Ostara, the Goddess of Dawn, who was responsible for bringing spring each year, was feeling guilty about arriving so late. To make matters worse, she arrived to find a pitiful little bird who lay dying, his wings frozen by the snow. Lovingly, Ostara cradled the shivering creature and saved his life.

Filled with compassion for him since he could no longer fly because of his frost-damaged wings, the goddess Ostara turned him into a rabbit, a snow hare,. To honor his earlier form as a bird, she gave him the ability to lay eggs, but he was only allowed to lay eggs on one day out each year.