Nanci was momentarily too stunned to speak. She had assumed whatever owned the formerly menacing large and evil looking footprints had stolen the Snowbunny...not been trying to retrieve it. She wondered for a moment if she was being fooled. But she could see the genuine pain in Harry's eyes (and feet), and knew she wasn't being jilted.
"Harry," she said, decisively. "How did you meet Gerald?"
Harry gazed pensively into the distance. "Well, I met my dear Snowbunny by pure chance. I was wandering around innocently before I stumbled upon my Bloaty Feet," he shrugged. "I came upon a barn. In front of the barn was the fluffiest, cutest Snowbunny I'd ever seen. I thought we were just meant to be friends," he said, sniffling.
Nanci was touched by the Darigan Lupe's emotion. Dori sniffled sympathetically.
"So, I took Gerald by the scruff, determined to bring him back home with me to the Darigan Citadel to be FRIENDS FOREVER!" Harry shrieked. "But soon after we began our trek back home, my feet began to throb in a manner all too familiar. Bloaty Feet, again!" Harry sighed. "I put down Gerald for just a moment to nurse my feet." Harry sighed again. "But as soon as I looked up from between my somewhat menacing and quite achy claws, Gerald was far in the distance, hopping lithely away..."
"Did you see where he was headed?" Nanci asked hopefully.
"Straight toward Meri Acres Farm," Harry said. "I wanted to stop home to the Citadel first to get my Magic Smelly Socks before heading back to find Gerald. I couldn't fathom trying to find him among the rows of crops with my feet feeling like this!"
Nanci nodded. "Get those socks, Harry," she said. "Then, we're off to Meri Acres!"
***
Amidst the earthy rank of the rows and rows of crops, the task of finding Gerald seemed nearly impossible. That is, until they heard the sound of a very vigorous nibbling not two rows away.
Nanci, Dori, and Harry (a bit disgruntled, his socks were wet) worked their way through the foliage toward the sound. They came upon the coveted Snowbunny, nibbling voraciously upon whatever was left of a Mortogberry. Beside him, stroking the Snowbunny's soft fur, was a young yellow Wocky wearing a potato sack.
"Aye, Arthur," he said softly to the Snowbunny. "Don't ye scare me again like that, or ye won't be getting any more Mortogberries."
Harry and Nanci glanced at each other. Dori flittered her little wings, plucked a Loveberry, and began to nibble it.
Nanci produced her favourite sack, formerly home to the sandwiches that had so helped her in her previous dilemma with the Batterflies.
"Well, it isn't too late for a picnic yet," she said, beaming. "Let's harvest some berries!"
Nanci, Harry, and Dori scoured the fields and reaped an excellent harvest, which made an even more excellent picnic.
The End,
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