Monday, April 21, 2008

Ernie the Hero: Friend of the Rabbit, 2001

Ernie is a cuddler (despite being an almost-murderer) because I coddled and swaddled him. I coddle and swaddle everything- everything in babyhood. Among my surrogates have been in no particular order: a kitten named Lizzy that lived in my shirt, Baby Willy (God rest his soul) the little squirrel that couldn't, Ernie (of course) and three wild rabbits without a friend in the world named Peanut, Gracie and Henry.

The cat belonged to my cousin, the squirrel belonged then and now to God and a construction site, Ernie to me and Peanut, Gracie and Henry to Ernie. But how you say? Did I buy Ernie pet rabbits for experiment, sadistic(ness) or fun? No, it was just the reverse as Ernie brought my beloved bunnies to me.

On a hot June day in 2001 when I was (as aforementioned in Ernie's Humble Beginnings ), just a wide-eyed chubby BY NO FAULT OF MY OWN 13-year-old, there came from the side yard a ruckus. OH I heard SUCH a clatter, and I sprang from my house to see what was the matter. And I saw Ernie running running running and barking barking (and he is quite the quiet sir on most occasions), and I darted through the iron gate to see what was making this chaos and uproar. And I saw Ernie valiantly chasing a dog (who was quite a stranger to us all) from our yard. Merely territorial? So I thought. But no, when I looked closer, into the little crevice at the base of the tree around which Ernie was running I saw, nestled gently and deeply into the cave of bark and grass, three baby wild rabbits. Not far from the little burrow, lay their mother- dead from the other dog's attack. OH THE HORROR.



But then, collecting myself from the sorrow of the dead mother, I took stock of what was saved AND I SAID TO MYSELF, ERNIE! You're magnificent! You angel! My heart was all aflutter with the opportunity to take these poor orphaned rabbits into my own care- to mother them and fatten them up so they would not starve to death- or worse- fall victim to the predators of the wild.

So I took them into my house, made a new home for them out of cardboard and grass. I fed them baby formula with a syringe everyday and every evening they slept nestled under my chin- warm and full. And Henry, Peanut, Gracie and I spent a wonderful June together, laughing and snuggling. Soon they were so well fed and chubby in their babyhood, they even began to look like me. Oh my little rabbit children. But, as all good things and childhoods must, ours and theirs came to an end in the middle of July as they, strong enough to survive on their own, and I, bored enough to go to summer camp, were parted by nature and time. I set them free in a little wood at the base of a big hill near a stream where they DID NOT GET EATEN BY BEARS, (CHARLIE BALDWIN). But I will never forget my rabbits, Gracie, Henry and Peanut, and the magnificent hero that saved them, Ernie Foster.

***Author's note: Creative license was taken liberally in this story to shed Ernie in a new light of good intention. I will tell you how in my next entry, for, like before, I must gather my strength before I publicly out my heavenly dog for the brat he can really be and mostly is (God love him). I apologize (not in advance) for just lying to you about Ernie's role in this tale.

1 comment:

JC said...

aww.. the rabbits were saved! they're so cute when they're little but not so cute when they get fat =(

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