The Treats

Short Story Day 121 of 365

“Carrots? Seriously? Who trains these humans anyhow?” Jack the Rabbit asked.

“Blame it on the cartoon, Jack,” Maxine his gal bunny said. “Don’t get all huffy about it. No use. You’ll just have another breakdown. It’s not like they all study the diets of rabbits. They just watch the cartoon. How would they know any different?”

 The winter had been long and the scraps from the humans were in short supply. An elderly bald man threw out shredded carrots for the stray rabbit or two in the yard.

“Did you see that?” Jack asked. “We need to go on a campaign to educate these people. Lettuce, greens, cabbage, anything but those hard carrots. He gives the birds bird seed, Pfft. Of course the squirrels all have their nuts from the trees. What would it be like for the humans if all they ate was one food all day long? Would they like it?”

“They’re being generous with us, Jack. As I heard one of their kids say in the backyard, ‘ya get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.’”

“Yeah, whatever. Those kids are not eating their carrots, let me tell ya that. Maybe we should do the bunny hop or something to entertain these people while we’re freezing to death looking for decent scraps food.”

“You’re dating yourself, Jack. No one does that the bunny hop anymore. And please stop, you’re embarrassing yourself in front of the little ones.”

“Maybe you’re right. But we’ve got to find a way to get some more food for them. Any other garden left to raid? Any food trucks left to steal from? We’re getting desperate out here.”

“Hey, I know. It’s rather morbid, but…”

“Go on. We’re beyond that at this point.”

“Well, I was talking with Kate over on the other block and it seems that her mate, well, let’s just say he wasn’t fast enough crossing the road.”

“Yeah, I heard. Poor thing. He crossed on a dare that he could get past a car and walk the rest of the way. Forgot to look both ways. Silly rabbit. But doesn’t she have other mouths to feed too.”

“Yes, six I believe.”

“So you want me to help take over that territory and feed seven more besides the five I already have?”

“Oh, would you? That’s so kind of you, Jack. You’d do that for us?”

“Did I just agree to…”

“Yes you did, Jack. And we’ll all be so grateful for you, Jack.”

Jack thought about it for a minute and looked over at his four little ones.

“Oh Jack?”

Jack looked up.

“Her territory includes a farm. It has fields full of barley, all ready for the picking and eating,” Maxine said. “No carrots.”

“Fiber here we come. What are we waiting for?” Jack asked.