While I was walking yesterday morning, I spotted a small scrap of white in a garden bed beside the footpath. I was in a hurry so I bent down and scooped it up. As I continued walking, I looked at it. It was a bunny rabbit toy, covered in loose soil and twigs. I brushed the twigs away and it revealed a cute, clean, soft Mashimaro (aka “half-eaten marshmallow”).

Now usually, I’m not at all inspired by Japanese/Korean toons but Korean Rabbit is just soooo cute! If it was any less cute, I’d give him away but I’m going to keep him. I like patting his head and pushing his ears back. He fits nicely in my hand when I wrap my palm around its head.

My brother and I grew up with soft toys. Our ‘Cutie Family’ includes seven smurfs, Tweety and Sylvester Junior. There are some distant relatives in the form of Kiwi toys (the fruit, not the bird or human variety). All our toys have back stories, personalities and voices. Jason and I don’t like getting new toys because it’s a lot of effort integrating them into the family. We have to invent personalities and introduce them to the others with appropriate histories. The last addition to the family was Liddle Smurf, who turned out to be a cunning, nasty piece of work. He’s always picking on Big Smurf (who is unfortunately a bit slow), bouncing on his tummy.

I don’t think Korean Rabbit will be joining the Cutie Family. I’ll just keep him separate and use him as a sort of stress ball. Sorry KR, no personality for you.