“Run rabbit, run rabbit, run run run, don’t let the farmer use his gun gun gun. All day long you’re running through the fields, run rabbit run rabbit run run run. Now you say it.” Catherine laughed breathlessly and waited for her young son to repeat the rhyme.
He tried, making Catherine smother a bout of laughter, as he did so. “Won wabbit won wabbit.” He looked at her helplessly while trying to remember what came next.
“The farmer.” Vincent whispered, trying to jog his son’s memory.
Looking blankly at his father, young Jacob whispered back, “What farmer?”
“The one that’s after the rabbit.” Vincent told him. “And don’t you dare say what rabbit.”
Jacob giggled, as did Catherine, “You are funny daddy, I know there’s a wabbit in it.”
“Rabbit.” Vincent corrected him.
“That’s what I said, wabbit.”
“No, you said wabbit. It has starts with an R. Say R Rabbit.”
A toothy grin spread across Jacob’s face as he regarded his father carefully aware that his mother was finding something extremely funny and for a moment, Jacob said nothing.
“You try it darling,” Catherine told him. “Say rabbit with an R.”
Jacob looked to both his parents in turn gauging their response to his reply. He giggled before saying, “Arh Wabbit.”
Catherine burst into laughter, “You little rascal.” She ruffled her son’s honey curls, “You did that on purpose.” And she tickled him all over making him squeal.
Father chose that moment to pay his son and daughter in law a visit, “Hello Jacob, I thought you were in class.” Father frowned at his young grandson causing Jacob to grin from ear to ear. “You are funny granddad, its Saturday, have you forgotten again!”
“Oh My!” Father exclaimed clapping a hand to his mouth, “I had forgotten. The days fly by so quickly down here since you arrived. Never a dull moment. So what are you doing this morning?”
“I’m learning a rhyme.”
“Oh, which one is that?”
“The wabbit one.”
His eyes crinkling at the corners, Father tried not to laugh at how cute Jacob said that, and it didn’t help to catch the humour on Vincent and Catherine’s faces either. They were almost his undoing.
Still he was unable to help himself from telling the child, “You should try it with an R, Jacob.”
Grinning impishly and quick to respond Jacob commented, “I have, arh wabbit.”
Almost choking at the unexpected response amid the amusement it stirred up Father reached for the nearest chair, eager to sit before he fell down laughing.
“Tea Father?” Vincent reached for the kettle.
“Yes, thank you Vincent. So tell me what have you three planned for today?”
The couple looked at one another, they hadn’t really made any plans, but they knew Father only too well, and if he had forgotten it was Saturday…
“More to the point, Father.” Catherine replied, “What do you, have in mind for us today?”
“Am I so transparent?” Father grinned, and more so as his son and daughter in law nodded eagerly.
“Well, since you’ve guessed, there is something you could do as it happens. Mouse reported some strange goings on in the upper levels. Nothing to worry about.” Father quickly reassured them, “I don’t think so anyway, no, more like a Mouse problem, something and nothing I expect.”
“Tell us what he told you.” Concerned despite his father’s assurances, Vincent listened with interest. Anything happening on any levels, strange or not concerned him greatly. If Mouse had seen or heard something and thought to report it, then it could be serious. It was unlike Father to act so blasé about it and Vincent looked at his parent shrewdly, “Are you certain you know nothing more?”
Indicating Jacob’s rather large ears in the listening department, Vincent understood at once, “Jacob why don’t you go and see if Luke can come here to play today?”
“Yes, Jacob, you do that. With the new baby due any day now, I’m sure Olivia would be glad of Luke spending the day with us.” Catherine added gaily, hoping her clever son did not suss that he was being sent out so that Father could speak about something without his overhearing.
She needn’t have worried, a day spent with Luke was just what Jacob needed, it beat reciting poems any day, and in a flash he was gone needing no second telling.
Vincent chuckled, “Was I like that at his age, Father?”
“You most certainly were, both you and Devin. Any chance to get out of chores or lessons and you took it. Well before he returns with Luke in tow I’d best tell you what’s on my mind.”
