Bunjitsu Bunny Jumps to the Moon

by John Himmelman

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  Copyright Page

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  For Sabum Nim Arthur Blair,

  kamsahamnida.

  Isabel

  Isabel was the best bunjitsu artist in her school. She could kick higher than anyone. She could hit harder than anyone. She could throw her classmates farther than anyone.

  Some were frightened of her. But Isabel never hurt another creature, unless she had to.

  “Bunjitsu is not just about kicking, hitting, and throwing,” she said. “It is about finding ways NOT to kick, hit, and throw.”

  They called her Bunjitsu Bunny.

  The Floating Rabbit

  “I have a new challenge for you,” said Teacher to his bunjitsu students. He pointed to two hoops on the floor, one on either side of the room.

  “Each of you has to take a turn standing in one circle.”

  “That’s too easy,” said Wendy.

  “And,” continued Teacher, “you must move across the room to the other circle without touching the floor.”

  “Rabbits can’t float,” said Ben.

  “No, but we can jump,” said Max. He stepped inside the hoop and ran in circles to build up speed. Then he leapt in the air, toward the other circle.

  He didn’t even come close.

  “Me next,” said Kyle. He picked up a long stick and entered the circle.

  “WAHOOOOOO!” shouted Kyle, and he pole-vaulted toward the other circle.

  He didn’t even come close.

  Ben took his turn. He sat in the circle. He sat and sat and sat.

  “Well?” asked Betsy.

  “I’m thinking,” said Ben.

  “You can think outside the circle,” said Betsy. “Let us try.”

  Hmmm, thought Isabel. Think outside the circle.…

  Soon it was her turn. Bunjitsu Bunny sat in the circle.

  “Kyle and Betsy, will you please do me a favor?”

  “Of course,” they said.

  “Will you carry me over to the other circle?”

  Everyone laughed as Isabel was carried across the room. They set her down inside the other circle.

  “Well done,” said Teacher. “What did you learn?”

  “Sometimes,” said Isabel, “friends can help us do things we cannot do on our own.”

  Bunjitsu Bunny Freezes

  Isabel got a big part in her school play.

  “You will be a great princess,” said Betsy. “You are good at everything!”

  “Thank you,” said Isabel. “I have never been a princess, though. I will have to practice a lot!”

  “I am just a flower,” said Betsy. “I don’t have to practice anything.”

  “Flowers are better than princesses,” said Isabel. “Flowers feed bees. Bees make honey, and honey is sweeter than any princess.”

  “I would still rather be a princess,” said Betsy.

  Isabel practiced her lines every day. Betsy joined her and practiced being a flower.

  Isabel practiced her songs every night. Betsy practiced standing still.

  Day and night, Isabel practiced. She could say her lines and sing her songs backward and forward. Day and night, Betsy practiced standing still. She was very good at it.

  Soon it was the night of the play. Everyone showed up in their costumes.

  “Betsy, you are a beautiful flower,” said Isabel.

  “Isabel, you are a beautiful princess,” said Betsy.

  The curtain opened. A spotlight shone down on Isabel. She looked into the audience. Everyone was staring at her.

  “Go ahead,” whispered Betsy the Flower.

  Isabel the Princess opened her mouth. Nothing came out. She was frozen in place.

  “‘The princess wishes to see the prince…,’” whispered Betsy the Flower.

  Isabel was still frozen in place. She had never been so scared in her life!

  “Curtain down,” whispered Betsy the Flower. Down came the curtain.

  “What happened?” asked Betsy.

  “I … I think you would be a better princess,” said Isabel. “I would be a better flower.”

  “Are you sure?” asked Betsy.

  “Very,” said Isabel. “Let’s switch.”

  Betsy was the best princess anyone had ever seen onstage. The audience cheered and clapped.

  “You were a very good flower, too,” she said to Isabel.

  “Thank you.” Isabel laughed. “It’s easy to be a flower when you’re too scared to move!”

  Coyote

  One morning, Isabel was hopping down the path. CRUNCH went something under her foot.

  “You broke my cup!” growled Coyote.

  “I am sorry,” said Isabel. She reached into her pocket. “Please take my cup.”

  Coyote grabbed the cup. “It is too small,” he said. “Find me another.” He gave it back to her.

  “I broke yours, so I will make things right.”

  Isabel hopped off. She returned with a bigger cup.

  “It is the wrong color,” snarled Coyote. “Find me another.”

  “I will try,” said Isabel. She hopped off and returned with a different color cup.

  “The handle is on the wrong side,” barked Coyote. “Find me another.”

  Isabel spun the cup around. “Now it is on the right side.”

  “I still don’t like it,” grumbled Coyote. “Give me another cup!” He dove at the rabbit.

  Bunjitsu Bunny turned, and Coyote slid across the ground. He stood up and leapt at her. CRUNCH came a sound from her pocket.

