Once there was a Rabbit named Lute. He lived in a forest, and wore a brown scarf, and carried a magical instrument. This instrument would let him do almost anything. If the forest was burned he could play a song to make the trees grow. If the fruits were bitter he could play a note to sweeten them. If the river ran dry he would sing a song and the water would come rushing back.
Of course not all was peaceful in this forest. A fox with red eyes threatened the animals of the forest almost every other day. But every time he tried to harm even but one animal, or destroy one tree, the rabbit was there to stop him.
One day he was fed up with always losing. So he called the wise Raven and asked for help.
“Dear Fox, why should I help you?” asked the raven, “You who almost everyday tries to destroy my home and the homes of everyone?”
“Because, Oh Raven, I have failed so many times I wish for just one victory, and you are kind enough to help us who have wishes.”
Indeed he did, and so the raven, knowing it was a foolish idea, took pity on this poor creature, and agreed to help him beat Lute, just once. And so the next day when it began to rain, Lute was about to stop the rain for his friends, and that’s when they attacked.
They sprung up from behind him, and knocked away his instrument before he could play even one note. The proceeded to beat him. Lute fell to almost unconscious, next to his instrument. He played a few strings and began to heal himself. Just as he felt fine again, the fox and raven attacked again. They repeated this a total of 4 more times. This time Lute waited a little longer so they would leave, and then got up and began to heal.
But while he recovered, he sang a sad song to the sky. Asking for help, saying he had failed and would not be able to protect the forest alone anymore.
The rain began to clear, and with the final drop, a blossom appeared for a strange plant, never before seen. This plant gave birth to a tiny elf, wearing a green cloak.
And so the elf said Lute, “I shall give you what you wish. I shall remove the evil fox and all evil for that matter. No harm shall come, no drought, no hunger, exactly what you want. However to do this I need something for myself. How about your magic? I shall take your magical abilities from your music, and everything will be peaceful.”
And in that moment of desperation, the rabbit said, “Deal.”
And so the elf flew through the forest, and the fox disappeared. He told the animals that no more disaster with fall them, and they were pleased. They decided to give their thanks by all dressing in the same green robe, and giving him the sweetest of fruits, leaving the same sweetness for everyone else.
They played games as normal, and had fun all was going smoothly.
But as time passed the animals started praising the elf more and more, and having less and less fun. For they saw praising the elf as fun.
The raven appeared sometime later and found the rabbit, who still wore his brown scarf, and didn’t praise the elf, preferring to play small games by himself.
“Oh rabbit, oh rabbit, why have you abandoned your people?”
“I have not abandoned them. They are happy. I made a deal with the elf to protect them.”
“Oh what a fool you are! Have you not seen them? They all do the same thing, wear the same clothes, and think the same thoughts. They haven’t done anything for the past through the past two days but praise the elf. They are sacrificing their lives and individuality for this ‘peace’ that you made.”
“But...”
“But nothing! They have become nothing more than slaves! And yet here you are slacking in your job!”
“Oh my. How could I have been so blind. Raven please help me to the elf, I must set things right!”
And so the two flew off to the elf’s home, high on top of a tree.
Upon entrance the rabbit began to question the elf. As he did, he approached the elf, looking down on it, angrily while the elf backed away.
“Elf, oh elf, why have you broken our promise?”
“I have done no such thing, I made peace.”
“No you made slaves, forcing them to work for a tyrant who can do anything! I refuse to let you harm them. They need their own lives back!”
“And at the destruction of peace?”
“It will not be the destruction of peace, it will be the continued search for it.”
“And what will you do when the fox returns?”
“I’ll think of something, because there is no good without evil.”
By this point the elf was on the edge of a limb in his tree. So the rabbit grabbed his instrument, and played an off key, and the limb retracted, plummeting the elf to the ground. Upon the death of the elf, the fox returned, and the animals shed their clothes going back to their homes and forgetting the events of the past week had ever happened.
“So,” said the raven, “what will you do now Lute?”
“I think... I think I’m gonna go check on the animals and make sure everyone is safe.”
And so the rabbit would forever guard the forest. Protecting it from any harm that would come it’s way.