Vincent placed a steaming cup of tea on the table at Father’s side and took up his own seat opposite the old man. Catherine walked round to the back of Vincent’s chair and leaned over, her arms draped over her husband’s shoulders and both prepared to listen to what Father had to say.
“Its nothing bad, I just didn’t want Jacob overhearing due to the nature of the poem you were discussing earlier. You see my dears, Mouse tells me that rabbits have dug runs in the earth above the upper level, or rather beneath the park and are causing havoc with the soil up there. Mouse reckons that we may need to reinforce some of the beams lest the rabbit runs cause a mudslide. It won’t bother us too much down here, but it could cause a obstruction in some of the upper tunnels that would prevent some of the members of our community getting about safely.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad, that is as far as Jacob is concerned, why didn’t you want him to know?”
“Well just in case we have to use the last resort. It might be that the damage done by the rabbits is too colossal to repair and everyone knows how they breed. We may need to gas them if worse comes to the worse and Jacob wouldn’t want to know about that. I had this sudden thought of the tunnel children rescuing bunnies and hiding them down here, and at the rate they breed…well you know…do I need to say more?”
“No Father,” Catherine giggled picturing it all, “We understand perfectly. And yes you are right, the least the children know of it the better.”
That said the three set about making plans to tackle the problem, and so absorb were they in their venture that neither noticed the hours slipping by, or realised that Jacob hadn’t yet returned with Luke in tow.
“How are you Olivia? You look worn out.” Jamie entered her friend’s chamber later that day, looking around eagerly expecting to find Luke within, “Where’s Luke?”
“He’s off with Jacob, they’re playing in Vincent and Catherine’s chamber today, giving me some peace and quiet and believe me, Jamie, I need it. I have never felt so tired, it wasn’t this way with Luke.”
“Well when the baby is born, you’ll know you have no need to ask for all the help you will be offered. You’ll get all the rest you need then.”
“Well it can’t come fast enough that’s all I can say. No matter how I lay these days, something hurts. Either a foot in my kidney or a foot in my ribs, sometimes I think I am carrying an elephant.”
Jamie laughed out loud and attempted the unforgivable, “Any ideas on a name yet?” she asked matter of factly, as if she wasn’t really bothered at all. Olivia saw straight through her, “Now Jamie, you know the rules. No one must know the name but the parents until the naming ceremony. But as you asked, no, we still haven’t decided.” She laughed gaily. A sound Jamie was happy to hear. It seemed too long since she had heard Olivia laugh like that, and she hoped that the baby didn’t cause complications. Olivia was awfully large. There and then, Jamie prayed for a safe delivery for both mother and child.
“You should rest while Luke is out of the way, I’ll leave you to do that Livvy, can I call back later?”
“Of course you can, there’s no need to ask. If you are going Vincent’s way though, perhaps you could just check on that son of mine and make sure he’s behaving himself”
“I will, and yes I am going that way. See you later Liv.”
“Thank you, Jamie. See you later.”
“Hey its Bugs Bunny!” Eight-year old Luke accompanied by six-year old Jacob pointed up the tunnel with obvious excitement, “See it Jake?”
Jacob could, and he could hardly believe his eyes, “Yes, hey neat. Do you think we could catch it?”
“Well we could try. Come on.” The two broke into a run startling the wild brown rabbit that dashed this way and that searching for escape, and finally finding none, headed straight toward them and between Luke’s legs and was gone.
“See that! See it move! We are gonna need a net.”
“No leave it, maybe there’s more of them.” Jacob wondered. There were an awful lot of droppings over the floor for one rabbit.
“Really? Why do you think so?”
“Look.” Jacob pointed to the droppings, “He wouldn’t have done all of that would he?”
“Dunno. Hope not. Won’t want to go again for a year if he did.” Jacob giggled. He liked Luke he always said the funniest of things.
“Hey look.” Jacob followed Luke’s gaze to the roof of the tunnel, “Bet he fell through there. Where do you think it goes? Can you give me a lift?”
Jacob looked at his friend sceptically, “Don’t think so. You might be able to lift me up there though. I could pull you up, once I’m there.”
“Okay, here climb onto my shoulders.” Luke bent down enabling Jacob to climb aboard. Soon he was reaching through the hole above and heaving himself up.
