Cucumbers the Rabbit

By Anthony W. Grillo

Meet the rabbit with green fur and is as cool as his name. Cucumbers the Rabbit is his name. Adventure is his game. In this collection of twenty stories, Cucumbers, with his friends, Blaze, Sunny, Drooler, Bouncy-Bounce, Spinner, Henry, Knock Knock, Flirty, and Mudflap, face monsters, UFOs, an evil circus owner, a magical island, a powerful rabbit witch, a tyrannical alien general, an Alaskan farmer, a vicious fox, and a "spooky" computer. Along the way, Cucumbers manages to star in a Hollywood movie and help his friend's lonely father find a wife.

Discover how Cucumbers friends get even with a prankster ghost. Find out what happens when Flirty falls in love with two human sisters. Discover why the frogs are angry with the rabbits. Learn why Cucumbers fur is green and who he takes on his first date. Who is Princess Cleo supposed to marry? What surprise awaits Cucumbers at Foggy Island? How does a part of Bunny Town get destroyed after something that happens at Sunny's birthday party? And, what is Cucumbers big secret?

Come and explore Cucumbers world. There is danger and mysteries to be solved, but there is also friendship and love. Escape into this world of fantasy and enjoy a laugh along the way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499069990

Anthony W. Grillo

Anthony W. Grillo, a graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, has worked as a foreman, salesman, manager, and a truck driver in five different states. He now lives with his wife in Wisconsin, is the father of five, refereed High School Hockey, taught Catechism, and is a volunteer firefighter. This writing venture began when he was entertaining his youngest daughter, Elizabeth, who was four at the time, with a bedtime story. Later, the stories turned into a father-daughter project with Elizabeth becoming a co-writer.

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Copyright © 2014 by Anthony W. Grillo.

Library of Congress Control Number:

ISBN:   Hardcover    -1-4990-7000-2

             Softcover      -1-4990-7001-9

             eBook           -1-4990-6999-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 12/22/2014

Xlibris

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CONTENTS

Cucumbers The Rabbit

Cucumbers The Hero

Here Comes The Circus

Bouncy-Bounce

Cucumbers’s Alaskan Vacation

The Spooky Computer

Cucumbers Steps Up To The Plate

Zippy The Frog

Crabby Abby

The Magic Island Of Foggy Lake

Hollywood

Toxic The Troll

Twiggy

Return To Foggy Island

Return To Foggy Island: Part 2

Annoying Skies

Annoying Skies: Part Two

Annoying Skies: Part Three The Finale

The Return Of Hobnail The Rabbit Witch: Unabashed And Unapologetic

Rise

Author’s Note

3

The Spooky Computer Gets Married

The Legend Of The Twiggy Tree

Bibliography

For Elizabeth, Katelynn, Dan, Justin, Matthew, Zachariah, Caitlyn and Annie

A special thanks to the Kirchbergs, Millers, and Caspersons

I’d rather be blessed than lucky.

Father Rick Wendell

St. Columbkille Church

Columbus, WI

I wouldn’t mind some of both.

Cucumbers the Rabbit

Bunny Town, WI

CUCUMBERS THE RABBIT

Hidden deep in the forests of Wisconsin is a place called Bunny Town. And this is about a young rabbit that lives there. His name is Cucumbers and there are two things that make him different. The first is that Cucumbers has green fur. The second is his choice of food. While other rabbits enjoy eating carrots, lettuce, peas, or spinach, the only thing Cucumbers packs in his lunch box—which you’ve probably already guessed by now—is cucumbers. Therefore, his parents named him Cucumbers.

And this is how Cucumbers the Rabbit became famous.

Now Cucumbers’s neighbor happens to be the most famous rabbit of all, Mr. Easter Bunny, and today was Easter morning. As the sun was peeking out, Mr. Easter Bunny was hiding Easter baskets when a dog snuck up on him. Mr. Easter Bunny knew all the dogs in the neighborhood. However, this dog was a surprise and therefore he concluded it must have been an Easter present.

Now most dogs loved Mr. Easter Bunny because he gave them treats. However, this scary-looking dog hadn’t met Mr. Easter Bunny before and it was growling.

Nice doggy, doggy, said Mr. Easter Bunny as he slowly backed away. He tossed a doggy treat into the air but it hit the dog’s face and the dog got angry and attacked.

Mr. Easter Bunny dropped his baskets and ran towards the chain-link fence that bordered the backyard. As Mr. Easter Bunny ran, he knew he would be safe if he could get to the other side of that fence. However, as he got closer, Mr. Easter Bunny realized the fence was too high to jump over and the dog would get him if he tried climbing up, so the only way he figured he could get to safety was to squeeze underneath. And that’s what he did. He dove under and unfortunately got stuck. Then if things couldn’t get worse, there was a new angry dog on the other side of the fence, a fearsome-looking Doberman, and it too was growling.

