A year had passed since Voldery was taken from the orphanage. He quickly got used to life in the house with his parents and was very finally glad to return home.

At home, he was allowed to do whatever he wanted, and most importantly, they didn't give him that terrible rice porridge with lumps. But Voldery hadn't entirely moved away from life on a schedule. He still did his exercises every morning, and during the day he devoted time to reading educational books and watching interesting programmes, but now not with friends, but with his father. Yes, this had become a kind of tradition for Voldery and his father. Every time his father came home for lunch, he spent time with his son. Together they watched programmes, and Mr. Hoffman showed his son what was good and what was bad. Voldery was already a big boy, so he and his father read important adult books about cars.

Voldery loved these books. There was so much in them! It turned out that cars were just as complex "creatures" as people. They also got sick, they wanted to eat.

— "Dad! What do you call a doctor for cars? Do such things even exist?" — asked the boy, examining the complicated but interesting diagrams of car construction.

— "Of course they exist. Auto mechanics, or just mechanics, but properly speaking, auto mechanics." — answered the man with an important and wise look.

The young talent's eyes lit up with delight.

— "Dad, can I become an auto mechanic when I grow up? Can I? Can I?!" — Voldery began to question his father impatiently, lightly shaking him by the shoulder.

The man chuckled quietly and stroked the boy's head to calm him down a little, then answered: "The main thing is that you enjoy it. We'll figure out the rest."

Voldery slid down from his father's knees onto the floor and began pacing back and forth across the room. His movements were accompanied by loud, childishly naive reflections about his future. Voldery could already see himself growing up, opening his own car service centre and becoming a "Mega-super-cool worldwide auto mechanic."

— "...and then I'll make the fastest car! No, better yet, an aeroplane! No, a flying car! And then..."

Mr. Hoffman only watched his son with tenderness.

***

In the evening, Voldery was already getting ready for bed. As usual, his father was downstairs washing the dishes, and his mother was putting him to sleep. This had become such a familiar and dear family ritual.

Voldery lies in his little bed, and his mother strokes his head, and they have a warm conversation.

— "Mum, Dad told me today that there are doctors for cars! And they're called auto mechanics, and you know what? I want to become a mega-cool worldwide auto mechanic!" — the boy chattered quickly, despite the creeping drowsiness.

— "Of course you will, my sunshine! But you need to go to sleep now, you know that tomorrow we're going to the shop to pick out your school things?" — said his mother, gently stroking his head. Mrs. Hoffman always stroked Voldery like that before bed; he fell asleep faster that way. It was like a little miracle for her.

— "Why do I need school? I want to be an auto mechanic right away!" — Voldery objected, and then gave a sweet yawn. His mother chuckled softly and kissed him on the forehead.

— "Sweetie," — she said quietly. — "To become an auto mechanic, you first have to finish school, and only then study further for your profession at another educational institution." — she said, adjusting his blanket.

— "Why?" — came the most obvious question from this restless child.

— "To fix cars, you need to learn: to write, to read, to communicate with others, and also to understand a great many sciences. How will you be an auto mechanic without physics?" — asked the woman, knowing full well that the boy had no idea what physics was.

— "Mum, what is physics?"

— "Well, my sunshine, you'll find that out at school, the day after tomorrow. Good night, sunshine." — she said, kissing him. She ran her hand through his hair one last time, then turned on the night light and left his room, waving goodbye.

Voldery kissed his mother on the cheek in return and finally lowered his head onto the soft pillow. The warm blanket felt pleasant against his body. Fatigue crept up on the boy, brought on by yet another eventful day in his life. He closed his little eyes and drifted into a deep sleep filled with vivid dreams.

***

The sun was already high in the sky, flooding the room with warm light. Mischievous rays crept over to Voldery and began to tickle his face.

Finally, Voldery gave in and surrendered to these strange and alluring caresses of the little sunbeams. He slowly opened his eyes and gazed at the snow-white ceiling with its whimsical, smiling bee-shaped chandelier. The boy stretched lazily and jumped out of bed, throwing off the soft and warm protection of the blanket that had diligently kept him warm through the night.