“I’ve done it. Jump up and grab my hand, you can climb the tunnel wall to pull yourself up.” Jacob had seen Luke do similar things before, he knew he was not asking too much of his friend, and soon both boys had climbed from the tunnel below to the one above, and were delighted with what they found.
“Wow, look at all those wabbits!” Jacob exclaimed as he took in the sight around them. There were rabbits of all sizes everywhere.
“Where did they come from?” Luke, eyes wide, couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“No idea, but its cool, this could be our secret. If we tell anyone then they might want to get rid of them especially Grand Father.” Jacob groaned as the thought presented itself. He knew the rules against pets in the tunnels. Only Arthur was tolerated.
“Yeah okay, we’ll keep it to ourselves then. We could feed them!”
“That would be great. Yes, lets go see if William has any lettuce or carrots in the kitchen.”
“Yes, and we’ll bring a rope so we can get up and down easier.” Luke said still rubbing his shoulder where Jacob’s boots had dug in.
“That’s a good idea, come on then let’s go.”
The weekend came and went, and by the following Thursday, William was most concerned that his supply of vegetables was diminishing faster than anticipated and he couldn’t understand it. Even after the celebration from the birth of Olivia and Kanin’s new baby boy, there should still have been vegetables left. They hadn’t used many of those. Mainly it had been sausage rolls and pastries to help the celebratory wine go down and it was only a mild celebration. The naming ceremony would be a much larger affair.
Even the work party that had been gone a couple of days to deal with the rabbit problem hadn’t taken vegetables with them… “mmm… rabbits… vegetables…” William pondered, “I wonder?” He scratched his head, surely it wasn’t possible, not rabbits down here. He hadn’t noticed any nasty little calling cards in the storeroom, but then he hadn’t really been looking for them. Awful as it may sound, if he had of seen them on the floor, and not have known what they were, he may have concluded that someone had spilt the raisins. With that thought in mind he decided he’d best go and take a look to satisfy his curiosity.
It was Saturday again. The work party had returned happy that they had done their best to eradicate the rabbit problem, and each were looking forward to the naming ceremony of Kanin and Olivia’s baby the following day. Those involved in its organisation were gathered in Father’s chamber going over the last minute details as well as holding a council meeting. The problem of William’s decreasing vegetable supply was causing great concern, and no one had a solution.
“Can’t be the rabbits.” Cullen ventured, “We gassed as many as we had to, and the rest are unable to get down here. As well as the fact that a couple of helpers have sent ferrets down the runs since in the hope to frighten the bunnies away from this part of the park. So, it’s just not possible for the vegetables to be taken by the bunnies. Must be a thief of the two legged variety.”
For some reason everyone looked toward Mouse, “Why me?” He asked nervously, knowing the reason. “Arthur likes fruit best.” As if that answered everything.
True though, as everyone nodded, if Mouse wanted to steal anything, he would take what Arthur, his beloved raccoon, loved the most rather than food he ate at a push but wasn’t terribly fussy over. So, it was still a mystery.
“None of the children would take vegetables. Its hard enough getting them to eat them as it is.” William barked.
“Maybe that’s the answer.” Father looked up regarding William sceptically, “After all if there are no vegetables to be offered at dinner, they wouldn’t have to eat them would they?”
“Do you think they’d go to such lengths?” William wanted to know, “They have never tried it before.”
“They may only have just thought of it.” Father replied nodding, “Yes I think it is a possibility, and we should all watch the children more carefully. Someone is stealing the vegetables that’s for certain the thing is where are they hiding them? They will soon be going off and stinking. We ought to look under beds and in cupboards I think, just in case they are being hoarded that way. And we all ought to notice any strange smells that might signify rotting food. The last thing we want to encourage down here after those rabbits, is rats and mice.”
Everyone nodded, and each knew that he/she would do their bit. One way or another they would find out who was stealing the vegetables and why.