Mr. Easter Bunny asked, Why buy a dumb, angry dog for Easter?

The dogs had Mr. Easter Bunny trapped. Being in danger for his life, he quickly prayed for an angel to save him.

The one dog was taking chomps out of Mr. Easter Bunny’s backside, while the Doberman was still on the other side of the fence snapping at the his ears of a very stuck Mr. Easter Bunny. After taking one more painful chomp to his backside, Mr. Easter Bunny got mad and kicked the dog right in the kisser. The stunned dog backed off, allowing Mr. Easter Bunny to suck in his gut and free himself from being trapped under the fence.

The dog shook off the rabbit’s kick to his face, and was ready to pounce and with nowhere to go but up, Mr. Easter Bunny climbed the fence as fast as he could go. The dog tried to bite him but missed. Meanwhile, the Doberman leapt, but the fence prevented him from touching the rabbit.

After a frantic few seconds of climbing, Mr. Easter Bunny finally made it to the top of the fence where neither dog could reach. Then Mr. Easter Bunny gave thanks and ran across the top of the fence over to a nearby telephone pole. After climbing the pole, Mr. Easter Bunny stopped long enough to catch his breath and watch the dog destroy all the remaining baskets he was supposed to deliver.

Discouraged for not finishing his deliveries, Mr. Easter Bunny started making his way across the telephone line, when he suddenly didn’t feel very good. Then he noticed he was bleeding and realizing he had to get off the telephone line before he passed out and fell. He was lucky to find a tree branch hanging close by, and using what fading strength he had left, Mr. Easter Bunny jumped onto that branch and slowly made his way down the tree. He was glad this house didn’t have a dog. Then the injured Mr. Easter Bunny slowly limped home.

Now this is the part where our hero, Cucumbers the Rabbit, enters the story. He was also up early that morning. He was weeding his garden when Mr. Easter Bunny collapsed in front of him. Cucumbers ran over to Mr. Easter Bunny and found him unconscious and bleeding, but still breathing. So Cucumbers yelled for his father, who was a first responder and a firefighter to help. Cucumbers’s dad heard his son and came running with his first aid kit. While tending to Mr. Easter Bunny’s wounds, Cucumbers’s dad told Cucumbers to call 911 for an ambulance.

The ambulance showed up ten minutes later and about forty-five minutes after that, Mr. Easter Bunny was recovering in a hospital bed. He smiled when the young green rabbit walked into his hospital room. Hi, Cukes, Mr. Easter Bunny greeted.

Hi, Cucumbers replied. He was glad Mr. Easter Bunny was okay and asked, Is there anything I can do for you?

Yeah, Mr. Easter Bunny said. I haven’t finished all my Easter deliveries.

I can help do that, Cucumbers eagerly replied.

What about dogs? Cucumbers’s father asked with concern.

One of the houses has a friendly black lab named Franklyn who is kept in a kennel. The other houses don’t have any dogs. Now there’s one more problem. I don’t have any candy or eggs left to put into the baskets.

No problem, Cucumbers replied. I know precisely what to deliver.

And Mr. Easter Bunny smiled thinking how those kids would be in for a surprise because he knew precisely what Cucumbers would deliver. When Cucumbers headed out, Mr. Easter Bunny yelled, Hey, Cukes, there are extra baskets inside my shop.

So the green bunny went to Mr. Easter Bunny’s house and got the extra baskets. Then he hopped over to his garden and filled those baskets with the things he treasured most. Finally, Cucumbers delivered those Easter baskets, and Mr. Easter Bunny was right, the children that got those baskets were definitely surprised.

Now Cucumbers the Rabbit visited my house that fateful morning. We were back from Easter Mass when my children: Katelynn, Justin, Matthew, Zachariah, and Elizabeth, all ran out to the backyard to search for their Easter baskets. When the kids finally found them, they were surprised at the contents. The baskets weren’t filled with candy or colored eggs. Instead, their Easter baskets contained only one thing—and I bet you have already figured out what that thing was—here’s a clue, it’s a vegetable, it’s green and they are healthy. If you answered—cucumbers—you were correct.

And when my kids searched the backyard for their colored eggs, all they found were more cucumbers along with a note that read: Have a Happy Easter…From your pal, Cucumbers the Rabbit.

This also happened at other houses in my neighborhood and a newspaper reporter caught wind of the story, and interviewed the kids that lived next to me. Then he put the story on the front page of our local newspaper where it drew state-wide attention and everyone in Wisconsin was asking: Who is Cucumbers the Rabbit? And what happened to the Easter Bunny?

And that is the story of how a certain young green rabbit named Cucumbers became almost as famous as his next-door neighbor, Mr. Easter Bunny. Now as the years pass, Mr. Easter Bunny doesn’t get any younger, so from time to time, he will ask his little buddy, Cukes, to help him deliver some Easter baskets.

