by Sarah Earlene Shere, ©2023
(Apr. 7, 2023) — Excitement buzzed around the base of the old willow tree, just outside of Edgar P. Rabbit’s abode. The tree had halfway fallen long ago, the rotten wood making it easy to dig out his home. Miraculously, some of the roots stayed deep in the earth, sending life to the green branches that swayed in the breeze.
But little Adny, Edgar’s grand-bunny, was unimpressed at the anomaly, nor did he find interest in his Grampa’s gnome friends who were hard at work painting eggs. Finally, he sighed, “Every year it’s the same: we spend days painting eggs just to hide them and watch the children of the village hunt for them. Why the waste of time?”
Grampa Edgar looked over his spectacles at his grand-bunny, realizing his failure to pass on the importance of their task. With a smile he scooped up Adny onto his knees and told him how it all began.
“Long ago, this land was ruled by a pagan king who decreed that Christianity was against the law and that anyone practicing or teaching it would be put to death. Naturally, the people who believed in Jesus were frightened and uncertain as to how to teach their children of the Way. That’s when your great-great-great-grandfather, Ruby Earl Bunny, had a plan, a way to teach the children about the resurrection of Jesus while making it look to the king like nothing more than a child’s game.
“He found some eggshells that had been vacated and sealed them back together with the help of magic paint, provided by his gnome friends. They made sure the colors were fun and bright, in order to attract the children. He then hid them around the village and watched to see what would become of his plan.
“To his delight, the children quickly learned the ‘game’. He then noted them going to their parents with disappointment and confusion when they discovered the eggs to be empty. But human parents are so clever! They understood immediately and smiled as they quietly explained the significance of the child’s searching, finding what they thought would be an occupied residence only to discover it to be empty because the life once trapped inside had broken out and flown free!”
Adny smiled as he suddenly understood how important it was to keep this lesson alive. He determined that, when he grew up, he would live in the tree that was full of life, in spite of death, and continue the tradition of the Easter eggs and pass it on to those who came after him.