The bunny and the cocoa tree

At the time when Jesus, the Son of God, was still here on earth, he found himself in a vast field on Easter Sunday. Feeling hungry, he saw that there was nothing there that he could eat. At this, a little rabbit hopped past, running and stopping, running and stopping, flapping its ears and rooting around in the earth, looking for some golden carrot. Jesus, seeing him, called out:

— Bunny friend, don't you have an egg or two with which I can satisfy my hunger? I walked a lot, and my feet are tired – he said and sat down on a rock that was there.

The little rabbit, admired by the splendor of the figure of the divine Master, replied:

“Oh, Lord, I don't lay eggs, but I'm going to the woods real quick and I'll get you some soon.

And there he hurried off towards the first bushes. Then finding a doe, which was chewing some soft leaves, he asked:

– Oh, beautiful fawn, don't you have some eggs with which the Lord Jesus can satisfy your hunger?

“Oh, little bunny,” replied the doe, “I don't lay eggs, but run through the woods and you're sure to find them.

The little rabbit went into the woods, scratched itself on the thorns, tripped on the rocks, slipped on the slime, but did not give up. He asked from here, he asked from there, to the field mouse, to the squirrel, to the fox, to a cow that grazed on the edge of the forest's edge, even to the straying worm, but the answer was always the same. Nobody had eggs to offer. With the birds he could not speak, so high did they fly; not with the fish either, so deep they swam in the river that cut through the forest. The little rabbit was already discouraged and distressed when, suddenly, he came across a small tree full of eggs hanging from its branches. They were brown, shelly eggs, but even so the little bunny took courage and exclaimed:

– O tree friend, the divine Jesus asked me for some eggs to satisfy his hunger. Can you give me yours so I can take them to him?

The little tree was so amused that it began to laugh, rustling its leaves, grinding its roots, shaking its branches, until its brown eggs beat against each other, going “cloc, cloc, cloc”.

“But, little bunny,” she said, “I don't lay eggs!

– And those ones you carry in your arms?

– Ah, these are my fruits. I am a cocoa tree, and every egg you think you see is just a cocoa.

– Oh! - Said the little rabbit, very sad. – What shall I do now? No forest animal has eggs to offer. With the birds I could not speak, so high they flew. Not with the fish either, so deep they swam in the river.

"Now, don't fret," said the tree. – We have to find a way. Since you wanted my fruits, I will give them.

So I said; and shook its branches with such force and energy that the cacaos fell to the ground.

“Now,” she continued, “run and call all the animals you can, and I'll teach you how to make a mixture inside my fruits.

In an instant, many animals from the forest gathered there and, listening to the teachings of the friendly tree, they cooked and ground the cocoa seeds, mixing honey, vanilla and much more, thus making, for the first time on earth, chocolate. Then they put that mass back into the fruits. The tree then extended its lighter branches to the sky and caught colorful rays of sunlight, with which the little animals painted the thick shell of each cocoa. The fish, rising to the surface and seeing what was happening, shook off their shiny scales and splashed all the eggs with silver light. The birds, watching that scene, descended from the heights, picked up as many sticks as they found and wove a beautiful basket, where the colored eggs were laid. Then, with everyone's help, the basket was tied to the bunny's back and decorated with leaves and flowers from many trees.

- Thanks! - exclaimed the rabbit. - Thank you all!

And he ran happily through the woods, until he reached the feet of Jesus. The latter smiled very lovingly and thanked him, stroking her pointed ears.

The little bunny, who couldn't contain himself with joy, ran and jumped around the Master, and he made so much noise that he attracted a lot of children, daughters of the peasants who worked in that field. With them the divine Master shared the colored eggs, while the little rabbit, pricking up his ears, thought:

– How hard it was to look for those eggs in the woods… But it was worth it! When I thought all was lost, all was gained.

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