Making Channel Tunnels out of Rabbit Burrows.

*rolls entire head in preparation for this story!*

We’ve had 2 cousins here for a few days (with parents) and before they left today Maddy took them out into the garden to play with the rabbits. The rest of us were inside; Lou and i had been chatting covering, among other things, the extent to which our 2 boy rabbits would cheerfully rip each others heads off. Fiver (easiest to have out as small and obliging about coming back… as a rule) was milling about in the garden with Maddy, Izzy and Millie and all seemed well until there were sudden screams that he had got behind the big rabbits hutch, found a hole and was now on the wrong side of our fence. We back on to the showground so, fortunately, the road is very quiet but unfortunately, the huge expanse of grass on the other side of the big metal fence on the other side of the road probably looks quite appealing to a rabbit.

All the grown ups dashed downstairs and out into the garden, Fran was screaming inconsolably that “my Fiver” had gone, Izzy was shrieking, Maddy was shrieking and Amelie was in hysterics. I, somewhat to my surprise, managed to get over our 6ft fence in one swift movement (no really, i did!) in the hope of grabbing him quickly but was barefoot, which was bloody cold. Max followed me while Joe and Lou tried to console the children and stop Izzy following us (not successfully, she got stuck on the top of the fence and then wouldn’t move). Not sure what else J and L were doing but Izzy was convinced she had seen Fiver head off down the road. Lots of rabbits out there, many tend to have the dreaded Mxy, so my heart was sinking. Maddy was screaming and utterly ignoring my requests to get my shoes for me. Max and i did a fairly despairing hunt on the wrong side of the fence (which is flat on that side, so i had no hope of getting over it to my various hysterical children) and i was still vaguely hoping i’d get my shoes to save me walking all the way back round barefoot. (I did eventually, Maddy launched them into orbit and nearly brained me!)

After a minute or 2 Fiver was then spotted in the garden, which he had presumably never left at all 🙄 Joe must have managed to scoop him up and just as everyone was calming down, he unwittingly chucked him into the wrong run, not realising WHY we have 2 runs (see head ripping bit above) and then got stuck balanced half on the run and half on the fence trying to rescue Izzy. MORE hysterical screaming from the kids as Smartie and Fiver immediately start to try and rip each others heads off, with Joe looking bemused and confused, Lou yelling at him to get in and stop them and me and Max still on the wrong side of the fence.

Fortunately no harm done in the end (no mean feat as they sounded to be really going for it and Fiver has been fairly hurt by Smartie before), though all the kids needed counselling and both the girl rabbits looked like they were going to march their respective husbands inside for a good telling off!!

*Chuckle*