The Golden Egg

AN EASTER STORY FROM RANDOM JACK'S CHILDREN'S HOUR

by Jack Random with Illustrations by Robert Miller

 

 

The Golden Egg

 

All the children were in their Easter Sunday best outfits.  Sally had her pink dress with big yellow polka dots.  George wore his navy blue shorts with a billowy white shirt and suspenders.  Hair was coifed and combed, shoes were shined and faces were cleaned and cleaned again.  They were all primed and ready for the Great Easter Egg Hunt. 

Some said there were over a thousand brightly colored eggs and a thousand more plastic eggs containing candy and prizes to delight the young participants and fill their baskets with glory.  Laughter filled the air as children gathered at the starting line.  Parents looked on from their sheltered perches under the trees and on the porch. 

Mr. Williams was dressed in his Mad Hatter costume from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.  He marched to his starting post, turned to face the children and cleared his voice for his traditional speech: 

Ladies and Gentlemen!  Boys and Girls!  Welcome to the twenty-seventh annual Great Easter Egg Hunt of Dunwitty County!  This year we have the usual variety of colored eggs, candies and prizes to delight every child!  But one special child will have a very special treat indeed!  The child who finds the Golden Egg will be crowned this year’s Easter Egg King or Queen and will be privileged to ride in the Royal Float for the annual Easter Parade!  On your marks, get set…go! 

All the children ran as fast as they could and began to fill their baskets with delights – all that is except Carly who ambled along behind the others.  Carly was a child with special needs.  She had a condition – as her mother put it – that made it difficult to run and jump and dance and hop as the other children did.  But Carly had a gift that the other children did not have.  She believed in magic and because she believed magical things tended to happen. 

Today as she ambled out into the wide-open green lawn behind the other children, she saw a rabbit.  It was not an ordinary rabbit.  That she could clearly see.  It was a special rabbit.  It wore a pink shirt with broad white buttons, gray pants and white gloves.  One ear stood straight up and the other bent to the side.  It smiled a crooked wry smile that made you think it knew a secret that no one else knew.  The funny thing was no one else seemed to see the rabbit. 

Carly ambled right up to the smiling rabbit who bowed and introduced himself. 

“My name is Jack and who may I be informed is the charming young lady to whom I am speaking?” 

“My name is Carly!  Pleased to meet you, Jack!” 

She curtsied and Jack knew at once he had found the girl who would find the Golden Egg.  While all the other children scurried about, picking up eggs of every description and cackling with uncontrolled joy, Jack led Carly straight to a ten-feet tall pedestal.  It was glorious!  Jack pointed to the top and Carly saw it: a shining, brilliant and glowing golden egg!  It filled her with a happiness the likes of which she had never felt before but then it occurred to her that she could not reach the egg and her happiness was replaced with sorrow. 

Jack knew at once what she was thinking.  He smiled, took a few steps back and leaped up to grab the egg and carry it back to the ground where he handed it to Carly.  The joy instantly returned to her face and brightened her spirit.  She thanked Jack three or four times and then she ran to where her parents stood in the shade of a giant oak and held up the Golden Egg. 

Her parents hardly seemed to notice the Golden Egg.  They had just seen their little girl run like all the other children across the lawn of the Great Easter Egg Hunt.  It was a miracle. 

Carly looked back to thank her rabbit friend once more and she saw him bow and wink an instant before he vanished into thin air.  It was a very happy Easter for all – but especially for the little girl who believed in magic. 

 

 HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!