  “I think you broke my cup,” said Isabel. She flipped Coyote onto his back. “Now you have to find me another.”

  Coyote darted off. He returned with a cup.

  “It is the wrong size,” said Isabel. “It is also the wrong color.”

  Coyote started to leave to find her a new one.

  “But I will take it anyway,” said Isabel. She took the cup. Then she handed it back to Coyote. “Now take this as a gift.”

  Coyote’s face lit up in surprise. “This cup is just what I wanted. Thank you!” he said, and ran down the trail.

  Ben walked up to his friend. “I saw what happened,” he said. “Why were you so nice to him?”

  “It is easier to end a problem than to keep it going forever,” said Isabel.

  Message in a Bottle

  One day, Isabel found a bottle at the edge of the river. She picked it up to throw it away when she got home. Then she saw a piece of paper inside. It read, HELP ME! I’M TRAPPED!

  Isabel looked at the island across the river. Whoever needs help must be over there, she thought.

  She rolled a big log into the water and pushed herself across with a long stick.

  Suddenly, the current grabbed the log and carried her past the island. Isabel jumped into the water. She swam as hard as she could against the waves. When she made it to the shore, she was very tired.

  “I cannot stop now,” s
he said. Isabel called out, “Hello?”

  “Go away!” shouted a voice.

  “I am here to rescue someone. Are you stuck?”

  The weasel brothers came out of the bushes. “No. Now, get off our island.”

  “Not until I rescue who I came to rescue,” said Bunjitsu Bunny.

  The weasels charged at the rabbit. They were so fast! Isabel was still tired from the swim. As soon as she got one out of the way, the others jumped in.

  This is taking too long, she thought. “I am not tired,” she said to herself. “I am not tired. I am not tired.” Finally, she believed it!

  “KERPOW!” One weasel went flying.

  “HEEYIP!” Another weasel went flying.

  “BUN-HO!” The last weasel joined them.

  Isabel searched the island. No one needed to be rescued.

  She swam back across the river and read the note again: HELP ME! I’M TRAPPED!

  She looked inside the bottle. Ladybug looked up at her. A big smile spread across Isabel’s face.

  “Are you trapped in there?” asked the bunny.

  “YES!” said Ladybug. “Please tip the bottle over so I can crawl out!”

  Isabel did, and out crawled Ladybug. “I thought you’d never come back,” she said.

  “I am sorry,” said Isabel. “Sometimes we run around in circles when the answer is right under our nose!”

  Follow the Frog

  Bunjitsu Bunny and her friends were sitting by the pond. Out hopped Bullfrog.

  “Do you want to play a game?” he asked.

  “Maybe,” said Max.

  “Whoever can do everything I do will be the winner,” said Bullfrog.

  “We’re in!” said the rabbits.

  “Ready? Follow the leader. Hop across the lily pads,” said the frog.

  “We are rabbits,” said Wendy. “We can hop.”

  Hop, hop, hop went the frog.

  Hop, hop, hop went Isabel, Max, and Kyle.

  SPLISH! went Wendy.

  “Ready?” asked Bullfrog. “Follow the leader. Sing ‘JUG-A-RUM, JUG-A-RUM’ like I do!”

  “JUG-A-RUM, JUG-A-RUM,” sang Isabel and Max.

  “JIBBLY-JIBBLY,” mumbled Kyle.

  “Another one down,” said Bullfrog. “Ready? Follow the leader. Hold your breath as long as I can.”

  Bullfrog held his breath. Max and Isabel held their breath.

  “Pbbbtttt!” went Max when he couldn’t hold it any longer.

  “Bunjitsu Bunny is almost the winner!” said Bullfrog. He reached behind a log and pulled out a bowl. “Yummy, yummy worms,” he said. “Follow the leader!” He dropped a worm into his mouth.

  Isabel picked up a worm and held it over her mouth. Then she put it back in the bowl.

  “Some contests,” she said, “are better to lose than win.”

  Karate Crab

  It was a good day for a picnic at the beach. Isabel spread out a blanket and unpacked her lunch. She had made herself a big, fluffy carrot muffin. She was about to dig in when she felt a pinch.

  “YEOOWW!” she screamed, and jumped into the air.

  “This is Karate Crab’s sand, so this is Karate Crab’s lunch,” said the crab.

  “Then Bunjitsu Bunny will move to another place,” said Isabel.

  “Too late,” said the crab. “My lunch now!” He grabbed the muffin and scuttled down the beach. Isabel chased him. Karate Crab went down a hole.

  “Rabbits can dig,” said Bunjitsu Bunny.

  “Crabs can pinch,” said Karate Crab. He pinched Isabel’s nose.

  “OW! Stop doing that!” she shouted.

  CLACK, CLACK, CLACK went the crab’s claws.

  Isabel sat down. “You can’t stay there forever,” she said. “I will wait.”

  Bunjitsu Bunny waited. And waited. And waited.

