. Today was the first rainy day in a long time. All the rabbits were very excited. They love the rain, and even though they like living in Tujunga, they miss the wetter weather of the places where they used to live.
This morning they got up early and had a round of fresh baked rabbit paws. Rabbit paws are one of Thelma’s specialties. They’re a bit like scones, but made with whole wheat and honey, so they have a light, nutty sweetness. And they’re shaped like paws of course, with a raison where each paw pad would be.
All the rabbits love them, although they often get the name wrong, which drives Thelma crazy. This morning Bunnie came in and asked “Are the bunny paws ready?”
“Rabbit paws!” said Thelma, “and yes, they’re fresh and piping hot.”
Bunnie held out her paws and Thelma handed her a warm treat. Bunnie sighed and said “Ummm, bunny paws, they’re so divine when they’re warm,” and hopped off.
“Those are rabbit paws,” Thelma hollered after her. “I made them up, I ought to know.”
“Rabbit paws!” said Thelma, “and yes, they’re fresh and piping hot.”
Bunnie held out her paws and Thelma handed her a warm treat. Bunnie sighed and said “Ummm, bunny paws, they’re so divine when they’re warm,” and hopped off.
“Those are rabbit paws,” Thelma hollered after her. “I made them up, I ought to know.”
And then Fiver sauntered in. “Ah, I see the rabbit claws are ready…”
Thelma hopped up and down, waving a wooden spoon. “Paws! Not claws! Paws! Rabbit paws!"
And so it went.
After they finished breakfast, the rabbits all put on their rain slickers and went for a walk in the wet. It was a grey, misty, mysterious day. Perfect for thinking thoughts. Hula especially let her mind wander. Hula feels that walking in the quiet of an overcast morning is one of the most opportune times to work on The Muse Manifesto, her encyclopedic compendium of everything that she has learned about the art and craft of being a Working Muse.
Being a Muse is something Hula is very serious about. That is to say, she does not take it lightly. It takes contemplation, and a touch of mental solitude. Rainy days are perfect for that.
In fact, it was such a good walk in the rain that the rabbits did it twice – once in the morning and once in the afternoon, just after lunch. The second time Hula was less interested in work and more interested in play. Sometimes she likes to scurry up behind the other rabbits and give them a gentle poke in the back of the head, and make a little noise that sounds a bit like “pling!” – a sound that Hula finds musical and charming: “pling!”
So today Hula gave most of the other rabbits a surprise poke in the back of the head with this little musical sound that she’s fond of. She calls this game “Touched by the Muse.”
“You’ll have good ideas later,” she told others. “Wait and see.”
Most of the other rabbits are very tolerant of this game. Except Thelma. If she’s busy in the kitchen, and most especially if it’s a day when everyone is calling the rabbit paws by the wrong name, and then Hula gets the drop on her and goes “pling!” Thelma can be downright cross.
“Out! Out! Out of my kitchen!” she said this afternoon. And then she pointed with her wooden spoon toward the door.
Hula took it in stride, grabbing an extra rabbit paw on her way out. “You’ll thank me later,” she said, “when an especially excellent recipe pops into your head. By the way, these are wonderful bunny biscuits.”
“Rabbit paws!” shouted Thelma, hopping from foot to foot, “Rabbit paws!”
Thelma hopped up and down, waving a wooden spoon. “Paws! Not claws! Paws! Rabbit paws!"
And so it went.
After they finished breakfast, the rabbits all put on their rain slickers and went for a walk in the wet. It was a grey, misty, mysterious day. Perfect for thinking thoughts. Hula especially let her mind wander. Hula feels that walking in the quiet of an overcast morning is one of the most opportune times to work on The Muse Manifesto, her encyclopedic compendium of everything that she has learned about the art and craft of being a Working Muse.
Being a Muse is something Hula is very serious about. That is to say, she does not take it lightly. It takes contemplation, and a touch of mental solitude. Rainy days are perfect for that.
In fact, it was such a good walk in the rain that the rabbits did it twice – once in the morning and once in the afternoon, just after lunch. The second time Hula was less interested in work and more interested in play. Sometimes she likes to scurry up behind the other rabbits and give them a gentle poke in the back of the head, and make a little noise that sounds a bit like “pling!” – a sound that Hula finds musical and charming: “pling!”
So today Hula gave most of the other rabbits a surprise poke in the back of the head with this little musical sound that she’s fond of. She calls this game “Touched by the Muse.”
“You’ll have good ideas later,” she told others. “Wait and see.”
Most of the other rabbits are very tolerant of this game. Except Thelma. If she’s busy in the kitchen, and most especially if it’s a day when everyone is calling the rabbit paws by the wrong name, and then Hula gets the drop on her and goes “pling!” Thelma can be downright cross.
“Out! Out! Out of my kitchen!” she said this afternoon. And then she pointed with her wooden spoon toward the door.
Hula took it in stride, grabbing an extra rabbit paw on her way out. “You’ll thank me later,” she said, “when an especially excellent recipe pops into your head. By the way, these are wonderful bunny biscuits.”
“Rabbit paws!” shouted Thelma, hopping from foot to foot, “Rabbit paws!”
Copyright © 2007 Denise Bauchamp
2 comments:
More, please! =)
These guys are cute ... keep us wanting!
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