A Sheepy and Bunny Are Friends Story
“Sheepy, Sheepy, what are you so upset about?” asked Bunny. “You’ve been running around all morning.”
“Tonight is the New Moon,” said Sheepy. “It’s going to be a very dark tonight, and there’s a storm coming. Can’t you see the clouds on the horizon?”
“Yes Sheepy, it might rain tonight, but we’ll stay warm and dry in the barn,” said Bunny. “Why are you so nervous?”
“Bunny would laugh at his friend Sheepy if I told you.”
“Bunny won’t, Bunny loves his friend Sheepy. If Sheepy is upset, then Bunny wants to help Sheepy feel better.”
“Sheepy is afraid the wollyburlgers might come in the night!”
“Woolyburglars? What are those?” asked Bunny.
“They’re mean creatures that come and steal sweet things from sheep,” said Sheepy.
“Is Sheepy afraid they will steal the honey behind his ear?” Bunny said giggling.
“No, Bunny. Sheepy is really scared.” Sheepy looked at Bunny with tears in his eyes. “My friend Bunny is so sweet. What if the woolyburglars kidnap Bunny and steal him away in the dark.”
Bunny ran to his friend and hugged him tight around the neck and stroked Sheepy’s wooly cheek with his paw. “Nobody is going to steal Bunny from his special friend Sheepy,” he said.
“They might try. Sheepy needs to protect his special friend!”
“Bunny can protect himself.”
“Not from the woolyburglars. They sneak up real quiet and grab candy, or my Bunny, and run away.”
Sheepy’s ears dropped and his and his body shook all over.
Bunny hopped on Sheepy’s back and hugged him tight. Then Bunny patted Sheepy on the head with his long ears and snuggle his nose behind Sheepy’s ear and took a little lick of honey. Sheepy giggled.
“Nobody will steal Bunny away from his Sheepy,” said Bunny.
“Bunny?” asked Sheepy. “My Mommy taught me a special sheep spell to keep bad things like the woolyburglars away. Before she went away to the new farm, she told me if I ever felt scared to make the magic.”
“Does Sheepy want to make the magic to feel better?” asked Bunny.
“Yeah,” said Sheepy, nodding his head. “Will you help me?”
“Bunny will help Sheepy so Sheepy feels less scared.”
“I love my Bunny,” said Sheepy. He did a little sheep dance on his front hooves and dropped a poop out of his rump.
Sheepy explained to Bunny how to make his Mama’s magic to keep the woolyburglars away. He had to find the right plants and flowers and eat some of each, special plants that have magic protective powers. Then he had to run all the way around the sycamore tree and do three spins in front of the barn to make the magic turn on.
“Then I have to drop little balls of poopourri all around the barn, especially at the doors and windows, to keep the woolyburglars from coming inside,” said Sheepy.
“Poopourri? What ‘s that?” asked Bunny.
“It’s poop,” said Sheepy giggling. “That’s what Mama called poop.”
Bunny giggled too. “Poopourri! That’s funny sounding,” he said.
“Sheepy has been running around all morning trying to find the right plants and flowers to make the poopourri, but I have only found a few.
“What plants do you need? Bunny will help you find them.”
“Mama said, blackberries, elderberries, holly and birch leaves were the best to keep us safe,” said Sheepy.
“There’re some blackberries by the garden and some elderberries way down by the meadow fence,” said Bunny.
“I know,” said Sheepy, “but I‘m too scared to go there by myself.”
“Bunny will ride right here on Sheepy’s back and will not let anything hurt my Sheepy,” said Bunny.
Sheepy felt happy with Bunny on his back. He had a lot to do before it got dark. Sheepy let out a big happy bleat and dashed toward the far meadow where the elderberries grew.
Sheepy walked through lots of tall grass to get to the fence. The sheep didn’t like to going to the end of the meadow, because it was so far away from the barn. Bunny directed him to the berries, pointing with his ears. When Sheepy found the berries, they were still green and tasted sour, but Sheepy ate a big mouthful with Bunny standing guard. Sheepy made a puckered face as he chewed and swallowed the berries.
As they made their way back to the meadow, Bunny asked what other plants could Sheepy use to make his magic?
“Mama said that foxglove and honeysuckle were good, oh, and mulberry. She said parsley and snapdragons worked also.”
“There is a mulberry tree behind the barn and some honeysuckle on the side of the farmhouse,” said Bunny.
“Bunny knows all the flowers and berries,” said Sheepy.
“Bunny likes to eat the yummy flowers and berries,” Bunny giggled.
On their way back to the farm, Bunny spotted a snapdragon, and Sheepy nibbled the top off with all the flowers.
“Dragon power,” said Bunny.
Sheepy let out a big happy bleat.
Next they headed down to the farmhouse. Sheepy and Bunny crept up on Housewife’s garden, being careful to stay out of sight, so Sheepy could gobble a mouthful of blackberries. Sheepy ate the berries so fast that they left Sheepy’s lips covered in black juice.
