Bunny Trouble

by Jennifer Gray

  ‘Finally, you must be able to defend yourself,’ Eduardo said when they had eaten their dandelion stalks. ‘These can be used as weapons.’ He pointed to the elastic band, the bottle top, the chewing gum and the string.

  Binny stared hard at them.

  ‘Ooohhh!’ said the little guinea piglets.

  ‘Uh-hum!’ Coco wasn’t sure it was a good idea for Eduardo to teach the little guinea piglets and Binny about weapons. She shook her head at him.

  ‘But you have to be an experienced fighter like me to use such dangerous tools,’ Eduardo added hastily. ‘Come, amigos, you have had a busy afternoon. Let us rest a while and sing songs around the campfire. Then I will take you home.’

  ‘I’m still hungry,’ Binny said. She started whispering to Blossom.

  ‘Me too!’ Blossom started whispering to Pepper.

  ‘So am I!’

  Soon all the little guinea pigs were whispering with Binny.

  ‘We’re starving,’ they complained.

  Eduardo sighed. ‘Very well. I, Eduardo Julio Antonio del Monte, will find food for you.’ He beckoned to Coco and Fuzzy. ‘Come help me, friends.’ He pointed in the direction of the fence and winked.

  ‘No thanks,’ Coco said. ‘I’m not much good at foraging.’

  ‘I think he means at Banoffee’s place,’ Fuzzy explained in a low voice. ‘We can go and get their tea and bring it back.’

  ‘Oh, I see.’ Coco got up.

  So did Fuzzy. ‘Do you think we should leave them alone?’ he asked in a worried voice.

  ‘Pah!’ Eduardo said. ‘You domestic guinea pigs worry too much. Look at them – they’re having a great time! And they have been trained by a professional. Me! They’ll be fine.’

  Binny and the guinea pigs were giggling away.

  ‘I think I’d better stay and keep an eye on them,’ Fuzzy said.

  ‘We’ll only be a minute, Fuzzy,’ Coco said. ‘Come on. You deserve a break.’

  ‘Maybe you’re right,’ Fuzzy agreed. His stomach was rumbling, and Banoffee’s tea was always very good.

  ‘I will give them instructions.’ Eduardo took charge again. ‘One of you, keep a look out for Renard!’ he ordered. ‘Any sign of that fox and you all jump straight into the burrow. Anyone want to volunteer?’

  ‘I will,’ Binny said obediently.

  Coco and Fuzzy exchanged glances. Eduardo’s camp really seemed to have worked on Binny. She was being so helpful. Maybe she would find an owner after all.

  ‘See?’ Eduardo said proudly. ‘I told you I’d get her licked into shape. No problem. Trust me, amigos, nothing will go wrong.’

  5

  Chocolate

  Eduardo was right: nothing did go wrong. Well, not for the first minute after he, Coco and Fuzzy left Binny and the young guinea pigs in the copse. As soon as they had gone, Binny trotted over to the old oak, turned around so that her back was to the tree, then stood to attention, like a guard outside a palace. Although it was Binny who had volunteered to look out, the other guinea pigs wanted to help so they followed her and did the same. Soon all fourteen little creatures were standing in a ring, around the tree.

  No one giggled, or hummed, or farted. They all looked out across the copse, making sure that they were safe from harm.

  Then Blossom saw something on the ground. It was small and round and brown, but it wasn’t a coin or a button.

  It looked like – but it couldn’t be – it wasn’t Easter quite yet – but it looked like – yes, it DID look like a piece of CHOCOLATE. She nudged Binny, who was standing next to her.

  ‘Can you see what I see?’ she asked, because she was always full of questions.

  ‘What letter does it begin with?’ asked Binny, who thought it was a game.

  Blossom answered with a nod towards the chocolate. Binny turned her head and saw what Blossom saw. She took a step forward, towards the chocolate. The other guinea pigs did the same. Binny turned back to them and held up her paw.

  ‘Stay there!’ she ordered. ‘Let me see if it’s safe.’ She crept towards the chocolate. She crouched down and sniffed. Then, when she was sure it was safe, she licked it. And then she ate it up, all in one go!

  The guinea pigs sighed and moaned.

  ‘That’s not fair!’ cried Pepper.

  ‘Can I have some?’ asked Blossom.

  Binny put her paw in the air and silenced them again.

