Back From the Garden of Death

“Peter!  Your cousin Sunny is coming over!  She wants you to show her around.  Her parents are thinking about moving here and first they want to know if Sunny likes it.  She will be coming around noon time.  Make sure you’re cleaned up.”

“Okay, Mom, but why me and not the girls?”

“Because Sunny said the other girls do not like adventures.  She was going to have Flopsy show her around until she heard about you and Mr. McGregor’s garden.  You know never to go in there again, right?”

“Mom, please, I think you can trust me.  I had a good fright the last time, and, boy, does word travel fast!”

“Okay, just make sure you’re home before dinnertime.”

Peter cleaned himself up and was ready for Sunny’s arrival.  Knock!  Knock!  Sunny was finally here.

“I’ll get it!” yelled Cottontail.  “Hi, Sunny!”

“Hi, Cottontail! Is Peter home?”

“Yeah. Peter! Sunny’s here!”

“I’m coming!” yelled Peter.

Sunny led the way out the door and past Peter’s house until it was out of their sight.  “Okay. We’re clear.  Now, show me Mr. McGregor’s garden!”

“What?! Oh, no, I’m not going back in there.  No way. No how! I promised my mother.”

“Oh, I think I found it!” Sunny said as she was searching her surroundings.  “Is that it?” said Sunny, pointing at the garden.

“You’re not going in there, are you?” Peter asked nervously.

“Sure, I am! Come on, Peter!  It’ll be fun!  I won’t get you in trouble.  I’ll simply say that I wanted to go in, and you were just trying to stop me.”

“I don’t know.”

“Oh, come on!  You’re a scardy mouse,” teased Sunny as she shuffled under the fence into Mr. McGregor’s garden.

“All right… I’ll go in.  I made it out safely the first time, and my mom won’t suspect a thing.  If we are home in time for dinner.”

“Okay then, let’s go!” yelled Sunny.

Peter shuffled under the fence leaving his clothes outside so he would not lose another pair.  As they stepped in the garden, Sunny’s eyes opened wide.  She had never seen anything so beautiful!  Peter was watching Sunny, studying her every move so he could stop her in case she tried to do something stupid.  Sure enough, Mr. McGregor was weeding and he noticed them both.  Sunny was chowing down on the vegetables, not realizing that they were in danger.

“Come on, Sunny, we’ve got to get out of here!” warned Peter as Mr. McGregor was approaching.

“Why?” asked Sunny, whose cheeks were filled with food.  “Everything is fine.”

“Sunny! Look!”  Sunny turned around, but it was too late.  Mr. McGregor had already captured them!

“Well, what do we have here?  I’ll bet you two think that I’m going to give you to my wife, and that she will put you in a pie, correct?  Well, I’m not.  That woman’s cooking is terrible, especially her rabbit pie.”

Peter and Sunny let out a sigh of relief.

“I’m going to shave you!”

Peter and Sunny took back their relief as they headed for the barn.  Thrash! Eek! Cut! Tear!  Before they knew it they were furless!  When Mr. McGregor put them down for a view of his art work, they immediately darted out of the garden and slid under the fence (it was easier now that their fur was gone). Peter put on his clothes, hoping that no one would notice his bare skin. Then they calmly walked back to Peter’s house. The moment they entered everyone was laughing and pointing at them.  Peter’s mom was very ashamed for she knew exactly where they had been.

“I have only one thing to say, and that is that I am very disappointed in you two.  You disobeyed me and now you must suffer your punishment!”  The two bunnies knew right away that the punishment was the embarrassment they had to face until their fur grew back.

“Well, at least we’re back,” Sunny reassured Peter.

“Yeah, back from the garden of …..DEATH!”