Drifting

I'm still finding out more about our family history. When Great Aunt Dahlia came to afternoon tea, I asked her if she knew how Grandma Lily met Grandpa Scutter.

"Well now, Bob Tail Rabbit, there's a fine story," she said, sipping a cup of nettle tea. "It was all a long time ago. Your Grandma Lily was out with her latest beau. He took her punting on the river."


"Was that Grandpa?"

"No," hesitated Great Aunt Dahlia. "That was -- I can't remember his name now. It was a very long time ago, and your Grandma Lily did have quite a number of gentlebunny friends -- but that's another story..."

"It was one of those warm summer days when the heat seems to make everything slow down. Lily laid back in the punt and let her paw drift in the water... Suddenly, there was a shout!"


"She opened her eyes to see her friend clutching onto the pole for dear life, while she was still in the punt, being carried downstream by the current."


"Bless my whiskers!" I cried. "Whatever happened next? How did Grandma Lily meet Grandpa?"

"Ah, I'll just have another piece of this fine carrot cake, and then I'll tell you."

Look out for the next part of this story, coming soon.

Snow in Spring

It was one of those Spring days that makes you think that Summer is already here. The sun shone in the clear blue sky. Clarissa said, "Let's take a picnic up to the old apple tree at top of the hill".

We unfolded the picnic cloth and lay under the tree. "Look at the blossom, isn't it pretty?" said Clarissa, tucking into a carrot. "If we wait long enough, the blossom will turn into flowers and the flowers will turn into apples."


"It's beautiful," I said, closing my eyes. The warmth of the day and a tummy full of carrots made me sleepy. The blossom fluttered in the soft breeze.








I woke suddenly. "Clarissa, wake up!" I cried. "Look, everything's turned white; it's been snowing while we slept!"

"Don't be a silly rabbit, that's not snow -- It's all the blossom from the tree!" The wind had blown down all the petals, and the entire hill had turned white and pink. "Come on, it's time to go home; we'll be late for dinner."

"Well, it looks like snow. Do you think it works like snow?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want to be late for dinner. Jump into the picnic basket!"


And we made it all the way back to the burrow, just in time for dinner.

Midnight craving

"You've been such a good rabbit lately," said Clarissa, "I'm going to make your favourite: Carrot ice-cream."

I helped Clarissa mix the milk and cream and eggs, and most important of all, the carrots.


"Can we eat it now?" I said.

"No, we have to put it in the freezer overnight. Get your paw out of the bowl -- it will be ready in the morning."

That night, I couldn't sleep. I lay awake worrying about the ice-cream...


What if the recipe had gone wrong...? What if we hadn't put enough carrots in...? Clarissa would be so disappointed. I decided it was my duty to check that the ice-cream was all right.

I crept downstairs.


I had just opened the freezer, when suddenly the kitchen light turned on.


"Bless my ears and whiskers, Bob Tail Rabbit!" said Clarissa. "I heard noises in the kitchen; I thought we'd got burglars!"

"And you were going to fight them off with that spoon?"

"Ah -- I just thought while I was down here that I should make sure that the ice-cream was all right."

"So did I! Let's try it!"


So we tried it.
And it was all right.
Every little bit!

History of the World: Part I

Clarissa says that if we're going to research the family history, we have to start right at the beginning. So here goes...

In the beginning, there was nothing.

So the rabbits just sat round eating carrots, and enjoying the Paleozoic sunshine.


Then along came the dinosaurs.

Brianosaurus Rex

Rabbits quickly adapted to the new situation, and learnt to run...

...Fast.