KIRBY RESTORED TO DOG FORM

Without any prompting at all from the slumbering Storyteller, Kirby reverted from his Easter Bunny magical form back into his canine attire. He stretched his front legs out. "Is all the Bunny done, now?" asked Naomi.

MY NOSE IS OUT OF THE-A JOINT, TOO!

"But I can fix-a my nose, just by filling out the-a tax forms again! I write in all the-a numbers that come-a into my wooden head, and Ecco! A bella tax-a return! Why we only have the-a Big Tax Day just once a year?"

RUFFLING FEATHERS AND FAUX FUR

The Big Bunny jumped on the article and nibbled through it: Where is the outrage that the Easter Puppy story is not yet done?

He was not the only puppet with his nose out of joint.

ALL THE PUPPET NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT

Kirby, also known as the Easter Puppy, if you recall, was excited to see the Los Angeles Times reporting on important puppet news, and called his colleagues to discuss the article.

A HUG IN TIME

"Yes, that gives us the strength to go on," they agreed, and started their return to the story of the Easter Puppy, as told by the Yoga Master, and figure a way to awaken him and the storyteller.
While they slept, the newspaper carried a story about them:

REMEMBERING A NIGHTMARE

"I might envy The Storyteller, still asleep," said The Boss. "Some nightmares are very hard to take."

"Yes, said the other Boss. "It's a very good day to hug your monkeys and let them hug you back."

IT'S A NIGHTMARE

"Picture the unthinkable, and that's what it's like for me to do something myself."

"That's a catchy phrase," said the Other Boss. "I may have to use it next time I have to do something."

"Like awaken the storyteller?"

WHAT HAPPENS THEN?

"Oh, I have all kinds of nightmares when I have to do something myself," I told my psychiatrist. "I even coined a phrase for any time I had to do something on my own:

ON DEEPER ANALYSIS

"I told him that seeing as I was the alpha, I was used to other monkeys grooming me. I didn't have to do much.
It seemed like a good system--at least until I did have to do something myself."

HE ASKED ME TO TALK ABOUT MY DREAMS

"So I told him my dreams centered primarily on a banana, very ripe and delicious."

"And his reaction?"

"He mostly asked about my relationships with other monkeys."

AND THEN AGAIN, MAYBE THEY WON'T

"It's like I was saying to my psychiatrist the other day, sometimes I feel I am a prisoner of my own inaction."


"What did he say?"

MAYBE THEY'LL WAKE UP ON THEIR OWN?

---asked the other Boss, who had become a Big Boss by dint of just such wishful leadership. "Let's give that a chance to work!"

I THINK YOU SHOULD GO FIRST--

---said the other Boss.

"I went first for the Yoga Instruction.

"That's why you should continue to lead the way."

"I can't hear you, can you speak up?"

SPRINGING INTO ACTION

"You go first," said the one whose ears had been chewed off.

I SUPPOSE WE COULD GIVE THEM A HAND

"Shame about those two, said one of the Bosses.

"Who would have slipped them such powerful Mickeys?" asked the other." They did no wrong."

"I don't get it, either, but I think we should spring into action."

THERE'S THE PROBLEM

Help! Our storyteller and the yoga instructor have been cast into a deep slumber by some mysterious force! Who or what can awaken them so that the Easter Puppy story can finally be put to bed?

HAPPY EASTER!

From my Easter puppy, my Pookie and the Big Bunny himself!

IT'S THE HAPPIEST TIME OF THE YEAR

That would be according to Pinocchio, who is busy filling out forms to beat the midnight deadline.

"You leave-a everything-a to me, I take-a good care of the tax-a forms."

Are you entering everything correctly?

"I love-a the tax day, and that's no lie! You can go back to your little-a Easter story now"

THE STORY LINE 169

' "I shall ask the Magic Egg to transport you back to the place you need to go next," Naomi said.

THE STORY LINE 168

' "Quite sure--anyway the magic from the egg will wear off."

"Is there any way to get an extension?"

Naomi laughed. "We can always try for next Easter."

THE STORY LINE 167

' "As soon as we're back to the Box, you go back to being a puppy."

"I do? Are you sure you won't need me as a bunny?"

THE STORY LINE 166

' "All delivered, all happy!"

"Great jobs, thanks to everyone, let's line up and and head back to the box," said Kirby.

"Oh, and by the way--" Naomi whispered to Kirby.

"Yes?"

THE STORY LINE 165

' "Calling all Eggs!" Kirby commanded. "Please report in!"

The Accordion Egg rolled right in. "Brrrr!" Man, it was cold down there. Not too many baskets, luckily."

"Glad to see you back," said Kirby.

Naomi smiled approval. "How did the rest of you make out?"

THE STORY LINE 164

' "Very good," said Naomi. "Now let's call in all the eggs and make sure we've taken care of every basket."

THE STORY LINE 163

' "Just as I'm holding you, just as you gave me magic, to separate friends would only be tragic."

THE STORY LINE 162

' Weak and strong, Kirby thought. Do natural disasters separate them? Seemed logical, but what was wrong?

Then he knew.

"No, he said, firmly. They bring both together."

THE STORY LINE 161

' "Will you two stop quibbling and get on with it?" Naomi said, impatiently.

"I hate to quibble," said Kirby, "but I don't think we were really quibbling as much as we were trying to explore the scope of the question."

"Let's just assume for now that disasters work on all levels," Naomi said.

THE STORY LINE 160

' "What has your experience been?" Tamaki asked back, preferring to answer a question with a question.

"Hm!" Kirby thought, recalling that most of his own disasters were personal, a result of being too trusting in the wrong puppets. "Can a personality be considered a natural disaster?" he asked, again answering with a question.