So if some Easter morning you happen to find a cucumber in your basket instead of candy or colored eggs, well, you can thank good old Cucumbers the Rabbit for thinking of you.

THE END

This story is for my daughter Liz.

This whole book began at our cabin in Park Falls, Wisconsin, at Blockhouse Lake.

You were four years old. It was bedtime, and you couldn’t keep your eyes open, so you asked me to make up a story and being that it was Easter weekend, we had eaten a cucumber salad for supper, and then spent the rest of the evening watching the movie, The Incredible Hulk; and it was as if by chance, the combination of those three items:

Easter, cucumbers, and the Hulk, had somehow given birth

to the green rabbit known as Cucumbers.

Then you asked for more stories, and it took a lot of work, but ten years later—twenty stories had come about, and being a trucker, I spent many hours

driving over the road trying to come back home with a new adventure

about our green rabbit friend to entertain you with at bedtime.

As you got older, I enjoyed discussing various plot lines with you and creating all these characters and places that make up Cucumbers’s world.

We even teamed up to write some of these stories

and that’s the reason for the picture on the cover: Pink Soda the pink seal, Violet the Purple Cow, and Blue Moon Night Sky the Grey Whale, were all characters you created when we came up with that story about Cucumbers going to Alaska for his vacation.

Even more funny was that particular story had been created when you were five

and you had been playing with your bathtub toys.

I especially liked the names you chose. You said that all the animals

in Alaska had to have a color in their name.

I’m glad that Cucumbers the Rabbit belongs to us.

And I hope he brings as much fun to whoever is reading this book

as he did for us when we came up with all these stories.

If it hadn’t been for you Liz,

there would’ve been no Cucumbers the Rabbit.

Now lookout world, here comes Cucumbers the Rabbit.

CUCUMBERS THE HERO

This is a story about a bunny named Cucumbers. In case you don’t know anything about Cukes, he is different from the other rabbits that live in his bunny neighborhood hidden deep within the forests of Wisconsin. Cucumbers’s fur is green, and he loves eating cucumbers.

Now one day, I was helping my wife gather vegetables from our garden when one of our kids yelled that Mom had a phone call. My wife left for the house, and as I picked up our basket full of cucumbers, I saw a green rabbit standing right in front of me.

Hello. My name is Cucumbers, the green rabbit said to me.

I couldn’t believe I was staring at a green rabbit and now I just heard him speak. I looked but there was no one else around. I was alone.

Hello, Cucumbers, I finally greeted. Then I remembered last Easter and asked, Say, you aren’t the same rabbit who delivered cucumbers for Easter, are you?

The one and the same, Cucumbers said proudly. I was subbing for an injured Mr. Easter Bunny. Don’t worry. He’ll be back next Easter. Then Cucumbers was eyeing up my bucket full of cucumbers, and he asked, I am really hungry. Could I have a cucumber?

Sure, I replied. And I gave him one.

After gobbling the cucumber down in about five bites, the green rabbit smiled, said it tasted great, and thanked me. Then he asked, Do you drive a semi?

I said, Yes.

The rabbit spoke, Yeah, I thought that was you. You almost ran me over last week.

Then I remembered narrowly missing a green rabbit that was running across the road.

Sorry, I said.

That’s okay, he replied. I was being chased by an eagle who wanted to devour me for his lunch. The eagle had to turn away to avoid hitting your truck and I escaped. Then the green rabbit asked, Could I ride in your truck?

Sure, I answered back. I leave tomorrow.

The green rabbit said he’d meet at my house tomorrow. Then he asked if I could pack a bunch of cucumbers for the road.

Cucumbers the Rabbit and I took off the next morning, and while hauling a load of Wisconsin cheese over to Carthage, Missouri, the green rabbit regaled me with his amazing adventures. I liked the stories so much I asked him if I could write them down so my youngest daughter, Elizabeth, could read them. He said he was okay with that. As I wrote, I never imagined other children would be reading these stories, but that’s what happened, the stories turned into a book, and so—this is the first story the green rabbit ever told me and it’s about the first time he became a hero.

*     *     *

Cucumbers’s day started out normal, like any other morning. It was Monday, and he had to go to school. He finished packing his green-colored lunch box with his absolute favorite food, cucumbers, and his mother gave him and his siblings a goodbye kiss as they headed out the door. While Cucumbers made his way to the bus stop, he enjoyed the sun shining and the birds singing. It looked to be a beautiful day, and Cucumbers couldn’t wait to get to the bus stop to see his two friends, Sunny and Blaze.

However, his two friends never arrived. It feels weird going to school without them, Cucumbers thought as he sat by himself while the bus drove away. He didn’t realize how long and boring the ride to school was when one didn’t have his friends to keep him company. Some older bunnies stuck out their tongues and teased him because of his green-colored fur. Cucumbers wanted to punch them, after all, he was strong, and knew he could take them. However, he would be in trouble if he lost his cool.

