The little white bunny hopped toward a rustling bush. Her ears perked up at a deep rumble. She pushed aside the leaves with her nose.
She parted the leaves to find the capybara companion stuck halfway through a hollow log. One foot tapped impatiently. "Need a push?" The bunny bumped her nose against his soft brown fur. He tumbled free with a squeak, sending a cloud of dandelion seeds floating into the sunlight.
Caramèle grinned and nudged a patch of clover toward her. She sniffed the sweet scent and bounced happily on her hind legs.
They tried to play tag, but his long legs covered the ground too fast. She puffed and panted, falling further behind. Finally she stopped, ears drooping, and kicked at a pebble.
The pebble skittered into a nearby flower bed. It startled a slumbering butterfly, which fluttered up with a soft whisper of wings.
A tiny white ear popped up from behind a sunflower. Noisette, another bunny, watched with wide curious eyes.
She beckoned Noisette with a flick of her nose, but the other bunny shook her head and scurried back into the tall grass. "We're playing tag! Come on!" The little white bunny called after her.
Noisette reappeared holding an acorn cap, offering it like a peace treaty. The little white bunny took it gently. The two began a quiet game of passing the cap between them while Caramèle watched from a distance.
The three gathered under the old oak tree, but every game they tried led to a clash. Caramèle was too big for hide-and-seek. Noisette was too quick for tag. And the little white bunny didn't know how to join a splash game in the pond.
Frustration built until Caramèle let out a loud rumbling laugh and rolled onto his back, kicking his feet in the air. The sound echoed through the meadow, startling a flock of sparrows into flight. Noisette giggled, and the little white bunny's whiskers twitched with an idea.
The little white bunny hopped to the center of the meadow. "Follow the Leader!" She zigzagged through wildflowers. The capybara companion lumbered alongside. Noisette darted ahead to mark the route. They hopped over roots and splashed through a shallow stream.
The sun dipped low, painting the sky orange. The three collapsed into a heap of fur and laughter, too breathless to move. Tomorrow they'd play again, and the meadow would echo with their voices.