The Velveteen Rabbit
Note! This story has been published innumerable times with various illustrators.
"What is REAL?" asked the rabbit. "Real isn't how you are made", said the skin Horse. "When a child loves you for a long, long, time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."
By the time the velveteen rabbit is dirty, worn out, and about to be burned, he has almost given up hope of finding the magic called Real.
Margery Williams
Margery Williams Bianco (1881–1944) was an English-American author, primarily of popular children's books. A professional writer since the age of nineteen, she achieved lasting fame at forty-one with the 1922 publication of the classic that is her best-known work, The Velveteen Rabbit.