The little girl had been playing tea party in the gazebo when her mom called her in for her bath before bedtime. She had grabbed up all of her dollies and her favorite stuffed animal (ME-Robbie Rabbit). Only she dropped me in the grass as she raced toward the house. She never noticed I was missing when she threw her armload of toys into her closet.

The next day was summer vacation and the family was going to the seaside for a whole month. As the little girl started packing she yelled out, "MOMMY, can I take my dollies and Robbie Rabbit with me?" "Not this time," her mom replied, "You're getting to be a big girl now and can leave them at home. Besides we really don't have the room with all the things we need to take for the beach. There will be plenty of things for you to do there without taking your toys."

Now the little girl and her family were gone without knowing that Robbie Rabbit had been left outside in the grass. Their next-door neighbor, Norm, had agreed to mow their lawn while they were gone. But he got busy and it was only a few days before the month was over when he got around to it. The grass was much taller than he should have let it get, but he had decided he could just rake it when he was done and only have to mow once instead of four times which was a much better deal anyway! Marge, his wife, had said the yard was getting ratty looking but he'd just ignored her until now. Besides what difference did it really make as long as it looked good when the neighbors got back?

So, just before the family was to come home, Norm went next door and mowed the lawn. THAT'S when he found ME, Robbie Rabbit! He ran over me as I was hidden in the tall grass. I really got "chewed up" by the lawnmower. "Oh, no," cried Norm, "Now I've done it! I didn't see you hiding in the tall grass 'Carrot-eater'! I'll have to see if Marge can repair you PDQ before the family gets back from their trip tomorrow!"

 When Marge saw me , she exclaimed, "Norm! What have you done? That's Suzie's favorite stuffed animal, Robbie Rabbit!" "I know. I feel awful, but it was an accident! Can you fix him, hon, before Suzie-Q gets back?" "I think I can," said Marge. "But I'd better drop everything and get started right away. Let me see what I can do." So Marge took chewed up, miserable looking, mowed over, Robbie Rabbit back to her sewing room.

Meanwhile, the little girl from next door was playing in the white sand and collecting Florida seashells and sea glass to string into necklaces and bracelets for her friends. She thought about her dollies and her well-loved stuffed bunny and she missed them, but she knew she would see the same beloved faces when she got home. Robbie Rabbit was afraid she would forget all about him while she was gone. He was worried what she would think about his now chewed up, weathered old coat.

Back in Indiana, Marge toiled away to put all of Robbie Rabbit's pieces back together again. The first thing she did was to bring her big scrap basket out of the closet. It was full of many colors of fabric scraps and  embroidery floss. She picked out her favorites and pieced them together with embroidery stitches to cover the tears in Robbie's old brown velvet coat. Before she knew it, Robbie Rabbit was completely covered in a crazy-quilt coat of  multi-colored fabric scraps! Marge thought he looked  even better than before, since he had been  worn with being well-loved over the years. She thought he looked very special in his coat of many colors. She hoped Suzie would think so too.

When the family pulled into their driveway the next day, Norm went running over with the new "improved" stuffed bunny. He explained all that had happened and apoligized before bringing Robbie Rabbit out from behind his back. "Robbie! I'd know you anywhere," cried the little girl as she grabbed him and hugged on him just like he remembered. Now he knew it didn't matter what he looked like on the outside, he was still himself on the inside, and he was happy with