  ‘I’m the Easter Bunny. I get to try it first,’ she explained. ‘And now you can all have some. Look!’

  Binny pointed at the ground in front of her. There, a little way away, was another piece of chocolate!

  The guinea pigs were so excited. They all rushed forward. Binny put her paw up again. Everyone stopped and listened.

  ‘Blossom first, because she saw the chocolate first.’

  The others nodded in agreement. This seemed fair. Blossom came forward like a little girl winning a big prize. As soon as she got to the chocolate she grabbed it and started to nibble at it excitedly. The other guinea pigs cheered. Then Binny pointed out another piece of chocolate. And so it went on, because there was a trail of chocolate stretching ahead, enough for everyone.

  The guinea pigs were so busy chomping their chocolate they didn’t notice that the trail had led them into the long grass, and from there into the thick bushes. One after another, each guinea pig found their piece of chocolate, until Pepper was the only one that hadn’t had any. By the time it was her turn she had reached a rather dark part of the copse. It was under a low tree with big leaves that let in very little light.

  She looked around for the chocolate. Where was it? Whoever had left the chocolate must have known that there were fourteen little creatures who all wanted some. It wouldn’t be fair to leave anyone out. She began to feel a little scared. She was all alone. Everyone else was busy enjoying their treat. She wondered who had left the chocolate trail? Was it their lovely mum, Banoffee? Was it Eduardo, their teacher? Or was it Coco and Fuzzy? Or another guinea pig they didn’t know?

  Just then Pepper saw something move. It didn’t look much like a guinea pig. It had four long legs, orange fur, a long bushy tail and very sharp white teeth.

  ‘The fox!’ Pepper exclaimed. ‘We should have guessed it was him!’

  Everyone had forgotten about Renard. But he hadn’t forgotten about the guinea pigs and their new little bunny friend. He had been watching and listening all along. And he had laid the trail of chocolates in order to catch them out.

  He stepped out from behind the tree.

  ‘What big eyes you’ve got!’ Pepper squeaked.

  ‘All the better to see little guinea pigs with,’ the fox replied.

  ‘What big ears you’ve got!’ Pepper squealed.

  ‘All the better to hear little guinea pigs munching chocolate,’ he sneered.

  ‘What big teeth you’ve got,’ Pepper whispered.

  ‘Thank you. They’re all my own,’ said the fox proudly. ‘It’s very important to have regular check-ups at the dentist, you know. And clean your teeth after every meal. I will be cleaning mine after I’ve eaten you.’

  Pepper screamed at the top of her voice.

  ‘No point crying out, my little friend, you’ll never escape!’ said the fox.

  But there was a point in crying out. The other guinea piglets immediately stopped eating their chocolate and raced towards the cry as Renard ran off with Pepper in his jaws.

  The little guinea pigs chased after him. Suddenly there was a roar behind them. Not an animal’s roar but the roar of a truck. It was Binny!

  ‘Quick! Jump in the back!’ she called out. She slowed down and the guinea piglets jumped in as fast as they could. Once they were all aboard they raced through the long grass after Renard.

  ‘Attack!’ instructed Binny, holding the bottle top out of the truck window. Blossom reached out and took it.

  ‘What do we do with it?’ she asked.

  ‘Stick it to this,’ Binny said, holding out the chewing
gum. ‘Then use the elastic band to catapult it at the fox’s nose.’

  Binny handed up the elastic band and the guinea pigs followed her instructions. One held one end of the rubber band; another held the other end.

  Blossom stuck the chewing gum to the bottle top, then she pulled back the middle bit of the rubber band as far as she could, placed the sticky bottle top in front of it and let go. The bottle top flew through the air. Blossom’s aim was perfect. It landed on Renard’s nose.

  PLINK!

  The sharp, pointy bits of the bottle top hit him right on his soft, black snout.

  Renard cried out, opening his jaws wide. Pepper dropped out of Renard’s mouth to the ground. Binny braked and the truck screeched to a halt. The fox stroked his snout sulkily with his paw.

  ‘Quick, Pepper, climb up!’ called Binny.

  Pepper spun round and raced away from the fox towards the truck. Binny opened the passenger door and Pepper leaped in. All her brothers and sisters cheered from the back of the truck.

  ‘Give me the string,’ Binny instructed Pepper.

