The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-27
Easter Rabbits


pretty BELIEF that their Easter eggs are
brought to them by rabbits. These
dainty little creatures know all the
children and are perfectly aware which
OF the youngsters deserve tastefully
decorated eggs and which of them
should have eggs which are merely col
ored or. perhaps. entirely plain.
This belief that the rabbits bring the
Easter eggs is as strongly rooted in the
minds of the creole children as are any
of our good old notions concerning
Santa Claus and Christmas stockings.
and that there is good ground for the
simple faith of the little ones will be
proved by the following story:
There were two rabbits. great
friends. who lived in a grove of live
oaks not far from a town. One of these
was a young rabbit. named Lapinita,
and she was very much excited one
morning because the next day would
be Easter. and her companion. Lapin-
gro, had told her that in the early
morning she should carry an Easter
egg to some good child. 1t was yet
many hours before Easter morning. and
the two rabbits had not provided them
selves with an Easter egg, nor had they
decided to what child they should give
IL. Lapinita knew where there was a
hens nest. She had examined the eggs
and she was quite sure the old hen
would give her one. but they were not
very large, and they We're not very
white. M she and Lapingro wanted a
very fine egg indeed.
The two rabbits were still wandering
through the woods. talking earnestly
about the business in hand. when they
saw a beautiful figure approaching
them. At first they thought it was n
woman, but hey soon knew IL was not.
for IL il had been a woman-even the
most quiet and timid Of all gentle ladies
they would have been frightened. But
his charming figure. which moved
gayly under the live oaks. seeming
scarcely to touch the ground as she
TIPPED along, did not brighten them at
all. They sat up on their little launches
with their little f~orefeet pressed
against their little breasts, and with the
tops of their little noses trembling and
wrinkling in expectation.
The figure bounded toward them and
sat down on the ground. "Oh. you dear
little rabbits" she said. How glad l
am TO see you! You are the first friends
/ have met since l came to these woods,
i know you are friends because your
noses wrinkle so a~ffectionately. Do
you know who / ann
mo, we do not" said Lapingro, but
we should be glad for you to tell us
who you are"
Very well, them said she with a
charming smile. Il am a Dryad: one of
those beings who live on oak trees"
I'm these oaks?" asked Lapinita,
WDnueTlUSly.
INC, not in these oaks" said the
Dryad. Il ave never seen any oaks
like these. l am a stranger in this
country, and these trees are not at all
like the oaks of my own land, which is
France. The branches of my oaks are
ever so much higher from the ground;
their leaves are larger, and they have
no long boards hanging from their
limbs"
THAT is moss said Lapingro. 1T
is the goats that nave boards, not the
trees"
Il am glad to have you tell me that
said the Dryand, because / know so
little about this country. This is the
way / happened to come here: l lived
in a tall oak, which was cut down by
some people who were sending the
trunks of trees to foreign lands. Gen
orally, when a tree with a Dryad in 1t
is cut down, she gets out and goes to
some other tree, but / have always
wished so much to see foreign lands
tina i thought it would be fine fun To
stay in my trunk and go wherever the
people took it. And that is the way
/ happen to be here. Everything is SC
beautiful and l am so glad to meet you
two dear little rabbits. Where are you
going? May l go with you? l an
looking for an oak tree to live in. but
don't want to find one yet"
Then Lapingro told the Dryad that
/ they wanted to get an Easter egg &c
Civ to some good child early the mex
morning, but they had not found al
I egg yet which was good enough fol
them. and they did not yet know what
: child they would give 1t to.
: And / am to give IL to the child!
cried Lapinita, the top of her nos
trembling with delightful anticipation
II have never yet given an egg to an,
child. 1t will make me so happy"
/. Tla nrxyad x.a xvarN much lnfaTaCfad
: and when the rabbits told her tina
they were trying to find a very larg'
v and white hens egg, she said she dit
e not think much of such egg for Eas
s ter.
Q "Oh. IL you could see the Easter egg
r that 1 have scent" she exclaimed. :"
remember one that was brought to
q rich little girl who lived near the edg
y of my forest. 1t was big-well, 1t wa
as big as that.' and the Dryad hell
a her hands about a foot apart.
n "Oh, what birds they must be II
Francer' exclaimed Lapinita.
But it was not a real egg" said tn
r Dryad. TT was a make-believe egs
: and 1t opened in the middle. II ha
|, two hinges and hut with a click. In
!, side of it-oh! IL you could have see
what was inside of it! There was
n beautiful doll and all sorts of clothe
for her to wear-even shoes, stockings
and gloves, with a Htlle seaishi
~sacque,"
The two rabbits sat straight up o
their launches, their ~cotton-tails wig
Cling i'm the grass and their noses 5
excited that they could scarcely speal
a What a happy little girl that mus
'f have been," gasped Lapinita.
20 "Of course. we cannot get an & lk
u that" said the Dryad, but we mus
II find a nice. big one and put somethin
~ in il. Have you any goose ggs in TIL
iiee country"
- "Oh, yes" said Lapingro, and
II know a goose who will give me one.
:, Run and get IL. please" said III
!, Dryad. land bring IL here. Then "
- shall see what can be done"
~ But don get n too big for N
!. to carry" said Lapinita. anxiously.
M When Iapingro came back under II