Untitled

"Sweetheart, what did you bury in the garden?"

"Nothing. What? I don't know what you thought you saw, but I wasn't doing anything."

"But I saw you out there. You had a spade. There was a hole. You were digging. You were definitely digging!"

"Oh. Right. Yes, I see what you mean now. I was ... Well, I suppose I'd better tell you. But you can't tell anyone else. Promise. Promise you won't tell anyone."

"You're scaring me now. What on earth have you done?"

"Promise me."

"Okay, okay! I promise! Just tell me what's going on."

"It was a hare."

"A hare??"

"Yes, a hare. From next door."

"Oh .... But why were you burying it? What happened to it?"

"I killed it."

"You .... You did what?"

"You heard. I killed it. It's dead."

"Well obviously, it must be dead, otherwise you wouldn't be burying it. But how did it die?"

"I hit it."

"Oh I see. Did it run out in front of the car? Stupid animal."

"No. I hit it. I. Hit. It. With a spade. On the head."

"Huh? I don't understand. You hit it on the head? With a spade?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to. Why do you think? Because it ate my daffodils. It was sitting there in the flower bed, bold as brass, eating my daffodils."

"So you killed it? That's a bit ... Extreme. Isn't it?"

"Maybe. Yes, I guess so. But it was there eating my flowers and I just got so mad. So now it's dead, buried in the garden, and no one must know, okay?"

"Okay. I guess so. Anyway, I've got a surprise for you. Close your eyes. Here, take my hand, come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"Just out the back. I brought you a present. Well, it's for the kids really. They've been asking me for ages if they could have one, and I didn't think you'd mind. I brought it home earlier and left it in a box on the back step. It's just here. Hang on .... Oh."

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"The box. It's empty. Oh no ...... "

"What was in the box?"

"Snuffles. Their new pet rabbit."