Giggle’s Holiday Book
By Bobby A. Troutt
Copyright 2014 Bobby A. Troutt
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Table of Contents
Hog Heaven
The Painted Egg Caper
Splitting Hares
Rattles
The House on the Hill
Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall
Gobble, Gobble, Gobble
The Turkey Shoot
Turkey Hash
The Three Brothers
*****
Giggle’s Holiday Book
Hog Heaven
Gently the cold winter breeze roamed the rolling hills of Dry Rock, snaking its way down the banks of the creek. Carefully it worked its way in and out of the roots of the sycamore tree that had been washed out. The giant sycamore guarded the banks of the creek; its towering limbs reached high into the heavens. The creek bottom was the home of many animals, but there were two families that stood out the most. They were Hog the groundhog and Rabbit and his two brothers, Hip Hop and Harey.
Now Rabbit and Hog were neighbors and good friends. In the spring and summer they would play in the creek bottom all day long. In the fall, they helped each other get ready for winter. Wait a minute; you wouldn’t believe what happened on that particular day, as Rabbit stuck his head out of his hole? The brisk breeze of winter shot between his long ears, sending a chill to the bottom of his big long feet.
“Shhh,” he mumbled to himself in a quiver as it drove him back down into his hole. It all began with that brisk cool winter breeze. As the wind whistled down through the mouth of the hole, it quickly swept Rabbit off his feet. It caused him to pull up in a fur ball and roll down the tunnel into his living room. Suddenly, Rabbit came to a sudden stop lying sprawled out on the floor.
“Ayieee,” screamed Harey, “a fur ball.”
“Cool, man,” replied Hip Hop. “What an entrance.”
“Harey,” screamed Rabbit. “You almost scared me silly.”
Rabbit laughed as he picked himself up off the floor.
“Yeah, man,” replied Hip Hop, “like you were a real scared Rabbit. Booooo.” Then he laughed, “Ha, ha, ha, ha.”
Carefully, Rabbit bent and shaped his ears back into shape. “That wind will cut you in two,” said Rabbit as he fluffed his tail.
“I’ll be glad when spring gets here,” replied Harey.
“Me, too,” spoke up Hip Hop. “I want to run, jump, and play in the meadow. Winter has been long and hard this year.”
Rabbit, Hip Hop and Harey were so sick of it they couldn’t wait for spring.
“Yeah, man, this winter thing is so boring and depressing it will drive you nuts. I am so sick of being cooped up in this hole in the ground I could pull out my hair,” said Harey.
“I know what you mean,” replied Rabbit.
“I am burnt out!” screamed Hip Hop.
As the day passed, they became more and more restless. The three of them became so bored and were pushed closer and closer to the edge. In fact, it was so close that the smell of a buttercup could push them over the edge. Day after day, they sat around and lay around. One patted his feet and twiddled his paws. The others tossed and turned and walked back and forth.
“Is there no relief?” cried Hip Hop.
Meanwhile, Hog, who lived across the way, was laid back and enjoying his winter. As a matter of fact, he didn’t want winter to end. He didn’t want to leave his hold because he might see his shadow. Hog was afraid of his shadow.
“Zzzzzzz,” came the snoring out of Hog’s hole. As it eased down the creek, Rabbit heard it.
“Can you believe that?” said Rabbit.
“Believe what?” asked Hip Hop.
“Believe Hog is sound asleep,” replied Rabbit.
“Well, he won’t be asleep too long,” said Harey, “because it’s just a couple of days until February 2nd, Ground Hog Day.”
Quickly, Rabbit ran over to the calendar.
“You’re right, Harey,” replied Rabbit. “If Hog sees his shadow, we’ll have six more weeks of bad weather.”
“Oh, no,” cried Hip Hop. “I couldn’t stand it.”
“I couldn’t either,” cried Harey. “What are we going to do?”
Rabbit stood a moment, patting his foot against the ground. What can we do? he thought. “That’s it!” said Rabbit. “Hog is afraid of his shadow. If we can scare him enough to stay in his hole, he won’t come out and see it.”
“Whoever heard of such a thing? A ground hog that is scared of his shadow,” laughed Hip Hop.
“But how, Rabbit, how are we going to scare him?” asked Harey.
“We’ll use his shadow against him,” replied Rabbit. “Come on, we’ve got things to do.”
Quickly, the three brothers scurried out their hole into the cold, brisk air that drove them into Hog’s hole.
“Shhh, shhh,” hushed Rabbit as they stood around Hog’s bed while he slept.
Quietly, Harey eased over to a candle and lit it. As Hip Hop stepped off to the side, he cast his shadow upon the wall. Then Rabbit slipped down beside Hog’s bed and began to whisper, “Hog, Hog, Hog.”
Hog began to turn this way and that.
“Over here, Hog.”
“Huh?” moaned Hog as he eased up and cracked open his eyes. “What is it?” asked Hog as he looked up at the tall shadow on his bedroom wall. “What do you want, shadow?” asked Hog as he covered his head and peeped out of his bed trembling.
“Well, Hog, it will be Ground Hog’s Day in a couple of days,” whispered Rabbit
“I know,” replied Hog.
“Well, I want you to stay in and don’t leave your hole,” said Rabbit.
“You do,” replied Hog.
“Yes, I do,” said Rabbit, “or I’m going to get you. Boooooo.”