  Pepper picked up the string from the truck floor and handed it to Binny. Quick as a flash, she tied a knot to make it into a lasso. Then she leaned out of the window and launched the lasso towards the fox. The loop fell neatly around Renard’s neck. Binny pulled it tight and Renard crashed to the ground.

  ‘CHARGE!’ Binny leaped out of the truck, followed by the guinea pigs. She dashed over to Renard and used the rest of the string to tie his legs together. The fox snarled and snapped but he couldn’t get free. The guinea pigs cheered and cheered.

  Binny looked up with a grin. ‘Anyone for roasted fox’s tail?’

  6

  Foxed

  ‘Let me go!’ the fox cried.

  ‘No,’ Binny said. ‘We’re going to roast your tail.’

  There was a shout from the branches above.

  ‘Oi!’

  Binny and the guinea piglets looked up to see what it was.

  Something flew through the air on a vine and landed beside the truck.

  It was Eduardo.

  ‘Qué pasa? What do you think you are doing?’ he shouted at Binny.

  Binny looked at him in surprise. ‘I’m doing what you told me,’ she said. ‘I’m using the things we found in the copse as weapons.’

  The fox twisted his neck so he could see Eduardo. ‘I might have known you were behind this,’ he snarled. The fox and Eduardo were old enemies.

  Eduardo ignored him. ‘I told you, you have to be an expert in freedom fighting before you take on the fox,’ he yelled at the campers. ‘Whose idea was this anyway?’

  Binny blinked at him. ‘Mine!’ she said proudly.

  Just then Coco and Fuzzy rushed up. Coco gave a little scream when she saw Renard.

  ‘You as well!’ the fox cried. He tried to wriggle free, but the string held him tight.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ Binny said proudly. ‘I tied him up, like Eduardo told me. We’re going to roast his tail. Do you want some?’

  ‘I did not tell you to tie him up!’ Eduardo yelled.

  ‘You did tell them about the weapons though,’ Coco said.

  ‘So it was you!’ the fox growled. ‘I’ll get you for this.’

  Eduardo ignored him. So did Coco.

  ‘But Renard laid a sneaky trail of chocolate!’ Pepper said, coming to Binny’s defence.

  ‘And he tried to eat Pepper!’ Blossom said.

  ‘Did you?’ Coco asked Renard.

  ‘Maybe,’ Renard admitted.

  Coco ignored him. So did Eduardo.

  ‘He wouldn’t have tried to eat Pepper if you’d stayed by the burrow like I told you,’ Eduardo fumed at Binny.

  ‘I knew we shouldn’t leave them on their own,’ Fuzzy sighed. ‘I think this is my fault.’

  ‘It’s not your fault, amigo,’ Eduardo said. ‘It’s Bunny the binny’s fault.’

  ‘You mean Binny the bunny,’ Coco corrected.

  ‘That’s what I said,’ Eduardo insisted.

  ‘No, it’s not.’

  ‘Yes, it is.’

  ‘No, it’s not.’

  ‘Er, hello!’ the fox called. He was getting fed up with being ignored. ‘Could someone please let me go so I can start chasing you again?’

  ‘So we can start chasing you, you mean!’ Binny said.

  The guinea piglets all started chanting, ‘Let’s roast his tail! Let’s roast his tail! Let’s roast his tail!’

  ‘That’s enough!’ Eduardo thundered. He rounded on Binny. ‘You are a very bad binny,’ he said. ‘You could all have been eaten.’

  ‘We weren’t though,’ Binny said.

  ‘That’s not the point!’ Eduardo shouted. ‘I told you to stay at the burrow and keep a look out. You are very, very naughty.’ He began to untie the fox.

  ‘What are you doing that for?’ said Binny, astonished.

  ‘Stop asking stupid questions!’ Eduardo said. ‘I need the string to make a hammock!’

  Binny’s lower lip started to quiver.

  Fuzzy and Coco both noticed it. Eduardo being so cross with her had made Binny want to cry.

  Coco didn’t know what to do. She could understand why Eduardo was cross with Binny. (She had been cross when Binny was naughty in her lesson, too.) But she didn’t want Binny to get upset again.

  ‘That’s enough, Eduardo,’ she said. ‘Binny was doing really well. Don’t be so hard on her.’

  ‘We’d better get her back to the house,’ Fuzzy whispered. ‘Come on, Binny. Let’s go and check the website. We need to check how many people are coming to help clean up the rescue centre.’

