by BobA. Troutt
*****
Giggle’s Holiday Book
The Painted Egg Caper
It was spring once again in Easter Valley, and all the folks were getting ready for the big Easter egg hunt. They were gathering eggs, painting them and stuffing Easter baskets with toys and goodies. All except Willie Rabbit who sat on the outskirts of town pouting and complaining like he did every year. In the distance you could hear the sounds of Easter songs being sung by the folks of Easter Valley. As they sang, the songs reached out far across the land and when Willie Rabbit heard it he just propped his elbow upon his knees and said, “Fiddlesticks. Ladeda, ladeda. I don’t ever get to deliver the Easter eggs,” he complained. “Every year it’s the same old story. Ricky Rabbit, the Easter Bunny, has to do it. Fiddlesticks, phooey,” he cried out as he shook his head and slapped his hands on his hips. “It’s not fair. It’s not right.”
As Willie sat there that day with his head in his hands, he stared down at the ground, twitching his toes causing dust to shoot up between them. “Just once,” he said, “I wish I could deliver the eggs, and I would show them.”
Time passed quickly and Easter was just a few days away. Everyone was excited when, suddenly, there was a scream that spread across the valley, waking everyone up. It was early in the morning, the day before Easter, when Ricky Rabbit awoke covered with different colored spots from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet.
“What is it?” he cried. “What has happened to me?”
Quickly, Oscar the elder rabbit burst through the door. “What is it, Ricky?” he cried.
Everyone gathered around Ricky’s house looking in windows and doors. A hush fell over the crowd as Oscar took a close look. “Ugh!” he said to himself as he looked at this spot and that. He stumbled back, scratched his head and sort of laughed.
“What is it, Oscar?” What’s wrong with me?” cried Ricky. “Why am I covered with all these different colored spots?”
Oscar slapped his hands on his hips, then he cupped them behind his back, and paced the floor with his head hung low. Quickly he stopped. Everyone took a deep breath as Oscar replied, “Ricky, I am afraid you have Easter measles.”
Everyone took a deeper breath.
“Easter measles,” replied Ricky. “What’s that?”
“Oh, they come around every so many years, popping up here and there. There’s no harm, they will be gone in a week.”
There was a sigh of relief as everyone looked at each other.
“But!” said Oscar. “There is one thing you have to do.”
“What’s that?” replied Ricky.
“You must stay in bed, off your feet until they are gone. The spots will never leave you if you don’t.”
“But, Oscar, what about Easter?” yelled Ricky.
“I don’t know,” replied Oscar as he shook his head. “We may have to cancel it.”
“Cancel it,” cried one in the crowd as they began to talk among themselves.
“What are we going to do?” Who could take his place? There is no one here,” said someone from the crowd.
“Oscar,” yelled Ricky. “What can we do?”
Oscar dropped his head and said, “I don’t know, Ricky.”
Quickly the news spread across the land. Everyone was upset and disappointed. The Post Office of Easter Valley couldn’t hold all the letters of complaints and concerns.
“There must be something we can do,” said Oscar. “But what could it be?” Is there a substitute?”
He eased over to the window and looked out. There he saw in the distance, at the edge of town, old Willie Rabbit.
“That’s it,” cried Oscar as he quickly turned around. “I think it might work.”
“What is it?” asked Ricky.
“Willie Rabbit can do it. He already knows the routine and the route,” replied Oscar.
“Are you sure,” cried Ricky?”
“We have to do something. We have no other choice. Fetch him,” said Oscar, “and bring him here.”
As two of Ricky’s friends left to go get Willie, Oscar watched them out of the window. Carefully, they approached Willie. They told him that Oscar wanted to see him immediately. Patiently, Oscar watched form the window. Suddenly, he heard a loud scream and then he saw Willie fall backward off the stump. The two of them took him by the feet and dragged him to Oscar. When Willie came to, he jumped to his feet, in shock and shaking all over, ready to go.
“Where are the eggs? Where’s the basket?” he mumbled as he looked about.
“Now hold on, Willie,” said Oscar. “Do you think you can do it?”
“Oh yes, yes, yes, yes I can,” he said. “I’ve waited a lifetime for this moment.”
“But can you do it?” questioned Oscar.