Love your enemies. It was something Jesus taught. Cucumbers learned it at his religious education class. He knew the world would be better if everyone actually loved their enemies. Cucumbers ignored the teasing and thought about his friends. Maybe I’ll see them in class, Cucumbers thought.

However, his two friends weren’t in the classroom either. Both Sunny and Blaze’s desks were empty and as the morning bell rang, Cucumber knew he would have to get through the day without them.

About half an hour into class, Cucumbers’s teacher, Mr. Bifocals, was suddenly interrupted by the school secretary. She was delivering a note from the principal. The teacher read the note, looked over at Cucumbers, and yelled, Cucumbers, you are to report to the principal’s office—immediately!

Cucumbers swallowed. He had never been in trouble before. He got good grades and usually behaved himself. The class murmured, and the teacher told them all to be quiet. Cucumbers got up from his desk, took the note, and proceeded to the office. The secretary led Cucumbers to the principal’s office and then closed the door behind him. Three chairs sat in front of the principal’s desk. In two of the chairs sat two large rabbits in police uniforms. The middle chair was empty.

Have a seat, Cucumbers, the principal said. His name was Principal Hoppity-Hop, and he had a serious look on his face.

Cucumbers took the seat between the two police officers.

Good morning, the principal said to Cucumbers.

Good morning, sir, Cucumbers replied. No one was smiling and that made Cucumbers nervous.

The principal got right to the point. Your two friends, Sunny and Blaze, are missing . . .

So this isn’t about me. This is about my two friends, Cucumbers thought.

The principal continued, They went out to play Sunday afternoon and neither came home.

Every Sunday, after church, Cucumbers would usually hang with Sunny and Blaze. However, this last Sunday, Cucumbers had family visiting, so he wasn’t allowed to leave.

These police officers are trying to find them, and they would like to ask you some questions since you’re their friend.

Cucumbers was anxious to give them any help he could.

A brown-haired bunny with large ears introduced himself as Police Chief Floppy Ears. Then he asked Cucumbers, What do you and your friends like to do Sunday afternoon.

We swim at Caller’s Spring, Cucumbers replied.

Anywhere else you like to go?

We play baseball at the park, and sometimes we go to the mall, and that’s about it.

The police chief replied, We didn’t find anything at the beach. However, we’ll search the ballpark and the mall. Then he handed Cucumbers a card with his phone number on it and said, Thanks, Cucumbers. Call me if you think of anything else.

Cucumbers put the card in his pocket.

You’re excused, Cucumbers, the principal said. As Cucumbers got up, the principal added, And Cucumbers, please shut the door on your way out.

Cucumbers shut the principal’s door and went back to class feeling extremely worried for his two friends. At lunch, Cucumbers sat by himself. He didn’t feel like talking to anyone, and it bothered him how the other rabbits were running and playing as if nothing was wrong. His two friends were missing and he was so bummed out he didn’t eat any of his delicious, garden-fresh cucumbers for lunch.

When school was over, Cucumbers skipped riding the bus home and headed for Caller’s Spring. He undressed to his skivvies and went for a dip in the cool, clear water.

This place wasn’t much fun without his friends and he was about to get out when he felt a strap touch his foot. He pulled up the strap and found a bag full of rocks. After emptying the rocks, he brought the bag to the surface and discovered that it had a yellow sun. This was Sunny’s bag. She didn’t go anywhere without it.

Cucumbers had to report this to the police. After quickly putting his clothes back on, Cucumbers was on his way back to Bunny Town when he discovered a path he had never seen before. The forest was full of unknown paths that would pop up every now and then. Curious, he proceeded down the path where he found a cottage with a magnificent garden.

Cucumbers was impressed. This garden was better than his. There was a sign next to the garden that read, Pick your own vegetables: five cents per item. Pay at the door.

Cucumbers never ate his lunch and in the excitement, left his lunch box back at the beach where he was swimming. By now he was very hungry. Having a quarter in his pocket, Cucumbers picked himself five cucumbers and set them inside Sunny’s bag. One of the cucumbers was as big and hard as a baseball bat.

Now why would God make a cucumber you couldn’t eat? Cucumbers thought. He kept the bat-like cucumber thinking he could turn use them into legs for a green table he wanted to build for his room.

Cucumbers went to the cottage to pay his money. He knocked and knocked, but no one came to the door. He was about to leave his quarter on the steps when his acute bunny ears thought he heard a voice inside yelling for help. Cucumbers stuck his right ear against the door and definitely heard some voices yelling.

Cucumbers turned the doorknob. It wasn’t locked, so he peeked inside. No one seemed to be home. Maybe he was just hearing things.