  ‘All right,’ said Binny reluctantly.

  ‘Home time!’ Coco said brightly. She gathered all the little guinea piglets together. They crowded into the back of the truck with Binny.

  Fuzzy and Coco jumped in the front seat. Fuzzy started the engine. He knew they might need to make a quick getaway if Renard decided to chase them.

  Eduardo finished untying the fox and jumped in after them.

  The truck roared off through the copse.

  ‘I’ll get you!’ Renard called, but he didn’t chase them because he was tired from being tied up. ‘Next time …’

  Soon the guinea pigs and Binny arrived back at the garden fence. The babies tumbled out of the back of the truck with Binny. Eduardo ushered them under the gate to where Banoffee was waiting in the garden.

  ‘Did you have a lovely time?’ she said.

  ‘It was great!’ Blossom squeaked.

  ‘We had chocolate!’ Pepper squealed.

  ‘The fox laid a trail,’ Blossom explained.

  ‘He tried to eat me,’ Pepper finished.

  ‘And I caught him!’ Binny boasted.

  ‘He cleans his teeth twice a day, Mum,’ Blossom told her. ‘Pepper said.’

  ‘Oh!’ Banoffee looked a bit confused. ‘That’s nice.’

  ‘What time do the lessons start tomorrow?’ Coco asked Eduardo.

  ‘There aren’t going to be no lessons.’ Eduardo scowled.

  ‘But you said you would teach Binny,’ Coco protested.

  ‘So did you,’ Eduardo retorted, ‘and look what happened to that.’

  Binny’s lower lip started to quiver again.

  ‘I want to be a freedom fighter,’ she said in a small voice, ‘like Eduardo.’

  Eduardo was still angry. ‘You, Bunny,’ he said sternly, ‘will never be a freedom fighter. You don’t have what it takes.’

  Binny began to sob.

  ‘Now look what you’ve done,’ Coco said crossly.

  ‘Oh dear,’ Fuzzy said. ‘Come on, Binny, let’s go and look at the computer.’ He put out a paw.

  ‘No!’ Binny backed away. ‘I don’t want to go with you. I want to be a freedom fighter.’

  ‘Binny …’ Coco began. She put out a paw too.

  Binny took another step away. Binny’s feet were big so by this time she was getting quite far away from the guinea
pigs.

  Eduardo decided to take charge. ‘Bunny,’ he commanded, ‘do as they tell you. You cannot be a freedom fighter.’

  ‘Yes, I can,’ Binny said. She hopped backwards.

  ‘No, you can’t!’ Eduardo said gravely. ‘You cannot survive alone in the wild.’

  ‘I can!’ Binny said. She had reached the fence. ‘Anyway, I don’t want to be with any of you. I hate you all. Just like you hate me.’

  To the guinea pigs’ horror she ducked under the fence and disappeared.

  7

  Capture

  ‘Can we go and look for Binny?’ asked Blossom, staring out into the copse.

  ‘Can we have tea first?’ asked Pepper, looking at the lovely picnic that Banoffee had made for their tea.

  ‘I will go and look for Bunny,’ Eduardo said. ‘This is work for a professional, like me.’

  ‘We’ll come too,’ Fuzzy said.

  But just then they all heard a ring. It was Henrietta’s bicycle bell. She always rang it to let next door’s cat, Alan, know that she was coming, so he would stop sunbathing in the middle of the pavement and move out of her way. He never did move so she always got off her bike and wheeled it carefully past Alan, but she kept hoping that one day he’d get the message.

  Fuzzy and Coco froze. Henrietta was home early! They had to get back to the house and into their hutch before she found out they weren’t there.

  ‘Run, amigos!’ Eduardo urged them. ‘Here, take my skeleton keys so you can join me later in the search for Bunny.’ Eduardo tossed his satchel to Fuzzy.

  Without a word, Fuzzy and Coco scampered off.

  ‘Come along, kids.’ Banoffee understood that this was an emergency, so she quietly rounded up her babies and took them and the food back to her hutch next door, where they had an indoor picnic.

  Coco and Fuzzy just made it into their hutch as Henrietta came downstairs into the kitchen. They even remembered to close the new lock so that she wouldn’t realize they had got out again. Coco buried Eduardo’s satchel under the hay. Then they both shut their eyes and rolled into balls, to make it look as if they had been sleeping all afternoon.