Rabbits come in all sizes, forms, and magicks. Some rabbits give, some take, some rabbits are created magic, and others create magicks... Some, sadly, just destroy. Rabbits are a lot like people.

Fluffy, Creator Apprentice 1, struggled with his new book on the second day of classes. His book, Magick 101-for beginners, was hard to deal with and heavy too. Bigger rabbits did not seem to have much of a problem, but Fluffy did. Wriggling his nose in frustration, Fluffy looked at the book. It seemed very big to him. "Books," he grumbled to himself, "They seem like a human frustration device. They are just a human problem, he pouted. I think they were made to frustrate real people like me!" His floppy ears drooped to the floor, as he tried to think of other ways he might become a magician. His glossy gray fur even seemed to lose its shine as he went over his first homework assignment. He sat back on his rear feet and sadly remembered class yesterday morning as he munched his breakfast.

Standing tall like an almighty king, before his captive class of timid bunnies, Stumper looked at the class. Stumper growled in his high rabbit squeak,

"You will read Chapter One of your text book and complete the assignment at the end of the chapter. You will return here at dawn the day after tomorrow with your assignment completed...or else. He paused, looked around sternly at his students.

"I will hopefully see you all then, Good day." Stumper was a big rabbit, very famous and very old. He was a Wizard, Department Ear, and three-time winner of the incredible Magic Carrot Award. Only one other rabbit had ever won that award three times.

The class of 22 bunnies looked at him with fear shining out of their eyes. One bunny, Sparkey raised his right ear. Stumper wriggled his nose in disdain, and responded.

"Yes, Sparkey, What is it?"

Sparkey blurted a desperate, "What...does...'or else' mean, your Magick sir?"

"This..." snarled Stumper, glowering at Sparkey as Sparkey suddenly poofed, never to be seen in class again. Some reports many years later, said he became a Buddhist philosopher.

The class was stunned by his disappearance. That class ended on a very low note, that night. Not a single ear left the ground as the 21 students slowly and quietly filed out of the forest glen, where they met.

Fluffy awoke excited and a little scared. He had to do his homework...'or else!" As he crawled out of his burrow to go get some breakfast. His mother heard him and called out, "Don't forget your chores, Fluffy! I do not want to see you playing with your book until everyone of them are done!"

"Shucks" muttered Fluffy. He snuck into the nearest garden and gnawed some greens. He was looking for carrots, peas or broccoli, when he heard the Dog. Ears reaching high, Fluffy fled as fast as he could move! That Dog had caught several rabbits in the past weeks. It was rare that the Dog was outside this early in the day!

Safe at home, finally, Fluffy breathed a deep sigh of relief. Slowly he completed the 37 chores on his daily list. A rabbits work is hard work. That why they say, "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a rabbit healthy, wealthy and wise!" Now the day was almost gone... Tired, Fluffy at last, pulled the gray cord around his waist. He used the special rabbit wiggle he had learned the very first day of class. Pop, the book appeared and plopped down directly in front of his nose on the ground. The book was big, red, with golden letters, wrapped in the gray cord. When he wiggled his nose "just so", it came out of whatever Magick space it hid in. After all Rabbits aren't bears! Books can be pretty heavy!

Fluffy studied the book from all angles, sometimes causing it to disappear, again and again. In only about 30 minutes he heard Mum announce, "Time for bed," in her sweet mother voice. Fluffy's ears drooped and he slowly crawled off to bed, defeated.

Day 2

Fluffy awoke shivering. His entire body shook in fear. His dreams had become Dogmares. They had been filled with nothing but working to open the book and with the Dog catching him every time it did not open. Looking even more defeated than when he went to bed, Fluffy slowly crawled out of the burrow to a bright rising sun. His eyes began to fill with fear, tears, and frustration. Thoughts of failure made black roads through his mind. His Mam came over to him. And brushed him gently with her nose.

"It's all right hunny bunny." She gently told him. "Your teacher and I chatted on the Internet. He told me you have all day today to do your homework. He thought you might need the whole day too! So, there are no chores for you today." She gave him an adoring look and magically dropped a carrot at his feet. He tried to dry his eyes and looked at Mam with a desperate 'help me" expression.

"How do I open the book?" he wailed.

Mam hushed him with her nose and a rather stern look. She whispered in his ear, "You are the Creator Apprentice, be creative!"

Mam left to complete all the chores. She completed both her chores and Fluffy's chores. Fluffy stared at the book and its magical cord as he munched the carrot, puzzled yet hopeful He stared at that book all morning, trying first this idea, then trying that idea. After 23 ideas had failed he felt like a human child being told over and over again. "Wrong. Do it again" Of course, he was just a rabbit telling himself that he was wrong. But when you have told yourself that so many times, you just get tired! At least that is what happens to rabbit Creator Apprentices! Finally, after 15 more ideas failed, night decided to come home. There was a rosy glow as the Sun said good night. It sent its last dimming lights to the wispy cottontail clouds and then the Sun began to go to sleep.

Mam hollered "Bedtime in 30 minutes."

Fluffy shook in fear as the black cloud blew through his head screaming "Fail Fail Fail!" Fluffy went wild in panic. He hopped, eeing a high fearful complaint to the Sun, who had already left. Mam heard him and quickly hopped over. She rubbed noses to calm him down. Mam said,

"C'mon, hunny bunny. You can solve this problem. I know you can."

She giggled, "No hunny, I can't give you the answer."

"But..but..but..." Fluffy stuttered.

Mum shushed him with her nose and said firmly, "You can do it."

Twenty-three minutes later, Fluffy did!

Do you want to know how he did it? It wasn't magic, and neither is this. Highlight the marked space below and you will see what happened.

As time began to run out Fluffy got more and more desperate, then he slowly began to get angry. With the anger, his fear ran away and hid. He could see what did not work and that left him with only one idea. What do you think it was? Well...

Here is what he read:

He understood and smiled. He had all the instructions with only one reading. He tried them twice, but they didn't work. He went from being the biggest rabbit ever born to being a stupid dumb bunny. It all happened in one heartbeat.

Then Mam interrupted. "Bedtime!"

Fluffy looked at her in agony, "but...but... but.."

Did he? Did it work? Look for Chapter Two.