The Missing Easter Eggs

The bell rang at Willowglade School. The Easter Holiday had just begun.

“What should we do after school today?” asked Raccoon.

Skunk said, “How about everyone comes to my house. We could go up to my room and play my new video game!”

Raccoon, Opossum, Red Bird, Grey Squirrel, Chipmunk and Rabbit looked helplessly at one another. No one had the heart to tell Skunk that he smelled bad – and that his room smelled even worse.

“Ah, umm, well, ah, I forgot that my mom wants me to come straight home after school to clean my room,” Raccoon stammered.

“Ah, well, ah, I think that I am supposed to take out the garbage,” Opossum said.

“And, well, umm, I am supposed to look after my brothers and sisters,” Red Bird chirped.

“I think that I am supposed to help my mom sort out the nuts,” Grey Squirrel chittered.

“I have to start on my homework,” Chipmunk chattered.

“I can’t come either,” Rabbit apologized.

“Why don’t they ever want to play at my house,” Skunk asked himself as he walked slowly home.

Skunk sighed as he got ready for bed that night. Seeing how sad he looked, his mother said, “Skunk, aren’t you excited about Easter tomorrow? Aren’t you happy that the Easter Bunny will hide eggs for you to find?”

“I guess so,” he answered with forced cheerfulness. But quietly, so that his mother would not hear, he muttered, “I just wish that my friends would come to play at my house.”

* * * *

Easter morning arrived. All throughout the glade excited animals could be heard searching for Easter eggs. But soon the cheers of excitement turned into cries of disappointment. There were no eggs.

Raccoon ran to Opossum’s house. “Have you found any eggs?” he asked.

“No, and Red Bird was just here asking the same question,” he replied.

Grey Squirrel, Chipmunk and Rabbit arrived. They all had gloomy faces.

“Maybe we should go see Mr. Owl and ask him what we should do,” Rabbit suggested.

The six friends scurried, waddled, flew and hopped to Mr. Owl’s house.

“Mr. Owl,” they called. “Mr. Owl.”

“Who, who, who is out there,” Mr. Owl hooted.

“It is Raccoon, Opossum, Red Bird, Grey Squirrel, Chipmunk and Rabbit,” Raccoon said.

“We can’t find our Easter eggs,” Grey Squirrel explained. “We looked under bushes and behind trees and there were not any eggs. Do you think that the Easter Bunny forgot about us?”

“No, you would not be forgotten. Look around at your friends,” Mr. Owl said. “Tell me – is anyone missing?”

“Skunk is missing. Just like the eggs,” Opossum cried.

“Then perhaps you should go and see Skunk,” Mr. Owl suggested.

“Let’s go to Skunk’s house,” Chipmunk agreed. “Maybe then we will solve our mystery.”

* * * *

When Skunk’s friends arrived, they could not believe what they saw.

Skunk had decorated his garden with streamers and ribbons. He had set out a table with cupcakes and lemonade. He had planned games and races and he had organized the BIGGEST Easter egg hide and seek that the Willowglade animals had ever seen. And best of all, the outdoors smelled like fresh air and daffodils!

Everyone was happy, especially Skunk!