Fred and the Easter chick

It was a beautiful evening and the sun was setting, sending pretty coloured light into the kitchen.

Fred sat on a shelf watching the clouds and bright colours in the sky come through the back window,

when he heard a little voice.

"Got you now, bunny" said a small, gruff voice.

Fred froze.

He recognised that voice.

Memories came flooding back, of that time he got accidentally mixed up with some bad chicks and an Easter brawl.

Slowly, Fred turned around, trying to not look so scared.

Fred couldn't see anyone at first, but as he lowered his eyes, they met an angry glare coming from a tiny blue chick.

Naturally you wouldn't be much frightened by a tiny chick, especially a blue one, but Fred remembered well how this chick had had it in for him.

So Fred decided to be very careful this time, and not be so silly and naive.

"Hello" said Fred.

"Don't try to be friends, bunny!" shouted the chick, with surprising volume considering his size.

Oh no, thought Fred...

The chick continued, but in a low, threatening tone, "I am only here as a warning, bunny." He said this with much enthusiasm, squinting his angry eyes, moving his brows and leaning forward in a dramatic manner, in an attempt to be intimidating.

Fred realised that this little chick loved the drama of being in an Easter gang, and despite his threats, whilst he was on his own he wasn't much to worry about.

"I've got something to show you bunny," the little chick continued, "don't scream..."

He's very wrapped up in his own self-importance, thought Fred quietly in the back of his mind, careful not to roll his eyes.

The little chick bounced over to the other shelf, saying with pleasure, "this is what we do to bad bunnies, bunny rabbit."

Fred peered up at a bunny figure, clearly festooned in Easter cheer, but with only its head and arms left. It was stuck up high, grotesquely placed on a sugar pourer.

"Not so sweet now, eh?" said the chick.

Fred tried very hard not to be frightened but a cold shiver ran up his spine as he imagined himself up there, only his happy bunny face left.

Smiling at his effect on Fred, the little chick calmed down, starting his little rehearsed speech:

"So here's the low down bunny. Boss said I ain't to hurt you till you put a little toe outta line, so I ain't cos I respect him. But I don't like bunnies. And I don't like that happy little smile on your face. So I just wanted to show you what would happen if you were to get in my way. As it stands, were okay, me and you, but as soon as you join the bunnies, and help them..."

Here he drew his wing across his neck in a threatening gesture.

"Well, you can see the results."

Fred gulped.

He had never met any Easter bunnies, at least he didn't think so, but he was pretty certain he was gonna stay well clear of them now.

"OK bunny?" said the little blue chick.

"OK" said Fred, with a whimper. How could a creature so little and fluffy be so scary?

"Alright then, bunny, I've got other business to attend to, so I'll just leave you with this warning. OK? So if you wanna keep your pretty little happy bunny face, then you better keep to yourself, alright? 'cos I'll be watching you. My name's Bluey, remember it." and he bounced off, his little fluffy feathers hiding his cruel demeanour.

Fred was happy to see him go, and as he sat there shivering with fright, frozen somewhat with horror, his eyes fixed on the bunny in the sugar pourer.

He was about to edge away, when he heard a "psst".

Fred turned around, and realised it was the bunny.

"Hello?" said Fred.

In a quick movement, the bunny gestured to come closer.

Fred leaned in towards the bunny, his stomach tightening in anticipation.

In a quick whisper the bunny told Fred: "I've only a minute, they're watching me. Tell the Pink rabbit: the egg has hatched and the nest is flown."

"What?" said Fred. "I don't want to go near any bunnies, you of all should understand that."

"Don't listen to Bluey!" the bunny whispered again, "He lied! I'm only a cake decoration! I've never had any legs or a body! The people put me here, not the chicks! Find the pink rabbit!"

With that the bunny froze and Fred could get more more out of him.

Fred was so mixed up with confusion and fear, he wasn't sure what to do.

All he could do was to go home, where it was safe and he could try and think this all through in relative safety, until he could decide what to do.

Fred and the fairy ring...

Fred went out into the garden and discovered some rather large mushrooms.

He sat down amongst them and wondered why they were all clustered together and seemed to form a strange shape, like a ring.

The mushrooms themselves were such strange things he thought.

Fred lay down on his side to get a better look.

He'd heard stories about mushrooms and fairies, and thought perhaps a fairy could be shyly hiding

underneath the fungus.

"Hmm" thought Fred "I'm pretty sure I've seen pictures of fairies sitting on these.

Fred decided to sit on one especially large one.

"Perhaps I could be a fairy!" said Fred, or maybe if I sit here long enough maybe one will come and talk to me.

Fred sat there nice and quietly for ages.

And then for a bit longer.

Still no fairy.

Fred started to get rather tired.

The sun moved across the sky and the shadows followed it, stretching across the long summer grass.

Soon Fred could barely keep his eyes open.

"Maybe there will be a fairy tomorrow?" thought Fred, certain that they were the sort of creatures that would be wrapped up in their flowery beds by now, sleeping through the shadowy night.

So when the sun had finally gone to bed, so did Fred, determined to come back one early morning when the dewdrops glittered in the grass, and then he would find a fairy...