Sammy the Mopey Piglet

Sammy the piglet nosed aside his excited brothers and sisters and peered morosely at the rain pouring down outside the shed. He could barely see the picket fence that outlined their pen.

"Rain. Ugh," he snorted in disgust. He sat on his haunches, stuck out his lower lip, and moped.

"Rain, yes!" grunted Simon, pushing Sammy out of his way.

"Oooh! Oooh!" squealed Susie. "Lookit all the mud!"

"Mud! Mud! Mud!" echoed the other piglets.

"Out you go, then," said Mama sow, "have a good time."

The piglets charged out into the sty, romping and splashing in the puddles. Gobbets flew everywhere as the delighted piglets rooted and rolled in an ecstasy of mud.

Sammy just sat on his haunches and moped.

His mother tried to nudge him out into the rain. "What's wrong, little piggie?" she asked when he refused to budge.

"You know those tasty-looking tulips that grow just outside our pigpen, just out of reach no matter how far I stick my nose through the fence?"

"I do. You've all had a try for them. Even I can't reach them. So?"

"Yesterday, there was a bunny there eating them. He said that most days he is just an ordinary bunny. He said that tomorrow was a special day called Easter and on that day he is a special Easter bunny. He said that he'd come by with a basket of chocolate eggs and leave some for us." Sammy got up and paced round the shed. "That was yesterday so today must be Easter. Right, Mama? I figured that out all by myself."

"Sounds right to me."

"But he won't come in the rain." Sammy sat back on his haunches and went back to moping.

"Sammy. Think. How long has it been raining?"

"Forever. No bunny. No chocolate." Sammy was well into his mope and didn't want to let it go.

"Sammy. Was it raining when you got up?"

"No."

"Do you know how early bunnies get up in the morning? You've seen them hopping by at dawn, right?"

"Yes. Oh, I get it! Maybe the bunny came by with his basket of eggs before the rain started!"

Sammy leapt up off his haunches and completely forgot to mope. He ran into the rain, splashed through the mud and poked his nose through the fence towards the tulip patch.

There were several egg-shaped things, colored and shiny and just... almost... barely.... within reach.

He managed to snag one with his snout and trotted back to the shed with his head high and his heart light.

"Look, Mama! There are enough for you and all us piglets!" He dropped his prize onto the dirt floor of the shed and tore off the colored paper. It tasted funny so he didn't eat it.

But what was inside was smooth and brown and tasted wonderful. He chomped it down in delight. Later, he'd find something else to mope about. But for now, he was happy. He ran outside to play in the mud.