“But what about all those people who are counting on me?” he asked.
“Don’t worry about them. They will be all right,” snickered Rabbit.
“Shadow,” said Hog.
“What’s that, Hog,” replied Rabbit.
“Why does my shadow have long pointed ears and I have short round ones?”
“So I can hear you better. Boooooo,” went Rabbit.
Quickly Hog jumped under the cover and began to shake. Immediately Rabbit stood up beside his bed and began to call Hog’s name.
“Hog, Hog, Hog, where are you?” cried Rabbit.
“Is that you, Rabbit,” answered Hog.
“Why, yes, Hog, it’s me,” he replied.
“Where are you?” asked Rabbit.
“I’m under the cover,” cried Hog.
“Under the cover,” replied Rabbit. “What on earth are you doing under there,” as he pulled the cover off Hog.
“Why, you didn’t see it?” asked Hog.
“See what?” answered Rabbit.
“You didn’t see the scary shadow talking to me,” he replied.
Harey whispered to Hip Hop, “We really played a scary trick on him, didn’t we?”
“Shhh, shhh,” hushed Hip Hop as he licked his paw and doused out the candle.
“Now, now, now, Hog,” laughed Rabbit. “You were probably dreaming and thought you saw a scary shadow.”
“Oh, no,” said Hog. “It was real. It talked to me and booooooed, and it had long ears so it could hear me better.”
“Now, Hog, I think you’re pulling my leg,” replied Rabbit.
“Oh, no,” said Hog. “I
would never do that.”
“Well, Hog, what did the shadow say to you?” asked Harey.
“Well…..how did you know it spoke to me?” questioned Hog.
“You told me,” stuttered Harey.
Suddenly Hip Hop cut in. “Like, man, we thought we heard someone talking in here when we came in.”
“Oh,” sighed Hog. “But did you know, Hip Hop, the shadow called me by my name?”
“Well, Hog, what exactly did this so called shadow say to you?” asked Hip Hop.
“It told me to stay in my hole on Ground Hog’s Day and not come out, or it will get me.”
“Oh, it did,” replied Rabbit.
“Well, Hog, what are you going to do?” asked Harey.
“I guess I’ll stay in,” he said shivering from head to toe. “I don’t want the shadow to get me. You won’t let it get me will you, Rabbit?”
“No way, Hog,” said Rabbit. “Buddy, my brothers and I will protect you.”
Hog dropped his head in his hands.
“Why, what’s wrong now?” asked Harey.
“Like, man, we said we would help you,” said Hip Hop.
“Yes, I know,” he sighed. “But what about all the people who are counting on me to come out of my hole on February 2nd? What are they going to do?”
The three brothers looked at one another. Think quickly, they thought.
Then Rabbit turned and said, “We’ll take care of that too, Hog. Just leave it all to us.”
“You’re the best friends and neighbors I could ever have,” replied Hog as tears watered his eyes. “Will you stay with me ‘til after the February 2nd?” asked Hog.
“Sure, Hog, we’ll stay right here,” winked Rabbit to his brothers.
Time passed and Ground Hog Day was almost here. Rabbit and his brothers waited on pins and needles, afraid at any moment their plan would fall through. Hog was really hurt and bothered about letting everyone down. He thought and thought of what he could do. He was afraid to step out of his hole, afraid of his shadow, and afraid his shadow would get him. But, he couldn’t let the people down.
“Well, I’m going to do it,” cried Hog as he suddenly jumped up.
“Do what?” screamed Rabbit as he hopped up and quickly looked around.
“Tomorrow I’m crawling out of this old hole and facing my responsibility,” he yelled.
“Oh no!” screamed Rabbit.
“We are so close,” cried Harey.
Then all of a sudden Hip Hop ran in. He said, “Hey dudes like what’s happening.”
Rabbit screamed, “Hog is crawling out of the hole tomorrow.”
“That’s cool,” replied Hip Hop. “I just received an anonymous tip that the sun is supposed to shine.”
“Are you crazy, Hip Hop?” screamed Harey. “If the sun shines tomorrow and Hog comes out of his hole, he’ll see his shadow and we’ll have six more weeks of bad weather.”
“Oh, no,” said Hip Hop, “I forgot.”
Quickly, the three huddled-up and put their heads together. After several minutes of discussing the matter, Rabbit screamed, “I’ve got it! Thank God, I’ve got it!”
“Got what?” asked Hog.
“You’ll see,” replied Rabbit.
Finally, the big day came to Dry Rock. As Hog eased his way up out of his hole, he seemed to be brave and bold. But deep down inside, his bones rattled. He was afraid, but he didn’t want to show it. Slowly, he eased his head out, his arms, and then his shoulders. With a quick jerk and twist, he stood up on his hind legs looking across the bottom under the bright sunny sky. Then one, two, three heads popped up out of Hog’s hole. As they squinted and rubbed their eyes, they looked about. Rabbit began to laugh as his two brothers giggled.
“We’ve done it!” cried Harey.
“We sure have,” replied Rabbit. “Those sunglasses we put on Hog will keep him from seeing his shadow and being afraid.”
“And everyone else is happy,” shouted Harey. “No more six weeks of bad weather.”
“What about it, Hog?” cried Hip Hop.
“Cool man, cool,” replied Hog. “I am in Hog heaven, thanks to my friends.”