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Maked Up Stories: Imaginative Kids Stories

The Velveteen Rabbit

·26 min·2 clips
The Skin Horse reveals that becoming real happens when a child truly loves you, not from how you're made.
The episode begins with hosts Amanda and Jonah introducing a special storytelling format, as Jonah is home sick from camp. Amanda explains they will share her childhood favorite, 'The Velveteen Rabbit', and sets up an activity for listeners: to identify which previous Makeup Stories episodes were inspired by this tale, with a prize for correct answers. The narration starts with the velveteen rabbit's arrival as a Christmas gift, soon forgotten among other toys. He feels inferior in the nursery until the Skin Horse, an old and wise toy, befriends him. The Skin Horse explains that becoming 'real' is not about construction but occurs when a child loves you deeply over time, even if it leads to wear and tear. The rabbit longs for this transformation. The boy eventually takes the rabbit to bed, and they bond through whispered games and adventures in the garden, causing the rabbit's fur to become shabby. One day, the boy declares the rabbit is real, fulfilling the Skin Horse's prophecy. However, when the rabbit encounters wild rabbits in the woods, they mock him for lacking hind legs and not smelling right, doubting his reality. The boy falls ill with a fever, and the rabbit stays hidden to comfort him. After recovery, the doctor orders all the boy's toys burned to disinfect the room, including the rabbit. The rabbit is placed in a sack in the garden, where he cries a real tear. From this tear, a flower grows, and the Nursery Magic Fairy emerges. She explains she cares for loved toys that are worn out and transforms the rabbit into a real rabbit with hind legs, fur, and whiskers, taking him to live with the wild rabbits. In the spring, the boy sees a rabbit that reminds him of his lost bunny but never realizes it is the same one. The episode concludes with Amanda and Jonah discussing the listener activity and encouraging submissions.

As heard by us

A familiar classic becomes a cozy improvised story time with a listening challenge attached.

The story leans on The Velveteen Rabbit as a warm stand-in when Amanda and Jonah have not had time to write a fresh tale, with Amanda framing it as one of her childhood favorites.

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Why you'd press play

A classic rabbit story with a built-in guessing game.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
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