Junie B., First Grader_ Dumb Bunny - Barbara Park [11]
The children laughed some more.
I pretended I didn't care.
“It's fun to fall,” I said real stupid.
Even Herb rolled his eyes at that one.
Lucille's mother helped me up and gave me a basket.
I looked at her very upset.
“Yeah, only how am I supposed to hunt for eggs in these big, giant bunny feet?” I said. “I can't even run in these clumsy things. Plus also, I can't tackle or scuffle.”
The mother looked shocked at me.
“Tackle?” she said. “Scuffle? Oh my, no. This is going to be a polite egg hunt, Junie B. There will be no running, or tackling, or scuffling. We're all going to behave like little ladies and gentlemen.”
Just then, there was a loud commotion behind me.
I turned around.
May was pointing and yelling at Sheldon and Lucille.
“Stop whispering secrets, Lucille!” she shouted. “You're telling Sheldon where the golden egg is! I know you are! I'm telling your daddy! I'm telling your daddy!”
The daddy rushed over there and separated those guys.
“This bickering has got to stop!” he said.
“If you three can't behave yourselves, you won't be hunting for eggs at all.”
I smiled at that comment.
That would be a nice development, I thought.
After he finished scolding them, Lucille's daddy blew a whistle. And he told us to line up at the starting line.
Everyone zoomed past me.
I lifted my feet and stepped real careful.
Then, finally, I got there. And the daddy started telling us the egg-hunt rules.
“Rule number one,” he said. “No running.
“Rule number two: No pushing, pulling, or grabbing.
“Rule number three: No trampling the flowers and plants.
“And finally, rule number four: Do not go anywhere that is roped off.”
He looked up and down the line at us.
“Does everyone understand the rules?” he asked.
I thought for a minute.
Then I raised my hand.
“Also, there is no tackling or scuffling, correct?” I said. “’Cause I have already been informed about that situation.”
The daddy looked odd at me.
“Well, of course there's no tackling or scuffling, Junie B.,” he said. “That goes without saying.”
I thought some more.
Then I pointed at my giant bunny feet.
“Plus there should be no tripping the bunny, right?” I asked. “’Cause the bunny is wearing unfair feet.”
The daddy frowned. “There's no tripping anyone, Junie B.,” he said.
I nodded.
“Yes, but there's especially no tripping the bunny, correct?” I asked again.
The daddy sucked in his cheeks.
“Okay, fine. There's especially no tripping the bunny,” he said. “Now, may I continue?”
I smiled.
The daddy continued.
“The hunt will begin when I count to three,” he said. “You will have thirty minutes to hunt for the eggs. When I blow my whistle, you will all stop hunting immediately. And you will bring your baskets back to the table.”
Roger raised his hand.
“What's the prize for finding the most eggs?” he asked.
Lucille's mother smiled.
Then she held up a big wad of flowers.
“The person who has the most eggs will receive this beautiful bouquet for his or her mother,” she said. “They're irises from our flower garden. I picked them myself. Aren't they lovely?”
Roger looked at the irises.
“I think my mother would rather have a set of Power Rangers,” he said.
Lucille's mother made squinty eyes at him.
That meant no Power Rangers, I believe.
Just then, the daddy blew his whistle.
“Okay! Is everyone ready to start?” he hollered.
“READY!” we hollered back. “READY, READY, READY!”
And so the daddy raised his hand in the air.
And—
“ONE … TWO … THREE!”
The egg hunt was started!
The children ran!
They ran everywhere, I tell you!
They ran to and fro! And up and down! And back and forth! And here and there!
Also, Roger ran sideways.
And Lennie ran in a circle.
I watched them very fascinated.
Some of the children were tackling and scuffling.
Sheldon went through a shrub.
That's when Lucille's daddy blew his whistle again.
TWEET! TWEET! TWEET!
“Everyone come back here right now!” he shouted real mad.
Everyone came back.
Sheldon had a stick in his ear.
He sputtered and stuttered and pointed at May.
“She pushed me! She pushed me! May