They had to be even more careful as they approached the farmhouse to nibble on the honeysuckle that grew on a trellis on the sunny side. It’s hard to hide a big fluffy sheep with a floppy eared bunny riding on his back as they sneaked behind the tomato stalks. When they got to the honeysuckle, Sheepy chomped on the sweet flute shaped flowers and ate them as fast as he could.
Sheepy wanted to bleat as he ate, but Bunny hushed him to be quiet. When Sheepy finished eating the honeysuckle, Bunny whispered in his ear, “I saw a pot of parsley on the back step. Do you want to try to get it?”
Sheep nodded his head yes.
Sheepy and Bunny both peered around the corner of the house at the same time. They didn’t see Sheepdog anywhere. Bunny cocked his ears just in case. Then Sheepy darted over to the pot of parsley that set on the step leading up to the back stoop and gobbled off the tops of the parsley plants.
Housewife spotted them through the kitchen window. She flung open the door and threw tomatoes at them while screaming bad words. Bunny easily knocked the tomatoes away with his ears. She retreated into her house, slammed the door shut and yelled for her husband.
Sheepy wanted to stop and eat one of the yummy tomatoes. Why let it go to waste? Bunny told him to run before Bad Farmer came.
Bunny patted him on the head with his ears, telling Sheepy, “go go go, run run run.” Sheepy darted toward the meadow.
When Sheepy and Bunny were far away from the farmhouse and out of sight, Sheepy stopped. He stood in the grasses of the meadow and panted.
“That was close Sheepy,” said Bunny.
“Yeah,” said Sheep “sad to waste a yummy tomato.”
“Sheepy, we’re on a quest here. You can’t get side tracked by a tomato,” said Bunny.
Sheepy dropped his ears. Bunny gave him a big hug.
“Do we have enough plants for you to make the poopourri?” asked Bunny.
“There’re still some more we can get,” said Sheepy.
“Which ones?” asked Bunny.
“Humm,” said Sheepy, “there’s mulberry and foxglove, also birch, and holly.”
“There might be holly out in the forest, but it’s poisonous to eat, and we don’t want foxes anywhere near us.” Bunny giggled and winked at Sheepy.
“There’s a mulberry tree behind the barn,” said Sheepy.
“There’s a little grove of birch trees over by the pond,” said Bunny. “We can get them both if we hurry.”
Sheepy trotted over to the mulberry tree and looked up at the branches.
“They’re too high; we can’t reach them,” said Bunny.
“We can ask Mister Squirrel for help,” said Sheepy. “Mister Squirrel, Mister Squirrel,” Sheepy called out, “can you help us?”
“Here I am, Sheepy,” called Mister Squirrel from the tree branches. Sheepy and Bunny followed his chirpy voice until they saw him waving at them from a lower branch. “What does Sheepy need?”
“We need some leaves and berries from the mulberry tree,” called Sheepy. “Can you toss some down to us?”
“Sure thing Sheepy,” said Mister Squirrel. He grabbed a thin branch with lots of leaves and ripening berries with his little hand-like paws and chewed the stem. Then he tosses it down the Sheepy and Bunny.
“Do you think the sky is going to blow up a big storm tonight?” asked Mister Squirrel. “It’s getting breezy up here in the tree branches. I’ll have to hide in my nest tonight.”
“Yes, Mister Squirrel, we’re getting ready for a big storm tonight,” said Bunny.
Sheepy wasn’t paying any attention. He was busy chewing the leaves and berries of the mulberry tree. Sheepy wagged his tail as he munched away, turning the leaves and berries over and over in his mouth as he chewed.
A big gust of wind suddenly blew waves through the leaves of the mulberry tree. The gust also rustled Bunny’s ears and Sheepy’s wool.
“We better hurry Sheepy. The storm is coming,” said Bunny. “Where to now Sheepy?”
Sheepy munched the last of the berries and burped. His ears turned a little red.
“Bunny reached down and patted Sheepy on his belly. “Is Sheepy’s tummy getting full?” said Bunny.
“We got to hurry,” said Sheepy looking around. Dark clouds rolled across the sky. The sun would be setting soon.
“What do we have left?”
“We got to get something from the birch tree. Mama said the birch leaves are among the best,” said Sheepy. “I hope we have enough to keep the Woolyburglars away!”
Sheepy, with Bunny riding on his back, made his way over to the small birch grove by the pond. When they got to the trees, they discovered the branches were also a little too high to reach.
At first Sheepy was a little scared. The wind picked up and whipped the thin green leaves around the white bark of the skinny tree trunks, but they still stayed fastened to the branches.
“I think I can get some,” said Bunny. “Lift your head up as high as you can.”
Sheepy lifted his head and Bunny crawled between Sheepy’s ears holding on to them with his paws. Bunny stretched his own ears as far as he could and hooked a branch with his cocked ears. He pulled it down so he could gnaw the limb with his strong Bunny teeth.
When the limb fell to the ground, Bunny climbed back down Sheepy’s wooly neck and took several licks of honey from behind Sheepy’s ear. The birch branch tasted terrible to Bunny.
