The spaceship rumbled like a tummy full of juice boxes. William, all four years of him, bounced excitedly in his seat. It was time! Time to visit Moon! He looked out the window. Everything shimmered, silver and strange.
"We're here, William!" said Dad, unbuckling his seatbelt.
William giggled, feeling light as a feather. Moon had no gravity, which meant everything floated! Dad had explained it was like being a bouncy ball, only way more fun.
The Moon looked like a giant sandbox, all gray and bumpy with craters. In the distance, Earth glowed like a blue and green nightlight. William even saw tiny, twinkling planets far, far away.
"Look, Dad, a shooting star!" William pointed.
Dad chuckled, "That's just space dust, silly."
Suddenly, something hopped past – small, white, and fluffy.
"A bunny rabbit?" William gasped.
"On the Moon?" Dad sounded surprised.
They followed the fluffy creature, bouncing over craters and dodging space rocks. It led them to a field of moon rocks, all gathered in a circle. And there, in the middle, were more rabbits! But these rabbits were different. They glowed with a soft, white light.
One rabbit, smaller than the others, hopped towards William. It nuzzled his hand, its nose twitching.
"It's so soft," William whispered.
"These are Moon Rabbits, William," Dad explained. "They're special."
The little rabbit hopped onto a big, flat moon rock. William watched as the other rabbits gathered around.
"They want to show us something," Dad whispered.
The little rabbit closed its eyes and… glowed even brighter! The light spread, forming pictures above its head. William saw images of Earth, of people wasting food and water, of trash thrown everywhere.
Then, the images changed. William saw people planting trees, cleaning rivers, and sharing their food. This time, Earth glowed bright and healthy.
"Wow," William breathed.
"The Moon Rabbits are showing us that we need to take care of our planet," Dad explained. "It's a big responsibility."
"Responsibility?" William tilted his head.
"It means doing what’s right," Dad said. "Like, putting your toys away is your responsibility. Helping others is a responsibility too. And taking care of our planet is everyone’s responsibility."
The little rabbit hopped closer to William and nudged his hand. William understood. The Moon Rabbits were reminding everyone to be responsible for Earth.
He hugged the little rabbit gently. It felt warm and fuzzy. Then, he waved goodbye to all the Moon Rabbits, promising to remember their message.
Back in the spaceship, William looked at Earth with new eyes. It was beautiful and precious. And it was his responsibility, even if he was only four years old, to help take care of it.
When they landed back in Fort Worth, William ran inside, his head full of Moon Rabbits and promises. He knew what he had to do. He grabbed his recycling bin and went to find his other toys. Being responsible might be a big word, but William was a big boy now. And he knew, even small acts of kindness could make a big difference.