Having boarded off the runs from the park entrances and from the entrances below the only rabbit population that was left behind, after the visit from the ferrets had accumulated in the tunnel where Jacob and Luke had first discovered them and they were reliant on their new regular food supply brought to them by the two boys. Not only that but the source of vitamins they were receiving from such a rich variety of food was helping them to breed most profusely. It wouldn’t be long before the rabbit problem was as bad if not worse than it was before.
Jacob and Luke didn’t see this though. To them the rabbits presented fun they would not normally have and when some of the rabbits became tame enough to touch and stroke the boys were elated.
“We have to tell some of the other kids, Luke. They’ll love the wabbits.”
“Just what I was thinking, ‘sides, we need help to bring more food. I’m sure there are more here today then there were yesterday.”
Jacob thought so too. In fact, it seemed to him that the wabbits had multiplied with each passing day and it was beginning to worry him a little if truth be told. As well as the fact that the novelty was wearing off and he was fed up nicking the vegetables to feed the wabbits. They didn’t do anything but eat…oh and the other of course…and they did a lot of that. Some days Jacob went home with wabbit droppings all over the seat of his pants and the soles of his shoes. It was a wonder no one had noticed…
He never knew that just as he was thinking it, someone was just about to do that.
“Vincent, what do you suppose this is on Jacob’s jeans?” Catherine was asking at that self same moment as she collected the dirty linen for washing.
With his keen sense of smell, Vincent first scrutinised the flat brown mass upon the seat of his son’s trousers and then lifting the material gingerly to his nose he sniffed…just once. It was enough!
“Poo!” He exclaimed, rubbing his nose to remove the smell.
“Yes,” Said Catherine “Just what I was thinking. I’m surprised to hear you say the word though.” She grinned at him, her husband was full of surprises and somehow the utterance of the word poo didn’t seem to fit his vocabulary at all. Even when Jacob had been a baby in diapers he had never used the word. And so, it amused Catherine no end to hear him use it now.
“No, I mean poo it stinks.” Vincent exclaimed crushing her high spirits, “but as it happens, you are probably right. I do think it is… that. The question is where would Jacob have picked it up from?”
“Curioser and curioser,” a voice from the doorway told them, and they both looked up to see Kanin striding in holding a pair of Luke’s dirty jeans. “The same marks are on Luke’s trousers. I came here hoping you two might be able to throw some light on what it could be.”
“Well we think its…” Catherine hesitated as Kanin interrupted her.
“Yes I know, I overheard that bit too. It would make sense. Livvy said it looked like rabbit muck, and since we have just had that problem, it’s a possibility. The question is how did the boys and the rabbits come into contact, and more importantly are they still in contact?”
“Oh no.” Catherine exclaimed, “You aren’t thinking what I’m thinking are you?”
Kanin grinned, “Vincent might be able to do that Cathy, but not me. What are you thinking?”
“You know the missing vegetables, two boys and rabbits…need I say more?”
Kanin and Vincent shook their heads. No, she didn’t need to say more - they had got the picture, what they needed now was the proof.
Watching their children was one thing the parents of both boys were excellent at. They might miss a few minor problems but the moment they were in on it, they were mindful of every look, every passing of hand over hand, every whispered word, every written code sent to one boy from the other. They were watchful and they were cunning, and downright deceitful when questioning, subtly so, the whereabouts of their offspring. And they were exceedingly good at laying a trap.
“Jacob, can you take these peelings to the trash for me.” Catherine was preparing meat and potato pie for a snack lunch. It was filling, but not so much that it would ruin the fare that William provided every day for dinner. Taking the bag of peelings from his mother, Catherine pretended to be absorbed in some other task, while she watched her son out of one eye corner. She was both dismayed and surprised when rather than place the peelings into the bin he stuffed them inside his rucksack, and announced that he was off to see Luke.
At about the same time, Olivia was also undertaking a similar ploy, and she too was surprised to find that Luke took the apple peelings from the pie she had just prepared and stuffed them into a bag before telling her he was off to meet Jacob and taking the bag with him.
Quickly she went to the pipes, and tapped out the appropriate code, organised before hand, and waited for Vincent and Catherine to arrive. Kanin had discreetly followed his son out of the chamber and would report back for Vincent to meet him somewhere when he had further news.
To be concluded in part two.
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