If you think you are strong Mr. Big, then you're entirely wrong! For it isn't width and height -- it's muscle and sinews that win the fight!

Read the Great Tale and find out how Rosebud gets the better of the Whale and the Elephant.

A Day in the Life of the Rabbit follows our star on a typically hectic day.

Learn how to cook from our long-eared Gourmet in Rosebud's Cookbook.

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In a field of grass-green grass
Violets and sassafrass,
Far away from war and blood
And the cannons awful thud,
With no need to scram or scud
Lived a rabbit named Rosebud.

If Rosebud had not found a book
Floating past him in the brook,
He'd be doing nothing more
Today than on the day before.

But with the aid of a bent stick
He fished the book out of the crick,
Dried the pictures and the text,
Looked at the cover, and inside next.

This is the wise old Elephant
and it is most significant
that whatever is true or imaginant
irrelevant, or relevant
it's never forgotten by the Elephant.

The Whale can exhale and inhale
tons of water as if it were ale
and swallow fine dishes
of thousands of fishes
far too many to count 'em
from his head sprouts a fountain
and the circumference of his taille
makes him the largest mammaille.

The only praise for the rabbit
is that he knows how to run and co-habit.
His eyes are scared, his face is pale.
He lives in a burrow and has a white tail
and he has much less courage than a snail.
The only time when the rabbit is not
a nuisance, is when he's stewed in a pot.

Rosebud quickly closed the book
And threw it back into the brook.
And then he heard a noise
And for a moment his voice trembled
As he defied
Himself and cried:
"I will not budge, I will not run--
I'm going to see where this noise comes from!"

He ran down to the sea and saw a whale
Rosebud's eyes were wide, his face was pale
But he shouted:
"Hey--you--you--Fantasy
of fat and blubber, come--listen to me!
Anyone with eyes can see you are big
and amply proportioned--and so is the pig!
But if you think you are strong,
Mr. Big, then you're entirely wrong
For it isn't width and height
It's muscle and sinews that win the fight!"

"You're so small", said the whale, "you're just an elf."
"Oh, go on", said the rabbit, "go scuttle yourself!"
"But if there's any courage that you can borrow
You'll be back here and meet me before tomorrow.
In the meantime I'll go and get a stout rope,
One end of it is for you I hope.
The other I will tie around me,
Then I will count slowly up to three.
We both pull, and without fail
You'll be dragged out of the water by your tail!"

The whale agreed to return
He turned his tail astern
He said goodbye and after
Swam away in high swells of laughter.
He said to himself "I'm an old whale
I have lived through many a tempest and gale
I eat shrimp and mussels
But I don't know a thing about muscles.
I shall take the rope and grab it
And that will be the end of the rabbit!"

The rabbit didn't stand any more along the shore
Where he stood before.
he ran and he said "I'll see if I can't
Find a good sized Elephant."

"Ah here you are - Big head, small tail.
When looking at you, I cannot fail
To observe that people of such bulk
Are nothing but an empty hulk...
It isn't width or size or height
It's sinews and muscles that win the fight!"

"I've just had dinner", the Elephant said.
"I've just laid down to rest my head.
Oh leave me alone, I wish to rest
To rest is what I love the best oh blessed rest.
As for the rest my life is peace--My enemies are few
My friends are litttle people like you.
Oh go away--go jump, skip, spurt
I might roll over and then you'll get hurt."

The Elephant who wore an earring
Was rather hard of sight and hearing,
Besides he also had the gout
And therefore Rosebud had to shout
His challenge twice and then once more,
The same thing he told the whale before
And at the end he said "I'll bet
You won't show up, because you'll forget."
"That is not so", said the Elephant
"I remember it all, but I can't
See your point--haw haw--Sir,
You say that you'll bring a hawser
Which you have hidden in a ditch
And one of the two ends of which
You are going to tie around your middle
And I pull on the other, whole thing's a riddle.
Exercise is good for me,
But I'd rather uproot some house or a tree
Because I'm an Elephant you see.
If I were you, I'd toddle along.
For a rabbit, sir, I think you're awfully strong."
He looked around, but Rosebud was gone.