Once upon a time, there was a rabbit napping under a tree. He was tossing and turning as his mind passed horrific images through his dreams of the very ground splitting beneath him.

"BOOM!"

A large coconut from the tree the rabbit was napping under slammed into the ground.

Immediately, the rabbit awoke. Still in a daze, he took off running with full speed. 

(Photo from Wikipedia by Geoffry.)

"The earth is splitting!" He shouted at he went on his path.

He could not make up which of his last moments had been a dream and which were reality. All he knew was that the ground was beginning to split at the very tree where he once lay for a nap. 

As he passed a deer, the deer asked him why he was running with such force. 

"I was napping and awoke to the ground beginning to split beneath me!" He shouted to the deer. 

Frightened, the deer joined the rabbit.

Animals continued to ask the reason for the panic and, over and over again, the response frightened them into joining the pack.

Soon enough, with hundreds of animals running, the ground truly began to shake.

This woke the one animal that had not yet joined the pack as he was taking his afternoon nap...It was the king of the jungle, the master lion.

Seconds after waking, he spotted the pack running.

"ROOAAR!" He called out.

Everyone came to a stop. 

"Why is everyone running?" He asked.

One by one, the animals pointed fingers until they were only left with the rabbit. He explained what he had experienced and told the lion the he must join them.

The lion told everyone to stay right where they are as he takes the rabbit to go and examine the tree which he had been napping under.

The rabbit hopped on the lion's back and they went on their way.

As soon as they arrived, the rabbit buried his face in embarrassment. 

"I am so sorry. I think I had a nightmare and thought that the coconut falling was my nightmare happening in real life. What can I do so the other animals don't shun me?" Said the rabbit.

"Don't worry, my friend. They will be thankful that you cared enough to warn them and bring them to safety. Now we know who to count on if this really does happen!" Said the lion.

The lion carried the rabbit back to the other animals and told them to applaud the small rabbit for making such a large impact in an effort to protect everyone.

Author's Note:
In the original version of this story, the rabbit woke from a simple nap to a coconut falling which made him think that the earth was splitting. He began running until several animals going him. In the original, the lion also stopped everyone and took the rabbit to the tree where he had been sleeping. I changed the story by making the rabbit have the vision in a nightmare, including a few extra details, and adding in dialogue. 

The Foolish, Timid Rabbit from Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt.