Fred gets trapped in his own bubble...

Today Fred felt strange.

He felt trapped.

He felt confined within his own mind.

Everything around him looked distant and sounds echoed and reverberated around him.

It seemed as if Fred was removed from everything and everyone.

It was strange.

Fred just couldn't understand what was going on.

Fred catches some rays...

Sitting on the sunlit window sill, looking out into the garden, Fred felt rather at ease.

He liked how the sunshine felt upon his fabricy skin.

"Hmm," he thought, "I wonder would it be nicer to sit in the garden and sunbathe?"

Fred had seen people sunbathe before and thought it seemed rather therapeutic.

So he dandered out into the garden and luckily found a lovely blue sun lounger chair just sitting there waiting for him.

So Fred clambered up into the chair and lay back, letting the warmth of the sun seep into his skin.

Letting his mind empty, a thought suddenly occurred to him.

"Will I be completely untanned under my bunny face?"

Fred had seen pictures of people sunbathing, of burnt skin and white stripes, left by clothing.

Fred was quite concerned by this and wondered that if he left his bunny face on would it remain pale whilst the rest of him became tanned?

"What if I get burnt?" he suddenly thought.

"I've no sunscreen on!" thought Fred, "I don't

want to get skin cancer!" troubled by this, Fred almost jumped up off the chair and went inside, but Fred tried to imagine his body burnt all red and wasn't sure what would happen to the flowery pattern.

Fred wondered then if you can get skin cancer if you don't really have skin? "Can you get fabric cancer?" thought Fred.
As Fred hadn't heard of such a thing, he didn't think it was possible, but you never know...

Fred decided to stay where he was for a while and see how he felt.

Least of all the sunshine and heat were making him rather sleepy.

Laying dozing in the sunshine, Fred's mind wandered to the spare room and the sun-bleached curtains.

"Aha!" thought Fred, "so that's what happens to fabric!"

It all made sense to Fred now.

"So if I stay in the sunshine, my body will get paler, but I'll still have colourful flowers under my bunny face!" Fred thought this was much better as he might look more like a bunny if he was all one colour.

However, Fred still resigned himself to not staying out too long in the sunshine, after all he still wanted to look like Fred.

Fred tries a new hat...

Feeling somewhat disillusioned about his bunny persona, Fred thought he'd take a break from it. Once he was safe at home, Fred takes off his bunny face, lays it beside his bed and curls up in his duvet in an attempt to sleep.

"Isn't that what people always say?" thought Fred, "sleep on it..."

But Fred's mind kept going in circles, questions only being followed by other questions.

Fred tossed and turned in his bed, the duvet twisting itself into tangles around his legs.

He cuddled teddy in an attempt to get some sort of comfort, but he still could not drop off to sleep.

Fred's mind kept weighing up whether he should be a bunny or not, and what it would mean to be either.

Yet every time he seemed to come to a conclusion, his stomach would twist in anticipation and he would find himself right at the beginning, thinking everything all over again.

"But if I wasn't a bunny, what would I be?" seemed to be the thought that was the sticking point.

Remembering he had some little hats, Fred had a funny image in his head of himself looking quite different. Fred sat up in bed, sick of the merry-go-round of his mind, and decided that he would try on the little hat, just to see.

Fred wasn't convinced the hat would suit him but he had to try, knowing that wearing the hat would help him make his decision.

Fred went over to the little bag sitting at the end of his bed, and he took out the little red Santa hat he had found some time before.

Putting it on, Fred realised it was a tad too big.

He tilted the little red Santa hat this way and that, and although it was very festive, it just wasn't Fred.

When he'd found the happy bunny face, he'd just known, and when he had put it on he felt better, like he'd found himself.

So this made Fred realise that despite how complicated it could be being a weird bunny hybrid, it was better than being just Fred.

So Fred put on his happy bunny face again, curled up in bed with teddy and finally, fell into a peaceful sleep, having made his decision.

Fred gets mixed up in an Easter brawl...

Fred was walking about, minding his own business, when poof!

He gets jumped.

Suddenly lying flat on his back and winded, staring into the disjointed eyes of an unhappy little pink Easter chick, Fred wondered what on earth had happened.

Fred tried to move but he was completely pinned down.

"Hold it!" said the little pink chick., "don't move, we've got you now, bunny rabbit."

Fred was terrified, and wondered what he could possibly have done to anger these seemingly innocent looking little chicks.
What Fred didn't know was that he had found himself mixed up with some warring gangs.

Ever wonder what happens to those cute spring

themed decorative animals after Easter has come and gone?

Are they put in a drawer somewhere until next year?

Well, little known to us, as soon as they're out of the spotlight, the chicks and bunnies are warring and fighting an underground Easter battle.

Luckily Fred didn't know any of this or he'd have had real reason to be so terrified.

"I-I-I'mm sorry," stuttered Fred "this must be a mistake."

"Shut it!" shouted the little pink chick.

"No talking till Mr Duckling gets here. He'll sort you out."

"Boys," the little pink chick warned, "Don't let the bunny rabbit move. You know what to do if he does."

The little chicks by Fred's arm pecked at his soft fabric and Fred whimpered quietly, hoping that

this 'Mr Duckling' wouldn't be any more scary.
Fred lay there silently, sweat starting to bead on his forehead, whilst the chicks muttered

restlessly to each other.

Soon all the chicks went dead silent, and Fred could hear some soft footsteps slowly approaching.

Fred's stomach turned over on itself.

"Alright lads, what do we have here?" said a quiet, but strangely squeaky voice.

"We caught a bunny rabbit, boss," said the little blue one.

Mr Duckling approached Fred and looked at him closely. "What's your name, bunny?"

Fred's mouth had gone strangely dry, but he managed to whisper, "Fred. But I'm not really a-" and he was silenced by Mr. Duckling holding up his wing in a commanding gesture.

"Lads, why do you think his legs are so long and thin? Only his head is furry. And where's the fluffy tail?"

"He's a new breed!" piped up one of the larger yellow chicks.

"A new breed! Ha!" said Mr Duckling, "He ain't no new breed. He ain't a bunny rabbit, lads! He's some kinda bunny, I'll give you that, but an Easter bunny rabbit this here kid ain't. Let him go."

"Aw boss," said the little blue chick, "But he's still a bunny!"

"He's just a kid in a bunny mask. We don't want to appear cruel now do we?" Mr duckling said in a quietly threatening tone, and a look that said everything.

So they let Fred go. "I'm watching you, bunny" whispered the little blue one as he hopped off Fred's chest, and they all disappeared off. "I'd keep away from the other bunnies, if I were you, kid" said Mr Duckling, and Fred wasn't sure if it was a threat or some friendly advice.

Safe now, Fred sat shell-shocked after having his eyes opened to this dark underbelly of the toy world. Fred wasn't sure that he wanted to be a bunny any more, but he was quite relieved he wasn't a real bunny to be mixed up with such scary creatures all the time.

Fred thought about taking off his happy bunny face, but now that the chicks had gone he wasn't so scared and he didn't want to be intimidated. Plus he was happier with the bunny face, and at least people talked to him when he wore it, even if they were scary.

Fred drinks too much tea...

Fred drank so much tea today he felt that he was going to turn into a cup of tea.

Fred wasn't sure it was too bad though, just different.

"I wonder what it would feel like to be a liquid rather than a solid?" thought Fred.

Fred washes his happy bunny face...

After Fred's 'rough and tumble' with the little black cat, Fred felt rather dusty and dirty, and he smelled of cat."I should have a wash," thought Fred.

He wandered towards the bathroom.

Having seen the running water and steam, Fred figured it must be the best place to go to get cleaned up.

But once he caught sight of the gigantic bathtub he shrank back in fear, wondering why he had come up with such a ludicrous idea.

The stubborn side of Fred wouldn't let him run away though.

He said "I suppose I should take a closer look first...I don't have to get in." So trying to be brave, he crept closer.

Fred climbed up to the edge of the bath and peered down the shiny white sides into the slippery depths.

There he discovered some bath creatures. "Hello!" they said in unison.

Steve the starfish was delighted to see Fred, hoping for some jovial conversation with someone other than Ronald the grumpy rubber duck.

"Come have a bath with us!" shouted up Steve, "It's really fun!"
Fred was almost persuaded simply by Steve's enthusiasm, but just

then Ronald piped up, "But he's obviously not made for the water like you and me, Steve. What if he drowns? I don't want to have that on my conscience!"

Fred was terrified by this. "I'll find a smaller bath, I think," said Fred. "Thanks anyway!"

Steve was crestfallen as he waved goodbye to Fred, and he wouldn't talk to Ronald the rest of the day.

So Fred went downstairs and there he found a little basin.

"That'll do nicely," said Fred. It was even already filled up with warm water and bubblebath for him.

He edged round closer and sat dangling his feet.

Peering at the water though, he suddenly thought "Is water blue?"

Fred felt certain that water was definitely blue, but this water was very very blue. Bright blue, in fact.

"I don't want to be blue," said Fred, scared of being dyed by the water, and terribly confused by the whole concept.

Fred felt awfully nervous about baths in general by now.

