will.
I believe you, said the moon spirit.
But just in case.
The moon spirit held up the little rabbit and they both sparkled and seemed to glow with a silver light that was both bright and cool, like concentrated stars.
Above them, the moon sparkled in the same way and as the animals watched on part of the full moon, the shape of the little rabbit shimmered on the surface.
Oh, is that what I think it is? said the otter.
Yes.
I've put the shape of the little rabbit on the moon for everyone to see.
Tell them what happened.
Look up at the moon, rabbit, and remember to be kind.
She held the little rabbit close and turned to leave.
She stopped and turned to the otter in the river, flashing a wide smile and speaking in a sing-songy voice.
Thank you for the fish, my ottery-ottery, she said with a wink.
The otter beamed back at her, smiling from whisker to whisker.
Oh, my pleasure.
Loony-moony spoony-moony, she called, and then the spirit and the little rabbit were drenched in a wash of moonlight.
It grew brighter and brighter and then rose in a flash.
When Monkey and Otter looked again, the spirit and the little rabbit were gone.
And that's why some people say if you look at the moon when it's full and bright, you can still see the shape of the little rabbit living happy, bright and shining on the surface of the moon.
Today's story, The Moon Rabbit, was an adaptation of the Asian folktale, written for you by Daniel Hines and performed for you by me, Amanda Weldon.
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