Berry Bunny's Adventure

Berry Bunny woke up in her room, in the tall maple tree. She rubbed her eyes and looked around at her brothers and sisters, who were still sleeping soundly.

Quietly, she arose from bed and stepped over their furry heads. She opened the small door and slipped out of the room.

Berry hopped downstairs to the kitchen, where Mama Bunny was sitting at the long table.

“Good morning Mama,” Berry said happily.

“Good morning Berry!” Mama said smiling. “You’re awake early.”

Berry smiled. “Today is the day Mama!” she said excitedly. “Today is the day I visit Papa on the other side of the farm.”

“Ah!” said Mama Bunny nodding. She stood up and kissed Berry on the head. “Well then, you’d better have a good breakfast before you set off.”

Mama Bunny made some toast and set it down on the table. The sun was waking up, as Berry gobbled up her breakfast.

“Don’t eat so fast Berry, you’ll get a tummy ache!” Mama Bunny warned. “Why are you in such a hurry?” she asked.

“I want to leave as soon as possible, Mama,” Berry replied, climbing off the chair. “I want to reach Papa before nightfall. That’s what it says on the Bunny map.”

Berry hopped to the kitchen cupboard. She opened it and pulled out the Bunny map.

Mama Bunny chuckled. “That’s good thinking,” she said. She took down a small basket from the kitchen shelf.

“Let me pack you some food,” Mama Bunny said. She put in some bread and some cheese and closed up the basket.

“There you go,” Mama Bunny said holding it up. “Are you sure you want to go all by yourself?” she asked.

Berry nodded eagerly. “Yes Mama,” she replied. “Very much!”

Mama Bunny smiled and fastened a small strap onto the basket. Berry slipped on her green coat and put the Bunny map in her pocket. Mama Bunny helped Berry put the basket over her shoulder.

She opened the front door, letting in the early morning sun.

“Now Berry, be careful dear,” she said smoothing Berry’s ears with her paws. “Stay on the path and be sure to look at the Bunny map.”

“Yes Mama,” Berry said nodding.

Mama Bunny smiled and kissed Berry. “And remember: if you want to come back home, look out for the tall maple tree.”

“Yes Mama,” Berry replied hopping out the door.

“Goodbye Berry dear, have a safe trip!” Mama Bunny said, waving.

“Goodbye Mama!” Berry called, hopping away. “I will!”

Berry hopped quickly until she got to the top of the hill outside the tall maple tree. She paused and looked back at the Bunny house. It was exactly where she’d left it.

She smiled and hopped on.

***

Presently, Berry came to a small stream. “I think I’ll stop for a drink of water,” she thought. She crawled to the edge of the stream and sipped.

Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes next to her. Berry looked up startled. A small, feathery head poked out from under the thick leaves. Berry stepped near the edge of the stream in surprise.

“Quack!” the head said loudly. “Quack quack!” It was a duckling!

Berry was so startled that she slipped and wobbled on the edge of the bank. As she scrambled to get catch her balance, the Bunny Map fell out of her coat pocket and plopped into the stream.

Berry let out a cry of dismay. The small bird stopped and looked up at her.

“Hello!” it said in surprise. “What’s the matter?”

“Oh no!” Berry exclaimed, putting her paw into the water. She pulled out the map and found it was soaked through.

“Oh dear, oh no!” Berry said sadly.

“What’s the matter?” the duckling asked again, wobbling closer.

“Oh it’s the Bunny map!” Berry said in despair. She covered both her eyes with her paws. “Oh it’s ruined!”

The duckling quacked. “The Bunny map?” he said looking down. “Why do you have a map?”

“I’m going to the other side of the farm, to see my Papa,” Berry said removing her paws from her eyes. “And now I don’t know which way to go!”

“The other side of the farm, hmm?” the duckling asked. He quacked. “Oh! Wait here!” he exclaimed.

Berry watched him waddle unsteadily back through the bush.

“Oh whatever shall I do?” she said looking around in dismay.

Just then, the bush rustled and the duckling emerged once more. Behind him, a big beautiful duck with dark green feathers appeared.

