7-With Zest in Life

Chapter 7 | Yellow Bunny

When they arrived home that evening, both Little White Bear and Blue Bear were very tired from their journey and had a lot on their minds. Because of this, they were not the ones to notice that a drab-yellow bunny with long ears and a short tail had followed them home from the meadow.

After each going into his own apartment, the bunny waited outside for LWBB to come back. Finally, in the bright, clear sunlight of the new day, Little White Bear stepped outside for his morning walk. He was surprised when he saw her, just a lonely little thing with curious eyes, and a wavering pink nose. He thought “Why didn’t she run away when I came out here? A normal bunny would be so shy, she would not delay her flee long enough to see who was approaching.

“Let me see if I can get her to come to me; maybe I should bring her to Nie so she can take care of her. Wait, would Nie want her? I think so. But perhaps I’d better check first.”

So Little White Bear started on his way. He had decided not to pick the bunny up but to go ask Nie first and find out what he should do from her. When he arrived at her well established and elegant new home, he was surprised to find that the drab yellow bunny had followed him all the way there! “Well,” he said out loud to himself, “I guess I don’t have to ask for help in bringing her here. She came on her own!”

Nie opened the door in jest after only one series of knocks. “Hello, do come in, Little White Bear and sit down. Have you had breakfast yet? And why are you here so early, and on the Sabbath, of all days! You know there is no school on the Sabbath, don’t you?” she eyed him skeptically. “The Sabbath is a day set apart by Yahweh, our Creator. On that day, we are not to do any work and not make anyone else do any either. That includes school in most cases. It is a day that is to be kept holy. You knew that, didn’t you?”

“Oh, yes indeed, Aunty, but you see, I have something to tell you. Or more or less show you. Let’s go out into the garden for a moment, can we?”

Nie, hand in hand with Little White Bear, was wondering around through the rows of green beans, slowly winding their ways up the poles and the peas, oh, such delicate little plants. They came to the sweet corn and sunflowers, and saw the row of vegetables that LWBB had planted all by themselves that spring. Radishes inter-planted with carrots and lettuce on the end.

“Well, look at that cute little bunny!” Nie exclaimed, “But how dirty she is.”

“When I first saw her, I thought so too,” Little White Bear agreed.

“You’ve seen this bunny before?” questioned Nie.“The same one? What are you talking about, Little White Bear?”

So Little White Bear told her all about coming home from the meadow and finding the bunny on the doorstep only that morning and his decision to come to her to get help in bringing the bunny back but instead, she just followed him right to her house!

“So I knocked on your door and tried to tell you about it then, but you were the one doing all the talking until we finally got out here in the garden so you could just see it for yourself.”

Nie decided it would be best to bring the drab yellow bunny into her house and clean her up.

“But Nie,” Little White Bear complained, “It’s the Sabbath, remember? And you said that we aren’t supposed to do any work on the Sabbath. Don’t you think you should wait to start until after sunset?”

You’re right, Little White Bear, but you see, if the task that lays ahead is something you want to do and it would be enjoyable, rather that something that takes a lot of work, it’s all right to do it, just as long as you stop when you grow tired and it starts feeling like a lot of work,” Nie explained.

They spent the next hour washing the bunny off and making her squeaky clean. Nie had found some mild, sweet smelling soap to use and when the bunny was all dry and comfortable, Nie gave Little White Bear permission to let Yellow Bunny outside to hop around and sniff in the garden.

“Is that her name?” asked Little White Bear.

“Yes, it is now,” replied Nie. “Yellow Bunny looks a lot brighter than she did when you brought her to me this morning, doesn’t she?”

“Do you know what I am going to do?” asked Nie.

“No, I don’t. What?” came the question in return.

“I am going to keep Yellow Bunny here with me and teach her to say words like I taught you and Blue Bear. She will attend my homeschool to learn and play, just as you and Blue Bear are already doing.”

“What a good idea,” thought LWB.

©2003 by S. Daniel Willard