As he was giving up and edging his way round the side of the basin, he spotted the washing machine.

"Aha," he said, "I'll wash myself in the washing machine!"

As soon as Fred stuck his head in the drum of the washing machine,

he realised what a silly idea it was.

After some pondering about what happens in the drum once the door closes, Fred decided that it was only his bunny face that was very dirty and that he should just wash it.

So Fred put the bunny face in the washing machine, fumbled with the buttons and waited for it to come out all clean.

"It worked!" said Fred two whole hours later.

"But its soaking wet," he thought. Luckily it was a very sunny day so he climbed up the washing line and hung the bunny face up to dry.

Fred stood sadly in the sunshine waiting so he could put on his happy bunny face again.

Fred felt very vulnerable without it, and standing watching it fluttering in the breeze he wondered what that meant.

"Am I still a bunny rabbit now?" he wondered quietly.

Fred gets mauled by a puma!

After Fred's lovely day in the sunshine, he was on his way back to the house, when he saw something moving in the shadows...

Big green eyes peered at him.

"What do I do?!" thought a terrified Fred.

On a spur of the moment he flopped to the ground in an effort to play dead.

It didn't work.

The movement interested the little black cat and it crawled out of the shadows.

It poked at Fred with his paw, nudging his leg to see if he'd move again.

Fred was too terrified to move and lay there shaking quietly.

The little black cat however seemed delighted with Fred and rubbed his soft black fur against Fred's face.

"He likes me!" thought Fred, thinking the little black cat was kissing him.

Fred was delighted to have finally made a friend.

But then it all went horribly wrong.

The little black cat didn't realise Fred had feelings, thought he was just some little plaything.

He bit at Fred's arm.

"Ow," whimpered Fred, confused by the cat's behaviour.

"Why is he being mean to me now?" thought Fred.

The little black cat rolled over on top of Fred, and pulled off his bunny face.

"Oh no," said Fred, "help!"

Fred didn't know what to do, and he was far too small and flopsy to be able to fight the little black cat anyway.

Fred lay there silently trying to think of what he could do, hoping he wouldn't go all flat from the cat lying on top of him.

Luckily however the little black cat got distracted by some birds and slunk off into the next garden.

Once the coast was clear Fred picked up his bunny face and ran back inside as fast as he could.

"Phew," he thought, "What was that?! It was huge, must've been a puma! It tried to eat me I think, so it must've thought I was a rabbit. I'm glad I'm not or it would've eaten me!"

So even though Fred was still confused and he was sad the little black cat didn't want to be his friend, Fred felt like he had conquered a monster and lived to tell the tale of his most exciting day ever.

Fred goes into the garden...

Fred decided he needed some air, and went out into the garden to explore.

He sat on a log but it was a bit barren.

It made him feel rather lonely and desolate.

Fred decided he'd climb a tree.

It was a beautiful apple tree, in full bloom.

Sitting up there, it was very pretty with lots of bumble bees buzzing from flower to flower.

Fred tried to talk to the bumble bees but they were far too busy collecting pollen to make honey.

"Better let them get on with it!" Fred sighed.

Fred clambered along the branch further to where a bird feeder was hanging.

"Maybe some wee birds will talk to me?" Fred said quietly.

As he drew closer however, Fred realised there was no bird food in it! It was completely empty.

"So no birds will come up here then?" Fred tried to understand. He could see some birds further away and realised that as it was springtime the birds didn't need a bird feeder because there was plenty of food about for them.

Fred started to feel a bit dizzy so high up in the tree.

He fell, oh no!

And landed softly on the grass.

"Lucky for me I'm only made of fabric and stuffing," thought Fred, with a sigh of relief.

Getting more comfortable, Fred sat amongst the flowers feeling quite happy with the sun warming his face, as the insects buzzed about him, the daisies and bluebells swaying softly in a gentle breeze.

"I could stay here forever," thought Fred looking up to the bright blue sky, as fluffy white clouds bounced across it, twisting and turning themselves into any shape Fred could imagine.

"Anything seems possible," he whispered to a butterfly as it fluttered past him.

Today Fred felt rather sentimental

Having discovered an old record player, Fred listens to some John Denver and gets rather carried away.

Despite not really knowing where he came from, or who or what he really is, he began to wonder and felt rather nostalgic dreaming of his beginnings...

Fred's on top of the world...

Today Fred started to read an old classic, 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea' by Jules Verne.

The book was a little big and awkward for him to read but he was keen to catch up on his classic literature.

The old book and lovely cover illustration filled Fred with a wistfulness.

He dreamed of being a sailor and an explorer, travelling on the high seas, the wind in his sails... and his ears.

