3

Meanwhile, back in the little wooden house, White Bunny was sleeping beside the fireplace.

The fire was burning and dancing randomly. Suddenly, the wooden furniture beside the fireplace began being combusted. But the bunny was still asleep and was not aware of this!
By the time Snowman reached the house, he could see some fire sparkle from the window. He got panic.
The house was on fire but the bunny was still asleep! Being so worried, the Snowman rushed over to the house.
“White bunny! White bunny! Wake up!!” shouted the Snowman.
There wasn’t any answer.

Hence, without second thought, Snowman rushed into the house for the bunny. Within a few seconds, he began feeling uncomfortable… He was melting, and it made him seemed to be thinner.
He tried his best to search for the bunny when the house was filled with thick smoke.
Finally, he got it. With his thin little wooden hand, using all the energy he had, he wrapped the bunny and brought him out of the house. The bunny gained conscious for just a few moments in his cooling arms.
That bird, the sparrow saved by the Snowman flew by and saw his action. It couldn’t nearly recognize him when his body was continuously melting. The sparrow flew above of him, but the Snowman could bare to even look upward. Slowly, the bunny sank deeper and deeper, finally reaching the ground. The Snowman was fully melted. All that’s left was half a piece of carrot and two dark seeds that used to be his eyes.

In hope to get some help from the mother bunny, the sparrow flew back into the woods and begun searching for her.
When the sparrow left, White Bunny gained full conscious and he could recall that it was Snowman who saved him. “Where is the Snowman? Where could he be?”
Far in the woods, the mother bunny was carrying the basket full of carrots. There was a large carrot at the middle which was intended to be the ‘nose’ of Snowman. Out of nowhere, she could hear a sparrow chirping. Without paying attention to it, she continued looking for carrots. But after a few moments, the sparrow was still chirping non-stop above her. She began to think “Could it be something happening in the house?” He curiosity and the sparrow brought her back to the house.

From far away, she could see the house burning. Terrified, she quickly ran back for it. However, by the time she reached, the house was totally burnt down.
“Oh! My boy! Where are you!” shouted the mother.
“I’m here mommy!”
She quickly grabbed her child in her chest and asked “My dear, are you hurt?”
“Mommy, it’s the Snowman who saved me! But he’d gone now.” Said the little bunny as he pointed at the place where the Snowman should have been.
The sparrow surrounded the water on the ground and kept on chirping.
The bunnies came over to the splat of water and found two dark longan seeds on it.

“Snowman hates heat, he must have melted into water!” sighed the mother. “What a brave Snowman!”
The clouds were gone and the sun was out again. Soon, the water began to evaporate. Little bunny tried his best to grab the Snowman in his arms, but the water vapour rised up to the tree.
Then, the little squirrel tried his best, too, to grab the Snowman, but failed.
Now, only the sparrow could reach him. So the sparrow flew up high, and tried to hug the Snowman.
Yet, all the water vapour evaporated up into the sky…

After a few moments, a beautiful white cloud emerged at the clear blue sky.
“Mommy! Look! Snowman’s there!” said the little bunny, pointing up at the sky.
Indeed, that beautiful cloud must be the Snowman who had a beautiful heart. The mother wiped her tears and said “Snowman is up at the sky now! He’s so strong and lovely! Look, he’s waving at us!”

At this moment, there was a song. Not from the woods, not from anywhere, but the bunnies’ heart, the squirrel’s heart, and the sparrow’s heart.
It was a song dedicated to the Snowman:

Lovely Snowman,
The pure white snow is your body and heart!

Lovely Snowman,
The beautiful spirit of helping is your spirit!

Though fire may melt you and sunlight evaporate you,
But up in the clear blue sky,
There is where you are,
A lovely pure white cloud.

May the wind stop blowing,
And our lovely Snowman doesn’t have to leave!


(THE END)


Postscript:

From the story, we can see the spirit of gratitude, bravery, hope, and mercy in the Snowman. There are such a colourful lights shining within every kid. It falls on our hand to unleash their potential.

The Snowman is a kind and merciful child. He’d help the tree, the squirrel, and the sparrow, when he saw them being in a hardship. His great spirit drives him in helping the rest while they are in need. The Nichiren Daishonin had a merciful heart too. For the sake of absolute happiness of the people, he’d risk anything just to spread the Buddhism.

Ikeda Sensei once said: “’I hope to bring happiness to those who are suffering.’, ‘I hope to get rid of my friends’ troubles.’ – all these thoughts will become ‘Bravery of life’, ‘Light of Hope’, that will open up a ‘passage of happiness’. Such a living spirit will have the greatest light of Humanism.” This proves that the Snowman, too, had the greatest light of Humanism.

Snowman is a grateful child. The bunnies are the one who made him, so of course he will be grateful towards them. When he saw the little bunny being trapped in the house, he rushed in for him without thinking twice. This is because he treated the bunnies as his own family. He had given his full effort to protect his family, and this, is a way of showing his gratitude.

Those who have no gratitude are people who would be lonely in their lives. Those who repay kindness with hatred or revenge are even worse.

Lastly, we can see that Snowman is a very brave person too! His courage should be praised and learned. But of course we did not mean that sacrificing for others is a brave thing to be done. The gosho teaches us “Nichiren’s disciples cannot accomplish anything if they are cowardly.” No matter if it’s a great challenge or a subtle one, to persist and uphold the effort would require bravery. We need courage to not be afraid, and not give up easily on something. And the origin of courage would be faith, and the powerful daimoku like the roar of the lion.

No matter what we’re facing, we must face them with courage, for it is courage that light up the road to a great challenge of youth! Let’s achieve victory together!


Shared by,
Wee Yean.

Labels: n. Story palace