The Girl and the Paper Rabbit

The Girl and the Paper Rabbit - Author : Ebru Mina TOMURCUK

Maya sat under the big oak tree with her sketchbook open on her knees. She wore her favorite yellow t-shirt with the little red star and blue overall shorts. A pencil was tucked behind her ear, ready for drawing. Today she wanted to draw something special. She thought and thought, then smiled. She began to draw a rabbit. 1

Maya drew a small white rabbit with long floppy ears and a tiny pink nose. She added a blue ribbon around its neck and faint pencil lines on its back. When she finished, she closed her eyes and made a wish. 'I wish you could hop right off the page,' she whispered. Then she opened her eyes and gasped. The rabbit was moving! 2

The paper rabbit wiggled its ears and blinked its dot eyes. 'Hello!' it said in a tiny, cheerful voice. 'I'm Pip! Thanks for drawing me!' Maya's big brown eyes went wide with wonder. 'You're alive!' she cried. Pip hopped onto her hand and bowed. 'Come with me,' he said. 'I know a secret world between the pages!' 3

Pip hopped to the edge of the sketchbook and jumped onto the paper. 'Follow me!' he called. Maya took a deep breath and stepped onto the page. Suddenly the paper rippled like water, and she tumbled into a world of soft colors and folded shapes. The sky was made of pale-blue paper, and the trees were folded like origami. 'Welcome to the Sketchbook World!' Pip cheered. 4

Pip led Maya along a path made of pencil lines. 'Watch your step!' he warned. 'The lines can wiggle!' Maya laughed as the path curved and twisted. They passed paper flowers that opened and closed, and a river of blue crayon that flowed uphill. 'This is amazing!' Maya said. Pip bounced ahead. 'Wait till you see the Paper Birds!' 5

Just then, a flock of tiny paper birds fluttered down. Their cream and pale-blue bodies had visible fold lines, and a few wore tiny paper flowers on their heads. 'Hello, Maya!' they chirped. 'We've been expecting you!' They flew around her in a happy circle. 'We'll show you the way to the Rainbow Bridge,' said one bird. 'But first, you must meet Grumble!' 6

The paper birds led Maya and Pip to a grumpy-looking gnome. He was knee-high with a long white beard and a brown pointed hat. He held a giant pencil like a walking stick. 'Who's making all this noise?' he grumbled. 'I'm Grumble, guardian of the secret paths.' Maya smiled politely. 'I'm Maya. Pip brought me here.' Grumble raised a bushy eyebrow. 'A human? Hmph!' 7

Pip hopped forward. 'Maya drew me, Grumble! She's my friend.' Grumble stroked his beard. 'Well, since you're Pip's friend, I suppose you can stay. But you must be careful. The paths between pages can be tricky.' He tapped his giant pencil on the ground. 'I'll help you find your way home when it's time.' Maya nodded. 'Thank you, Grumble!' 8

Grumble led them to a bridge made of rainbow-colored paper strips. 'Cross carefully,' he warned. 'The bridge likes to bounce!' Maya stepped on first, and the bridge wobbled. She giggled and held Pip's paw. 'We can do this together!' They bounced and wobbled across, laughing all the way. The paper birds flew above, cheering them on. 'You're almost there!' they chirped. 9

On the other side of the bridge, they found a field of paper mushrooms that popped up and down like music notes. Pip hopped from mushroom to mushroom. 'Catch me if you can!' he called. Maya chased him, her red sneakers bouncing on the soft paper ground. They played hide-and-seek among the giant mushrooms until Maya was out of breath and giggling. 'This is the best adventure ever!' she said. 10

Suddenly, Maya noticed the sky turning gray. 'Uh-oh,' said Pip. 'The pages are closing. We need to get you home before the sketchbook shuts!' Maya felt a little worried. 'How do we get back?' she asked. Grumble appeared beside them. 'Don't worry,' he said kindly. 'I know a shortcut. Follow me!' He led them to a path of golden pencil lines. 11

Grumble tapped his giant pencil, and the golden path glowed. 'This path leads straight to the sketchbook's edge,' he said. 'But you must hurry!' Maya and Pip ran along the glowing lines, with the paper birds flying ahead. 'We're almost there!' chirped the birds. Maya could see the edge of the page, shimmering like a doorway. 'Thank you, Grumble!' she called. 'You're welcome, little artist,' he smiled. 12

Maya and Pip reached the shimmering edge. 'I'll miss you,' Maya said, hugging Pip gently. 'Don't worry,' Pip said. 'I'll always be here in your sketchbook. Just draw me again!' He handed her a tiny paper flower. 'A gift from the Sketchbook World.' Maya tucked it into her pocket. 'I'll never forget you,' she said. Then she stepped through the shimmering doorway. 13

Maya blinked and found herself back under the oak tree. Her sketchbook lay open on her knees, and there was her drawing of Pip, looking exactly as she had drawn him. But now he had a tiny blue ribbon and a cheerful smile. Maya touched the paper gently. 'Thank you, Pip,' she whispered. She knew that whenever she wanted, she could visit him again. 14

Maya picked up her pencil and began to draw a new picture. This time, she drew the paper birds and Grumble with his giant pencil. She added a rainbow bridge and a field of bouncing mushrooms. Her imagination had created a whole world, and she could visit it anytime she wanted. She smiled, feeling happy and proud.