Watching Tuzel the rabbit pace back and forth, muttering and clutching his ears in confusion, Ruger found himself better able to understand the change in his state of mind. It seemed to involve more than just Ruger himself: timidity, the stifling strain of solitude, memories of the past, his unusual identity, the lonely wait through long years, and so on. All those tangled factors had left him in the habit of twitching his rabbit mouth and muttering, as though lost in confusion.
He had asked the rabbit's opinion because he knew Tuzel could be timid at times. Besides, going back to tend those crops for a while would be a good thing. The next time he came, he could bring more delicious specialties.
Thinking of this, Ruger recalled something he had always wanted to ask Tuzel.
When Tuzel had seen how small and thin he had become and invited him to the Rabbit Cottage, he had already thought of it. He simply had never asked.
"My long-eared friend, please don't get worked up. I only thought those wonderful things at home might need watering, and this would be a chance for you to go back and tend them. You know we're friends. You're always welcome here. Of course you can choose to stay. Those fellows would certainly be delighted, too. Tuzel the rabbit is everyone's favorite friend."
Ruger rambled on, trying to match the rhythm of the rabbit's muttering. Still, what he said was true, and this was only his first move in calming Tuzel down.
The best way to shift someone's mood during a conversation was to interrupt their train of thought and immediately jump to another topic.
"Something's been troubling me, my friend. I need you to clear up a question for me..."
Ruger deliberately lowered his voice