The Search for Shiny Things: Part 8

“Catch the rabbit!” the pony roared and struggled to its hooves and rushed after it. “Rabbit! Come back here!”

Dazed, wondering how such a fluffy cuddly-looking animal as a pony could be so heavy and have such a terrifying voice, the teddy peeled itself off the ground. It thought something small flew by, and then something big, and the teddy shook its head until some stuffing fell out and it didn't dare shake anymore. And then the rabbit ran past, and then the pony, and then the rabbit, and then the pony, and the teddy watched with growing fascination for how long they would keep running without actually getting pretty much anywhere.

Lap for lap, the rabbit and the pony kept going, round and round and round. The teddy made half-hearted attempts at catching the leash trailing behind the rabbit as it zipped by, not half-hearted because teddies didn't technically have a heart, but because it was entirely if not absolutely convinced that it had no chance whatsoever to catch it. Nonetheless the pony kept roaring at it to catch the rabbit every time is galloped past and sounded so terrifying that the teddy kept making gestures as if it was trying.

Much time passed in this way, before the teddy started wondering about something. The next time the pony rushed by the teddy tried to ask, but despite going for so long, the pony still kept good speed. Although not as fast as the rabbit. And so with each lap, the teddy got more and more convinced that the reason neither of them got anywhere was because they were chasing each other.

“You should stop,” the teddy bear told the pony, but was thoroughly ignored.

“What do rabbits do-

-when they are frightened?” the teddy bear asked the two consequent laps.

“Run and hide,” the pony answered the next lap.

“Then why is it not hiding?” the teddy bear managed to ask by speaking very quickly.

The pony pondered that for another two laps.

“You should stop,” the teddy bear repeated, then, and this time the pony stopped.

And like a clock the rabbit completed its lap and caught up to the pony and hid between its legs.

The pony bent its head down and stared at the little quivering fluff. “Well,” the pony admitted, somewhat reluctantly, “now I feel stupid.” Then raised it head and stretched its neck and stared off at the horizon as a gust of wind lifted its mane in glorious waves. “And energized! All this running got my blood pumping! I'm a full-blood pony, let me tell you, not some pesky half-breed! I was so tired, I forgot what it was like to run.”

The teddy wondered if getting your blood pumping was anything like getting your stuffing fluffed, and whether or not stuffing fluffing could be achieved by running as well. The teddy thought long and hard on that because it was not going to try. When the thinking was done, the pony had trotted off quite a long way.

“Hey! Where are you going?” the teddy asked.

“To find the candle-maker, and get a candle, and be out at night, and...”

Not wanting to listen to that entire story again, the teddy bear waved a paw good-bye and set off in the other direction. “I helped,” the teddy realized.