Here comes Peter Rabbit. Hopping down Bunny Trails. He was trying to get home before any guests arrived. He wanted everything to run smoothly for the party. The dirt crunched underneath his feet with every hop. All he smelled was the fresh carrots and cinnamon coming from the carrot cake he was holding. Tricks loves carrot cake. It will be a wonderful surprise.
Tricks was well liked in the bunny community. They weren’t too fond of the pranks he pulled on them, but he was fun to be around. He always lightened the mood, even if it was already lightened. He just kept others laughing.
Peter was going just fast enough to not drop the cake. He was still in a hurry though. He was almost out of breath, but he was almost home. He couldn’t stop now.
As Peter turned onto his corner, he could see his olive-green cottage. Good. No one there yet. He snuck in the back door so not to be seen. He closed the door with his foot and set the cake down on the counter. The sweet carrot aroma from the stew on the stove entered his nostrils. He took a whiff as he stirred the ingredients.
Ahhhhh. He loved the smell every time he made it. It filled the whole house. Just as he looked up from the pot, there was a knock at the front door.
Peter hopped over and unlocked the door. He opened it to find his tall, beige friend Harry. “Hey Harry!”, Peter greeted. Harry had a concerned look on his face.
Harry had to lower his ears in the doorway as he walked into his friend’s house. “Sorry buddy, but I have some bad news. There won’t be as many of us here tonight.”
Peter’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“Oswald won’t be able to make it. He’s out with his brother. Some clubhouse event he forgot they planned.”
“Are you serious? What a bummer.” Peter said as he closed the door.
“Yeah. I know.” Harry sat down on the furry sofa. “And my new neighbor I told you about, the one from the Easter Islands, he’s got a charity to go to.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Nope. ‘Fraid not”
“Well, what about Pinky?”
“You know Pinky. He’s a workaholic. He just keeps going and going and going. I knew he was gonna be a no-show.”
“This is terrible,” Peter said as he hung his head. “What am I going to do with all of this food?”
Harry just shrugged his shoulders. This certainly upset Peter, but he wasn’t going to let it get him down. He lifted his head back up and looked at Harry. “No worries. There are still ones that said they would come. I guess you’re gonna help me with decorations then.”
Peter picked up some streamers and tossed them at Harry but didn’t quite make it to him. They landed on the floor beside him. “You gotta work on that arm”, Harry said with a snicker.
“I meant to do that, so, no I don’t.” Peter rolled his eyes. “C’mon, I’ll race you.”
Harry picked up the streamers and started helping out. “Oh, no. I’ve told you this before, I don’t race anymore. The last time I raced someone, it didn’t turn out well.”
Peter couldn’t help but laugh. “I know. I just like reliving the memories.”
“You weren’t even there!”
“I’ve heard the story countless times”, Peter laughed again. “I must admit, I thought it was a fable the first time I heard it. Turns out, it was true.”
“Hey. Come on dude! If we’re going to relive memories, how about the time you were bopping the heads of field mice?”
Peter became annoyed. “I’ve told you a million times, that wasn’t me. That’s just a myth.”
Harry finished his part of streamer hanging. “I’m sure it was, buddy.”
“Oh, the stew!” Peter remembered.
Just then, another knock was heard. Peter ran into the kitchen. “Can you get that?” he asked Harry.
“Not a problem.” Harry hopped over to the door and opened it. It was their friends Buggz and Lola. “Hey you’s. Come on in.”
“Thank you”, said Lola.
“Is Tricks here yet?” asked Buggz.
“Nope. Not yet.” Replied Harry.
Peter asked who it was from the kitchen. “Buggz and Lola”, Harry yelled back.
Peter hopped back into the living room. “The stew is done. And Buggz, please stay off of the furniture with your flea condition.”
“Don’t forget the ticks and flies, too”, added Lola.
“Seriously?” asked Harry.
“Hey, I’m getting it looked at”, explained Buggz.
Harry turned to Lola. “I don’t know what you see in him.”
“Now, boys. You have to look past the bugs”, she explained as she stroked her husband’s ears. Buggz closed his eyes and gave his wife an Eskimo kiss. Lola still had her eyes open and shooed away a couple of flies. Also picked a flea out of his gray fur.
Peter interrupted, “OK, it’s getting late and Tricks will be here soon. Everyone, help me set up.”
The rabbits got together and started preparing for the surprise party. Peter got the stew ready for everyone with a few final touches. Buggz and Lola got the table ready with the bowls and spoons. They had to take a few away though after Harry told them about the cancellations. Harry finished hanging the last of the streamers and some other party favors Peter had around the cottage.
It was almost time for Tricks’ arrival and everything was all set up. The rabbits were just chitchatting around the table. Peter told a funny story about getting ingredients at the market. Harry warned the others to prepare for winter coming soon. Buggz and Lola always had awkward stories about their two kittens. The other two were thinking to themselves they were glad they took after mom and not dad. Lola got up to get a drink a water when she saw someone hopping down the path. Her eyebrows raised as she turned around to the group. “I think he’s here!”
The rabbits quickly got up from the table and turned the few lights off to get ready to shout ‘surprise’. Two hid behind a wall while the other two crouched down behind the sofa. After a couple seconds of silence, they heard a knock on the door. So not to give the surprise away, no one said a word. The sound of the doorknob turning followed. The door then creaked open. “You gotta get that fixed”, whispered Harry to Peter. Peter just replied with a kick. The door then shut. Lola switched on the lights.
“SURPRISE!”
The rabbit’s countenance dropped. There stood the white, long eared rabbit Roger. Roger had been Tricks’ friend growing up. They were inseparable. Many thought they were twins because they looked so much alike.
“For moi ? You shouldn’t have guys”, spoke Roger sarcastically with his hands over his chest. “Now I know you truly care.”
“Roger, what are you doing? Get in here!” Peter demanded. “You know this is for Tricks, not you.”
“My bad everyone. It looked like Tricks”, apologized Lola. She walked over to Roger to give him a playful slap in the arm. “Come in and hide.”
“Lola hit the lights again”, said Peter.
The lights went out again, but it wasn’t Lola. Everyone just stood still.
“Hello?” inquired Buggz.
The lights appeared again. “SURPRISE!” shouted Tricks.
Every rabbit jumped about a foot of the floor. Harry lost his footing and fell on his tail. Buggz’s head hit the wall. Knock a few fleas off, too. The only sound was Roger laughing in the front room. “Got you!” he shouted. They all looked up to see Tricks’ slender, white frame standing in the kitchen smiling.
“Wait. You knew about the party?” Peter asked after he gained his composure, his hand still over his erratic heart.
“Yeah. Roger told me he saw you at the bakery getting a cake. I just made a few connections.”
Roger finished laughing. “You should have seen your faces. You knocked them dead, Tricks.”
“Arhhh”, screamed Lola. “Silly rabbit. Tricks are for kids!” She punched him in the arm.
“Hey!” Tricks yelped. “They’re for everyone. Especially me……Now, who wants some cake?”
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