One of the fundamentals of the Little Way taught by St. Therese of the Child Jesus is the child-like abandonment and love that we should have towards God, even when considering Him as the just Judge to whom we will render accounts.
The humble acknowledgment of our weakness is all it takes, because a father does not punish the son who accuses himself, but holds him close to his heart.
The biographical accounts of the Saint of Lisieux tell us that she taught this precious lesson to her inseparable sister Celine when she recalled a story that they both had read in their childhood.1 History has not left us all the details of this innocent narrative, but that is where a bit of imagine comes into play…
* * *
One morning, a powerful king was making preparations for a hunt in his domains. Before setting out, he asked one of his men:
“Hubert, is everything ready?”
“Yes, your Majesty! The royal hounds are at the entrance to the forest.”
“Let’s be on our way, then! All bodes well!”
That day, some of the hunting dogs would begin their “career” after months of intense training. There was a whole pack of them! They had been drilled to find and corner the prey, but never to attack without an order, since it was up to the king to take the shot.
Now, in that very forest lived a snowy white rabbit who, believing himself to be impressively fast, had acquired a sense of daring that was out of the ordinary. For this reason, all the animals called him Plucky. However, greater than his courage was his pride…
As he hopped jauntily through the fresh grass, Plucky heard a commotion. He stood on his hind legs and pricked his long ears, immediately realizing that it was a chase: “Surely the cowardly beasts have spotted another quarry,” he conjectured.
Dozens of animals rushed past him, shouting warnings:
“Run, Plucky!” alerted Mrs. Doe.
“This is no ordinary hunter. There’s a whole horde of them!” quacked a breathless Mr. Drake, known for his good sense.
“Follow us!” urged Harry, the old wild boar. “We’re going to hide at the other end of the woods.”
With all four paws planted on the ground, Plucky replied calmly but arrogantly:
“What fainthearted creatures you are! I have always successfully faced danger! This will be yet another occasion when everyone will run away, while I prove myself bold and swift!”
With that, the presumptuous rabbit leaped onto a rock to await his contenders. Before very long he spied a large pack of dogs coming closer and closer, wagging their tails energetically. Still sure of himself, he mused: “I’ll get out of this scrape fine, just like the other times!”
On the other side, a page boy said to the king:
“Your Majesty, the dogs have detected prey. They are very excited!”
“Set them loose. Let’s see them do their work!”
As soon as they were unleashed, the hounds bolted towards Plucky. To prove his agility, the rabbit only started to run when the pack was just a few meters away. There was no doubt about it, Plucky was fast! But what did that mean when faced with those strong and expertly trained purebred hunting dogs?
Poor little bunny!… After running and running and running, his energy started to give out. He began to flag; he could not dodge such skilled pursuers much longer. He was slowing down, he was panting… he was cornered! Now, surrounded by the canine crew, he finally saw the trap that his obstinate pride had landed him in. And at that moment he admitted his weakness and helplessness:
“Alas! If only I had listened to the other animals, I would not be facing death at this moment. Truly, my arrogance is the cause of my downfall…”
With barred teeth and noisy yelps, the dogs surrounded him on all sides. Frothing at the mouth, they growled fiercely. Terror gripped his little heart and Plucky trembled all over.
The king’s man caught up with the pack, and then the monarch himself dismounted from his steed.
“Hubert, I was impressed by the hounds. They showed fine discipline and obedience. Congratulations on the good training!”
“Glad to be of service, Your Majesty!”
At a command, the dogs held back for the king to pass. When the rabbit saw the man draw near, it recognized him: “Oh! He is the lord of the beautiful castle on the mountain! I have always heard good things about him…”
The monarch squinted at Plucky down the barrel of his gun. In this fraction of a second the rabbit made a life-or-death decision: “There’s only one way for me to save myself! It’s now or never!” Making an act of absolute confidence, it took a deep breath, gathered its last ounce of strength, crouched close to the ground… and bounded straight into the surprised king’s arms.
Astonished by the nimbleness of the little creature’s reaction and conquered by such an unexpected display of trust, the king’s heart was moved. He gently clasped the trembling animal and declared that no harm would come to it.
But Plucky’s story does not end here.
The king mounted his horse again, left the forest, rode through the royal gardens and entered the castle gate. All the while, Plucky remained burrowed in his sleeve. As wonderful as the surroundings were, Plucky’s round eyes remained riveted on his rescuer. It was charming to see how the little rabbit nestled in its protector’s arms!
As he entered the great hall, Plucky heard a clear and sweet voice:
“Papa, how was the hunt today?” It was monarch’s daughter.
The king called her over and showed her what he had brought.
“Look, my little queen!” he said to her. “Today’s hunt was especially for you!”
The girl’s eyes widened as she gently stroked Plucky’s soft white fur. Then she joyfully thanked and hugged her father and king.
Obviously, the princess was delighted! She took tender care of the little animal and it became her favourite pet. She decided to name him Trusty, because it was thanks to the virtues of trust and confidence that the rabbit came to live with the royal family.
* * *
This is the attitude we should have with the King of kings. If the fear of divine justice – which in this story is represented by the hunting dogs – assails and disturbs us, the safest refuge we can find is in the arms of our Judge and Father.
Let us never become dishearted by our weaknesses. These do not matter, as long as we admit our faults, request forgiveness for them and abandon ourselves to the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.From great sinners, we can become beloved children for, in addition to being protected by our Redeemer, we will receive the tender caresses of Our Lady, who takes under her care all those who place their trust in her. ◊
Notes
1 Cf. ST. THERESE OF LISIEUX. Conselhos e lembranças. 7.ed. São Paulo: Paulus, 2006, p.52.
