The Mad Dash

I tasted something really wonderful the other day - the taste of freedom! It came upon me quite suddenly - the urge to be a wild bunny and stretch my legs like my undomesticated ancestors hundreds of years ago. And Mom certainly wasn't expecting it.

Mom and Dad were in the back yard bar-b-cuing and Mom brought me out for some fresh air. "Come on Fluffy, it's so nice out!" she said as she carried me out to the grass. The sun was warm and the breeze nice and sweet, filling my twitchy nose with all sorts of wonderful smells - grass, trees, flowers, soil - snnnnnnniiiiiiiiffffff - ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I saw the grass come closer to my big floppy feet as Mom lowered me to the ground. My toes found the grass cool and soft and I dug my nails in as I prepared for my launch. Then BOOM! I was gone like a shot!

"Fluffy! Get back here!" Mom yelled as I took off through the yard. Our townhouse has a long patch of "community lawn" that runs along the back of everyone's yards. It was like a bunny race track and I decided I was going to take full advantage of it! I bounded up and down through the grass like any free bunny would, sprinting straight past a few neighbours yards. "FLUFFY! Stop Fluffy! Come back!"

I stopped ever so briefly to smell tree trunks and flower beds and to turn to see Mom in hot pursuit, but just as she would get close, I'd propel myself full throttle once again. I bounded like a jack rabbit, exercising my legs like I had never done before. I tried to see how fast I could go and much to my amazement, I ran pretty darn fast! Too fast for Mom, that's for sure! "Fluffy!!!!" Her voice was urgent, but I was free! Free to run like a bunny! "Fluffy! Get out of people's yards! You don't live there!"

I reached a point and decided it was time to turn back and there was Mom huffing and puffing her way towards me. She stopped to catch her breath. "Fluffy.....gasp....stop......the running...." I braced myself, my front legs splayed in front of me, my hind legs ready to launch. Mom stood wide-legged, crouching to the ground, trying to figure out which direction I would go. Would I go left? Or right? Who knew? But she stared me down, her hands ready to grab me.

I ran forward and darted to the right, but only for a split second before I dug deep and changed course. Mom lunged at me and I felt her hands brush right by my head as I ran right between her legs! I galloped as fast as my little legs could carry me, the wind blowing my floppy ears up and down, the dapples of sunlight guiding my way over the grassy lay of the land. I ran circles around trees, weaved in and out of patio chair legs, hurdled a sprinkler and danced around flower pots. I was so intoxicated by my freedom, the feel of the turf whizzing by underneath my lightweight frame, the sweet smell of the roses - ahhhhhh roses! Look at these roses! They are beautiful! And they smell so pretty! What is that saying? Take time to stop and smell the....

WHOMP!

Like the blink of an eye, it was over. She caught me. Stupid roses.

"Fluffy McFluffersons! You bad bunny! Running away from Mom like that! Well, Mom sure has learned a lesson!" she scolded me as she carrier me back home. "Awwwww! But Mom, it was so much fun! Please put me back down so I can run!" I pleaded with my big, sad brown eyes. "Fluffy, I've learned that it is too dangerous to let you run around out here. I didn't think you would dash away like that. Mom was worried you would run under the fence and onto the road. And what if someone had a big dog outside that wanted to eat you? What if I couldn't get there in time?" I had never thought of all these things. I was having too much fun. "Mommy would never forgive herself if something like that happened to you. I know you love to run Fluffy, but if you aren't going to stop when I call you, you will never be safe. From this day on, if you are to be outside, you will have to be in an xpen."

I knew my taste of freedom was going to be short-lived. But after I thought about it, I realized Mom was right. I was having too much fun to look out for my own safety and if anything ever happened to me, what would Miss Binks do? Oh, I can't risk that, no sir. Well, I guess it was fun while it lasted. To tell you the truth, my legs were getting a bit sore anyway. So back inside I went to regale my exciting tale of freedom to my darling Binky. As she listened to my story, she licked my ears and I realized something - being free is fun, but being in love is the most wondrous feeling of all!

Fluffy