Benny was a sad, conflicted, Leprechaun who constantly moped. Then one day while throwing darts at a picture of the Easter bunny a strange thing happened. The Bunny in the picture started talking and it turned into a computer monitor instead of a picture with thousands of holes in it.
The picture said… Benny … adventure is calling. Adventure is calling. Adventure is calling. Well, do you accept the call to adventure? Benny didn’t know what to do because he had never been on an adventure. His brother Lenny did all of that. The monitor again said do you accept the call to adventure. Benny meant to say uhhhh uhhh which to him meant no way. The gods intervened and the words came out aaaahhh huuhhhhh which as every kid knows means YES, you bet.
The world changed for Benny at that moment. It was like a tornado erupted out of the monitor. The world started spinning and Benny was sucked into a world he’d never believed existed. He spun, whirled, and was sucked right into the monitor.
When things finally settled down Benny opened his eyes and his worst nightmare came true. He was lying flat on his back staring face to face with his mortal enemy, that’s right. He was staring up at the Easter Bunny. Benny was too scared to say a thing. Finally the Bunny said “fine mess you’ve gotten yourself into”. My name is Bob, let’s get going.
Benny was thinking a bunny named Bob? You’d think that’s a little plain for an Easter Bunny. Bob cut his thoughts short by saying there is only one way back for you my friend. You’ve got to run the Gauntlet through the Yellow house. That is assuming that you want to go back.
It turns out that Bob was the threshold guardian and sole purpose during the off season was to help anyone cross between the ordinary world and the world of Easter cheer. It wasn’t an easy trip and very few made it out whole.
Benny said let’s get going, Bob said “before we get going, what’s the deal with throwing darts at the easter bunny?” Benny explained that his brother Lenny inherited all the duties causing mischief before Saint Patricks day and that he was bored and Jealous. Bob looked confused and asked “so?”. It turns out that Benny loved his brother more than anything and couldn’t hate him. So, instead he hated the easter bunny cuz it was the next holiday after St. Patti’s day.
Bob said, “good enough for me let’s go”. And away they went to the gauntlet.
After a 100 of something they finally got to where the gauntlet loomed in the distance, It was a huge yellow house, With Stairs everywhere around it. Some of them had gates that were alarmed. Some of the gates had big green buttons to push and some of them had codes that had to be entered. It was all very confusing and Benny asked Bob what to do. Bob simply said “emfh”… Benny said “what?”… “emfh”. Benny said “what?”. As Bob was walking away he said again “emfh … Every man for himself” And with that he was gone.
Benny started to cry, He didn’t know what to do. Then out of the mist came two kids a dog and A gorgeous queen. Benny found out that they knew the codes, the way, and how to press the big green button, and a secret on how to defeat the keepers of the yellow house. Benny once again was happy, but very frightened of the dog named Bo Belly who for some reason had to wait in the Gazebo while the gauntlet was run.
Down the stairs, through the gates, the code the button and all was within Benny’s grasp. The Queen, the kids, they all helped until something happened. Benny could not pass the final test. The keepers of the yellow house would not let him pass. The secret was unknown. The door could not be passed. The queen left the kids and passed saying “emfh”… what did that mean. Oh yeah every man for himself.
Benny started to cry. He didn’t know what to do. Then out of the mist the head mistress came. Teachers started to scatter for fear that they would be banished to a place far away. The rescue for Benny came from the mistress. Benny said “EMFH” I hate this place., the head mistress explained that it was only the mean parents who had to comply with EMFH. Here the teachers, including herself were bound to help, nurture and love.
The tears were now of Joy, Benny had a chance of going home. He asked the head mistress what to do. She laughed long and loudly. Then slowly she said that the gauntlet could be passed when a loving responsible adult signed him in and with that she was gone.
Where to find a responsible adult? Benny started to think and then the answer came to him. Lenny!!!! Now was the time, this was the season. He was running amuck causing mischief. Changing animals colors, moving lunchboxes and doing the things that only Lenny could do. Then he remembered that Lenny had said he was going to do a really neat trick in Miss Tracy’s class today. With that Benny pressed the button, went through the gate and found Lenny.
Benny told Lenny what was up and that he wanted to return. His brother said he would sign him in and help him get past the keepers of the yellow house under one condition. Benny said sure, anything.
Lenny said that you have to believe Life is good, life is fun, and that more mischief is Moh Bettah (from Lenny’s stint in Hawaii with the Menehunes). And further that the moping had to stop now. With this agreed they ran the gates, the buttons, the codes one final time. Lenny signed Benny in and the keepers of the yellow house looked up groggily from their coffee’s and thought lazily that this must be the troubled foreign exchange student they were expected to take care of. Then the tornado started out of the computer in the corner… it whirled, swirled and sucked. Benny felt his feet come up off the floor, closed his eyes, and flew across the room into the monitor.
A hundred of something passed and once again Benny was on his back, with a dart in his hand. He slowly got up and saw that his picture of the easter bunny Had a note on it. It said hope you had a good trip. Love Bob (the easter bunny).
Benny sat down to a big lunch and felt strangely happy with a real desire to cause some mischief.
His lunch was the best, he always did love rabbit stew.
The end.
