The Reluctant Rabbit



Divide the group into four smaller groups and assign each group one of the words listed below. Read the story. After each of the words is read pause for the group to make the appropriate response.

JOE "Abracadabra!"
RABBITflop hands like ears and wiggle nose
HATtip imaginary hat
DOG"Wooooooof!"


JOE____ was very busy. It was only a few days until the Pack Meeting and he was still trying to perfect his disappearing RABBIT____ trick. All of the other Cub Scouts already had their tricks ready. But JOE____ was having a little trouble. He had his black top HAT____ and a very nice little RABBIT____ and JOE____ even knew exactly how to do the RABBIT____ in the HAT____ trick, but the RABBIT____ would not cooperate.

Just then JOE'S ___ DOG____ came bounding into the room. "Wooooooooof!" said the DOG____. He was a very large DOG____ and the minute the RABBIT____ saw him, he bolted for under the bed, toppling the HAT____ and just about knocking JOE____ off the bed. "DOG____," shouted JOE____, "get down, you keep scaring my RABBIT____. And I was already having enough trouble with him." The DOG____ hung his head in shame. He was really a very good DOG____ and did not mean to scare the RABBIT____. JOE____ reached under the bed and pulled out the RABBIT____. JOE____ petted the RABBIT____ and soon he was calm. "Now let's practice," JOE____ said. He took the HAT____ and after waving the magic wand a few times he put the RABBIT____ into the HAT____. But the RABBIT____ would not stay in the HAT____. JOE'S ___ DOG____ saw quietly and watched. Nothing JOE____ did seemed to help.

JOE____ was getting frustrated. He put the HAT____ on his own head and sat down on the bed. The HAT____ fell down around JOE 'S ___ eyes so he could not see. "Boy, it's dark in here," he said. That was when it hit him. The RABBIT____ had claustrophobia and was afraid of the dark. Every time JOE____ put him in the HAT____ the RABBIT____ got very nervous and tried to escape. JOE____ patted his DOG____ on the head and thought and thought. He didn't have time to train another RABBIT____. What could he do?

Then JOE____ had a bright idea. He opened the top drawer of his bureau and began searching through all his stuff. His DOG____ came over to help. Soon JOE____ found what he was looking for -- his penlight. He put it in the bottom of the HAT____ and turned on the light. Then he took the RABBIT____, waved the magic wand and stuffed the RABBIT____ into the HAT____. This time, with the light to keep him calm, the RABBIT____ stayed. "Hurray!" shouted JOE____, "now I can do my trick." And sure enough, the RABBIT____ had disappeared, the HAT____ was empty! Even the DOG____ was surprised!

And the LIBRARIAN ___? Will, the LIBRARIAN ___ looked around the library at the floating feathers, the muddy floor, the disarranged books, the overturned tables and the broken chairs. And then, all of a sudden, the LIBRARIAN ___ screamed EVERYBODY____!

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