Part 4

Rabbit looked. And looked. And the fear shrank and shrank, until eventually... Rabbit yawned! "How do you feel?" asked Wolf. "OK," squeaked Rabbit. "I think." "Good. Now, take a step... towards it." Rabbit gulped, and took a step towards the icebear, holding his bendy stick like a magic sword. And his fear shrank even more. "See?" said Wolf. "First defeat your fear. Then defeat your enemy."

Rabbit swung his magic bendy stick sword with a swish. "Hey!" said Rabbit. "I do feel braver!... Just a little bit," he added hastily. "But..." Rabbit had an idea. "If I'm King of Myself, I order myself... to be INFINITELY brave!" He looked inside himself for infinite bravery. Oh no! There was some new bravery; but there were also lots of little quivers of fear and shivers of worry, like always. "BAD RABBIT!!! YOU—" "No!" Wolf raised a paw. "Rule yourself WISELY! You can't just order yourself to do impossible things." "You are right, Wolf," said Rabbit. And he spoke more kindly to himself. "Do your best, Rabbit," he murmured. "Try to be

brave. But I will understand if you are not." "Good," said Wolf. "That's better. Now that you're a wise, kind King of Yourself, a wolf will run at your side, and help you." "You, Wolf?" "No; your own special wolf." Rabbit sniffed the air, but he couldn't smell another wolf. "Where is he?" "He will appear, as soon as you leave the woods." Rabbit felt happier; but then he remembered how big and mean the Icebear was. "Yes, but we will need... one, two, three..." Rabbit counted until he ran out of numbers, "...a HUGE number of wolves to defeat him!" "You have a huge number of wolves," said Wolf. "But where are they?" cried Rabbit in despair. "Bring the other animals to the cliff at the edge of the woods," said Wolf.

By the time Rabbit got back, it was almost dawn. He saw Bear in the distance, and ran to give her a Bear-sized hug. "Oooof," said Bear, hugging back. "I was missing you." "I missed you, too," said Rabbit. "There was a Bear- shaped hole where you are meant to be." "Rabbit! We thought the king had already EATEN you!" cried the animals. "Where did you go?" Rabbit pointed. "I'll show you. Come with me." "Come with you into the Dark Woods?" cried the animals. "Just the edge!" said Rabbit. "It is better than being eaten at dawn." The animals stared at the Dark Woods. Behind them, the rickety palace they had been trying to build collapsed for the fiftieth time. They looked at the sad pile of sticks and stones, and listened as the king's angry snores grew louder. They were tired and grumpy and desperate: and so they followed Rabbit to the Dark Woods.

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Wolf explained the plan. Vole gasped. "But we might be beaten!" She thought for a second. "And eaten!" She thought for another second. "And pooped!" Wolf shrugged. "Yes," he said, "you might." "Hey!" said Vole. "You are meant to say something to make me feel better!" "Better? OK," said Wolf. "If you don't try this plan... you will definitely be beaten, eaten, and pooped." "That didn't help," said Vole, in a small voice. Mole turned pale, which is a very difficult thing for a mole to do. "It's our only chance," he said. "We have to do it." The animals nodded a yes that was so gloomy, it felt like a no. Wolf gave each animal their own crown, and sword. And he taught them everything he had taught Rabbit. As he taught them, they stood taller; and as they stood taller, the sun came up.