It was the Easter Bunny

Eabun is a very lazy bunny. He doesn’t like to do any work.

Meet his friends. Search for nuts with Squidge. Hunt them down with Hodge. Make a nest with Mapi. Hear the owl’s wise words. Discover the reason Eabun is special. Join in the fun. Ever wondered where Easter eggs come from? What is Eabun doing up so late? Find out what happens in the end.

This story is about friendship and chocolate – what could be better?

Download this mp3 holiday audio story now!

It was the Easter Bunny

A Tales of Time Story

'Oh dear oh dear oh dear!"

Said Squidge, the squirrel. It had been a hard winter. And poor Squidge was hungry, but he couldn't find his nuts anywhere.

'Oh dear oh dear oh dear!"

His little feet were scratching at the ground here and there, not finding a single nut. He had woken the whole forest.

Hodge, the hedgehog crept out of his nest of leaves and stretched his tired body in the spring sun. All his spines stood on end and then relaxed onto his back. He had been asleep the whole winter and was still very sleepy, but he rushed, as fast as he could, to help Squidge look for his nuts.

Mapi, the Magpie lifted her head to look over the branches of her home-tree. She could see a frantic little Squidge running here and there, digging up the soil. She ruffled her feathers, stood on the edge of her nest and  then glided down to the ground, to help in the hunt.

Eabun, the Bunny rolled over in his burrow. He saw Squidge run past at least five times, before he pulled his ears over his face and sighed himself back to sleep.

Working as a team, Hodge walked around the clearing sniffing at the ground, while Mapi flew overhead.  When a little nut made Hodge's nose quiver, Squidge dug  it up. If the nut had started to turn into a plant, Mapi would grab hold of it and pull and pull and pull until it came right out of the ground,  carrying the nut with it!

By lunch time, the team had managed to find forty nuts and Squidge was much happier. They all sat down for a picnic of the lovely food they had collected.

Just then, two long grey fluffy ears poked out of a burrow. Then out came a little pink, sniffing nose. Eabun was finally awake and could smell lunch. He smiled, hopped into the clearing and strolled over to join the others.

"Mapi  and Hodge helped me find all my nuts!" exclaimed Squidge, nibbling one of his favourites.

"And delicious they are too!" said Eabun laying down beside them and flicking one, two, three up into the air and into his mouth.

Mapi, Hodge and Squidge all looked at one another.

"Eabun, you shouldn't  really take so many nuts, you didn't even help to find them!" said Mapi.

"Hey, we're all friends and what do friends do?"he said.

"Help each other?" replied Hodge

"Share!" said Eabun, grabbing another three nuts popping them into a smiling face.

Then there was a great rustling from above. They all looked up to see Mapi's nest falling out of the tree and crashing onto to the ground.

"Oh no!" she cried, "my lovely home! I was supposed to make it stronger  this morning, but I was looking for nuts. Now I'll have to build another."

"Don't worry Mapi," said Squidge, "we'll help you and it'll be done in no time."

Squidge ran round and round in circles collecting dry twigs.

Hodge curled up in a ball and rolled round and round in circles collecting plenty of fallen leaves.

Mapi flew backwards and forwards, taking  the twigs and leaves up to her branch.

Eabun, well Eabun was still lying on his back in the sun, watching the commotion.

After a long afternoon's work, they all stood under her branch and looked up at her lovely new home.

"Thank you my friends." She said. "I shall throw a home-warming party tonight and you are invited."

Eabun's ears pricked up "What time?" he called.

"Eabun, you didn't even help to build the nest." said Hodge

"Ah, but what are friends for, if not for parties!" he called as he hopped off to get ready.

Just as the sun showered it mellow rays over the forest, all the woodland creatures were arriving at Mapi's party. She had decorated the whole tree in her favourite collection of shiny things and it looked wonderful.

Squidge arrived with a whole bundle of nuts to share. 

Hodge arrived covered in berries he'd found.

Eabun arrived with nothing at all and said "mmm" as he tucked into all the delicious food.

It was a wonderful evening. All the creatures had a great time and they danced and sang till the stars twinkled time for bed.

As Eabun was wandering home, he stopped to gaze up at the stars. He laid out under a tree and thought about how famous he was going to be. His father had told him that he was no ordinary bunny. He was special. So Eabun never had any reason to worry about life. If he was special, everything would work out all by itself. He smiled  and closed his eyes.

"Twit Twoo"

Eabun looked up to see Owl sitting in the branches above him. Owl only came out at night. He was the most respected of all the forest animals as he was very clever and kind.

"Twit Twoo to you too' He called back."

"I have come to talk to you, Eabun. I knew your father well, and I know that he wanted you to figure out for yourself why you are special. But you have spent your whole life feeling special rather than being special and so you still don' t know who you are."

"I am Eabun, the extra-special Bunny!" he replied.

"No, you are Eabun, the Easter Bunny" he said.

Eabun's mouth dropped open and his bunny tail started to shake.