Hello. Is anybody here? Cucumbers asked loudly.

Help! Help us! the voices yelled.

Cucumbers instantly recognized the voices and quickly ran to them. He was standing inside a dark kitchen when he discovered his friends, Sunny and Blaze, locked inside two separate jail cells.

Cucumbers! they both yelled. We are so glad to see you! Quick, get us out of here.

Cucumbers grabbed a key that was hanging on a wall. What happened? Cucumbers asked.

We’ll tell you after we get out of here, Blaze replied.

Cucumbers was about to open Blaze’s door when a low voice suddenly growled, "You’re not going anywhere. The voice raised the hairs on the back of Cucumbers’s neck. When Cucumbers turned around, he saw a ferocious-looking fox staring back at him. The fox had a devilish smile, and his white teeth were long and sharp.

Who are you, and why are my friends locked in these cells? asked Cucumbers.

My name is Creepy the Fox. And your friends are here because my boys and I are playing cards tonight.

I like playing cards, Cucumbers replied. We play Go Fish all the time.

You don’t understand. Creepy laughed. I don’t want to play cards with your friends, you little green freak! They are to be the main ingredient for my world-famous rabbit stew.

You want to eat them? Cucumbers asked in horror.

At first there was only enough for an appetizer. But with you added to the mix, I’ve got enough for a meal, Creepy the Fox said as he pulled a large knife from out of his back pocket. and began to approach.

Cucumbers didn’t know what to do. He didn’t have a weapon. However, Cucumbers remembered the bat-like cucumber he had thrown in Sunny’s bag. He quickly pulled that cucumber out and held it up with both his green paws. Then he let the yellow bag with the rest of the cucumbers fall to the floor.

Hey, thanks for grabbing some cucumbers, Creepy replied. I was going to make a nice cucumber salad to go along with my rabbit stew.

Creepy’s knife was now only two feet away when Cucumbers pulled the cucumber behind his back and held it like a bat.

Creepy paused for a moment, not knowing what to make of this funny sight of a little green rabbit threatening to hit him with, of all things, a lousy cucumber. His buddies will get a good laugh when he tells them that story.

140138_FNL_01_.jpg

But at that exact moment, Cucumbers took one step at Creepy and swung with all his might. The bat-like cucumber connected squarely with Creepy’s face. Creepy stood dazed for a moment with his mouth and nose bleeding and a couple of teeth falling out. Then Creepy fell to the kitchen floor. He was out, but breathing.

Cucumbers quickly freed his friends.

Let’s get out of here before he wakes, Sunny replied.

He won’t be up for a while, Cucumbers said. And he’ll have an awful headache when he does wake up.

That will teach him not to mess with us rabbits, Blaze said as the three of them quickly left the fox’s cottage and didn’t stop hopping until they made it back home.

Everyone in Bunny Town was relieved to hear that Sunny and Blaze were safely reunited with their parents. Later that evening, the mayor of Bunny Town presented Cucumbers with a medal for outstanding conduct for saving his two friends. Then everyone in Bunny Town threw a huge party for Cucumbers and his friends and by this time, Cucumbers was very, very hungry, and he couldn’t wait to finally sit down and eat. And what a glorious meal it was. Set before him was a plate filled with all the delicious-tasting cucumbers he could handle.

As they sat at the table of honor and ate their food, there was one thing that bothered Cucumbers. It was something Creepy said, and Cucumbers asked his friends if they thought he was a freak.

No, you’re not a freak, Sunny replied. You are very unique.

Unique, Cucumbers replied. That’s one way to look at it! There’s not another green rabbit anywhere in this forest. Cucumbers paused and then said, "Well, at least I now know why God made a cucumber that was as hard as a bat.

We were saved by a cucumber! Blaze commented. That’s unbelievable.

Cucumbers gave thanks for he was glad to be eating cucumbers with his friends, Sunny and Blaze.

THE END

HERE COMES THE CIRCUS

Cucumbers the Rabbit was at school, eating lunch with his friends, Sunny and Blaze. Cucumbers is well known for being a rabbit that has green colored fur and enjoys eating—you probably guessed it—cucumbers.

Cucumbers’s two best friends are also unique. Sunny has yellow-colored fur and is the smartest rabbit in school, while Blaze has bright-orange-colored fur and is the fastest rabbit in the school. It’s not hard picking them from a crowd since one is yellow, one is orange, and the other is green. Because of their uniqueness, they stuck together and enjoyed each other’s company.

Blaze was talking. The circus is coming to Human Town tonight.

I wish I could go, Sunny replied. I would love seeing the animals.

And I would like seeing the magicians, commented Blaze.

Cucumbers got excited. Hey, why don’t we sneak over to Human Town and watch the show tonight.

Sunny was shocked. "We can’t do that, Cukes. We have a law that says no resident of Bunny Town is to leave the forest without permission from the Town Board.

