Bobby Boxwood had begged his mother for a rabbit.  The magazine advertisement that sold the rabbit and the cage said that you could go into business for yourself.  Breeding rabbits.  It was possible to make $200 a month.  A veritable fortune.

Finally Bobby’s mother gave in, and Bobby got his rabbit, along with a cage that had its very own feeding tray.  It had a water bottle, too.  That was Bobby’s job, to keep the feeding tray full, and to keep the water bottle full.  It had to be done every day.  If not, if he even missed one day, the rabbit would surely die.

Bobby hadn’t had the rabbit a week when he forgot to feed it.  He remembered as he was lying in bed that he hadn’t fed it.  So he resolved to feed it first thing in the morning.  That would only be a few hours late.  Certainly the rabbit would be alright.  Then he could feed him again in the afternoon and be back on schedule.  But he forgot to feed him in the morning.  And he forgot to come home at lunch.  And he forgot to feed him the minute he got home.  And when he remembered it as he lay awake in bed, he thought certainly the bunny had already starved by now. 

But just the same, he really should check on it the next day.  But he didn’t.  Nor the next day.  And this went on for an entire week.  Until finally.  Finally.  Bobby checked on the bunny.  And it wasn’t there at all.  Bobby hadn’t latched the cage and it had gotten out.  It left no forwarding address.

Bobby still had the cage, though.  And it was a nice cage, with its own water bottle and feeding tray.  Getting another rabbit would be the easy part.  And this time he wouldn’t forget to lock the cage.