SYNOPSIS:

The story begins with Nubby, a heavily damaged stuffed rabbit, reflecting on his mistreatment. Through a series of vignettes, Nubby recounts the physical abuse he endures daily: being buried by the family terrier, dropped, dragged, and torn by children, and even used as a "nose wipe". Feeling unappreciated and "torn up," Nubby yearns for a new beginning where he might be truly valued. His chance for escape arrives by accident when the family dog carries him out of the house and leaves him in a neighbor's yard. Initially, Nubby attempts to integrate with a group of real rabbits, noting their physical similarities, but he is ignored. Hope briefly returns when a young girl, an aspiring magician, finds him and uses him as a prop in her magic show. However, the audience of children is unimpressed, and the girl discards Nubby in the grass after the failed performance. Still determined, Nubby briefly pursues wealth after finding a quarter in the dirt, but his "fortune" is quickly snatched away by a passing adult who carelessly steps on him, leaving him with a gaping hole in his chest. Lying broken and alone, Nubby experiences a flashback of his owner playing with him in the mud, realizing that despite the rough handling, he was loved. He spots his owner across the street, frantically searching for him in tears. Though Nubby is too injured to walk back on his own, the terrier returns to carry him home and reunite him with the child. The film concludes with Nubby undergoing a "restoration" process—being washed and having his chest sewn shut by the child’s mother. While he acknowledges that the rough play (being dropped, dragged, and used as a nose wipe) continues, he no longer minds. He realizes that these actions are overshadowed by the "nuzzling, snuggling, and cuddling" he receives, finally finding contentment as he is held tightly by his sleeping owner.