About a month or so ago, we bought the children a couple of rabbits.

Midnight, a purebred Dutch bunny

Flopsy, a dwarf lop

Georgie has been excellent at looking after them. Three times a day, at least, she has been checking their food and water, and giving them fresh grass and cuddles and playtime. We bought a big, strong, secure hutch for them because one of our last rabbits, three years ago, was attacked by a quoll or feral cat (I’ve heard that rats also attack rabbits) and it eventually died from the wounds. It has been such a delight seeing little Midnight and Flopsy hopping about in their cage in the front garden.

Last night it was very windy. So windy that a tree was heard crashing to the ground somewhere in the vicinity of our forest. So windy that Elora exclaimed that she was scared of the monsters, hating the sound of the wind rushing thought the leaves of all the trees so very, very much.

So windy that the lid of the rabbit hutch became unlatched and flew open.

And something happened to poor little Midnight and his mate Flopsy.

When Georgie ran inside this morning to declare that Jac had eaten her rabbits, we were pretty stunned. Then we all agreed that they must have hopped out of the hutch and ran away. Perhaps they were hiding in the blackberries or lavender bushes. We looked around for a short time, but when you live in the middle of nowhere, with acres and acres and acres of nothing but grass, trees and cows, finding a pair of little rabbits is basically impossible.

Georgie left food and water out for her rabbits, in case they got hungry and thirsty and returned home. My heart was breaking for her, but she was being so mature and composed and calm about the whole thing (clearly taking after her father and not me), that it made me ache a little bit more.

I spent the day looking out the window, hoping that the little bunnies would return. It was during one of these hopeful searchings out the window when I saw something that made me certain that Georgie’s first assumption was correct. And in that moment (of despair, shame, anger, frustration and sadness) I decided that Georgie would get a new bunny today.

And so, after talking to a very helpful young lady at the local pet store, Georgie chose to adopt Henry, a New Zealand White.

He is just adorable. Big and friendly and overly passive, he is gorgeous with the children, who huddled around him this evening for quiet pats and cuddles.