The Easter Egg | by Jan Brett

Welcome to Brightly Storytime. I'm Miss Linda. Today we're going to read a story about a little bunny who wants to decorate the prettiest egg. It's called The Easter Egg by Jan Brett. Cheer up, cheer up, spring is here. Time to start on my first ever Easter egg, Poppy said. Each year the bunny who decorated the winning egg got to help the Easter rabbit hide the eggs on Easter morning. Hoppy had been dreaming about being that bunny all year long. Now it was time to get started. Everywhere Hoppy looked rabbits were working on dazzling eggs. I need an amazing idea, he thought. Hoppy spotted Flora Bunny planting spring wildflowers in her eggs. The Easter rabbit will love those colorful flowers, he thought, and started picking flowers for his egg. Here's a basket for your flowers, Hoppy, Flora said. Chop, chop, scrape, scrape. Hoppy spied Buster Birch carving a magnificent wooden egg. I wish I had some wood for my egg, he wished out loud. Here you go, Hoppy, Buster Birch said, and he put a smooth round piece of wood in Hoppy's basket. Thank you, Buster, Hoppy said. Hoppy was hopping along when the smell of sweetness led him out of the woods and straight to the chocolate egg that Aunt Sassafras was decorating with creamy frosting squiggles and bows. Hello, Hoppy, she said, and she put some chocolate squares in his basket. Hippity hop, Hoppy exclaimed. I'll make the Easter rabbit a chocolate egg so sweet it will make his whiskers tingle. Then Hoppy saw Granny Irene decorating one of her fabulous story eggs. First, she traced a design on the egg with a special tool. Then she dipped the egg in pots of yellow, green, orange, and red dye, adding to the design each time. Hoppy couldn't believe his eyes. I'll never make an egg that beautiful, he told Granny Irene. She smiled. Try, she said, giving him one of her special tools. Hoppy was hopping by Hans Vanderrabbit's garden when he spotted an extraordinary egg. Hans was painting a so real that he looked alive. Fantastic, Hoppy exclaimed. Thank you, Hoppy, Hans said. Why don't you make a painting on your egg? He gave Hoppy pots of paint and a fine brush. As Hoppy bounced along, a loud boing nearly knocked him off his feet. It was a whirling, twirling mechanical egg. Whoa, Hoppy said. That's an unusual egg. Would you like to make one? Roberto asked. Hoppy tried hard, but the harder he tried, the more parts and pieces piled up around him. Thank you, Roberto, he sighed, but I think I better make the egg that is right for me. Hoppy hopped back to the woods and lay down under a tall tree to think. Making a beautiful egg is harder than I imagined, he thought. I guess I don't have to win. I just want to make an egg I'm proud of. Suddenly, the woods rang with the squawking of birds sounding an alarm. Mother Robin swooped down, calling wildly as if she couldn't decide where to go. An egg had tumbled out of Mother Robin's nest. Inside the perfect blue egg was a baby robin that needed its mother to keep it warm until it hatched. Hoppy knew what he had to do. He sat down carefully and covered the blue egg with his soft, warm fur. I'll take care of you the best I can, he whispered. Relieved, Mother Robin chirped and settled down on her other two eggs. Hoppy never left the robin's egg. If it was sunny and warm, he carefully turned the egg in its nest of moss. If it was rainy and cold, he kept the egg covered and dry. At night, wild animals passed by. Hoppy crouched down and stayed hidden in the ferns. Often, he heard strange noises coming from above, but Hoppy didn't run away. Every day, the rabbits worked on their eggs. Tadpoles turned into frogs, buds swelled into leaves, and Easter came closer and closer. Finally, it was time for the rabbits to take their eggs to the glen. They had forgotten all about Hoppy, who was quietly sitting on the blue egg under the tall tree in the woods. Early the next morning, the rabbits waited for the Easter rabbit. Suddenly, a beautiful wagon rolled toward them out of the mist and stopped. The Easter bunny stepped down from the wagon and admired the decorated eggs one by one. You have brought me the most beautiful eggs in the world, but a very special one is not here, he told them. The rabbits were puzzled. Whose egg could it be? Fill my wagon with your wonderful eggs, he said. When I return, I will show it to you. And he disappeared into the woods. He came back with Hoppy looking scruffy and bedraggled. Hoppy has an amazing egg to be proud of, the Easter rabbit told them. He has kept Mother Robin's egg warm and safe until her baby bird hatched and she could take care of it. The Easter rabbit placed the empty blue shell in the place of honor atop the wagon. Now they were ready to go. The rabbits cheered for the egg that had surprised them all. It's our best Easter ever, Hoppy, they shouted. Then the brave little bunny and the Easter rabbit rode off together to hide the eggs for girls and boys to find on Easter morning. What kind of eggs would you decorate for the Easter bunny? Maybe you can take some inspiration from the eggs in the story. Come back again to read more stories together anytime you like or find more books to read yourself at ReadBrightly.com