“Hello dear,” the big mother duck said kindly. “What’s the matter?”

“I’m going to see my Papa on the other side of the farm,” Berry said sadly. “But the Bunny map fell into the stream and I can’t use it. I don’t know how to get there.”

“Oh dear!” the big mother duck exclaimed. “Well that’s bad indeed!”

“Can we help mummy?” the duckling said waddling around his mother.

“I hope so,” the mother duck said kindly.

“Oh thank you!” Berry cried gratefully. “Do you know the way to the other side of the farm?” she asked.

“I’m afraid not, dear,” the mother duck replied gently. “But perhaps someone else does. Just across this stream is a hill covered in heather. An old tortoise lives there, she might be able to help you.”

“Oh thank you, thank you!” Berry cried happily.

“You’re welcome dear!” the mother duck replied.

“I’d better get going if I want to make it before nightfall,” Berry said to the birds. “Thank you for your help! Goodbye!”

“Goodbye! Good luck!” they quacked.

Berry waved and hopped over the stream. She leaped through the trees, as the sun rose to the top of the sky. Presently she saw a clearing.

“Oh!” she exclaimed, hopping faster. As she emerged into it, she saw the hill covered in heather a short distance away.

“Hurray!” she exclaimed happily, leaping forward. When she got to the hill she stopped and looked around, panting.

“Hello!” she cried loudly. “Hello! Is anybody here?” The wind blew over the hill and the tall purple stalks swayed around her.

“Hello!” Berry cried, even louder. “Oh please, is there a tortoise here?”

Suddenly there was a rustling behind Berry. She turned around startled.

 “Hello?” she called.

A small head poked through the heather slowly. Then a small leg.

At length, the shiny shell of a tortoise emerged.

“Hello dear,” the Old Tortoise said slowly.

“Oh hello!” Berry cried in relief. “I’m so glad I’ve found you!”

The tortoise ambled slowly towards Berry. “Oh?” she asked in surprise. “Well now. What can I do for you, little one?” she asked.

“I’m going to see my Papa on the other side of the farm,” Berry explained. “But I’ve ruined the Bunny map and I don’t know how to get there.”

“Ruined the map, you say,” the Old Tortoise said pausing and raising her small beady eyes to Bunny.

“Yes,” Berry continued. “Do you know the way to the other side of the farm?”

“Humm? The other side of the farm, you say?” the Old Tortoise said thoughtfully.

“Yes,” Berry said shifting impatiently.

“Humm, well now,” the Old Tortoise replied. “I’m afraid I’ve never been there.”

Berry crouched down in disappointment. “You’ve never been there?” she said. “Oh no! However shall I get to the other side of the farm!” she cried in dismay.

“Well now,” the Old Tortoise said gently. “Perhaps you can turn back and go home little one.”

Berry looked at the Old Tortoise and then looked up at the sky. She was silent for a long minute.

“No I don’t think I will,” Berry said at last. “I think I shall keep going.”

“Oh dear me, alright,” the Old Tortoise replied in surprise. “But how shall you find your way?”

Berry paused and thought for a moment. “Do you know what’s on the other side of this hill,” she asked.

“Yes, that I do know,” the Old Tortoise replied nodding. “Why there’s some tall grass you see. That’s where the field mice live.”

“The field mice?” Berry asked curiously. “Would they know how to get to the other side of the farm?”

The tortoise swayed slowly. “Oh they might know dear,” she said thoughtfully. “Perhaps you ought to ask them.”

“Oh thank you!” Berry cried, hopping up and down. “Thank you very much! I shall ask them.”

She waved to the Old Tortoise, “Goodbye!” she cried, hopping through the heather.

The Old Tortoise raised her paw slowly. “Goodbye dear,” she cried back. “And good luck!”

Berry followed the hill of heather up and then followed it down. She leaped through the purple flowers until she found herself in the tall grass.

“Oh where could the mice be?” she said aloud. She crept through the tall grass slowly, as it was difficult to see. “Oh where am I?” she said aloud.

