You may remember that I was having a moan recently about Toby’s liking for finely grated cheese and how I was wishing for a mouse to keep the carpets clean. Well, look what arrived in the post!

The most perfect little chap for the job!

He’s already had a snuffle around and snacked on a couple of stray cheerios, some cake crumbs and of course copious quantities of grated cheese. He’s worth his weight in gold AND he came bearing gifts of chocolate, biscuits and wool.

Martine you are very sweet – I love Cheddar (as Amy has named the mouse) and the goodies are much appreciated – thanks so much X

Thanks too to everyone who voted for me in the softie awards. It was great to be nominated and although my puds didn’t win they’re not too sad to have lost to such a cute gingerbread baby!

This is the last installment in the wonderful story written by Jill. I’ve put a link to the full story over on the sidebar.

Julie was busy. Making
jam, watching a little mouse playing in the garden, playing in the sea
with her children, jumping in the waves (but she often thought of
Little Cotton Rabbit and hoped she was happy!)

Little Cotton Rabbit wasn’t happy.
She dried her little woolly tears and said "Pink shoes, dotty dress,
I’m a brave Little Cotton Rabbit knitted with love!" She tapped her
toes and twitched her nose (which as you know isn’t easy wrapped up in
crinkly paper and tied with ribbons)

A big woolly sneeze began in Little
Cotton Rabbit’s twitching nose. "Ah, aah, AAAH TISHOO!" Little Cotton
Rabbit’s parcel began to fall.

 

"Help!" she shouted through woolly sneezes and squished up nose. "Help!" she shouted through little woolly sobs and tears.
 
BUMP!
BANG! Little Cotton Rabbit’s parcel fell to the floor. "OOOOHH!"
whispered Little Cotton rabbit, who didn’t know what was happening.

Doors
opened. Little Cotton Rabbit found herself flying through the air!
BUMP! Into a post van jumbled with boxes and parcels. Noisy engines
with smelly smoke made Little Cotton Rabbit cough a little woolly
cough.

Little Cotton rabbit sighed a little woolly sigh. She snuggled into the crinkly paper, her eyes closed……

A big
basket full of giggling little cotton friends. A hug from Amy, sounds
of Toby playing in the garden. What a wonderful dream! Little Cotton
Rabbit smiled a special Little Cotton Rabbit smile. Dreams were
wonderful……………..

The Post Van went along the street.

BUMP! BUMP! BANG! Doors opened. Little Cotton Rabbit slept on.

KNOCK! KNOCK! on a door.

"OH! LOOK! It’s the lost parcel!"

 
Little
Cotton Rabbit woke up. She was very excited! That was Julie’s voice!
Julie opened the parcel and untied the paper and ribbons. There sat
Little Cotton Rabbit with a very, very special Little Cotton Rabbit
smile. She was a bit squashed, but safe and sound after all!

Little Cotton Rabbit
tried to tell Julie all about being lost. Amy gave Little Cotton Rabbit
a big hug, Toby could be heard playing in the garden (which just goes
to show dreams do come true!)

Julie
took a picture of Little Cotton Rabbit. "Pink shoes, dotty dress, all
knitted with love" thought Little Cotton Rabbit, glad to be safe. Lots
of little cotton giggles came from a basket.

"Home" said Julie "no more adventures for you!"

Little Cotton Rabbit sighed a big woolly sigh. She smiled a special Little Cotton Rabbit smile. Adventure over! (For now!)

I hope that you’ve enjoyed the story as much as we have at our house. It’s a nice thought that it will be read around the world – it was just too good a story to keep all to ourselves! Thanks Jill x

I’m so glad that everyone is enjoying the story – we think it’s wonderful! So without any further ado let’s find out what happens next…

BUMP, BUMP.
Little Cotton Rabbit tumbled down into the Post Van jumbled with boxes
and parcels. Little woolly snores could still be heard if you listened
very, very carefully.

Little Cotton Rabbit felt safe and happy (which isn’t easy when your nose is being squished by a box!)

It was very quiet now. Little Cotton
Rabbit yawned a little woolly yawn. "Where am I? America is very, very
quiet" she thought. She wished and wished Julie was there.

Pink shoes, dotty dress, all knitted
with love. Little Cotton Rabbit was a little bit frightened. She’d
never been anywhere so quiet! Little Cotton Rabbit tried to be brave
(which isn’t easy when there are no woolly giggles, sniffles and snores
to be heard!)

BANG. Doors opened. Little Cotton
Rabbit’s parcel was bounced along. Noisy engines with smelly smoke made
Little Cotton Rabbit cough a little woolly cough. America waited.

Very,
very soon, little cotton friends began to send e-mails to Julie. They
had all arrived safely. Nothing was heard from Little Cotton Rabbit.

 
It
was very, very dark in the parcel. Lots of banging and shouting made
Little Cotton Rabbit give a little woolly shiver. Inside the crinkly
paper Julie had so carefully wrapped around Little Cotton Rabbit, a
little woolly tear began.

Little Cotton rabbit tried to shout, "Help! Help!" but without her little cotton friends no one could hear her.

"I’m a brave Little Cotton Rabbit
with pink shoes and a dotty dress and Julie loves me" whispered Little
Cotton Rabbit (but it isn’t easy to be brave when a little cotton
rabbit is all on its own!)

Very, very far away in America the lady was waiting for Little Cotton Rabbit. She emailed Julie.

"Oh, no! Our Little Cotton Rabbit is
lost!" said Julie to her children. It had never happened before. A lost
little cotton rabbit!!

A new little cotton rabbit was soon on its way to America and the lady loved her.
Little Cotton Rabbit was all alone.

"Pink
shoes, dotty dress, I’m a brave Little Cotton Rabbit knitted with love"
thought Little Cotton Rabbit (but she wished Julie was there to find
her!)

BANG. Doors opened. Little Cotton
Rabbit’s parcel was bounced along. Noisy engines with smelly smoke made
Little Cotton Rabbit cough a little woolly cough.

Little Cotton Rabbit was lost. No one
knew where she was. The lady in America was happy with her new little
cotton rabbit. All Little Cotton Rabbit’s friends were happy in their
new homes. Poor Little Cotton Rabbit. She shed a little woolly tear and
gave a little woolly sniff. All alone.

(what happens to Little Cotton Rabbit? Find out in the last installment tomorrow…)