The Skin Horse is the wise toy in Margery Williams’s “The Velveteen Rabbit.” He is the oldest and wisest toy in the nursery, and he explains to the Velveteen Rabbit what it means for a toy to become real.
The Skin Horse tells the rabbit that toys become real through a child’s deep, lasting love—not through their materials or mechanical features. His explanation prepares the rabbit for the story’s central transformation, in which affection and devotion matter more than appearance.
Williams’s tale was first published in Harper’s Bazaar in 1921 and appeared as a book in 1922. William Nicholson illustrated the original book. The story follows a stuffed rabbit who becomes shabby through years of use but grows emotionally important to the boy who owns him.
After the boy contracts scarlet fever, his toys are ordered to be burned. The Nursery Magic Fairy ultimately rescues the rabbit and turns him into a real rabbit. Nana is the boy’s nurse, while “Velveteen Rabbit” is the title character, not the wise toy.