A Story For Susie | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: A Story For Susie | Previous Challenge Entry
By Ingrid Forsberg
11/30/15
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Mrs. Rogers went to her five-year-old daughter Susie’s bedroom, tucked her in and asked, “Do you want a story tonight honey-girl?”

“Tell the Widow Bunny story! I like that story.” Susie loved the yarns her mom made up just for her. Silent, she listened intently to every word. Her mom spoke gently and slowly, but with lots of expression.

Mrs. Rogers sat on Susie’s bed and began, “Once upon a time deep in the dark, cool forest the Widow Bunny lived in the trunk of a giant redwood tree. She wore funny round glasses and a dark blue checkered apron. Her long ears hung down on each side of her head because she was an English Lop rabbit. Widow Bunny was friends with all the other animals living in the forest. She was even friends with Mr. Skunk.” Susie wrinkled her nose.

“One pretty spring day Widow Bunny decided to make her favorite food, carrot stew. She got out her great big black pot and filled it with carrots and lots of other yummy things fresh from her garden. She set it on her wood burning stove to cook. It smelled wonderful! ‘This will be the best batch of carrot stew I’ve ever made,’ said Widow Bunny.”

Mrs. Rogers purposefully yawned. Susie yawned too, but she wasn’t ready to give in to sleep yet. There was more story to hear.

Mrs. Rogers continued. “A large group of cottontails on a thump-e-d-thump marathon hop through the forest neared the Widow Bunny’s house and stopped. Their soft bunny noses sniffed a perfectly delightful aroma coming from Widow Bunny’s kitchen. ‘That sure smells good,’ said Burt the bunny. ‘I think its carrot stew. Let’s ask if we can have some.’ All the bunnies went to the Widow’s door. Bert knocked.

When Widow Bunny opened the door, she was happy to see Burt and his friends. ’Hi Burt,’ said Widow Bunny. ‘What brings you and your friends to my door?’

‘Your carrot stew smells so good,’ Burt answered, ‘may we have a taste?’

“The friendly Widow Bunny liked having company, so she invited them all in. ‘Come and share carrot stew with me,’ she said. Her little house filled with happy, hungry bunnies anxious to fill their tummies with warm tasty carrot stew. ‘My goodness,’ she said. ‘I better get a bigger pot and make more carrot stew, or I might not have enough for everyone.’ She got her purse and hurried off to the general store.

“Widow Bunny hunted for the biggest pot in stock. When she finally found it she bought it. She tried to take it home, but the enormous pot was too heavy. She couldn’t carry it all the way back by herself. Widow Bunny sat down and heaved a great big sigh. ‘How will I ever get this home so I can make enough carrot stew to feed my guests?’

“’I will help you,’ said a familiar voice. ‘I will help you carry this big pot home.’ Widow Bunny turned to see Mr. Skunk.

“Widow Bunny and Mr. Skunk lugged the burdensome pot down the forest trail to the Widow’s house. Widow Bunny was so thankful for Mr. Skunk’s help she said, ‘Please bring your family to my house for carrot stew.’

“Mr. Skunk hurried off to get his family. Soon he returned with Mrs. Skunk and their six little ones. When the Widow invited them in Burt bunny said, ‘What’s that stinky skunk family doing here?’

‘They are going to eat carrot stew with us,’ Widow Bunny replied.

‘I’m not eating with skunks,’ said Burt.

‘Neither are we,’ said the rest of the bunnies and they hurried out the door.

‘Oh dear,’ said Widow Bunny, ‘what shall I do with so much carrot stew? We can’t eat it all.’

‘I’ll take care of it, leave it to me.’ said Mr. Skunk. He rushed into the forest. ‘Who likes carrot stew?’ he hollered.

“Soon Mr. Skunk returned with many of Widow Bunny’s forest friends. Now her house was filled with big fuzzy brown bears, deer, chubby raccoons, crazy squirrels, bunnies, chipmunks, birds, beavers, hedgehogs, and skunks. They ate all the carrot stew. Not one drop of was left.

The guests helped Widow Bunny clean-up. Then they thanked her for sharing her carrot stew and returned to their forest homes.”

Mrs. Rogers looked at her sleeping Susie, gave her a kiss and quietly left the room.

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(My mother told me bedtime stories when I was a little kid, many she made up, some she learned when her mother told her bedtime stories. I imagined listening to mama and wrote this story as if I were a child again, delighting in her bedtime tales. Because of word count limitations I had to leave out many repetitive details and the yawns mother purposely inserted from time to time to encourage me to sleep. This story, however, I made up.)

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