The Easter Egg Hunt

The children gathered in the garden for the Easter Egg Hunt.


"Happy Easter, children," said Mother Owl. "There are lots of eggs for everybody, so please share. And I want to remind you, don't forget the little children. Leave some for them. Now choose a basket and go!"



The children scrambled for the baskets.


The Monkey Twins grabbed the biggest baskets they could carry.






The Pirate ran this way,



and Zibby ran that.




Little Theo didn't know which way to go. This was his first Easter Egg Hunt. Last year he had stood under his mother to watch, but now he was big enough.



He tried following Honeybunch for a little while. She was collecting pink eggs.



But he couldn't run as fast as she could.



He couldn't fly like Little Owl.



He couldn't sniff for food like Truffles,



or like Punkin.



He couldn't climb like Nibbles,



the Pirate,



Zibby,



or the Monkey Twins.



He just couldn't keep up.



But he kept looking. He looked here,



there,



and everywhere.




All of the sudden, Zibby squealed. She had found the golden egg.



Mugwort peeked over the wall to see.



The Easter Egg Hunt was over. The children all sat down on the grass to look at their eggs, all but Little Theo.


He hadn't found a single one. Worst of all, he felt left out. He stuck his head in some flowers and cried.



Zibby heard him.



"Come here," she said, gently scooping him up in her arms. "I'll share with you."



And then Zibby did a magnanimous thing. She gave Little Theo the golden egg.



Honeybunch gave him some pink eggs.



Then everyone wanted to give Little Theo some.



Everyone but the Monkey Twins, that is. They stayed as far away from the sharing as possible.



Theo was speechless with happiness. It was his first Easter Egg Hunt. He had the golden egg. And the children had not forgotten him.



Happy Easter!




Copyright 2009, Elizabeth F. Curtin