Easter Bedtime Stories: The Easter Bunny's Helpers

The Easter Bunny's Helpers by Michaela Muntean illustrated by Deborah Colvin Borgo. It was the day before Easter and everything was ready in Bunny Hollow. The speckled eggs had just the right amount of speckles. The striped eggs were perfectly striped and there were hundreds of other eggs dyed in every color of the rainbow. Everything was ready for Easter morning. Everything that is except the Easter Bunny himself. He was in bed with an earache and as you can imagine that can be a very serious thing for a The Easter Bunny's nieces and nephews tried to make him feel better. Benny brought him an ice pack. Denny brought him a hot water bottle. Jenny brought him some carrot juice and Penny read to him from his favorite book but nothing seemed to help. My ears hurt so much that I can't even hop properly groaned the Easter Bunny and back to bed he went. I know I'll be fine in a day or two the Easter Bunny told his nieces and nephews but but Easter is tomorrow. I just won't be able to deliver the children's Easter eggs this year. One of you will have to go instead. I'll go said Benny, Denny, Jenny and Penny all at once. The Easter Bunny smiled. Thank you all for offering to help he said. I will have to send Benny because he is the biggest and the strongest. It is a long way to hop and there are many eggs to deliver. The Easter Bunny showed Benny a special map which only he and Santa Claus had. This is a shortcut around the world he explained. You will need it in order to deliver all the Easter eggs by morning. Benny studied the map for a long time. At last he was ready. Feeling proud and excited he waved goodbye to everyone in Bunny Hollow and set off. Benny had never been away from home before. He had never seen any other animals except for other bunnies. So he was very surprised when he met a small animal with a long bushy tail. What kind of bunny are you? Benny asked. The little animal laughed. I'm not a bunny he said. I'm a squirrel and I live in that oak tree. How do you get up there? Benny asked. Can you hop that high? Of course not the squirrel said. I climb up like this and he scampered up the tree and down again faster than Benny could say hippity hop. Benny set down the basket of Easter eggs. I wish I could do that he said. And who are you? said a voice. Benny looked around. Did you say that? He asked the squirrel. That's a hoot owl the squirrel explained. She lives in this tree too. The hoot owl swooped down to get a closer look at Benny. On the way she woke up a robin who also flew down from her nest. Who are you? The hoot owl asked again. I'm Benny said Benny. Then he told them about Easter and his uncle and his uncle's earache. And these he said proudly are the Easter eggs I am going to deliver. By now a deer a duck and a frog had joined the group. They all gathered around to look at the eggs. Those eggs are lovely chirped the robin. Now come up and see my eggs. And come and meet my ducklings said the duck. And my tadpole added the frog. Then you must stay for dinner said the deer. We'll make a special nutberry stew. Benny didn't know what to say. He wanted to stay with his new friends but he had an important job to do and it was getting late. I will stay for a little while he said. Then I must be on my way. First Benny visited the robin's nest. I will have to tell my uncle about this beautiful shade of blue he said when he saw the robin's eggs. Next he followed the duck and the frog to the pond where he splashed and played with the ducklings and the tadpole. I can't wait to tell my brother and sisters about this he said. Dinner's ready called the deer and they all sat down around the fire. This stew is delicious said Benny. I will make some for everyone in Bunny Hollow when I get home. Bunny was having such a good time that the little while turned into a very long while. He was just leaning back against the oak tree when he suddenly bumped into the basket of eggs. Oh no he cried jumping up. I forgot all about Easter. Benny tried not to cry when he realized how careless he had been. I'll never get these eggs to the children by morning he moaned. You know said the deer, I can run very fast. Maybe I could help deliver some of them. We could help too said the owl the duck and the robin. We'll fly as fast as we can. Frog and I will help too said the squirrel. Do you think we could do it in time asked Benny. We can try they said and off they went running flying scampering and hopping as fast as they could. And so that year for the first time ever there was an Easter deer, an Easter duck, an Easter robin, an Easter owl, an Easter frog, an Easter squirrel, and an Easter bunny who delivered all the rainbow colored eggs in time for Easter morning.