Toto was a quiet and kind little bunny, but he was very shy and had a hard time making friends. So he loved sitting alone by the pond, floating little leaf boats on the water.
One day, news spread through the village—there was going to be a big carrot cake contest!
“If you win, you get to go on stage and receive an award!” the other animals cheered.
But Toto felt nervous.
“Even if my cake tastes good… going up on stage? That’s way too embarrassing.”
That evening, Toto happened to find a recipe notebook that Lulu had dropped.
Lulu was the most talented bunny in the village.
“If I use this, I could win. Just once… I want to be noticed too.”
After hesitating, Toto decided to follow the recipe exactly as it was. And the result? The cake was said to be the tastiest in the whole village!
On the day of the contest, Toto was chosen as the winner and called up to the stage.
That’s when he saw Lulu in the crowd, clapping with bright, proud eyes.
Toto’s heart sank.
“This isn’t my own skill. This isn’t honest. I have to tell the truth.”
Toto quietly took the microphone on stage, his voice trembling as he spoke.
“This cake… I didn’t come up with it myself. I found Lulu’s notebook on the forest path… and I followed it exactly. It was wrong of me to enter the contest without saying anything. I’m truly sorry.”
The entire crowd fell silent. Tears welled up in Toto’s eyes, and his heart thumped loudly.
Then Lulu slowly walked up to the front of the stage.
“Toto, thank you for being honest. That was a very brave thing to do. But you know, right? With actions come responsibilities.”
The contest judge, Mr. Raccoon, nodded and said,
“She’s right. Being honest is something to be praised, but breaking the rules is still breaking the rules. So, you’ll need to return your award. And… how about helping out at the village bakery every morning for a month?”
From the next day on, Toto woke up early each morning and went to the bakery.
He carried heavy sacks of flour, trimmed carrots, and cleaned the floors.
At first, it was tough, but slowly, he began to enjoy the work.
Lulu would sometimes visit to bake together, and Toto started learning how to make cakes properly.
Soon, his friends no longer saw him as “the bunny who got punished,” but as “Toto, the hardworking friend.”
One day, Lulu asked,
“Toto, how about creating your own recipe now?”
Toto smiled brightly and nodded.
Now, courage and sincerity had taken up more space in his heart than shyness ever had.
“Everyone makes mistakes. But speaking the truth and taking responsibility—that’s what it means to truly grow up.”
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