"Your father left you with a great responsibility Eabun. But I fear it is too late. You haven't learnt the valuable lessons you need . I fear that Easter will never have its bunny . I fear your father was wrong"

The sad owl turned away and then flew off into the night.

Eabun was stunned. He just sat there, eyes wide and ears perfectly straight.

"The Easter Bunny?" he said. It was much more special than he had ever imagined. It was the most important job a bunny could have.

He wanted to prove his father right. He would stop feeling special and start being special. He would become the  Easter Bunny.

But Easter was only one day away. He'd never get everything done by himself. He didn't even know what he had to do. And who was going to help him though? He had never helped anyone in his life. Oh why was he so selfish!?

He needed shiny wrappers.

He needed decoration.

He needed CHOCOLATE EGGS!     

 
He couldn't sleep at all. He waiting until first light and rushed round the forest looking for everything on his list.

"Wrappers, Decorations, eggs"

 He woke up the whole forest.

"Wrappers, Decorations, eggs"

Hodge, the hedgehog crept out of his nest of leaves and stretched his tired body in the morning sun. He was very surprised to see Eabun awake. He was even more surprised to see him doing something.

Mapi, the Magpie lifted her head to look over the twigs of her new home. She looked down upon a sight she had never seen before;  Eabun was busy.  He even looked a little stressed!

Squidge poked his head out of his hole. He could see Eabun running round in circles before bursting into tears and falling to his  knees.

Hodge, Mapi and Squidge all went over to him.

"What's the matter Eabun?" asked Mapi.

"Why are you sad?" said Squidge.

"I have a big important job to do, and I don' t know how!"

"What is it Eabun?" asked Hodge

"I... you won't believe me..."

"Tell us" said Mapi

"I'm the Easter Bunny!"

The all stood up straight with surprise.

"And Easter's tomorrow! There's no way I can get everything done by then."

"Don't worry Eabun, we'll all help you"

Eabun, was really confused - "But, I never help you. You would really do that for me?"

"What are friends for?" said Hodge "What do we have to do?"

They all sat down and drew plans out in the soil.

"I have plenty of shiny things that you could use for wrappers!" exclaimed Mapi.

"You can have my nuts to make decorations!"cried Squidge

"I can carry your eggs to the children on my back!"suggested Hodge

"That's great! " cried Eabun. "But, I don' t know where to find chocolate eggs. "

“That's because you've never been the Easter Bunny before” said Mapi “once you become him, I'm sure you'll find them."

So they all set about getting everything they needed to make the Easter eggs.

Mapi  fetched her shiny things, one by one from the tree.

Squidge gnawed away at his nuts, turning them into soft grain.

Hodge sharpened his spines on the rocks and trees.

Eaben was working out a schedule.

All of a sudden, he felt a funny fuzzy, buzzy feeling in his tummy. It was as if he had swallowed a family of butterflies.  It grew and grew and suddenly, he laid an egg! A chocolate egg!

"So that's where they come from!" he said.

His friends all rushed over to have a look.

"Wonderful!" said Mapi.

"Amazing!" called Squidge.

"Delicious!" said Hodge with his face covered in chocolate.

That afternoon, they were still all working away.

They stood in a line: Eabun was laying eggs and handing them to squidge!

Squidge was decorating them with his soft crushed nuts.

Mapi then wrapped each egg with care.

Hodge was standing at the end of the line, with his spines straight up, ready for Mapi to stick the eggs on them.

By evening, the eggs were ready. Hodge was completely covered in hundred of colourful eggs, he looked like a lady with rollers in her hair!

They all had a good laugh before setting off towards the village. They had to be very quiet,  so that they didn't wake the children.

At each corner, Hodge stood still while the others all took an egg to a different house.

They left them in the garden or on the doorstep or wherever the children could find them.

It was hard work, but they were enjoying themselves. Especially Eabun. He had never done any work before, but it felt rather good!

They worked till very late and by the time they got back to the forest,  the moon was high in the sky.

They were all so tired, that they went straight to bed.

All except Eabun. There was one last thing he wanted to do.

In the morning, Hodge climbed out of his nest and stopped with a start.

Mapi looked over her branch and stood straight up.

Squidge opened his eyes and nearly fell out of his hole!

What was waiting for them?  But great big Easter Eggs. It was Easter day and the Easter Bunny had been!

It was so wonderful. They all jumped up and down and showed one another their lovely shiny eggs. Then they all ran off to find Eabun.

He was fast asleep of course - he had stayed up all night long.

"Happy Easter!" they all called, making him jump higher than he had ever jumped before.

"I could never have done it without you" he said "Thank you".

He smiled as his friends all tucked into their delicious nutty chocolate eggs.

"Here Eabun, have some of mine!" said Hodge.

"No, it's ok - it's yours." he said.

"Well what are friends for?" he said with a smile

And they all laughed.

It turned out to be a wonderful Easter Day. Eabun had learnt about helping and sharing and friends. He was happier than he had ever been.

And all over the village, the children were waking up to find little colourful chocolate eggs waiting for them. And they all cried "It was the Easter Bunny!"

It certainly  was.

The End.

©Tales of Time 2009