“Sure, I can,” said Willie. “Oh yes, oh yes, I can.”
“Now calm down, Willie,” replied Oscar.
“Yes, sir. Yes, sir,” he said. “I won’t let you down.”
“You do remember the routine and the route?” asked Oscar.
“Yes, sir, Mr. Oscar. I remember…….I think. Oh yes, I remember.”
“Tomorrow is Easter,” said Oscar. “I want you to go home, get plenty of rest so you’ll be able to get up early and deliver those eggs.”
“Yes, sir,” answered Willie, “home, rest and get up early.” Quickly he turned and leaped into the air yelling, “Whoopee!”
“He’s been waiting a long time,” said Oscar. “I hope he doesn’t mess things up.”
That night, Willie was so excited he couldn’t sleep. He was constantly up and down, pacing back and forth, and checking the clock. “Yep, it’s working,” he said to himself as he reset the alarm.
Slowly the night slipped by and Willie’s eyes fell heavier and heavier. His head nodded about in his hands. Suddenly his heavy eyelids fell shut. His head slowly slipped out of his hands, when ring-a-ling—ring-a-ling sounded the alarm. He shot up from the table screaming, “I can do it.”
Quickly, Willie gathered his things as he raced out the door, and shot through Easter Valley and headed out into the world.
Time passed, Willie zipped here and zapped there as he darted about the countryside hiding eggs. Carefully, he’d twirl upon his hind legs and spin like a top, pitching eggs right and left. Hurriedly, he twirled across the countryside, racing against time, he shot here, then there, then everywhere. Then he arrived at Hidden Cove.
Now Hidden Cove was a small community that sat between Sugar Tree Lane and Meadowview Road. Nothing had ever happened there until that Easter.
As Willie rushed about hiding eggs, he zipped back and forth, here and there and then he sat down to rest. Tired and worn out, he fell asleep.
“Wake up! Wake up!” the man cried.
Startled, Willie awoke and jumped to his feet to find himself surrounded by a crowd of people.
“Where is the prize egg,” yelled the man. “Where is it? We can’t find it.”
“Where’s, what?” asked Willie.
“The prize egg,” said the man. “We have found all the eggs but the prize egg. It is nowhere to be found.”
“Prize egg,” mumbled Willie as he scratched between his ears. “What did I do with it?”
“You did hide it, didn’t you?” asked another man.
“Yeah,” spoke up a little boy. “You did hide it, didn’t you?”
“Sure,” replied Willie as he took a long hard swallow. “I did! I did! You’ll have to look for it. It’s out there somewhere. You have probably overlooked it.”
Slowly the crowd broke up and they began to search for the prize egg. Willie sort of stepped off to the side and took a couple of deep breaths. Then he began to think how he had ruined Easter for everyone. “Oh this would not have happened if I hadn’t lost the prize egg.”
He quickly covered his mouth with his hand and looked around as he remembered slipping into Ricky’s room while he slept a
nd painting the different colored dots on him. It’s coming home to me, he thought. I have been a bad bunny and a foolish one, too. Then Willie dropped his head. I’ve let everyone down, especially myself. Then he heard the people laughing. Slowly he looked around, they were gathered around a small bush, beside a large sugar tree. Then one of them cried out.
“Here’s the prize egg,” he said. “Little Sammy Jenkins has found it, eaten it and is now wearing what is left of it.”
“Hooray for Sammy,” they cried.
“Hooray,” whispered Willie as he turned back around.
About that time, up came Ricky Rabbit and Oscar.
“You know what I have done,” said Willie.
“Yes, we know,” replied Oscar.
“I’m sorry, Ricky,” said Willie. “I didn’t mean any harm, but I have learned an important lesson. It doesn’t pay to do bad things.”
“That’s right, Willie,” agreed Ricky. “You have done a good job.”
“But I let everyone down,” he said.
“Oh, Willie, don’t worry about that. We all have done things we shouldn’t have. The main thing is you learned a very important lesson.”
“Hey, Willie,” cried out Ricky. “What about next Easter? Will you go with me and be my helper?”
“Can I, Ricky? Can I?” yelled Willie.
“Why sure, Willie, you can help me, and we can work together but without the different colored spots.”
Then they all burst out laughing.
