Treasure Lined Hutch

It was a brisk cool morning nearing the end of winter, and magpie a small Dalmatian bunny sat nibbling on his hay. “ Its not all bad living outside” magpie thought as he watched his human take away his droppings “… They clean, they cook and I get to do whatever I want all day”. Magpie closed his eyes lazily and stretched into his fresh hay as the weak morning sun began to warm him. The day wore on and Magpie stayed in his lazy stance, of sleeping while numbly being aware of his surroundings. His nose twitched as the birds whistled and neighbourhood cats passed by, cars beeped doors opened and closed but still Magpie did not wake from his sleep. Every so often Magpie eyes still closed would pull in a little more hay and nibble as though sleep eating. His stomach rumbled despite his snacks, and the sun which had been heating up as they day wore on slowly began to cool and the light began to darken. “ It must be time soon” magpie thought “ come on where is she…” as though reading the little bunny’s thoughts a girl appeared her light footsteps barely audible, but magpies ears twitched. He opened his eyes a creak and then nose twitching madly shot down the slope of his hutch and jumped through the door. He had caught the sweet scent of his owner ever excited at her presence magpie jumped up at the wire covered door to his enclosure.

“ come on… come on … let me out …let me out” Magpie tried to bite the wire.

The girl appeared at Magpies door and with a small squeak slid the bolt across and pulled the door backwards.

“ Come on then” she said in a high-pitched excited voice.

Magpie jumped out and shot up and down the garden at full speed, looking like nothing more than a white and black blur.

“ Freedom… freedom…freedom” he flounced happily as he made his way back to the girl.

Finally the girl leant down and as Magpie put his excited little paws upon her she stroked his thick smooth four. Magpie closed his eyes and tilted his head, as the girl’s large soothing hand massaged his head and neck. He even allowed her to give him a small chin tickle before he flounced happily and shot off back around the garden. Although Magpie loved his owner he loved be allowed to run around the garden free range even more, but even better than that was when his owner accompanied him.  

The girl paced the garden lagging behind Magpie as he shot here there and everywhere, nibbling weeds and plants as he went. The girl would groan slightly as she pulled up the plants Magpie had dug up and thrown to the floor, as she placed them back into the ground, covering them with the soil Magpie had thrown. Although his owner groaned Magpie didn’t mind, it was too much fun and the fresh flowery treats too tasty, besides that “ Its gives her something to do… ” Magpie thought as he bounced around the garden mud flying from his paws after having dug up a large clump of freshly planted bulbs. The girl groaned knelt and began putting the bulbs back. While the girls back was turned Magpie neared the small pond ran around the edge and sniffed at the green water. This time he simply stretched across and began nibbling the reeds on the edge of the pond.  The girl did not like Magpie so close to the water, but Magpie was always careful, he hated the water, and would only ever so much as lick the surface of a puddle for a cool clean drink. The girl too did not seem to like this especially since he had a small bowl of water in his cage, which was dutifully changed twice a day. Magpie on the other hand preferred the puddles; there was much more flavour and the water usually fresher “ Besides I’m not going all the way back there for a drink… I’ve been in my cage all day…” Magpie thought as he jumped up rehydrated with a dirty look from his owner.

Magpie headed full pelt for the large mound of loose dirt at the bottom of the garden.  Without stopping when he reached the base of the mound he gave a giant leap into the soil. Magpie landed with a soft thump and rolled around in the loose soil, rubbing the grains into his fur. Magpie loved the soil and more than anything (especially if he had been groomed), he liked to role around in the dirt to get that earth smell back onto him. Although Magpie appreciated being looked after, the humans were way too clean for his liking. 

Magpie’s nose suddenly twitched and he jumped up, he had caught the scent of something, something strange. He dashed around the garden sniffing the soil, going this way and that as the smell grew closer, fainter then closer again. Finally having found the spot where the smell was strongest Magpie stuck his paws in. The girl squealed and ran out of the line of fire, for Magpie in his eagerness had flicked the soil away with his back feet showering the girl with earth. The girl stood wiping her face as Magpie, suddenly stopped digging. His nose rubbed against the smooth glossy surface, of a bright red oval stone. For good measure Magpie licked away the dirt making the gem glimmer red in the sunlight. Drawn in by the gems beauty Magpie took a swift glance at the distracted girl, scooped the gem up with a small cool clink against his teeth, and ran.  Having left the door to his enclosure open Magpie darted back into his hutch, up the ramp and into his hay filled bedroom, he dug a small hole in the hay placed them gem inside it and covered it back up.  Magpie darted back up to his owner running around her feet in great big circles, she looked down upon him soil now out of her eyes and they carried on walking.

Later that night when Magpie had been put to bed with a belly full of fresh veg, he uncovered the gem, and simply sat staring at the red glimmer that seemed to shine through the dark.  “There must be more!!” Magpie thought, “It has to have come from somewhere…”

Magpies next step was to sniff about in the garden more thoroughly, particularly at the bottom of the garden where his first find was. Here there and everywhere Magpie found treasure, blue gems, green gems, clear gems, and golden coins. Magpies tactic of sniffing the coins out, and smothering his owners sight with soil as he dug had so far worked, he’d scoop the gems up and once again hide them beneath his hay once the girl was busy wiping the dirt from her face and clothes.  The entire week Magpie had been sniffing out and digging treasure, The problem was that Magpie now had a very overloaded treasure filled part of his hutch, and had not yet come up with a solution to hide his stash from his owner.

Which is why Magpie had waited until the cover of night, and with the help of the rats (who had agreed to chew a Rabbit sized hole the concrete slabs beneath his hutch) Magpie transferred his sparkling stash beneath his hutch, in a small hole, which he had dug out. Magpie admired his stash, in the dim moonlight that shone beneath the hutch. He wasn’t sure why but something was telling him the jewels needed saving.