How Leuk the Hare Got His Long Ears

In the old days, the Hare's ears were short and stubby. One day, God was giving out attributes to all the animals. The Hare arrived late. "All the gifts are gone," God said, "except for this one bag." He gave the bag to the Hare but warned him, "Do not open it until you get home." The Hare, burning with curiosity, did not listen. Halfway home, he opened the bag. Out swarmed a huge cloud of worries, fears, and troubles that immediately spread all over the world. The Hare was terrified by what he had unleashed. As he tried to close the bag, the last two worries, "Doubt" and "Danger," grabbed him by the ears and pulled and pulled, trying to escape. The Hare managed to trap them in the bag, but not before they had stretched his ears to the great length they are today. And because he was the one who let trouble into the world, the Hare is a nervous and flighty creature, his long ears always twitching, forever listening for the dangers that he himself set loose.