Time for lunch and time for a story. 36. (of 47) Bunny’s bid for freedom Once upon a time, there lived a large, rather fat man called John West-Minster. He owned a little, fluffy rabbit called Bunny. Bunny lived in a rather small cage in John West-Minster’s garden, and although she could see the expanse beyond her little cage, she was never let out to wander freely in the garden. Every day, John West-Minster would open the hutch door and throw in some old lettuce leaves for Bunny. Bunny was a docile animal and she remained faithful to her master. One day John West-Minster came to Bunny’s hutch with his usual offering of old lettuce leaves. Bunny wrinkled up her nose. “I’ve had enough of your rotten old lettuce leaves” she said. “Eh?” stammered John West-Minster, “You can talk, you have a voice, Bunny? I always thought you were a poor, dumb animal!” “Yes, I can talk” replied Bunny, “And what is more, I’ve been quiet long enough.” “B-b-b-ut”, stuttered John West-Minster, “Why now, Bunny? I’ve always given you green and healthy lettuce leaves. Why these are straight from Con Dem’s greengrocers this morning. That nice Mr Osborne was behind the counter and he gave me these leaves for you. Look at the mark – Barnett brand. You can’t aspire to any better quality than that.” “You can stuff your Barnett branded lettuce leaves, John,” replied Bunny, baring her teeth. “You know full well that if you examine those leaves that they really are of the lowest possible quality. There are holes all over them where little caterpillars and other insects have been feasting – long before I get a look in.” “But, Bunny. I love you. I’m concerned about you. I give you a good meal every day. I gave you this lovely hutch to spend your life in. What more could you ask for?” “What more could I ask for?” said Bunny, her lip curling. “For a start you could vary my diet by giving me that juicy carrot that hangs up in Jenkins’s Emporium in the High Street. But you won’t do that – you think I should be grateful for those mouldy old lettuce leaves from those little shops in Union Street. Sometimes you go to the Con Dem’s shop, other time it’s lettuce leaves from old Ma Lamont’s, another time you try to suggest that Davidson and Davidson’s lettuce leaves are the best. Whereas in fact, they’re all the same – lettuce leaves well passed their sell by date and leaving an unpleasant taste in the mouth.” “B-b-b-ut ...” said John West-Minster. “And as for this hutch!” Bunny was in full control of the conversation now. “I get no chance to go anyplace outside of it. It’s not natural, nor healthy, for an active, intelligent rabbit like me to remain cooped up here. And every day too! My cousins, out there in the country are free! Free do you hear?” Bunny was shouting now. “That’s the natural state for bunnies everywhere – not languishing in a small wire hutch subject to the whims of a surly and distinctly ungenerous master.” “But Bunny” said John West-Minster, swallowing hard, “I’ve taken good care to give you food regularly over the years. I’ve cared for you deeply. It was me who built you this hutch. You know full well that you are too small, too fluffy and too insignificant to possibly survive by yourself if you were allowed to gambol with your cousins outside. I want you here so I can control you – I own you remember! You have no right to tell me how to look after rabbits.” “Yes, you’ve cultivated this image of me being soft and cuddly and cute long enough, John” replied Bunny. “And I almost believed it myself too. But I’ve outgrown these things – I’ve learnt new things and I want to better myself! No more sweet, fluffy little Bunny here. I’m going to get that carrot from Jenkins’s Emporium myself – and you’re not going to stop me!” “I have a good mind to thrash you with my Darling stick” roared John West-Minster. “Ungrateful little impudent rabbit. You’re getting ideas above your station.” “Far be it from me to help you, John” replied Bunny defiantly. “But if you do that, all of my cousins will see you in your true light. A cruel, despotic master who is intent upon imposing his will on a small creature like myself. A creature who is only seeking that which is natural for all – freedom from outside malign influences and able to feed itself on the good things in life. I swear to you today, John West-Minster, I will escape this rickety, small and stultifying hutch and win for myself both that delicious carrot and my own freedom!” “Harrumph!” growled John West-Minster. “We shall see! I hold all the trump cards: Biased Brutish Communications, the Campaign for Keeping Rabbits in their Allocated Places (CKRAP), all the mainstream media, the members of the British Association for Saving This Amazing Ruritanian Democracy (BASTARDS) and Bitter Together are all on my side. You have no chance against our combined might Bunny.” Bunny gritted her teeth. She knew that morality, decency and justice were on her side. She knew what she had to do. Liberation would be the antidote to her woes – and she would never have to stomach those meagre, awful lettuce leaves again. Bunny would make her escape plans carefully – she knew that if she were to fail, John West-Minster would reinforce the security on her hutch. It was more than likely that she would not have a better chance to put her aspirations into practice ever again. Bunny was committed to the cause of her personal freedom. Dear readers, will Bunny be able to succeed and obtain that longed for carrot? Or will John West-Minster be able to thwart her bid for freedom and keep her incarcerated in an even more secure hutch – and on fewer lettuce leaves than before? The story concludes in September 2014. ___________ (c) Sion Rees Williams (aka Welsh Admin) 2012-2014 All rights reserved ___________ https://facebook/media/set/?set=a.259514867559112.1073741846.137715503072383&type=1 https://facebook/Parables.For.The.New.Politics
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 10:51:39 +0000