Rabbit Rhymes (short story)
“‘What do hawks sit on?’ Frog asked. ‘hawks sit on hot rocks!’”
“Ouch!” Honeykit piped in, giggling.
“Yes, ouch!” Fungichomp agreed with a purr, his gaze warm on the kit between his paws. “What animal do you think is next?”
Honeykit thought for a moment, her chin shifting to the side and her eyes looking to its corners. “Rabbit ‘cos they have big legs!”
“Rabbits have big legs?”
“Yeah!”
“Do they sit on something big?”
Honeykit nodded. “Uh-huh. They have big legs and they sit on big things because they have big legs.”
Fungichomp smiled as he searched in his mind for something that rhymes with ‘rabbit.’ “‘Hawks sit on hot rocks–yeouch!--and rabbits sit on....maggots!’”
“Not maggots!” Honeykit giggled.
“‘That doesn’t sound very comfortable,’ said the frog,” Fungichomp went on, “‘it’s not about being comfortable,’ said the mouse, ‘it’s about doing the right thing.’”
Honeykit shifted. Fungichomp waited until she was settled before continuing. “‘What do foxes sit on?’” He lowered his head. “What do you think foxes sit on?”
“It has to rhyme!” Honeykit pointed out enthusiastically.
“Yes, it has to rhyme,” Fungichomp agreed. “Can you think of what rhymes with ‘fox?’”
Honeykit tilted her head so high in thought, she was practically looking at the leaves in the trees above them. “Uhuhuh! Hawk!”
“You’re right, hawk and fox do rhyme.” Sort of. “Do you think foxes sit on hawks?”
“Hawks won’t like it!”
Fungichomp gasped. “You’re right again! You’re so smart. Do you want to pick something else for foxes to sit on?”
Honeykit nodded vigorously. Then she giggled triumphantly. “Phlox!”
“That’s a big word!” Fungichomp responded, genuinely surprised.
“Fadingstar saided it and I like it,” Honeykit explained.
“I like it too! Phlox! Phlox! Phlox!”
Honeykit laughed more fully, eyes narrowed in her joy. Fungichomp felt just as warm. Of all the tasks he had in the Daycare, taking care of kits one-on-one were by far his favourite of them all. They continued on until the story finished, Honeykit bursting out in laughter–again–at the ending.
Fungichomp waited until she was fully asleep, head flopped on his foreleg, then slowly stood up. Gently, he took her by the scruff and into the napping den, where she was placed onto her nest with only a wriggling toe of protest. Her fathers should be picking her up soon. Rookstorm had gotten into a tussle with Applefoot, and both toms had gotten sick from infected wounds–because of those, sickness follows cats here, too–and Aspenroot had to train his apprentice, so Kiteburn took their litter here until they could set things back in order.
Not for the first time, in fact, it happened every time he blinked at a kit, he was glad that he decided to make the Daycare–though he would forever be furious that he needed to. But before that anger could settle any deeper than a passing thought, Mellowkit rushed toward him. “I found a ant!” he announced loudly.
“Why don’t you show me?” Fungichomp suggested, and followed the little tom across the small clearing.
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--A NICE story? Written by me? And not of the same characters I write about all the time? What is happening????
Lol yeah I got inspired because I’m working at a Daycare. I’m still just starting, so I don’t know how right the speech is (mainly for Fungi’s responses), but I think it’s pretty okay.
--Surely not all stories parents tell their kits are warnings. Some can just be goofy fun! This is a very slightly edited version of Frog On A Log.
--Fungi belongs to @wills-woodland-warriors
Honeykit/flower was named and designed by @starfalcon555 who also owns Rookstorm
Mellowkit/tooth belongs to @ambitiousauthor at this point in time, he only has a single mama, so she probably uses the Daycare often for support.
This would also make Mellowkit and Honeykit least five moons of the same age.