Sheep chomped away at the leaves and bark, making a “bleeck” noise and sticking out his tongue.
When Sheepy finished eating the birch leaves, he said to Bunny, “that tasted so bad. I need a drink of water.”
Sheepy drank from the cool clean water from the pond and watched the ducks paddling around. The wind blew waves in the water.
“All these different plants are making Sheepy feel sick,” he told Bunny.
“Don’t throw up Sheepy. You still have to make the poopourri balls.”
“First we have to run around the sycamore tree.”
In the distance, the sycamore tree waved its branches in the wind.
“It’s going to rain soon Sheepy.”
Sheepy trotted out to the meadow with Bunny on his back near the place where Sheepy took his tumble.
“Ok, we have to run all the way around the tree, and then spin around three times in front of the barn,” said Sheepy.
Sheepy pawed the ground and tossed his head like he was getting ready to run a race. Bunny huddled down in Sheepy’s wool and held tight to his neck. The branches of the sycamore tree bent in the gusts of wind. The bees shut themselves inside their hive caring for their Queen and her eggs.
Then Sheepy took off. He dashed in a wide circle around the tree around the base of the hill that it grew from. His hooves dug into the grass; his head thrust forward then back; Bunny patted his head with his long ears. He felt the wind blowing in his face and ruffling his wool. He laid his ears back and kept his eyes open. As Sheepy ran, he felt the tree was circling him, at first it was in front of him and then behind him; on one side, then on the other. He felt the magic awaking in his belly.
When Sheepy got back to where he started, instead of stopping, he dashed toward the barn. In front of the barn door, he spun around three times. He saw the world of the sheep farm whorl around him, like he stood still and the meadow and the barn, the farmhouse and the pond, all showed themselves to him three times. Then Sheepy got dizzy, felt his head spinning around, and his hooves tripped over each other. He fell to the ground panting and blinking his eyes.
“Sheepy, Sheepy, are you all right?” Bunny called, as he stroked Sheepy’s face and kissed and snuggled Sheepy’s cheek.
“Sheepy feels sick,” groaned Sheepy. “Sheepy wants to throw up.”
“Don’t do that! Bunny will rub Sheepy’s belly so he feels better,” said Bunny.
Bunny hopped over to Sheepy’s belly and rubbed it with his paws and ears. Sheepy lay on the ground a while groaning, keeping his eyes closed. Little drops of rain fell.
The other sheep, who were watching Sheepy and Bunny, were perplexed about what they were doing, and came running over bleating in concern.
“Sheepy, Sheepy, are you alright?” bleated one of the ewes as she licked him between the ears. Several baby lambs ran over and started kissing Sheepy on the face and cheeks.
Sheepy bleated he was ok. He could feel the magic growing stronger in his belly. He could feel the poopourri forming in his entrails.
“Sheepy is making poopourri to keep the woolyburglars away,” Bunny told the sheep.
“Sheepy is so brave and caring about us Sheep,” bleated one of the ewes who was a friend of Sheepy’s Mama.
“Tonight will be a dark night,” said one of the elder rams. “A night like this, with a storm coming, is a perfect night for the woolyburglars to come.”
“Mommy, mommy,” said one of the little Lambs, “what are woolyburglars? You’re making me scared.”
“Tonight, we should tell the lambs about to woolyburglars,” said the elder ram, “so they can be safe.”
Bunny continued to massage Sheepy’s belly until Sheepy let out a big sheep fart.
“Sheepy farted,” cried Bunny, “does that mean the poopourri is ready?”
The sky was now completely clouded over, and drops of rain pelted the sheep, blown in the gusts of wind. The sun dipped below the horizon.
Bunny rolled Sheepy upright and the sheep helped Sheepy to his hooves. Sheepy stumbled a little at first.
The rain came down harder. The little sheep flock ducked into the barn and stood looking out the door encouraging Sheepy and Bunny to come inside.
“I still have to drop the poopourri,” Sheepy called back.
“Hurry up or you will get too wet,” called back one of the ewes.
Sheepy trotted to the back of the barn and dropped a few poopourri balls. He tried to carefully space them out and not drop too many in one place. At the side of the barn he dropped some more leaving an extra one under the window. He did the same on the other side. At the front of the barn, he squatted on his hind legs and scattered the last of the poopourri, especially in front of the door.
Then Sheepy was all out.
Sheepy hoped it was enough to keep the woolyburglars away on this dark rainy night.
Sheepy and Bunny were soaked with rain. Sheepy’s wool dripped water, and Bunny’s ears were stuck to this head. They slipped inside the warm barn to dry off from the rain. Sheepy settled in some nice hay and Bunny curled up under Sheepy’s chin and shivered. Sheepy tucked Bunny into the only dry wool left on Sheepy under his neck. The sheep snuggled into the warm hay letting their eyes adjust to the din light. It got dark in the barn. Soon they would tell stories in the night.
Note: This is the original version of the story.
A revised and illustrated edition will replace it soon.
Meadow Whisper:
Journeys do not wander lost.
The Meadow keeps them,
and hush rests in laughter and care.