The wind rustled, swaying the grass this way and that. Berry hopped forward and stopped. She turned and hopped in another direction and stopped.

“Oh where am I?” she cried out in dismay. “Where am I going? I can’t see a thing in this tall grass!”

She sat down, slid the basket off her shoulder and sighed. “I think I shall eat,” she said. “Perhaps some food will help me.”

She opened the basket and pulled out her bread and cheese. She broke a small piece of each and ate.

“Oh it’s no use,” she said as she chewed. “Perhaps I should turn back after all.”

Just then, there was scurrying sound in the tall grass. Berry stopped chewing and raised her ears.

“Hello?” she called loudly, looking around. “Is anybody there?”

For a moment there was silence, then more scurrying could be heard, and it was closer this time. Berry hopped in the direction of the noise.

“Hello?” she called loudly. “Who’s there? Are you the field mice?” she asked hopefully.

Silence again. Berry peered around but saw nothing. After a moment, she returned to the basket.

“Oh!” she cried out in surprise. The bread and cheese had vanished! She looked around frantically. “Who’s there?” she said angrily.

“Show yourself! Or I shall find you and - and gobble you up!”

She hopped left and right. She leaped up and down. Suddenly, a small head poked through the grass.

“Oh!” Berry exclaimed in surprise. It was a field mouse!

“Don’t eat us!” the mouse cried. “Oh p-p-please don’t eat us!” it said afraid.

“Come out then,” Berry demanded. “Come out all of you and I won’t eat you!”

Suddenly, all around her, a mischief of mice appeared.

“Don’t eat us!” they squeaked. “Please don’t eat us!” Two of the mice crawled forward with Berry’s bread and cheese in their tiny hands.

“Oh we didn’t mean to steal!” they cried. “We’re very sorry!”

“You should be sorry!” Berry said angrily, grabbing the food from the mice. They squeaked in fear and ran back to their companions.

“Why would you do such a thing?” Berry asked crossly. “I would’ve shared it if you’d only asked!”

“Oh we’re sorry, we’re sorry!” they cried out together.

One of the mice, a little bigger than the others, crawled forward timidly. “Oh p-p-please forgive u-us,” he stammered. “We’ll do a-a-anything you a-a-sk.” He crouched down in front of Berry. “P-p-please don’t e-e-eat u-us!”

The other mice squeaked in agreement around Berry. She looked around at them. “Oh I won’t eat you!” She exclaimed at last. “But you must help me!”

“Anything, anything!” they cried eagerly.

“W-w-what can we do for you?” the big mouse asked raising himself off the ground.

“I need to get to the other side of the farm, to see my Papa,” Berry said quickly. “Do you know the way?”

The tiny creatures looked around at one another and squeaked all at once. The big mouse looked up at Berry.

“We d-d-don’t know the way to the other side of the f-f-farm,” he stammered. “B-b-but we can lead you out of the tall grass t-t-to the oak trees on the other side of this field. T-t-there is an old owl who may know the way.”

Berry looked down at the big mouse. “Oh!” she said. “Very well, you may lead me out of this grass.”

The mice squeaked excitedly and moved closer to Berry. She looked at the bread and cheese in her paws. “I suppose you may have this,” she said setting it down in front of them.

They looked at up at her in astonishment.

“Oh it’s alright!” she said laughing. “I know you didn’t mean to steal!”

They cried out in happiness and began gobbling up the food.

“A-alright!” the big mouse said when they had finished eating. “Let’s show you out of the tall grass.”

The mice arranged themselves around Berry, who closed Mama Bunny’s basket and slid it back onto her shoulder.

“This way!” the mice cried out together and moved forward. Berry laughed and followed the tiny creatures through the tall grass. The wind picked up strongly behind them. Presently, they popped out and Berry saw a wood of oak trees before her.

“H-h-here you are!” the big mouse said happily. “The old owl lives somewhere in these woods.”

“Thank you!” Berry exclaimed happily. “Thank you for your help field mice.”

“Thank you for not eating us!” the big mouse cried.

