The Oregon Kids - Runaway Whiskers

In a small suburb in Oregon, there lived a little boy named Billy, who was nine, and his younger sister Autumn, who was six.1

Not too far from Autumn and Billy lived another little girl named Katie. Katie was also 6 but did not know Autumn and Billy.2

Katie's dad was bringing a special surprise for her today. Katie waited anxiously for her dad to come home. When Katie heard her dad's car she ran to the door to greet him. When her dad walked inside, Katie could see he was holding something white and fury. Her dad knelt down to show Katie what he had.3

"A bunny rabbit!" Katie exclaimed jumping up and down. It was a beautiful white rabbit with a pink nose and long whiskers.4

"Go ahead you can pet her," said Katie's dad.5

Katie reached out her hand slowly and rubbed the bunny's ears and back. Its long whiskers wiggled as the rabbit twitched its nose.6

"Would you like to hold her?" asked Katie's dad.7

Katie could not say a word. She held her breath with excitement as her dad placed the bunny in her arms.8

"She'll need a name, " suggested Katie's dad. "What do you want to call your bunny?" he asked.9

Katie thought for a moment and looked at her new bunny's face. It twitched its nose and Katie noticed its long whiskers.10

"Whiskers! Let's name her Whiskers," she said.11

"Good name, honey." Katie's dad complimented.12

Just then Katie's mom came into the room. "Oh, that's a pretty bunny you have there, Katie, " she said.13

"Her name is Whiskers!" Katie told her.14

"Whiskers! I like it," Katie's mom said. "I hate to spoil the fun, but it's time to eat. You'll have to put Whiskers in the Garage."15

"Come, Katie, I'll show you where we'll keep Whiskers, " Katie's dad said opening the door to the garage.16

Katie and her dad went into the garage. They walked over to a silver cage in the corner. The cage had straw on its floor and a little water bottle hung from the roof.17

"Let me see whiskers," Katie's dad said. Katie handed her over to her dad and he placed Whiskers into her new home. "Now be sure to keep the cage door down. We don't want Whiskers to get out of her cage," her dad instructed as he closed the cage.18

The next day Katie's dad brought home a metal tag for Whiskers. The tag had "Whiskers" stamped on the front and Katie's address on the back. Katie's dad handed the tag to Katie and she placed it around Whiskers neck.19

Everyday Katie would go out to the garage to play with Whiskers. Katie loved to watch Whiskers hop around the garage. She was very fast. Sometimes she would have trouble catching her to put her back in the cage. Somedays Whiskers would hop right next to Katie. She'd then pick her up and hold her. Katie loved Whiskers.20

One day Katie went out to the garage as usual to play with Whiskers. She went to the cage, but Whiskers was not in the cage. The cage door was open. Whiskers was gone!21

Katie ran into the house crying, "Mommy! Whiskers isn't in her cage!" Katie's mom hugged her and said, "I'm sorry dear. Perhaps someone honest will find Whiskers and return her."22

Katie just continued to cry in her mom's arms.23

It so happened that as Katie's mom was comforting her, Autumn was outside playing with her brother, Billy. As they were playing, Autumn noticed a white rabbit hop out of the bushes onto the grass.24

"Look Billy a white rabbit!" Autumn exclaimed.25

Autumn walked right up to the rabbit, but it did not hop away. She knelt down to pick up the rabbit.26

"Autumn don't!" Billy yelled, but it was too late. Autumn had picked up the rabbit.27

"Put that rabbit down, Autumn. It could bite you!" Billy ordered as her ran to his sister.28

"It won't bite, " Autumn replied.29

"Say, this rabbit has a tag," noticed Billy as he looked closer at the rabbit. "It must be someone's pet," he observed.30

Autumn petted the rabbit. "I wish I had a pet rabbit," she said.31

"Let's take it inside and show Dad," suggested Billy.32

"Hey, Dad, Autumn found a pet rabbit!" yelled Billy as they went inside.33

"Let's see," said Dad.34

Autumn handed the rabbit to her dad. Dad looked at the tag and noticed the address on the back. He showed the tag to Autumn and Billy. "This rabbit doesn't live too far from here. Let's go and see if we can return her to her owner."35

Autumn's face dropped. She was hoping to keep the rabbit.36

Dad noticed her sadness and said, "Autumn, we can't keep the rabbit. She doesn't belong to us."37

"I know," Autumn replied, but she was still sad.38

Autumn, Billy and their dad got into the car and dove to the address on the tag. Autumn held the rabbit in her arms.39

They arrived at the address and the three of them walked to the door. Dad rang the door bell and a woman answered.40

"Did you loose a white rabbit?" Dad asked.41

"Yes," she said. "Katie come here!" she yelled.42

Katie came to the door with tears still in her eyes. When she saw Whiskers in Autumn's arms a big smile came to her face.43

"Whiskers!" Katie yelled and ran to Autumn.44

"When Autumn saw how happy Katie was, she was glad that she had returned the rabbit. She handed Whiskers over to Katie.45

Katie held her rabbit. "Oh, Whiskers, don't run away again," she said as she rubbed her face against Whiskers' fur.46

Autumn smiled.47

Autumn and Katie became good friends after that. Both enjoyed playing with Whiskers.48

Some time later Katie came to Autumn's house. She held a baby rabbit in her arms.49

"Whiskers had babies," Katie said to Autumn. "We sold most of them back to the pet store, but I wanted you to have this one."50

Katie handed Autumn a beautiful white baby rabbit.51

"Can I keep it?" Autumn asked her mom.52

Mom saw the joy in Autumns face. "I don't see why not," she answered. "What are you going to call him?"53

"Hippidy," Autumn said without hesitation.54

Now Katie and Autumn both had a pet rabbit. Autumn was very glad she had been honest and returned Katie's rabbit.55