Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 61, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 April 1902 — ABOUT THE EASTER RABBIT. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ABOUT THE EASTER RABBIT.

The rabbit, which, as everyone knows, lays beautiful colored candy eggs at Eastertide, does not do so in America alone, but all over the world — In Africa and Asia as wall as in Europe and America —and if he is not laying Easter eggs he la doing aome--1 thing almost as remarkable and note- • fit

wwrHiy Knnny has been assodated’With Batter, spring feasts and the Resurrectloa from time immemorial, and there are numerous legends to account for this. One halls from South Africa. According to the African legend (many centuries old} the rabbit once llred in the moon. Ton can see hia shape on its surface still if you use enough imagination. The moon once said to the rabbit: “Go! Go and say to men, ‘Our Lord, the Moon, sends you word that even as I Mi each month and rise again, so shall thqr db and rise again.’ ” Now, Bonny waa possessed of a somewtth a leaning toward atheism. So he gava the earth-folk the following message: “Our Lord, the Moon, sends you word that even aa he shall die and shall not rise again, ao shall yon die and rise no more.” The rabbit went back to the Moon after delivering his word of hope, and repeated the joke. The Moon, in anger at such disobedience, snatched up a hatchet, struck the rabbit and split his lip open. Bunny fled in fear to the earth and hid In n hole. He has been timid ever since. If you doubt the truth of this veracious tale examine the mouth of the next rabbit you eee. You will find his upper lip la still split Isn’t that good enough evidence for any one? The Chinese rabbit was a far better little beast than hia South African brother. On day the great God, Buddha, was terribly hungry. He wandered up and down looking for something to eat, but there were no reetaurants in the neighborhood, and he found nothing. A little rabbit saw the hungry god and felt 6orry for him. Hopping up to him, he said: “Bat me, oh, Buddha!” Touched by such unselfish devotion, the god transported Bunny to the moon, where he still site under a tall cassia tree with a spreading top, pounding in a mortar the herbs from which is made the water of life. To-day in China at the time of the great moon festival, which corresponds In season t» our Easter, people give each other moon-shaped cakes stamped with the figure of a rabbit. Germany, too, has its legend about the Easter bunny. Once upon a time, so they say, Mr. Rabbit was strolling along a Sa let woodland road. He came across a fine, large nest filled with eggs. The poor mother hen had been sceized by a wicked fox and could not go back to her darling nest. Now the rabbit had a very kind heart, so he slept all night upon it. When he woke in the morning (it was Blaster morning) the nest was full of little downy, yellow chickens. The chicks thought the rabbit was their •wn mamma, and they all started to cry tat something to eat, and the rabbit ran •bout and brought food for them, and kept them warm and fed them until they were all old enough to take care of themselves. Ever since then the rabbit has been the presiding genius of Easter-time, sad this holiday is not complete for the Mtde children of the Kaiser’s land without an “Oster Ilase’s nest.”