Rabbits ran towards all the children who had placed a carrot in their bread. The children joyously gave them cabbage leaves, as the carrots were in the breads. The rabbits will only stay for Bunny day, but the children were still happy to feed them.

Archibald was telling his rabbit how fluffy and nice it was when something kicked him from within its stomach. He carried the rabbit to Theanore and pointed at the rabbit’s stomach.

“There is something inside.” Said Archibald and Theanore released her rabbit to touch the stomach of Archibald’s.

“This bunny is a lady, and she will have babies.” Said Theanore, happily. “Maybe she will stick around if you give her lots of cabbage and tell her plenty of stories.”

Archibald was determined to hold baby rabbits in his hands. He hugged the rabbit to himself and went back to where he left his cabbage and began to feed her as he told her a story about a cat with boots.

Theanore had told him that story. He found it very funny. So funny, he had asked the worker elves to make boots for Rip and Hiss. The murder muffins had run away from him and the boots and so Archibald had not been able to see a cat, or in his case, a murder muffin with boots on.

Would Roberta, his rabbit, be against boots? He hoped not. He gave her another leaf of the cabbage and saw Mary coming towards him with a small rabbit in her hands. Almost a newborn.

“Hi, Mary.” Said Archibald. He handed her a cabbage leaf, and she gave it to the bunny.

“Hi, Archie. Mommy told me that your rabbit will be a mommy.” Said Mary, and Archibald nodded.

“If she doesn’t run away, I will help her raise them.” Said Archibald proudly. Rabbits only needed cabbage, water and warm bedding. He was sure he would be allowed to put hay in father Crassus’ house for Roberta.

“Can I have one as a friend when they are born? This one will run away.” Said Mary, and she gave Archibald her best puppy dog eye look.

“Sure thing, Mary.” Said Archibald. He knew that rabbits had numerous children, and so he knew that Roberta will give him many friends.

“Archie, mommy said there are no more cabbages. She is sharing hers with papa and uncle Cassy. Can I have some of yours?” Asked Mary. Her bunny had eaten the leaf that Archibald had given her and now was trying to get to the cabbage and out of Mary’s hands.

Mary let it down, and it went and began eating a loose-leaf from the cabbage. Mary giggled and sat down next to Archibald.

Meanwhile, Theanore had split her cabbage in three and had placed it down so that the rabbits can help themselves. The three of them, Cassius, Marinus and she, were eating their breads.

Hers was a little burned, but no less tasty than the other two. Cassius’ looked like a small cookie, and he nibbled at it in small bites. He had given half to both Marinus and she, as was the custom. Theanore and Marinus too had shared their breads.

“We should make carrot bread more often, it is tasty.” Said Marinus. Of the three of them, his bread had the best crust and was softest. It was not as good as Archibald and Mary’s, but it was still good.

“Can you two teach me how to knead the dough?” Asked Cassius, ears tinted red from the embarrassment of his cookie sized bread.

“Sure, Cassy.” Said Theanore. Cassius ate the last of his bread, and Theanore gave him some of hers. On Bunny day, you had to only eat the bread you have made, apart from the little shared with your friends.

But Theanore didn’t want Cassius to go hungry today just because he was new to cooking. She remembered her starting days as a cook, when the best she could do was nettle soup.

Her giant hamsters loved the plant, and so did her small hamsters. The goats ate it too. Thinking of the goats, Theanore was reminded that tomorrow was Billy day.

On Billy day, one had to brush a goat a hundred times until its coat shone. Her goats already had shiny coats, but she figured they could do with a couple of thousand more brush strokes.

“Which goat are we going to brush on Billy day?” Asked Theanore, the two boys.

“Meredith requires brushing. She plays in the tickets and always has something in her coat.” Said Marinus. He brushed that goat three times per day, and yet there was still something stuck in her hide moments later.

“What of Judith? She has nice curls.” Said Theanore. Cassius was confused now. He had never celebrated Billy day. Should he do so now? Was he allowed?

“How does one brush a goat?” Asked Cassius. The two looked at him like he had grown a second head.

“I keep forgetting you are a prince and your mother doesn’t like animals.” Said Marinus as he passed some bread to Cassius. “You can watch me brush Meredith tomorrow, and then you can give it a shot. It is very easy.”

“We can even give them a slight haircut.” Said Theanore. She had her first haircut just yesterday because her hair got in her eyes. And her edges had been trimmed too.

“Goats don’t get haircuts.” Said Marinus. He wasn't very knowledgeable about land animals, but he read in his spare time. He had read a book on mammals and goats had been in it. No mention of haircuts was inside.

“I think they get their hooves trimmed.” Said Cassius. Horses did, so why not goats?

“They do, Crassus trims them with a giant iron thing with pincers in it.” Said Marinus. “He trimmed them just last month.”

“So, all they need is a good brushing and milking.” Said Theanore. She loved milking the goats. More so, to drink warm milk and share it with Rip and Hiss.