This book is The Terrible Plop by Ursula Diversarski, pictures by Andrew Joyner. The Terrible Plop. Six little rabbits down by the lake, munching on carrots and chocolate cake. Next to the lake in a tree up high, a round red apple swings in the sky. Soft as the wind and the tree bends low. The round red apple is all a glow. Suddenly comes a terrible plop. Up jump the rabbits hop hop hop. They shout to each other, run, don't stop. We must get away from the terrible plop. Wait little rabbits cause the foxes they pass. Where are you hopping too so very fast? But the rabbits cry back, we cannot stop. We must get away from the terrible plop. The terrible plop thinks the fox in fear. Maybe I'd better get out of here. Good bye friend monkey, I cannot stop. I must get away from the terrible plop. He runs with the rabbits, the monkey and the cat, the pig and the elephant, the tiger and the bat. Soon all of the animals one by one, out of the forest they come at a run. Out comes the leopard, out comes the goose, out comes the antelope, out comes the moose. They do not say they do not stop. They run, run, run from the terrible plop. At last they come to the big brown bear, sunning himself in a folding chair. What's this says the big brown bear with a frown? Where are you running to? Stop, slow down. No, no brown bear, we cannot stop. We must get away from the terrible plop. The terrible plop. What do I care? A better silly old plop, yorns the big brown bear. Oh no brown bear, they cry, you're wrong. The plop is fierce, the plop is strong. It's coming to get us, it's coming you'll see. What grounds the bear? Stronger than me. And he grabs with his paw at the one coming last. The littlest rabbit who's not very fast. The littlest rabbit with the littlest hop, but the greatest fear of the terrible plop. Now little rabbit, you show me where is the place of the plop. Sniles the big brown bear. Oh please big bear, don't make me go. I'm very afraid of the plop you know. But the bear draws back, you show me where or I'll eat you up, draws the big brown bear. Poor little rabbit, blink blink blink. Poor little rabbit, think think think. I'm afraid of the plop, I'm afraid of the bear, but the bear is here and the plop is there. Brave little rabbit, hop hop hop. Back to the lake and the terrible plop. Big brown bear slowly comes to a stop, so where says the bear is this terrible plop? The sun is soft, the water is still, and evening wind rolls down from the hill. Tall and dark stands the big brown bear, dark and strong with his nose in the air. Next to the lake in a tri-up high, a round red apple swings in the sky. Suddenly comes a terrible plop. But this time the rabbit does not hop. The wind rolls down from the top of the hill, but this time the littlest rabbit sits still, and turns to speak to the big brown bear, but the big brown bear is not there. The rabbit calls out to the big brown bear, where are you going to bear away? The bear cries back, I cannot stop quick, it's coming! The terrible plop. One little rabbit, down by the lake, happily munching on chocolate cake. All this running should really stop, who's afraid of a silly old plop. And that's the end of the story.