Every morning, a farmer would go to the Rabbit’s hutch and give her a task, which was always the same.
“Rabbit,” he said, “please see how my animals are faring this morning, for I must check on the crops.”
The Rabbit assented and set to work. As Rabbits are quick, she soon found herself face to face with the Cow.
“How are you today, Cow?” she asked.
“I am well, Rabbit,” the Cow replied, “But I wish I had my breakfast!”
The Rabbit sought the farmer’s son, and once the Cow had her food, she was very pleased. Satisfied, the Rabbit moved on to the chickens.
“Hello, chickens! How are you today?” the Rabbit asked.
Rapid voices answered. Although the Rabbit could hardly understand, she surmised that none of them sounded displeased, and so moved on.
Her last stop was the Horse. “Horse, how are you today?”
“I am well,” the Horse replied, “But there is a strange thing in that paddock over there. Would you be so kind as to see what it is? You are far smaller than I, and would not be seen.”
The Rabbit burrowed under the fence and galloped for the paddock. What should she find but a Lion!
“What are you doing here?!” the Rabbit demanded, her surprise overcoming her fear, “Lions do not belong on farms!”
The Lion blinked at her. “I am not a Lion, Rabbit. I am a Horse!”
“But you have a mane!”
“Do Horses not have manes?”
“And a tail!”
“Do Horses not have tails?”
“And claws!”
The Lion paused. “Well—the blacksmith did not cut them properly when I was a foal.”
“You must go at once! The farmer will shoot you!”
But the Lion stubbornly puffed his chest and declared, “I am a Horse. Farmers could always use more Horses.”
Seeing she was not going to deter the beast, the Rabbit said, “Fine. If you claim to be a Horse, prove it for three days!”
The Lion’s eye twinkled. “You have a deal.” Quieter, he added, “Thank you, Rabbit.”
The Rabbit was reasonably surprised once again, as Lions were not in the habit of apologizing to Rabbits. But the Rabbit decided to leave the Lion to his Horse work and sped off to give her report.
“You have a new Horse,” she reluctantly told him, “But he is not a…traditional Horse.”
The farmer asked to see this animal. But when he saw the Lion, he scratched his head and asked, “Will you serve me well?”
The Lion swore to do his utmost.
The farmer shrugged. “Then who am I to argue with a Horse? If he is a Horse, he is a Horse.”
The Rabbit spluttered, but could not argue with the farmer.
Three days passed, and the Lion ate oats, accepted a harness, and helped the farmer dig new holes for crops. He made friends with the other Horse. If his neighs sounded a little growlish, even the Rabbit learned to see hooves where there were claws.
And so the Lion-Horse found his place, and lived his life in acceptance. But he never wore horsehoes.