Following his usual routine, Voldery put on his dinosaur slippers and sleepily made his way to the bathroom. In the orphanage, he had been taught to take care of himself, because dirty little bunnies are the favourite treat of the monster under the bed named Boo-boo. Voldery wasn't afraid of monsters. Not one bit. Well... almost. But he diligently washed his face and brushed his teeth every morning.

Arriving at the bathroom, he stood on a special little stool made by his father for him. Voldery was already a big boy, but being big doesn't necessarily mean being tall enough to reach the sink, does it? Not at all. That's what Voldery thought, being a grown-up and independent little bunny.

He took his favourite toothbrush with beautiful, bright little cars on it and his absolutely favourite toothpaste, "Dragon," with strawberry flavour and sparkles. It was so sweet and tasty that Voldery once ate the whole tube. Though afterwards his mother was unhappy and forbade him to eat toothpaste, because it's not food. Why isn't toothpaste food? No, it is food — astronauts eat paste! He saw it on TV with Dad. But Mum probably doesn't like astronauts and doesn't know what they eat, which is why she forbids Voldery from eating toothpaste.

— "I should tell Mum sometime that astronauts actually eat paste, which means I can too! Then she'll definitely allow it!" — thought Voldery as he brushed his almost-no-longer-baby teeth.

Coming out of the bathroom, Voldery dashed to the kitchen. His mother was already there. The boy could already hear that morning melody that his mother hums every time she cooks something delicious. It must have been her secret ingredient; otherwise, how could you explain that the food was always so special and tasty?

Voldery burst into the kitchen with a crash and collided with his chair. "Ouch!" — the child exclaimed as he fell on his bottom onto the floor. The woman immediately turned around and rushed to the boy with a worried expression.

— "My little one, are you hurt?" — she asked, picking him up and examining him.

Voldery hugged his mother and grinned smugly.

— "What? No! Not at all! I'm strong and grown-up!" — Voldery decided to object, even though he had indeed hit himself. But if he said that, then what kind of grown-up was he? Only little ones complain! And he was big and grown-up.

Bianca smiled sweetly and shook her head: "And honestly?"

Voldery closed his eyes and sighed in disappointment.

— "My bottom hurts..." — he answered quietly and shamefacedly, looking away.

The woman laughed tenderly and sat him on the chair, then she kissed him on the forehead and said the magic words: "The frog has a pain, the kitty has a pain, but Voldery has no pain."

For some reason, these words always made things feel better. Voldery didn't understand why; probably because it was some kind of special spell... Hmm, then maybe his mother was a real witch? Or maybe a fairy? That would explain a lot.

— "Thank you, it doesn't hurt anymore" — the little one answered with a shy smile. Mrs. Hoffman gently stroked her son's cheek and placed a plate of pancakes with lilac jam in front of him.

***

After a rather ordinary but still eventful morning, Voldery and his mother Bianca went to buy school supplies. This was an important and responsible moment.

The boy dashed around the shop with shining eyes, asking endlessly: — "Do I need this for school? Can I buy this?"

It turned out that you couldn't take ordinary toy cars with you. But if it was a pen with a car on it — then you could.

Maybe if he took some insulating tape from his father and taped an ordinary toy car to a pen, they'd let him take that to school too.

He'd have to check that. This was exactly what Voldery was thinking about when he suddenly noticed another child.

He was about the same age, but looked different. A venomous rabbitsnail. Voldery frowned.

In the shelter, such children were always rude and mean. That's why they got beaten, actually. Voldery himself had taken part in that more than once — along with the other kids. And, as he thought at the time, quite deservedly.

Those sneaky venomous ones... Ugh! They were always stealing food and bullying the younger ones. And now, apparently, this scoundrel had come here for the same reason. Voldery drew his thin childish brows together and resolutely approached the stranger.

He looked frightened and kept glancing around.

— "Aha," — Voldery twigged. — "Definitely stole something."

— "Hey, what are you doing here?" — he asked, looking at him with obvious disdain. The child flinched and looked up at him.

