3rd Prize - Rachael Alonzo

Eggs at dawn

By Rachael Alonzo

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"Who the flake are you? Coming into my field with your big basket of eggs. I think you
need to fudge off." Eric the Easter Bunny had been doing this gig for a long time. This was
his field, his patch. There was no way a jumped up wagon wheel of a hare was going to
come in with his fakery and try and steal it from him.
"You’ve had your day. Even your eggs are past their sell by date. It’s time to give up your
basket" said Horatio, the slick young hare from the upper field. Quite a crowd had gathered
to witness the showdown, never before had anyone ever challenged Eric. Doris the
dormouse gulped, whilst the twin Easter chicks thought it was all very exciting as they
fluffed their feathers. David duck thought it was quakers.
Eric hopped forward, "How dare you, you baklava? I will not be intimidated by you. We
shall see who is best. In two days time, all five hundred eggs are to be hidden around the
village, without being seen. We take half each and whoever finishes first gets the golden
basket and the job."
Horatio twiddled his whiskers, then laughed,"Ha, easy, I could hide that many eggs with
my eyes shut. You’re old cronut." And off he hopped to return in two days.
Doris blinked and fiddled with her tail. It was clear that Eric had set himself up to fail. He
was after all getting older. The twins couldn’t wait and giggled at how fun it would be.
David approached Eric his long time friend and said, "Are you crazy? Horatio is half your
age, and he’s fast. I’ve seen him race in the upper field, maybe you should call it off."
"I will not, I may not be as fast anymore, but what I lack in speed I make up for in
knowledge and wisdom my dear friend. Doughnut worry about me, that young hare can
kiss my Toblerone"
Both days passed uneventfully in the lower field. Eric made sure all the eggs were painted
and ready. He'd divided them equally into two baskets. His basket was what he always
used every Easter. The other basket, the one with the false bottom he’d set aside for
Horatio. He didn’t need to know that it was weighted down with bricks making it heavier.
He also didn't need to know that the route he’d planned for him was all uphill. The day
arrived and Horatio came bounding down to the lower field, his ears flapping wildly in the
breeze, his tail flickering this way and that. The twins watched with their beaks open.
Cluckity swooned, as she remarked, "He’s so fudging hot." Clara nodded her agreement
as she blushed. He strolled up to Eric, "So, smartie bum shall we get this show on the
road?"
Eric smiled, hopped over to the baskets, and said, "Here you go, Horatio, and may the
best bunny win."
"Don’t you mean the best hare?" You daft Twix" Horatio bent to pick the basket up thinking
it was going to be light. And had quite a shock when he had to strain to lift it. The twins
giggled. Doris and David nudged each other in on the secret. Eric picked up his basket
with ease, and said, "What’s the matter Horatio, the eggs too heavy for you?"
"Picnic off, this will be like taking caterpillars from a baby bird." And with that he hopped off
in the direction of the upper village. Eric had the lower village and knew it like the back of
his paw. He’d be done and back before noon. When he could rest with his feet up and
have a lovely cup of nettle tea.
An hour in and Horatio was sweating, the sun was beating down, his feet were sore and
he ached from carrying the basket. How was it this heavy? The eggs could not weigh that
much. He decided to rest under the shade of a tree. (And before you say anything he does
not fall a flaking sleep.) Instead Ratticus appeared, who knew everything, and saw
everything. He thought it was unfair that Eric was tricking Horatio, not making it a fair race.
So he decided to impart this information on Horatio. He scampered over to where he was
sitting, "Hey H, fine morning we are having, how’s tricks?" Horatio was not that fond of
Ratticus, he found his habit of searching through bins quite disgusting so looked upon him
with disdain, "What do you want? Come to spy for the enemy have you? That old timer has
had his day, and he needs to choux off" Ratticus noticed the flash of irritation that crossed
Horatio’s face. Never once had Eric treated him with such contempt, in fact he always let
him have an egg for free. So he made a decision, he decided not to say anything after all,
and instead he said, "I just came by to wish you luck, so good luck" Horatio sneered, as if
he needed good luck, especially not from vermin, "Scurry back to your bin, you stinking
twirl, I don’t need luck." And with that Horatio picked up the basket and struggled on up the
hill. By ten a.m he had only managed to hide fifty eggs. Whereas Eric had hidden one
hundred and was happily hopping through the village unseen. By noon he was back at the
lower field as predicted, Doris was waiting for him with a big mug of tea and his favourite a
carrot muffin. The twins worried where Horatio was, expecting him back ages ago. They
clucked their concern. "Where could he be? He should have won? What if something has
happened to him?" Then suddenly Horatio appeared, bedraggled and dragging his feet
along with the basket which still had some eggs in it. He looked hot and bothered, and his
paws were sore. The twins gasped and ran to him. Clucking and fussing around him, but
embarrassed he brushed them away. Eric noticed but he did not comment he waited for
Horatio to approach him. He’d made a decision, he knew in his heart that one day he
would have to give up the job, he couldn’t do it forever. But he was damned if he was
going to be bullied out of it. Yet he remembered when he’d been a young buck, overly
eager and just like Horatio full of spirit. Horatio made his way over to the old bunny
gobsmacked that he was sitting there, basket empty, feet up. Maybe he had
underestimated him. He kicked the basket over to him causing it to fall on its side, the
bricks tumbled out and lay scattered with the eggs. Silence fell upon the lower field. David
closed his eyes, Doris began whispering, ‘oh dear, oh dear, oh dear" While the twins
stared wide eyed and then shouted "YOU FUDGING CHEAT ERIC". Eric stood up and
with a wave of his paw silenced them. Horatio scowled at Eric before saying, "So, you
filthy cheating pretzel, you knew you couldn’t win. But this takes the biscuit."
"You’re right Horatio, but do you think I wanted that and my job taken from me? This has
been my life. I could not let you waltz in here and brow beat me into submission. So I
taught you a lesson."
Horatio finally understood that you couldn't just take something, you had to work hard for it.
You had to prove yourself. It was wrong of him to expect Eric to just give up his life’s work.
"You know, I see it now. I’m sorry, Eric. I’ll go and hide the rest of the eggs and then be on
my way."
Eric put his paws on Horatio’s shoulders looked him in the eye and said, "No need, I
already hid all five hundred yesterday, and the gig is yours from next year if you want it?"
The following year Horatio couldn’t wait to go down to the lower field to collect the eggs. It
had been agreed that Eric would still pack the baskets, but Horatio would hide them. They
worked well as a team and Eric was happy to put his feet up and enjoy retirement.

The End