Wonder. I'm Virginia Madsen and this is little stories everywhere.

Each episode will bring you stories for kids that spark the imagination,

take you to other worlds and bring joy.

This is the velveteen rabbit by Marjorie Williams,

part one of two. You were real to the boy, the fairy said because he loved you.

There was once a velveteen rabbit and in the beginning he was really splendid.

He was

spotted brown and white, and he had been. His coat was spotted brown and white,

and he had real thread whiskers

and his ears were lined with pink satine.

On Christmas morning, when he sat wedged in the top of the boy stocking,

with a sprig of Holly between between his paws the effect was charming

There were other things in the stocking nuts and oranges and a toy engine and chocolate almonds and a clockwork mouse

But the rabbit was quite the best of all.

For at least two hours, the boy loved him.

And then, aunts and uncles came to dinner, and there was a great rustling of tissue paper and

unrapping of parcels. And in the excitement of looking at all the new presents,

the velveteen rabbit was forgotten.

For a long time he lived in the toy cupboard or on the nursery floor,

and no one thought very much about him. He was naturally shy and

being only made of velveteen some of the more expensive toys quite snubbed him.

The mechanical toys were very superior and looked down upon everyone else.

...