It is a stupid law. I thought we lived in the land of the free, Cucumbers replied.

It’s an important law, Sunny stated. It prevents humans and dangerous animals from discovering our secret town. It’s meant to keep us safe.

Cucumbers took a bite from his cucumber and then said, I know the law, but I’m bored. All I do is tend my garden, do my homework, play baseball, and swim at Caller’s Spring. I want some excitement.

Blaze commented, Adam and Eve got kicked out of paradise for breaking the rules. Do you want to get kicked out of Bunny Town?

Cucumbers sighed and then spoke, No. It’s just that I’ve always wanted to see the live performing circus clowns.

Sunny added, If clowns are what you desire, you’ll see plenty at our Festival of Clowns this coming weekend.

I love it when all the rabbits of Bunny Town dress up in their clown outfits and act real goofy and party all night long. I wish our Clown Festival was more than once a year, said Blaze.

Seeing Principal Hoppity-Hop in a clown outfit doesn’t trip my bell, Cucumbers replied right as the lunch bell rang. Everyone laughed as the bell rang right when Cucumbers said the word bell and then they all went outside to play.

Later that evening, Cucumbers told his mother and father he was going to Blaze’s house. Cucumbers convinced himself he wasn’t lying. He really was going to see Blaze. However, Cucumbers omitted the part where he was planning to sneak off to the circus afterward.

Blaze wouldn’t come. He didn’t want to break Bunny Town’s law. So Cucumbers set off for Human Town. Luckily, the circus was being held in a park on the outskirts of the forest, so Cucumbers wouldn’t have to venture too far into Human Town. However, Human Town was a good twenty miles from Bunny Town. And even if Cucumbers hopped as fast as he could, he would never make it to the show on time. Then he spotted his good friend, Benny the Hawk, flying in the air.

Hey, Benny! Cucumbers yelled. The hawk swooped down and landed next to Cucumbers. Can you give me a lift to the circus in Human Town?

As long as you give me some more of your garden-grown spaghetti squashes, Benny replied.

You’ve got a deal, Cucumbers said. Benny the Hawk loved spaghetti squash and this was the reason why Benny didn’t eat the delicious-looking rabbit. Benny flew Cucumbers to the circus and dropped him off at the back of the giant tent.

Benny flew back into the air and said, See you later, Cukes. You’ll have to find your own way home.

Thanks for the lift, Cucumbers replied. Then he paused to take in the sights. Humans were still entering the tent and that was good because the show hadn’t started.

Cucumbers squeezed under the tent and climbed up a back pole. There, he took a seat next to the lights and from that vantage point, he could see everything.

The show turned out to be awesome. The magicians were marvelous, and the animal tricks were spectacular. This was Cucumbers’s first time seeing real live tigers, lions, horses, and elephants; and he was amazed at how large they were compared to him.

Then came the moment Cucumbers was waiting for. It was time for the clowns. A tiny car drove around the ring, stopped, and fifty clowns piled out. The clowns squirted water at the crowd, played music with hammers, and blew themselves up while trying to bake a pie. Then one of the clowns pulled that pie from out of the blown-up oven and smashed it into the face of another clown.

For the grand finale, a clown named Happy came out. He had a big green wig with a big purple nose and was wearing a funny blue polka dot costume with long red shoes. Happy first performed a bunch of amazing flips on the swinging trapeze. Then he walked a tightrope that was almost as high as the lights themselves without using a net to catch him if he fell. After that, the clown rode around the circus ring on a very tall unicycle, and then he pedaled a very small unicycle across that very same high tightrope he had just walked across with still no net to catch him if he fell.

For Happy’s final trick, the brave clown shot out of a cannon, flew through a burning ring of fire, and then continued flying where he almost brushed nose to nose with Cucumbers, who was sitting by the lights, and then safely landed in some netting that was on the other side of the circus tent.

Wow! What a show! Cucumbers thought. He wished he could perform all those tricks and when the performers came out for their final bow, Cucumbers cheered the loudest for Happy the Clown.

After the show was over, Cucumbers waited for the crowd to disperse. Then he climbed down the tent pole, squeezed under the tent, and immediately headed for home. If he hustled, he could make it home in about three hours. The only problem was trying to sneak into Bunny Town after curfew. Police Chief Floppy-Ears and his crew were always combing the streets at night, watching for any unwanted intruders.

Cucumbers found the trip wasn’t easy. It was dark, and Cucumbers kept walking into low branches and stumbling over rocks that he couldn’t see, however, after four hours, Cucumbers finally made it back to Bunny Town.

