Bobo and the White Rabbit

The Panda family lived in a tree house in the Forests of Timberland. The tree stood tall, with branches spread far and wide. Jango the papa panda, Lala the mama panda and Bobo the baby panda loved their house and were very proud of it. Every day Jango would go around the house, clearing the fallen leaves and dusting the window sills. Lala would scrub the floors until it squeaked. Bobo also did his bit in keeping the house neat and tidy. He kept his room clean. He kept his toys in the hole-in-the-wall, when he was not playing with them. He was careful not to drop any crumbs when he was eating biscuits or cake. Jango and Lala were very proud of their son.

One day Jango and Lala took Bobo to the lake side. The lake was very far away from the treehouse. This was the first time Bobo had seen the lake. The water was green and there were trees growing along the banks.There were swans and ducks, and when Bobo looked down, he could see fish swimming in the water. Bobo was very excited to be at the lake. He liked the flowing water and the cool breeze.

Jango and Bobo went swimming while Lala watched from the banks. Bobo did not know how to swim and this was his first time in the water. He was a bit scared in the beginning but soon was splashing alongside Jango.He became confident and began swimming in circles, taking care not to go too far out into the lake. After some time, Lala called from the bank. It was time for lunch. Lala had packed lunch - delicious sandwiches and strawberries with cream. She also had brought some orange juice.

They sat under a big tree, and were about to start eating, when Bobo heard a small squeal from above.He looked up and saw a big bird on a branch high above them, a small white rabbit in its clutches. The bird had HUGE wings, and a beak which looked very cruel. The rabbit was squealing with terror. Bobo acted quickly. He climbed the tree with amazing speed, and reached the bird in a jiffy.The bird saw the panda lunge at her, and with a loud screech, flew away into the sky. In its hurry, the bird dropped the rabbit, which fell all the way down to the ground, right into Lala's favourite pillow. It was a very soft, fluffy pillow, and the rabbit was not hurt at all. Lucky rabbit, don't you think?

Jango and Lala were still shocked at the turn of events. So was the rabbit. It couldn't believe its luck! The rabbit looked up at Bobo, squealed "Thank you", and scurried off into the bushes. "Hey, stop ! Wait !" shouted Bobo, but he was too late. The rabbit had disappeared down a hole. Bobo was about to run after the rabbit, when he realized he was high up on the tree ! He could see the forest stretch for miles and miles around him. There was greenery all around. Far away, he could see the green broken by the silver of a river. It was beautiful. For a moment, he wished their treehouse were on this tree. He looked down and saw Jango and Lala looking up at him, and carefully climbed down to join them.

Lala ran over and hugged him. "What a brave little thing to do!!", exclaimed Lala. Jango patted Bobo on his back, and ruffled his hair. "I am very proud of you, Bobo. You are a brave Panda", said Jango. Bobo glowed with pride. He was very happy, but he was also hungry. After a very delicious lunch of sandwiches and orange juice, they decided to take a siesta.While Jango and Lala lay asleep beside him, Bobo was still awake, wondering where the white rabbit had gone. Do you know where the white rabbit went? Do you think Bobo will see the white rabbit again ?Keep wondering, and while you are at it, keep smiling !