The Velveteen Rabbit Sadness Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Paragraph)

Quote #7

It was a long weary time, for the Boy was too ill to play, and the little Rabbit found it rather dull with nothing to do all day long. But he snuggled down patiently, and looked forward to the time when the Boy should be well again, and they would go out in the garden amongst the flowers and the butterflies and play splendid games in the raspberry thicket like they used to. All sorts of delightful things he planned, and while the Boy lay half asleep he crept up close to the pillow and whispered them in his ear. (54)

Okay, so the Boy is sick and this is a pretty sad time, but the Rabbit is not about to leave his post. The Boy needs him. Nothing is going to get our little friend down right now. The Boy is gonna get better and they are going to play again. Oh, if only life were that simple, buddy.

Quote #8

Just then Nana caught sight of him.

"How about his old Bunny?" she asked.

"That?" said the doctor. "Why, it's a mass of scarlet fever germs!—Burn it at once. What? Nonsense! Get him a new one. He mustn't have that any more!" (58-60)

We get the feeling even Nana is objecting during this quote. She knows how much the Boy loves the Rabbit and how heartbroken he's going to be when his favorite toy goes missing. But the doctor is totally stone cold here. One bunny is as good as another. We guess this guy never had a favorite stuffed friend to cuddle.

Quote #9

He thought of those long sunlit hours in the garden–how happy they were–and a great sadness came over him. He seemed to see them all pass before him, each more beautiful than the other, the fairy huts in the flower-bed, the quiet evenings in the wood when he lay in the bracken and the little ants ran over his paws; the wonderful day when he first knew that he was Real. He thought of the Skin Horse, so wise and gentle, and all that he had told him. Of what use was it to be loved and lose one's beauty and become Real if it all ended like this? (63)

The Rabbit's life is kind of flashing before his eyes here. He's thinking of all the happy memories he shared with the boy and realizing that it's all about to come to an end. What good is being Real if you just wind up burnt to a crisp?