What's Real?

While the cloth Rabbit and the stuffed horse were lying

on the bedroom floor, the Rabbit asked, "What is REAL?

Does it mean having a stickout handle and things inside

of you that go around?"

    "REAL isn't how you are made," said the Horse.  "It's

a thing that happens to you when a child loves you for a

long time--not just to play with, but really, REALLY

loves you, then you become real."

    "Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

    "Sometimes," said the Horse, "but when you are real,

you don't mind being hurt."

     "Does it happen all at once, like being wound up?"

     "No, said the Horse. "You become real over a long

time so it doesn't often happen to those who break easily,

have sharp edges, or have to be carefully kept.  Generally

by the time you are real, most of your hair has been loved

off, your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints

and very shabby. But these things don't matter when

you are real."

                        Adaption from The Velveteen Rabbit