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Rabbit's Kin Merrie Melodies (Bugs Bunny) series
The title card of Rabbit's Kin.
Directed by	Robert McKimson
Produced by	Eddie Selzer
Story by	Tedd Pierce
Voices by	Mel Blanc Stan Freberg
Music by	Carl Stalling
Animation by	Charles McKimson Herman Cohen Rod Scribner Phil DeLara
Layouts by	Robert Givens
Backgrounds by	Richard H. Thomas
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation
Release date(s)	November 15, 1952 (USA)
Color process	Technicolor
Running time	7 min (one reel)
Language	English

Rabbit's Kin is a Merrie Melodies short released on November 15, 1952. It was directed by Robert McKimson and written by Tedd Pierce. The animators who worked on this cartoon included Charles McKimson, Herman Cohen, Rod Scribner and Phil DeLara. The music was scored by Carl Stalling while the backgrounds and layouts were done by Robert Givens and Richard H. Thomas, respectively. Mel Blanc, as usual, did the voice of Bugs Bunny, as well as his companion Shorty, while Stan Freberg voiced Bugs' nemesis Pete Puma. The title is a play on "rabbit skin", but is also a literal term in that Bugs is caring for a "kin", here, another rabbit.

[edit] Summary

A cute little bunny named Shorty with a barely discernible warp-speed high pitched voice is running from Pete Puma, until he stumbles down Bugs Bunny's rabbit hole. The little guy tells Bugs his problem ("Myheartpounded, mylegstrembled, Iwasfrozenwithfear!"), and Bugs agrees to help him out. Bugs then proceeds to play tricks on Pete. Firstly, he asks Pete to stay for tea. He then proceeds to ask the puma how many lumps of sugar he wants, to which Pete Puma replies "Oh, three or four". Bugs repeatedly hits Pete Puma on the head, leaving him with three or four lumps on his head (Bugs then decides he gave him "one lump too many", flattening it with a reflex hammer). Pete had also offered Bugs an exploding cigar, and while Pete is dazed, Bugs puts the cigar in Pete's mouth and lights it. BOOM!

Pete next tries to disguise himself as the little rabbit's mother. Once again, Bugs wants to have him for tea, but this time Pete declines the offer. He says, "But I don't want no TEA! It gives me a HEADACHE!" Instead, Pete provides coffee. The "lumps" gag repeats itself, only this time the puma has protection in the form of an "Acme Stovelid" on his head. Bugs removes it with his "Acme Stovelid Lifter", revealing more lumps on Pete's cranium, which flatten him out.

Shorty enjoys the shenanigans so much that he wants to get involved. So, as the little bunny hops down the road alone, Pete grabs him and runs home to his cave, intending to cook him. Bugs shows up in a costume disguised as Pete's second cousin, Paul Puma. He insists on helping his "cuz" get the fricasseeing off to a good start, asking how many lumps of coal Pete wants for the stove. Pete says "You better give me a lotta lumps, a whooole lotta lumps", then catches himself. "Oh no, ya don't", he says. "I'll help myself!" the cartoon ends with Pete beating himself on the head with a wooden mallet as Bugs takes the little bunny home ("We'd better get outta here, Shorty--he's much too smart for us! Huuuuuuugh!") (representing Pete's inhaled chortling sound).

Preceded by Rabbit Seasoning

Bugs Bunny Cartoons 1952

Succeeded by Hare Lift