  She was just starting to fall asleep when she felt another pinch.

  “YEOOWW!” she screamed, and jumped into the air.

  CLACK, CLACK, CLACK went the crab’s claws.

  “That’s it!” she said. Bunjitsu Bunny dug. Karate Crab pinched. Bunjitsu Bunny dug. Karate Crab pinched.

  Dig. Pinch. “OW!”

  Dig. Pinch. “OW!”

  Isabel grew tired of digging. She sat down on the sand.

  “YUCK!” shouted the crab from the hole. Out flew her muffin. “I don’t like carrots.”

  Isabel sighed. She was about to speak, but then she closed her mouth. Sometimes there is just nothing to say.

  She walked back to her blanket and ate her muffin.

  Oh, Thank You!

  Jackrabbit was at it again. “I am the toughest rabbit in the meadow. I will fight Bunjitsu Bunny to prove it!”

  “Jackrabbit wants to fight you again,” Max said to Isabel.

  “He always does,” said Isabel.

  Jackrabbit hopped up to them. “Will you fight me?” he asked.

  “No,” said Isabel. “I don’t want to.”

  “I will MAKE you want to,” said Jackrabbit. He thought a moment, then smiled. “Bunjitsu Bunny … has short ears!” he said.

  “Oh, thank you,” said Isabel. And she walked away.

  “I wasn’t being nice!” shouted Jackrabbit.

  He found Isabel later that day. “Look at Bunjitsu Bunny’s great big feet,” he said, laughing.

  “Oh, thank you,” said Isabel. And she walked away.

  “I wasn’t being nice!” shouted Jackrabbit.

  Whenever Jackrabbit saw Isabel, he said something mean. Whenever Jackrabbit said something mean, Isabel said, “Oh, thank you.”

  “I WASN’T BEING NICE!” he’d shout.

  One morning, Jackrabbit went to say something to make Isabel angry. When he opened his mouth, something else came out.

  “Bunjitsu Bunny is the nicest rabbit I’ve ever met,” he said. Jackrabbit quickly covered his mouth.

  “Oh, thank you,” said Isabel.

  “I didn’t mean it! I didn’t mean it!” he said.

  Isabel patted his shoulder. “I have some bad news, Jackrabbit.”

  “Are you going to fight me?”

  “No, I cannot,” she said. “I think we are friends now.”

  Kicking Contest

  “I have been practicing my kicks,” Kyle said to Isabel. “I would like to try them out on Bunjitsu Bunny.”

  Isabel giggled. “Then Bunjitsu Bunny will accept your challenge.”

  “Just let me practice for another week, okay?” said Kyle.

  “Yes. I will practice, too,” said Isabel.

  Kyle practiced every kick he knew.

  Isabel practiced just one kick.

  Soon it was the day of the contest.

  “Have you seen how Kyle kicks?” Betsy asked Isabel. “He is very good at it!”

  They found Kyle practicing in the meadow. The other rabbits were watching him.

  “I call this my boulder breaker,” he said. He kicked like a mighty bull!

  “Wooooooooooooow,” sang the bunnies.

  “This one is my mud slapper,” he said.

  “Wooooooooooooow,” sang the bunnies.

  “And this one is my thunder bopper. This one is my bomper romper. This one is my romper knocker.…”

  On and on went Kyle.

  “Wooooooooooooow,” sang the bunnies. After the one hundredth kick, he stopped.

  “Can we see what you practiced?” Betsy asked Isabel.

  Isabel stepped forward. “I practiced this one,” she said. She kicked into the air.

  “Just one?” asked Kyle. “I practiced one hundred.”

  “Let’s see how your kicks work,” said Isabel. Kyle came at her with every one he knew. Bunjitsu Bunny simply stepped out of the way.

  Kyle was slowing down. He tried to remember more kicks. A foot sent him flying.

  Isabel bent over and helped her friend to his feet. “You did very well,” she said.

  “Thank you,” said Kyle. “But you beat me with just one kick.”

  �
��Sometimes it is better to get very good at one thing,” said Isabel, “than pretty good at everything.”

  Bat Cave

  It was pouring rain. Isabel ducked into a cave.

  “It is rude to sit on the floor in our home,” said a voice from above. Isabel looked up. Three bats hung over her.

  “How can I hang from the ceiling?” she asked.

  “You are Bunjitsu Bunny,” they said. “You can figure it out.”

  Isabel looked outside. It was raining very hard.

  “It looks like I must.” She sighed. Isabel leapt into the air and tried to grab the ceiling with her toes. She almost did it, but the rocks were too smooth. That will not work, she thought.

  Isabel zipped across the floor, up the wall, and across the ceiling. When she got to the top, there was nothing to grab on to. She fell to the floor. That will not work, she thought. Then she had an idea.

  Isabel gathered rocks from the cave and piled them almost to the ceiling. She climbed to the top and stood on her head. Her feet were pressed to the ceiling.