Aine, Xav and Ga, their dog,
Were hiking through the Sifton Bog
On Sunday morning, sunny and warming,
Hunting for their Easter eggs;
When Ga sniffed, then barked in a hollow log.
What is it, Ga? Aine asked in wonder
Is it a frog? Xav asked Pumper.
But Ga smiled and left to lift a leg.
So Aine peeked in one end,
Xav peered in the other.
It was hollow, that's for sure,
They waved to one another.
Oh!... But Oh!... something moved inside.
Brown and hairy, with flaming red eyes.
It moved at Xav, who stepped back, then cried:
Aine, come here! Come here NOW!
Quick as a flash she stood by his side.
(Together they would live or die.)
With twelve powerful legs and six beady eyes,
It leapt at them, then hopped outside.
There cuddling ‘n twitching at Xavi's feet,
Were three wee bunnies, cute as can be.
Ooooo, Ooooo, they both sighed.
Can we take them home to feed and keep,
And play bunny games till we fall asleep!
Xavi asked. No. Xavi begged!
Hmmm, thought Aine, quite perplexed;
But then remembered what her parents said:
Be cautious with our furry friends;
The birds, fish and earthy crawlers;
When you find them,
Be careful-kind,
And they'll be with us always.
Still, Xavi worried, so he asked his Sis,
Are they okay if left like this?
Hmmm, thought Aine (who's getting real good at this).
Let's call Granda.
Tell him what we've seen.
Mom says he knows everything.
(They Zoom Time on Mom & Dad’s phones)
Hello, Granda, this is Aine.
Xav and I have a question for ya.
We came across some wee bunnies
Huddled in their home.
Are they okay if left alone?
Granda heard their concern,
So he told them all he had learned.
All the bunnies I have known,
Have done real well when they have grown.
I knew Buggs as a wee bunny,
And he grew up to marry Honey.
Rabbit's a friend to Kanga and Roo,
And Mr. Rabbit got carrots tricking Cap’n Kangaroo.
Miffy was Kathleen’s first rabbit friend;
Mark loved Velveteen’s happy end?
And Roger starred in his own movie,
Like me, your Granda, he's so cool and groovy.
Thumper keeps thumping his left hind foot,
And Br'er Rabbit’s still naughty in all his books.
The White Rabbit leads Alice down a hole,
Where March Hare’s late... as usual.
If you like heroes found in comics,
Read Captain Carrot, he’s supersonic.
I can't forget Crusader Rabbit,
He rides a horse and feeds it carrots.
I’m sure you've heard of Beatrix Potter’s
Tales of Peter, and his sisters and brothers.
All these rabbits were once wild bunnies,
Now in movies, books and funnies.
Why, even magicians pull rabbits out of hats.
Your three wee kittens were left alone
While Mummy Bunny left on her own
To gather food bits to feed her wee kits
Waiting for her safe return.
I surely hope I’ve allayed all your fears,
Don't worry, your bunnies are here for years.
But there's one more bunny I should address,
And I'll tell you who so you needn't guess
This bunny's the one we might like best:
It's the Easter Bunny, au chocolat!!
Xav and Aine were much relieved
To let their bunnies
Live wild and free.
Thank you, Granda.
Hope to see you soon.
Happy Easter, and too-da-loo.
And off they hopped for some Easter treats,
Pumper got his treat back home.
Leftover from dinner-
A tofu hambone.
Written for my grandchildren, Aine and Xavier (Xav). Their dog's name is Pumper, but they also call him Ga. The original has many pictures embedded in the verse, but they don't copy to this site. Kathleen and Mark are the parents. The Sifton Bog is in London, Ontario.