As he sat reading the book, his whirring imagination lit up his face like a set of fairy lights might, and despite being technically under the sea he felt like he was on top of the world.

Fred invents an electric blanket...

In an attempt to find himself, Fred sat and thought very hard about the things he knew about himself.

"I used to play guitar!" he suddenly remembered.

Fred loved playing music and he used to have a lovely hand-embroidered semi-acoustic guitar when he lived in the art college.

Unfortunately the Owl had borrowed it to take on a trip with the Pussycat and they'd been away for at least a year and a day by now, so he wasn't sure he'd ever get it back.

Fred hadn't played guitar in such a long time and thought it would be fun to play again.

But he didn't have a guitar.

What would he do?

Fred thought perhaps he could draw one.

He looked at some books, and drew out a really cool electric guitar.

It didn't quite sound the same but it was brilliant!

Fred sat and practised all day.

The guitar was very very quiet though so Fred wondered if he could amplify the sound.

"I could draw an amp as well," said Fred "But I don't any electricity to power it."

"Hmm," he thought, "what could I make I wonder?"

Fred sat and daydreamed of all the things he could invent.

"An electric blanket!" he thought. Fred had heard of ones before, but he thought one that could power a guitar would be perfect.

"It would even be a great stage show set..."

So Fred sat and daydreamed of being a musician and playing on stage, and of being an inventor...

Fred questions the bunnies...

Fred is still confused by his identity.

Looking into the mirror at his happy bunny face, Fred tries to understand.

"Am I a bunny rabbit when I wear this mask?" he says aloud,

"Or just pretending to be one?"

"Am I anything like the real rabbits so bouncy and cute?"

"Or am I more like a shy Irish hare? Or are they very rare?"

Fred's head began to hurt with the confusion of all these questions, but he remembered that some bunnies lived in the hall and decided to go ask them if they knew about rabbits.

"Hello," said Fred, "I think I'm a bunny too, but are you real rabbits?"

"Of course we're not real. Have you ever seen a pink rabbit? We're toys! Toy bunnies!" said the white bunny.

"I don't think you are a bunny, you have the ears but where is your fluffy tail? And your arms and legs are awfully long and gangly," mused the pink bunny.

"You must be something different," agreed the white bunny, starting to feel sorry for Fred, "you don't want to be a real rabbit anyway, they live outside in the cold."

Still, Fred wasn't very happy to hear all this.

In fact he was more confused than ever.

The bunnies felt bad for Fred. The white bunny felt that they'd been a bit harsh, especially when Fred seemed like a rather innocent, vulnerable creature. The pink bunny said Fred was still a bit weird though, and needed to work these things out for himself anyway.

So they left him to it, and Fred sat and tried to think of what he could possibly be then if he was only half bunny...

Fred meets sweet William...

Fred thought his wee house in the drawer needed something.

Something alive and fresh to brighten up the dusty confines of his home.

In the house's big kitchen Fred found a vase of flowers.

"They're so pretty!" he thought.

SWEET WILLIAMS, a little label beside them said.

"I want a Sweet William for my house," Fred said.

So he took a little shorter flower, put it in a tiny glass of water and carried it up to the spare room where he placed it pride of place in his sitting room.

Fred sat and looked at them all day, and he felt like a little bit of sunshine had settled in the dusty old drawer he called home.

Fred gets hungry...

Fred wondered what to do today.

He sat and read his book for a while.

He felt hungry and thought "I have a kitchen and I haven't even used it yet."

Fred went over and sat down and looked at his kitchen.

"Hmm," he thought, "I've lots of things here I could make."

Eventually Fred decided upon having a chocolate fish from Cornwall. This decision was based largely upon his lack of culinary expertise and the fact it was ready made, just sitting waiting to be eaten.

So Fred sat down again on the couch to eat his chocolate fish.

He looked at it and sniffed it and the thought suddenly occurred to him "do rabbits eat fish? Or are they vegetarians? Is a chocolate fish a meat or a vegetable? Am I a rabbit? Or am I something else?"

Fred was so confused by this whole concept that he decided he needed someone to answer this multitude of questions.

Fred asked teddy but, as always, teddy was completely silent on the whole matter.

So he just gave up and went back to reading his book.

Fred's new home

Realising a pile of fabric was not a home, and yearning for a place of his own, Fred looked around the messy spare room and thought, "there's potential here, I think."

Clambering over cardboard boxes and bulging bags left cluttering the floor, Fred brought back anything interesting he could find.

Thanks to the old toys and miniatures left to gather dust, Fred's very empty drawer soon enough looked like a little room, just for Fred.

Now settled, Fred sat and had a cup of tea.