While cutting across some yards, Cucumbers saw a squad car so he quickly hid in some bushes. The squad car stopped and Cucumbers swallowed hard. It was Police Chief Floppy Ears and Cucumbers thought he might have been spotted. The chief shined his spotlight in Cucumbers’s direction. Cucumbers didn’t move. Then the spotlight turned off, and the squad car continued on its way. Cucumbers breathed a sigh of relief and realized that being green is handy. His fur matched the color of the bushes.

Cucumbers finally made it home, and his parents scolded him for arriving so late. He was grounded for a few weeks, but Cucumbers felt it was worth it. And as he went to bed, Cucumbers gave thanks for seeing his first circus.

The next morning, a thick fog blanketed Bunny Town. So at school, Cucumbers and his classmates played dodge ball inside the gym. The game was down to three players: Cucumbers on one side; Blaze and Drooler on the other.

As a side note, you don’t want to get hit by a ball or catch a ball that Drooler had thrown. His mouth was a running fountain, and everything Drooler touched got coated with spit. Drooler threw a ball, but Cucumbers blocked it with the ball he was holding.

Now Cucumbers was strong, probably from working his garden all the time and eating his vegetables, anyways, Cucumbers could throw a ball hard. The other bunnies shook their knees every time Cucumbers was gunning for them.

Cucumbers drilled Drooler’s right leg, and knocked Drooler out. Now it was Cucumbers versus Blaze. Blaze was fast, and he was the hardest bunny to hit with a ball. Cucumbers managed to throw another ball, but Blaze easily jumped over that thrown ball and then came at Cucumbers with a big smile on his face.

Cucumbers quickly backed up. He didn’t have a ball in his hands but found one lying on the ground. Cucumbers threw that ball right as Blaze threw his. Yuck! Cucumbers howled. The ball Cucumbers threw was Drooler’s and it was coated with spit. Cucumbers lost his grip and instead of hitting Blaze, the ball pegged the gym teacher, Mr. Arnie, right in the face. Meanwhile Blaze’s ball nailed Cucumbers’s shoulder and then bounced to the ground, knocking Cucumbers out and making Blaze the winner again.

Cucumbers wiped the spit that was on his hands onto his pants. Then he was about to congratulate Blaze when the school secretary walked into the gym. She said something to an upset Mr. Arnie, who was wiping his face with a towel from where Cucumbers had just creamed him. Then Mr. Arnie pointed at Cucumbers and said, Cucumbers, the principal wants you—now!

Oh, oh! Cucumbers thought. Am I in trouble? Maybe they knew he went to the circus in human town.

The secretary led Cucumbers to the principal’s office, where he was surprised to see Police Chief Floppy-Ears waiting for him. After taking a seat next to the chief, Cucumbers was asked the dreaded question. Where were you last night?

Cucumbers took a deep breath. He knew he would be in more trouble if he lied, so he reluctantly told the truth, and said, I went to the circus at Human Town.

I thought I saw you hiding in a bush last night. So I parked by your house, and sure enough, saw you coming home past curfew, the chief replied.

The principal stated, Cucumbers, you broke one of our sacred laws and have put us all at risk.

The chief added, Cucumbers, I will have to press charges, but in the meantime, we’ve got more pressing matters.

The principal asked the chief, What are you going to do?

I’ve got to tell the mayor that we’ll have to cancel our Festival of Clowns.

Contact the mayor? Cucumbers interrupted. What’s going on? All I did was go to a circus. Why does our clown festival have to be canceled?

We have a problem, Cukes, the chief replied. The newspapers are saying a dangerous animal escaped the circus last night. We also have reports that a creature is roaming loose around our town. Now no one can see this creature because of the fog and all, but the reports are saying that it is stealing food. So until we can determine what it is and catch it, no one is safe.

Cucumbers sat quietly in shock.

I believe this circus animal followed you home, Cucumbers. Then the chief turned to the principal and asked, What are you going to do?

I’ll have to shut down the school, and the parents will have to pick up their children. No child will be allowed to leave here without a grown-up.

Everyone in Bunny Town worried about the mystery animal that was running loose. They were also angry at Cucumbers for allowing the animal to follow him back to Bunny Town and they were mad that the Festival of Clowns was being cancelled.

Magpie, the baker, told everyone that a bunch of peanuts were stolen from a barrel that was inside her shed. She thought the escaped animal might be an elephant. Meanwhile, Ernie, the fruit vendor, saw a quick blur in the fog steal some of his bananas and take off for the forest, swinging from branch to branch. He believed the escaped animal was a monkey. Even more alarming was that Joseph, the sheepherder, said that one of his sheep was missing and added that there was blood on the ground and large animal-like footprints, and he thought that the escaped circus animal was a hungry lion.

All of Bunny Town was told by the mayor to stay home for the rest of the week. Now it was a Friday afternoon, and Cucumbers’s brothers and sisters were still mad at him, so he went outside to work in his garden. As Cucumbers was pulling onions, he was suddenly startled when he heard something rustling through his corn stocks. Then the rustling was heading towards him, and Cucumbers was scared that this was the wild animal.