“Thank you for the bread and cheese!” the other mice cried happily.

“Goodbye!” they waved.

“Goodbye!” said Berry, waving back.

She turned and hopped into the cool oak woods. It was dim inside and the trees stretched high. The sun slid in and out of the clouds, and the sky was getting grey.

Berry shivered slightly. “Hello?” she called.

The trees were silent.

“Old Owl?” she called loudly.

The trees were silent.

Berry hopped forward cautiously, deeper and deeper into the woods. The sun had disappeared now, only clouds hovered above. The wind was cooler too, blowing over Berry, bringing with it the smell of rain.

“Oh no!” Berry exclaimed, troubled. “Oh it’s going to rain soon! I’d better find the Old Owl quickly!”

She hopped on, calling out for the Old Owl, but not a creature came into sight. Soon, drops of rain slowly began falling.

“Oh dear,” Berry cried hopping on desperately. Small specks of water soon turned into thick droplets, soaking the ground.

“Oh dear, oh dear!” Berry cried stopping. “I shall have to wait out this rain.”

She hopped to a nearby tree and looked up, wiping the water from her face. She climbed the tree slowly, up to the first branch, and sat under the shelter of a thick shade of leaves.

“I shall wait here for a moment,” Berry said to herself.

As the rain fell steadily around her, Berry began to worry.

What if I do not find the Old Owl?

What if I do not make it to the other side of the farm?

What if I can’t find my way back home?

Berry’s head began to ache. She put her paws over her eyes and soon, fell asleep.

Suddenly, there was a loud thump on the branch. Berry woke up afraid and startled. She cried out in surprise when she saw the winged creature in front of her.

“Well, well who are you?” the creature asked, its big, dark eyes peered curiously at Berry.

“I-I-I’m B-Berry Bunny!” Berry cried stepping backwards. The creature was tall, with long and beautiful grey feathers.

“Berry Bunny!” the Old Owl exclaimed titling his head. “Indeed!”

“I-I-I’m lost!” Berry cried. “Oh I’m lost you see! I’m supposed to go to the other side of the farm, to see Papa. But the Bunny map fell in the stream, and it’s almost nightfall and oh oh!” she cried.

Tears slid down her cheeks.

The Old Owl looked her startled. “Now, now,” he said gently. “There, you mustn’t cry.”

“Oh I’ve come all this way and I cannot go back, but I don’t know how to get to other side!” Berry cried, wiping her tears away.

“Oh! But I know how to get to the other side, Berry,” the Old Owl replied smiling.

Berry looked up at him. “You do?” she said in surprise.

“Why yes, I do!” he chuckled. “And I also know your Papa Bunny!”

Berry looked at him in astonishment. “You know Papa? Oh but that’s wonderful!” she cried hopping up and down. “Will you take me to him, please?”

The Old Owl laughed. “Of course I will Berry Bunny!” he exclaimed. “But we must go now, for the sun has nearly set and it’s almost nightfall,” he said pointing to the sky.

Berry nodded eagerly and moved closer to him. He lowered himself down and she climbed onto his back.

“Right then,” he said. “Off we go!” and he leapt off the branch.

A gust of cool wind hit Berry and she grabbed onto the Old Owl’s feathers. She heard him laugh as he spread his wings and flapped, going higher until they were above the oak woods.

“Oh!” she cried out in amazement. The Old Owl flew faster, as the last light of the sun melted away.

“Look below!” the Old Owl, called out to Berry.

Berry looked down and saw, to her delight, the other side of the farm. The Old Owl flew lower, and just as they neared the ground, Berry saw a small figure waving both arms up at them.

“Hello!” a familiar voice cried. “Hello Berry Bunny!”

“Papa!” Berry exclaimed happily, waving back. The Old Owl swopped down to the ground and lowered himself gently.

Berry leapt off his back and leaped towards her father. “Papa! I made it!” she cried, jumping into his arms.

“So you did Berry!” Papa said laughing. “Did you have a good trip?” he asked.

Berry looked up at him. “I had the best adventure!” she replied smiling.