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This is the first of a set of caches dedicated to our time traveling bunnies. This first one is dedicated to Mochi (pronounced moo-chee), our mini lop. She scouted out this area as acceptable for your caching needs and supplied some of her own personal swag items for you. Rabbit related trade items are especially welcome, except for rabbit's feet keychains. Mochi says those are lucky for everyone but the rabbit!
Congrats to ItsLoveInStereo & Bananapoo for FTF!
Juliet of Dharma_TLG: As a kid, I'd look up to see a full moon and wonder what was up there. When I lived in Japan, my sensei had told me the story about "Tsukino Usagi" which means "Rabbit of the Moon". In Japanese folklore, rabbits live on the moon where they make 'mochi' (a popular sticky, rice-based sweet).
The legend is as follows:
"The story goes that in a previous existences as a Bodhisattva, Shakyamuni (the Buddha) taught his followers about a wise rabbit who lived in a forest with three of his friends: the monkey, the fox, and the otter. The reincarnation of a Bodhisattva himself, the rabbit possessed a wisdom that would surely lead him to enlightenment. In the afternoon, the friends went about their business alone, but in the evenings they gathered together to hear the rabbit speak about life and morality. On the day of the full moon, the rabbit proposed that instead of eating alone, they gather their food together and distribute it among the hungry. His three friends agreed.
The monkey climbed trees to gather mangoes, the fox gathered the leftovers the workers had left in their fields, and the otter caught fish in the river. Since the rabbit ate grass, he didn't really have to go out of his way to get food, but he knew that no human would want to eat grass. "If someone hungry comes to beg for food, I will offer them my body. I'm sure lots of people would like to eat rabbit meat!" Then he told everyone what he decided.
Hearing this, the King of Heaven was surprised. To test their sincerity, he disguised himself as a lowly beggar and visited each of them, pleading for food. The monkey, the fox and the otter all happily offered not only part of their foods, but all they had gathered. Pleased, he went to the rabbit. "Might you have some food for a poor beggar?" He asked.
"I understand," the rabbit said. 'I'll give you something delicious. Please, make a fire." With his supernatural powers, the King of Heaven made a roaring fire right before his eyes. The rabbit immediately jumped in, but it was not hot. "You're fire is powerful, but it's not even hot enough to singe a single strand of my hair!" he exclaimed.
"You know, wise man, I am no beggar. I came down from heaven to test the sincerity of your words. Doing good deeds is very important. You're deeds will not be forgotten." Wringing the mountain, he used its ink to paint the shape of a rabbit on the moon, a memorial to the rabbit's goodness for all generations."
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Guvf bar vf gbb rnfl nf vg vf!