The Huffy Little Bunny

Deep in the forest stood a great big oak tree.

On the oak tree was a little round door—that was Chestnut's Pharmacy.

This afternoon, Chestnut was lining up his candies, one by one, nice and neat.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

Somebody came stomping into the pharmacy.

"Chestnut! Chestnut!"

It was a little bunny. His cheeks were puffed up big, and his feet stomped loud, loud, loud.

The little bunny's name was Bouncy.

"I'm so, so angry today!" Bouncy said in a great big voice.

"I'm angry enough to stomp my feet! Angry enough to shout!"

Bouncy stomped his foot. STOMP!

"I built a stone tower, taller than me!"

"Then my little sister Hoppy came running—bump!—and knocked it all down!"

"Now my heart feels hot inside, like there's a little flame, burning and burning."

"That feeling," Chestnut said softly, "is called feeling angry."

"When the little flame in your heart starts to burn, and you want to stomp and shout—that's feeling angry."

Chestnut pushed up his round glasses.

"Hmm... let me think..."

He turned around and looked at the jars on the shelf.

"Aha! This jar right here!"

Chestnut climbed up his little ladder, reaching for a green jar.

The ladder wibbled and wobbled, wibbled and wobbled—

"Whoa-oh-oh-oh!"

CRASH!

Down went Chestnut again, and green candies rolled everywhere.

Chestnut straightened his crooked glasses and brushed the candy dust off his fur.

"I-I'm fine. A pharmacist must stay calm."

Bouncy couldn't help but giggle. "Pfft."

Hmm? The little flame from before... it felt just a tiny bit smaller.

Chestnut picked up one candy and placed it gently in Bouncy's paw.

"This is the Green Breathe-Easy Candy."

"Once you eat it, you'll think of a good way to make the little flame smaller."

Bouncy looked at the candy. It was round and green, like a tiny little leaf.

Bouncy put the candy in his mouth.

It was sweet. It was cool.

He hopped toward home, thinking and thinking, thinking and thinking...

Hop, hop, hop—and there he was, back at the meadow.

The moment Bouncy saw the fallen stone tower—

FWOOSH! The little flame in his heart flared right up again!

He wanted to stomp! He wanted to shout!

Then Bouncy remembered the Green Breathe-Easy Candy.

That's right... breathe easy...

He took a deep, deep breath, and let it out slowly.

"Whooo—"

One more time. "Whooo—"

And the little flame in his heart grew smaller... and smaller.

When the little flame was small, Bouncy said, nice and slow:

"Hoppy, I was really angry just now. The tower I built fell down."

Hoppy hung her head.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to knock it over."

"Then... want to build a new one together?"

The two little bunnies stacked and stacked, and this time, the tower was even taller than before!

Bouncy hopped back to the pharmacy.

"Chestnut! Your candy is magic! I thought of a good way!"

"Did you now?" Chestnut asked with a smile.

"Who do you think thought of it—the candy, or you?"

Bouncy tilted his head and thought for a moment.

"It was... me! I thought of it myself!"

"That's right," said Chestnut.

"It's okay to feel angry. Everyone feels angry sometimes."

"Next time the little flame starts to burn, remember: first breathe out—whooo—and then use your words."

"Thank you, Chestnut."

"I-I'm fine. A pharmacist must stay calm."

But Chestnut's cheeks turned pink.

Bouncy hopped off happily, boing, boing, all the way home.

Chestnut watched him go, and pushed his crooked glasses back up.

Then he turned around and put the green jar back on the shelf.

Who will come knocking tomorrow, I wonder?