Trading Places

Trading Places

In the all-you-can-pick strawberry farm, we spied the white rabbit a few rows down eating strawberries.

“Mom! How come that rabbit’s eating all the strawberries?” Jamie asked.

“Maybe it’s hungry,” I answered. That bunny did look a little skinny. And dirty with red berry juice dripping down its white fur.

“I’m going to ask that bunny why it’s eating our strawberries.”

Before I could say ‘no’ off scampered Jamie down the rows to the white rabbit. I hurried after my little one.

Soon I came upon the two. Jamie spoke to the white rabbit.

“Why are you eating all the strawberries? Mommy and me are here to pick all them for supper. You can’t eat all them up.”

Before Jamie sat a skinny, dirty white rabbit, a big red strawberry between two front paws. Its long ears twitched, its long back feet twitched.

“Well, let me tell you a story,” whispered the skinny, dirty white rabbit. I sat down a few rows away to listen.

Skinny, dirty white rabbit continued to speak, “Once upon a time this field was part of my family’s home. My grand-bunny and his father before him lived in this field. They raised many babies. They had a happy life. But then people came and dug up the field and planted strawberries. When they dug up the field, those people also dug up the bunny homes. Many of those babies died when this happened.” Skinny, dirty white rabbit thumped his back feet as he ate the big red strawberry, then cleaned his floppy white ears with his dirty front paws. He continued with his story, “After the babies died, the fathers and grandfathers went to the people. They pleaded for mercy, for clemency, for the future of our race.”

Jamie laid on the ground in front of the skinny, dirty white rabbit, absent-mindedly picking and eating strawberries, intent on rabbit’s tale. I crept up to him, then we laid together, both listening to the rabbit.

“The owners of the strawberry farm then understood the concerns of our rabbit brood - known far and wide in the animal world as ‘Clan Cottontail’. They started to protect my family. We got breeding grounds, feeding spots, areas designated for strawberry harvesting.” Skinny, dirty white rabbit stood tall on his back feet. “Now, if you will excuse me. I have an errand to run.” Skinny, dirty white rabbit hopped down the berry patch trail to a waiting electric bike. He waved at us as he and the bike disappeared into a nearby woods.

Jaime and I stood to watch the rabbit.

“Where’d he go, Mommy?”

“Maybe he’s going to take care of his family, the Clan Cottontail. Rabbits have lots of babies, you know.”

“And his babies need to eat lots of strawberries so they can grow up big and strong. ”

“You’re right, Jaime. Just like you.”

Jaime stopped eating strawberries. “Then let’s put back all the strawberries we picked. Let’s leave them for the bunnies. I don’t want any bunnies to be hungry.”

“Are you sure? I know how much you like strawberries.”

Jaime shook his head. “Yep, I’m sure.” He put his basket on the ground. “The bunnies can have all of mine.”

As we drove out of the farm, skinny, dirty white rabbit drove by on the electric bike, basket on the back full of baby bunnies. They were headed for the strawberry fields.

Jaime yelled out his open window, “I left all my strawberries for you!” All the baby bunnies smiled, their little white ears waving in the wind.

W/C 598