The Smooth Little Pebble and the Garden Bunny

The morning sun was gentle over Lake Stevens. It shone through the big living room window. It made golden squares on the warm wooden floor.

Shaurya was sitting on his soft blue play mat. His little toes wriggled. Wriggle, wriggle, wriggle. His little hands patted the floor. Pat, pat, pat.

Mamma sat right beside him. Her smile was as bright as the morning sun. "Good morning, my little sweet Shaurya," she whispered.

Baba walked in with two cups of warm tea. He wore his soft gray sweater. "Good morning, little explorer," Baba said with a gentle laugh. "The rain has stopped outside. The garden is waiting for us."

Mamma put Shaurya in his cozy yellow jacket. It had tiny ears on the hood. Baba tied Shaurya's little red shoes. Tap, tap went the little shoes. Tap, tap, tap.

Mamma held one little hand. Baba held the other little hand. Together, step by step, they walked out through the back door into the fresh morning air.

The air smelled clean. It smelled like wet green grass, sweet fir trees, and rich earth. Everything in the Pacific Northwest was clean and bright after the rain.

Down on the garden path, the ground was cool. Little drops of water rested on green blades of grass. Drip, drop. Drip, drop.

Shaurya bent his knees and crouched down low. His bright, big eyes saw something special near his shoes.

It was not a stick. It was not a leaf. It was a little stone.

"Look at that," Baba said softly, kneeling down on the gravel. "That is a pebble. In Bengali, we call a stone a paathar."

Shaurya reached out his small fingers. He picked up the little gray pebble.

It was round. It was cool. It had no sharp corners at all.

Shaurya turned it over in his hand. Turn, turn, turn.

"Is it smooth, Shaurya?" Mamma asked, touching the little stone with her fingertip. "Yes, so smooth. Water in the lake washed this stone for a long, long time. The lake made it round and soft to touch."

Shaurya held the smooth stone close. He felt how cool it was. Cool against his warm palm.

He placed the stone gently back onto the ground. Roll, roll, roll went the little stone. It rested happily in the soft dirt.

Then, Shaurya heard a tiny sound.

Rustle, rustle, rustle.

Shaurya looked up. Mamma looked up. Baba looked up.

Near the edge of the fence grew a big green bush. The bush had round green leaves and little dark purple berries.

"Look at those blackberries," whispered Mamma. "They are sweet. So mishti. Mishti means sweet, Shaurya."

Rustle, rustle, rustle went the leaves again.

Out from beneath the green leaves peeked two long, brown ears.

The ears were tall. The ears twitched. Twitch, twitch, twitch.

Then out came a tiny brown nose. The nose wiggled. Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.

Out stepped a little wild rabbit. It had soft brown fur and a tiny round tail like a cotton ball.

Shaurya's eyes grew wide. He pointed his little finger. "Ooh!" Shaurya whispered.

"Shh," Baba said with a warm, quiet smile. "Look at our garden friend. A bunny."

The bunny did not make any loud noise. It was very, very quiet.

The bunny took one hop. Hop!

Then it took another hop. Hop!

And one more hop. Hop!

Hop, hop, hop went the little bunny across the soft green grass.

Shaurya bounced on his little knees. Bounce, bounce, bounce. He wanted to hop just like the bunny.

The bunny stopped near a dandelion leaf. Its little mouth went nibble, nibble, nibble. Crunch, crunch, crunch. It was eating its morning breakfast.

Shaurya watched with wonder. He did not yell. He did not run. He was so gentle and still. He knew the little bunny liked quiet friends.

Mamma softly sang a little tune:

Little bunny in the green, Softest friend we ever seen. Hop, hop, on your way, In our garden you can play.

The bunny finished its green leaf. It turned its fluffy head. It looked at Shaurya with shiny, dark eyes.

Shaurya blinked. The bunny blinked.

Then, with two more quiet hops—hop, hop—the bunny slid back under the leafy blackberry bush and disappeared into the ferns.

"Bye-bye, bunny," whispered Baba.

Shaurya waved his small hand. Bye-bye, bunny.

The morning was full of little treasures. A smooth, round pebble. A sweet, purple berry. A quiet, hopping bunny.

A gentle breeze blew through the tall cedar trees. Swoosh, swoosh, went the branches high above. The breeze tickled Shaurya's cheeks.

Baba lifted Shaurya up high in his strong arms. Shaurya rested his head on Baba's shoulder. He felt so safe and tall.

"Time to go inside for warm food," said Mamma, rubbing Shaurya's back.

Inside the warm kitchen, Mamma placed a little bowl of yellow khichuri on the high chair tray. The khichuri was soft, warm, and made of rice and lentils with a tiny drop of pure ghee. It smelled so good and comforting.

Mamma fed Shaurya with a little spoon. Open big, yum, yum, yum. Shaurya ate his warm breakfast. Every bite was mishti and good.

After breakfast, Baba carried Shaurya upstairs for a warm bath. The water in the tub went splash, splash, splash. Shaurya loved the warm jol. Jol is the water that makes everything clean and cozy.

Tiny soap bubbles floated in the air. Pop went a bubble! Pop, pop, pop.

Shaurya laughed. He splashed his little feet. Splash, splash, splash.

Soon, Shaurya was all wrapped up in a big, fluffy white towel. Baba dried his soft black hair. Mamma put on his softest bedtime pajamas, the ones covered in tiny green trees.

The sun began to dip behind the mountains across Lake Stevens. The sky turned from blue to soft pink, and then to a quiet, starry dark.

Outside the bedroom window, the garden was sleeping. The smooth little pebble was resting on the path. The sweet blackberry bush was resting in the breeze. The little bunny was fast asleep in its cozy nest beneath the ferns.

Mamma turned the soft lamp on low. She held Shaurya close in the rocking chair. Creak, rock. Creak, rock.

Mamma began to sing the Bengali lullaby Shaurya loved best:

Ghumparani mashi pishi moder bari esho, Khat nai palong nai khokar chokhe bosho...

Shaurya let out a tiny, soft yawn. A big yawn for a little boy.

He rubbed his sleepy eyes with his little fist.

Baba leaned down and kissed Shaurya's warm forehead. "Goodnight, Shaurya. You found such smooth stones today. You watched such quiet bunnies today. You are our good, gentle boy."

Mamma gently laid Shaurya down into his warm, cozy crib. His little blanket was tucked softly around his shoulders.

Shaurya looked up at the window. Out in the night sky, the bright, round chaand—the silver moon—was smiling down through the evergreen branches.

The room was warm. The house was quiet. Everything was safe and peaceful.

Shaurya closed his eyes. His breathing became slow and steady. In and out. In and out.

Goodnight, Lake Stevens. Goodnight, tall trees. Goodnight, little hopping bunny. Goodnight, smooth little pebble.

Goodnight, sweet Shaurya. Sleep tight.