"Norbert the Bold"

Norbert in his winter outfit.

For those of you who have never met Norbert, here he is, my blue rabbit travelling companion who accompanies me on my adventures in Germany.   Last year, however, he decided to stay in Braunschweig for the winter  with his dear friend Mr Edward Bear.  During the cold weather, his auntie Janet  knitted him a woolly hat and jumper, so here he is seen in his posh winter gear, complete with a red button on top, (or is that a ladybird for good luck?)  At night he sleeps on the sofa with Mr Edward, they are just good friends, well I think so!

Norbert really prefers the warmth, and the photo below shows him on a summer day in Devizes, complete with sunglasses.   Norbert has a sad history, for in 1986 he was found abandoned in the gutter.   My little son Robert saw him and shouted, "Mummy, mummy, there's a blue rabbit in the gutter."   "A blue rabbit, are we dreaming?"   No, we promptly rescued him, and just at that moment a "Norbert Dentressangle" pantechnicon was passing by.   So,  that's how he got his name, named after an European freight company!

We took him home, washed him in the washing machine, and he has been spotless ever since.  He was once wrapped in silverfoil, and packed in a pie dish to be cooked as rabbit pie by my supposed pub friends!  Fortunately I rescued him from a fate worse than death!

Norbert in sunglasses.