Cucumbers said a quick prayer while grabbing his shovel. He couldn’t kill a lion with his bare hands like Samson, but Cucumbers wouldn’t go down without a fight. Whatever this creature was, he knew he would get one or two good licks with his shovel.

Then from out of the plants it came, and Cucumbers instantly knew that it had come from the circus. He saw it clearly now as it came out from the fog. It was . . .

Happy the Clown! Cucumbers exclaimed. What are you doing here?

My real name is Sandy, the clown replied. And I’m thirsty. Can I have a drink of water?

Sure, come on in, Cucumbers replied as he dropped his shovel. By the way, my name is, Cucumbers.

Nice to meet you, Cukes! Sandy said as they walked into his house.

Cucumbers’s younger sister, Ginger, was in the kitchen making gingerbread cookies. When Cucumbers walked in with the clown, Ginger commented, Nice clown outfit, but didn’t you hear? The Festival’s been cancelled, thanks to my brother.

Cucumbers gave Sandy a drink of water as the rest of his family came to see who their guest was.

My name is Sandy, she said. And I’m the one who escaped from the circus and followed Cucumbers here last night.

But you’re a clown, Ginger replied.

I’m an animal that is forced to dress like a clown, Sandy replied. Can I have a towel?

Cucumbers got her a towel. Then Sandy wetted the towel with water and wiped the makeup from off her face, and Cucumbers’s family was in a surprise because Sandy was a . . ."

You’re a fox, Ginger screamed. Foxes were the mortal enemies of bunnies.

I’m not going to hurt anyone. I love all God’s creatures. I was just a pup when this wicked circus owner took me from my home. Then he beat me until I learned to perform all his tricks. He’s cruel to his animals, and I don’t want to be in his circus anymore. That’s why I escaped.

All of a sudden, Sandy fell to the floor. Her body was convulsing.

What’s wrong with her? Cucumbers asked his dad.

Cucumbers’s dad knelt beside her, opened the top button on her clown shirt, and discovered she was wearing a shock collar. He quickly used his knife to cut the collar off and she immediately stopped shaking.

Thanks, she said while breathing hard. His dogs must have my scent and the collar is in range of his remote. That means he’s close on my trail. I gotta go. And a second later, she was out of the house and disappeared into the forest."

Mr. Easter Bunny came knocking on the door. Did I just see a fox in a clown suit?

Yes, said Cucumbers. We have to help her.

But she’s a fox. They like to eat us, Mr. Easter Bunny replied.

She’s the escaped circus animal. She’s trying to escape an evil circus owner who abuses all the animals under his care. We have to help her.

But we are just rabbits. What can we do? asked Mr. Easter Bunny.

At that moment, Cucumbers had an idea, and he told everyone his plan and Mr. Easter Bunny laughed, saying, That just might work. I’ll call the mayor.

Meanwhile, Sandy was running for her life and the dogs were gaining on her while the evil circus owner wasn’t far behind.

I’ll get you, Sandy! he yelled. And I’m going to beat you good once I get my hands on you.

She jumped into the lake of Caller’s Spring and swam. The evil circus owner’s two dogs jumped into the water and chased after her. Being a faster swimmer than the dogs, she pulled ahead and made it to the beach on the other side of the lake. However, she was tired and needed to catch her breath. So she ran into the woods, found a tree to climb up, and hid in the branches.

The dogs were on the beach but because of the water, the dogs couldn’t pick up Sandy’s scent and therefore didn’t know which way she went. The evil circus owner had walked around the lake and met up with his dogs twenty minutes later. The circus owner knew she was hiding somewhere. Then he found Sandy’s footprints and followed them until he was at the tree where she was hiding. However, when he looked up, he saw something that took him completely by surprise for standing there on top of all the tree branches that surrounded him were hundreds and hundreds of little bunnies dressed as clowns. And each one of those clown bunnies was holding a cucumber that had come from Cucumbers’s garden.

The bunnies of Bunny Town decided to resume having their Clown Festival after Mr. Easter Bunny explained to everyone what happened at Cucumbers’s house. But first, they all agreed to help this fox named, Sandy. The bunnies began throwing cucumbers at the evil circus owner and his

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two dogs. The dogs, after getting hit on the head a bunch of times, took off running.

Now, the evil circus owner was alone, but he wasn’t scared of a bunch of little bunnies. However, the bunnies in their clown outfits began to run off in different directions while Sandy ran off with Cucumbers.

The evil circus owner couldn’t tell his fox from all the bunnies that were fleeing in their clown outfits, and then he finally gave up after he was pelted in the head by a cucumber that was coated with spit.

Later that evening, all the bunnies of Bunny Town cheered their victory, and they partied all night long in their clown costumes. Sandy the Fox was made the guest of honor, and