— "I?.. I... I just wanted to buy a notebook... But I lost my money... And..."

— "And decided to steal? Or maybe steal some money too?! How disgusting you are!" — Voldery interrupted, advancing threateningly on the poor girl he had mistaken for a boy. She was taller, but Voldery felt braver.

— "I just wanted to find my money..." — she said quietly. Her voice trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes. Voldery smirked. He felt like a hero — almost like in the comics. He was fighting evil right now, too.

— "Oh my God, what's going on here?!" — Bianca quickly came over and separated them. From her expression, Voldery immediately understood: he had done something wrong. And from the frightened girl's eyes, it was clear — one more moment and she would burst into tears. Bianca shifted her gaze from Voldery to the trembling child. Voldery was already about to explain everything. He was sure: his mother would understand, praise him... maybe even buy him a new toy. But instead, Bianca crouched in front of the girl and spoke softly: "What happened? Tell me, please. I'll try to help."

The girl wiped her tears and, stammering, began to speak: "I'm sorry... please... I didn't want to steal anything... I just... lost my money... And Mum told me to buy a new notebook... She'll be mad... I'm sorry... I won't do it again..."

Voldery froze in bewilderment. She sounded sincere. And his mother... his mother believed her?

Nonsense! Rubbish! That doesn't happen! There are no good venomous rabbitsnails! Right?..

Meanwhile, Bianca carefully wiped the girl's tears and said warmly: "It's all right, sweetie. Don't cry. Let me buy you some notebooks. And something else. Are you hungry?"

The girl mumbled softly: "Thank you..."

And stopped crying.

Voldery remained standing off to the side, watching as his mother bought this crybaby beautiful notebooks and a new T-shirt. He didn't understand. Why? Why was she helping her? Why wasn't she despising her?..

***

When at last this strange episode was over and the crybaby had gone home happy, his mother came over to Voldery.

From her face, it was clear that she was clearly upset. But about what? Surely not his behaviour?! That couldn't be!

— "Why did you treat him like that?" — Bianca asked quietly but sternly, looking at Voldery with her special look. That look... It wasn't angry, but it made you feel guilty and a distinct sadness from the parent. When you realise you've done something bad and that something has clearly upset and saddened the most beloved person in your life.

It was the same here. Voldery realised he had done something wrong.

— "How else was I supposed to treat that scoundrel?" — the boy asked indignantly, but still shamefacedly.

Bianca shook her head and continued to silently demand an explanation from her son. And the boy understood that. He needed to tell her everything, and maybe then his mother would stop being angry with him and would understand it all.

— "But he's venomous! Venomous means evil, rude, and he clearly wanted to do something bad! I know all of them like that..." — the boy's fiery speech was met with a heavy, sad sigh. She leaned down to him and asked in a calm voice: "Do you really know every venomous rabbitsnail in the whole world?"

This question confused Voldery, and he shifted awkwardly: "Well, not all of them... But what difference does that make?"

His mother shook her head and continued: "Remember this, Voldery — never, do you hear? Never judge others by their appearance. That is the stupidest thing you could have done and could ever do."

Voldery didn't understand why. Why couldn't you do that? And Bianca understood his silent confusion.

***

As soon as they left the shop and headed home, his mother brought up this unpleasant conversation again.

— "You know, when I was your age, I also thought they were all bad, but there was one incident that changed my attitude towards them."

— "What incident, Mummy?" — asked Voldery in a quiet voice, walking beside his mother and clutching her hand.

— "Once, I was attacked in a dark alley late in the evening. And I was attacked by perfectly ordinary rabbitsnails, but a young guy saved me from them. He was much smaller than the bullies, but despite that, he rushed to help me." — the woman told the story gently, omitting all the horror of that encounter for Voldery's sake.

Voldery looked at his mother in bewilderment.

— "A venomous one saved you? How and why?!" — he couldn't believe his little ears. How had that happened?!

— "That's exactly how. So never judge a person by their appearance." — the woman answered.

— "I understand, Mummy, I'll never do that again" — Voldery promised.