THE STORY LINE 159

' "It's natural," said Tamaki.

"But disasters are natural, too," Naomi reminded.

"Some say natural disasters separate the weak from the strong," said Tamaki.

"Are they right?" Kirby asked.

THE STORY LINE 158

' "Maybe I was wrong to think just of myself when so many people have trouble," said Kirby.

THE STORY LINE 157

' "--It's drifting winds carrying Japanese plume."

"That was not the rhyme I was hoping for," Kirby said.

"It's the rhyme you're getting," said Tamaki.

THE STORY LINE 156

' There was a great rumbling and cracking and then loud explosions and flashes of light. "Help us!" called Naomi and Tamaki. Kirby bounded across continents to snatch them up and hold them safely in his paws. "I have the rest of that rhyme for you," said Tamaki.

"What is it?" Kirby asked.

THE STORY LINE 155

' It's not just the eggs and the candy and treats, it's not just the marshmallow, chocolate and sweets--it's daffodils knowing it's their time to bloom, and----and----

He reached for the next line, but his thoughts were overtaken by terrible sounds coming from the Earth.

THE STORY LINE 154

'As Kirby roiled in self-doubt about his own motives and character, his thoughts came more and more in bits of doggerel:

THE STORY LINE 153

' Is it possible that I'm no better than those I've criticized? I could be like Spike, which I truly don't like, or the bitter brown bunny--wouldn't that be so funny? It's a matter of timing.

Why I am rhyming?

THE STORY LINE 152

'As Kirby sped around the Globe, he wondered about himself: I am really thinking of leaving that guy at the South Pole because I'm jealous. What kind of bunny or puppy am I?

THE STORY LINE 151

' "You don't mind handling Antarctica by yourself, do you?" Kirby said, not really asking at all. There are not that many children there."

"Huh. The cold weather is not so good for my instrument," said the Accordion Egg.

"That's great, thanks for doing that, I'll pick you up on my way back," said Kirby.

THE STORY LINE 150

' "Hey--is there something going on between you two?" Kirby asked.

"I just make music," said the Accordion Egg.

Naomi giggled.

Kirby looked out over the Atlantic. There was a lot of candy still to deliver. He decided to rise above his feelings.

THE STORY LINE 149

' "He's a musician," said Naomi.

"A musician?! What's that advice that Lucy Van Pelt's Aunt Marion had for her about musicians?" Kirby warned.

"That they are the most wonderful people?" Naomi said, winking at the Accordion Egg.

THE STORY LINE 148

' "Can you tell me who?" Kirby asked.

"Can I tell him, Squeezy?" she asked the Accordion Egg.

"Don't know if that's a good idea right now," he chuckled.

"Maybe when we're done delivering all the Easter goodies," Naomi said.

"OK, OK, " said Kirby, "I can work fast. Not a problem."

He paused over Brazil. "What kind of work does he do?"

THE STORY LINE 147

' "I'm sorry, it's just ever since I became a big bunny, I can't help noticing how cute you are."

"Hey, Kirby, keep in mind you're a puppy, bud, and she may already be dating someone," warned the Accordion Egg, as they distributed Easter candy across the Americas.

"Are you?" Kirby asked.

"Maybe," said Naomi.

THE STORY LINE 146

' "It's one side of the globe," said Naomi.

"What's a globe?" asked Kirby.

"It's like a very large egg, but rounder and soft boiled. There's a molten core in the center, not as tasty as a yolk."

"Gosh, you know so much," said Kirby. "But if they're like an egg already, will they need more eggs? I mean, we could just hang out and get to know each other better."

"Let's just call it the Americas and bring them some candy, shall we?" scolded Naomi.

THE STORY LINE 145

' "She's in charge of chocolate bunnies, of course, and Tamaki will handle the jelly beans. The rest of the eggs will handle anything with marshmallow ."
"Good thinking," said Naomi, snuggling in Kirby's right shoulder. Let's cover the western hemisphere first, shall we?"

"What's a hemisphere?" asked Kirby.

THE STORY LINE 144

' "You got it, Big guy! What's Naomi's job?"

THE STORY LINE 143

' "I'm ready," said Kirby. "Hop on my left shoulder and we'll cover the world in candy. You're in charge of handing me the eggs, OK?"

THE STORY LINE 142

' "Let's Roll!" said the Egg.

THE STORY LINE 141

'"No, you turn back into a puppy," said Naomi.

"Can't I spend my hours as a bunny with you?"

"Some other time, perhaps, but now we have a mission." She called to the Accordion Player Egg: "Squeezy, are you ready?"

THE STORY LINE 140

' "Oh, don't worry, I am so focused--so very focused," said Kirby, staring deeply into Naomi's long and lovely red ears. Why did I not notice them before? he wondered.

"The magic will last only so long," she said. "Like Cinderella and the clock at midnight."

"So next I turn into a pumpkin?"

THE STORY LINE 139

'Kirby chewed on this information and on his carrot for a moment. Feelings of determination and new-found strength pulsed through his spine, plus a new appreciation of the comeliness of Naomi and the other girl bunnies.

"What are you doing the day after Easter?" he asked Naomi.

"Stay focused," she warned.

OSCAR PREDICTIONS

Oh, excuse me, hold on, we have a special guest appearance from a celebrity puppet who has inside-the-can information on who will win Oscars tonight. Please go ahead, Mister Oscar:

"Sure, OK, for best garbage, the winner will be "Black Swan!"

You're kidding, right? A lot of people loved that movie. And Natalie Portman, look at the great job she did, don't trash her performance.

"Do not talk to me about trash, she is not trash, but she can never compare to the incomparable Miss Piggy in Swine Lake. Now, scram!"