The Serialised Story of Arfie and Ben and The Very Tired Bunny

This is the very first chapter – for adults, its a bittersweet/black humour story that might appeal to your darker senses. For kids – well, I wrote it and thought you might like it but now … gee, I’m not sure. I think there’s a bit of sadness there that I should fix. However, I’m pretty happy to hear your thoughts. I can promise you, its not for little kids.

 

ARFIE AND BEN AND THE VERY TIRED BUNNY

A text for younger readers by

Nette HILTON

 

Chapter One.

 

Arfie and Ben lived with Mrs Balfour. They lived next door to Thomas the Cat and over the road from the Addisons’ elderly rabbit, Armidale. Down the road there were the Chevron’s dogs and Rami’s cats, Mick’s budgies and goldfish, and Bloger’s snake who lived in a glass cage.

Everyday Arfie and Ben went out into the neighbourhood to see what they could discover. Sometimes Next-door’s Thomas needed a quick bark to get him into the day or a sudden helter-skelter to make him leap the fence. He was splendid in flight. Arfie and Ben were always impressed.

One day when they popped over to check on Armidale they saw a strange thing happening. Mrs and Mrs Addison were putting Armidale in a hole in the ground.

‘It’s a burrow.’ Said Ben who knew a lot about everything. ‘Rabbits live in burrows.’

‘Even when they’re sleeping?’ Said Alfie as the Addison’s put some soil on top and patted it down gently.

‘Especially when they’re sleeping. Keeps them safe.’

Arfie wasn’t sure he’d like to sleep in a hole with dirt on top. He wandered over to check Armidale’s hutch. There was food in his bowl, straw on the ground and even a nice little blanky near the door. ‘Bet he’d rather sleep here.’

Ben said you never can tell with rabbits and it wasn’t for them to say anyway, so they set off to see if Mrs Balfour had left something special on their dinner plates.