Have you ever seen a one eared jack rabbit? Well, I'll tell you. It's an old, old story that my grandfather once told me. And before that, his grandfather told it to him. It goes like this... A long, long time ago, in a far away field, a mother rabbit was curled up in a deep warm hole among the briars. One by one, baby bunnies began filling her small warm home. One, two, three, four ... twelve bunnies in all. Beautiful bunnies with deep almond eyes and coats of rich browns and snow whites. Mother rabbit was so proud of the handsome twelve. Another bunny was yet to be born and the mother rabbit waited impatiently for the late arrival of the last baby bunny. Finally the 13th bunny was born. Yet this was no ordinary bunny. He had only one ear, blue eyes, and a course spotted coat of brown and white.. It was not long before everyone knew that a very unusual bunny had been born. The Mother rabbit did not know what to do. Her youngest bunny was ridiculed by all who saw him. The other bunnies ran here and there in the fields bouncing each other and getting into mischief, while the one-eared bunny lay alone on his back looking into the blue sky. The white cotton in the sky reminded him of the cotton of a bunny’s tale...some of the cotton puffs in the sky were big and majestic while others were thin and wispy. Closing his eyes so tight, seeing nothing but the red that the heat of the sun brought, he imagined himself as a cloud. Floating on the breeze among the other clouds. The air lifted him higher and higher till he rose above all the other clouds. Str...etch. How...mmm he yawned. POUNCE! Oof! “What are you doing?”, his older bunny brother asked. Wishing I was a cloud, replied the one-eared bunny. Thats silly. Clouds can’t hop or eat carrots. Why would anybunny want to be a cloud!? Feeling a little foolish and embarrassed the one-eared bunny shrugged. The older bunny laughed. Soon the other bunnies joined in, mocking him. The field mice told the squirrels. The squirrels told the swallows. And the swallows flew over the fields, squawking the gossip of the one-eared jack rabbit who thought he was a cloud. The Mother rabbit saw her baby bunny’s sadness as the other animals pointed and whispered as they hopped by. Turning toward a dark green patch in the field she began hopping towards it. “Where are you going momma?”, asked the one-eared bunny, as he hopped quickly behind her. She then stopped in the middle of the dark green patch...of rich tasty clover. “Yum...”., proclaimed the baby rabbit, nibbling some sweet clover. The mother rabbit scooped up her baby, wiggling his nose in startle, and holding him tight she took a piece of the clover in his hand— “What do you see?”, she asked . “A piece of clover momma.” “Tell me, what does the clover look like?”. It’s......green.....and....has one..two...three...leaves.” “Yes.”,said mother rabbit. Setting the bunny down she asked, “Now, how about all the other clover?...What do they look like?”. Looking around for a moment, he turned back to his mother, and sadly responded, “They...are all alike momma– green with three leaves and little stems.” Then momma pointed to a little piece of clover next to his foot..., “How about this one?”. Examining the clover, he noticed it was green...and... one..two..three ... four! leaves. “It’s a four leaf clover momma!”, he proclaimed. Scooping her baby back in her arms she said, “Do you think it tastes as sweet as the other clover?”. “Yes momma.” She picked the little four leaved clover and handed it to the one-eared baby bunny. “Someday you’ll see how lucky you really are because you are different.” Plopping down in the midst of the clover, the small one eared jack rabbit watched as his momma hopped back home. Once again he found himself lying on his back watching the clouds in the sky... “If only I were something more...”, he thought, “Something completely different than what I am...” Hopping swiftly through the forest the one eared jack rabbit went deeper and deeper to a place where the sun dare not even go. “I will become something different. Something truly lucky. Something completely different than what I am.”, proclaimed the bunny. Standing deep in the forest the baby bunny rubbed his eyes as they slowly adjusted to the dark surroundings. Blurs and shadows now gradually becoming lines and images, the baby bunny began taking in his surroundings. Swoof! Completely startled, the bunny hugged the ground as he now looked into the eyes of a big brown tree owl. “Heeellloo...?”, stuttered the rabbit. “Who who?”, said the owl, “Who are you?” “I’m a bunny from the field, but soon I’m going to be something completely different.” “Who you should be is an owl!”, said the bird, “We live high up in the trees above the clouds. I can see the entire forest from my home.” “Above the clouds..Oh I would love to be an owl.” “Whooo wouldn’t. Come with me and I’ll take you to my home in the clouds.” Swooping up the baby bunny, before he could even agree, the owl flew high up in the trees. Sure enough in the midst of the foggy haze of a cloud they approached a hole high up in a tree. Plop. “Is this your home?”, asked the bunny. Standing in front of the small hole, the pompous bird seemed even larger than before. The owls eyes were bright yellow and intensely focused on his small “bunny-ow”l friend. All at once the excitement of living above the clouds sank from the tip of the bunny’s one ear to a lump in his throat. Gulp. “It’s...a nice home...very soft and warm in here...and so high up. You must love being an owl. You’re so kind to let me be an owl with you in your home. I hope its not an inconvenience.” “Who who...said it was an inconvenience. I often invite bunnies to my home, and mice, and small squirrels...” “Slowly the bunny backed into a corner of the hole, shivering...” “It’s getting late.”, replied the owl, “I think I shall have some dinner?” “I’m not hungry.”, replied the rabbit in a small shaky voice. “Who who said you were eating dinner?” His wings spread across the width of the small owl home. As he skipped and fluttered towards the baby bunny. “I don’t want to be an owl!”, shouted the bunny, “I want to be a bunny! A baby bunny with one ear! NO!!!” POUNCE! Oof! “What are you doing?”, asked the bunny’s brother, “Daydreaming again?” Stunned the one-eared jack rabbit sat up. Head spinning, mind racing, and every bunny hair standing on end. Looking down he noticed he was still clutching his little four leaf clover... he had fallen asleep in the clover patch. “I’m not an owl!”, he hoorayed. “You’re one strange bunny.”, said his small bunny brother. “No.”, said the one-eared jack rabbit, “ I’m one lucky little bunny.”