Christmas in Fox Hollow

 This story started out as a short blurb about Aravis and Sebastian's Christmas morning, but grew into a hilarious account of the entire day. I hope you enjoy this holiday adventure!

“ITS CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Sebastian came sprinting down the stairway. Despite the fact that he was four years old and a mature adult, he still took great delight in getting up early on Christmas morning.

“You overslept, ‘Bastian.” Aravis cocked an eyebrow at him. She was cooking Christmas breakfast.

“No, I didn’t…WHAT? ITS NINE O CLOCK?!?!?!?

“Unfortunately, yes. And we’d better open presents soon, otherwise breakfast is going to get cold. I thought you’d be up hours ago.” Aravis yawned. She’d stayed up most of the night at Ember’s Christmas Eve party. Then, she’d had to come home and wrap all of the gifts. She picked up her mug of coffee and followed a giddy Sebastian into the living room.

“CAN WE OPEN THEM NOW?!?!?!?!”

“Calm down, Sebastian! I know its Christmas, but that’s no excuse to act like a child!”

“Party pooper.” Sebastian muttered. Aravis shoved him.

“We’re going to read the Christmas story first.” Aravis handed him the family Bible. Sebastian, despite his impatience for gifts, profusely enjoyed this part of Christmas morning. He always read the Christmas story with a flair that drew even the grumpiest rabbit in. It did take him a while though.

Half an hour later…

“YESSSSSSSSSS! PRESENTS!!!!!!!!!” Sebastian cheered.

“Here’s the first one.” Aravis cautiously handed him the first gift. Sebastian pounced on it, shredding the paper. He eagerly peered at the box…

“You got me SOCKS?” He dangled a pair of purple striped socks from one paw, with a disgusted face. Aravis collapsed in giggles.

“It’s a joke, ‘Bastian. Jade says she does it to Digory every year!” She took the socks from Sebastian, and tossed them in the trash. Sebastian rolled his eyes, and then reached for the next present.

15 minutes later…

Sebastian sat in the middle of the living room, surrounded by his gifts. He had received quite a few of them. Among his favorites was a new drone, a gift card for a bungee jumping place, a live goldfish, and a new kayak with flames on it. He had also gotten money from his rich, royal relatives, and some new special occasion crowns. As he examined everything, Aravis daintily unwrapped her presents. Sebastian had bought out the jewelry store, as usual.

“Sebastian, dear, please tell me you left some jewelry for the other customers.”

“Sorry, I bought it all.” Sebastian looked immensely pleased with himself.

“Sebastian, your citizens are not going to be happy if you spend all the taxes they pay on jewelry for me.”

“Don’t worry, Vissy, I didn’t spend all of it.” Aravis shook her head at him and then got up to get breakfast on the table.

Later in the day, Sebastian and Aravis headed over to the church for the community Christmas dinner and program. Things were in a flurry of activity. Rabbit were running everywhere with food, costumes, and gifts.

“VISSY!!!!!!!!” Silly came bounding over. Sebastian saw her coming and ran off in search of Digory and some trouble.

“Hi Silly!”

“Are you ready for the play?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? I’m an ANGEL, remember?!??!?!?!?!????”

“I believe I am ready. How about you?”

“I AM SO READY!!!!!!!!!!”

Meanwhile, Sebastian and Digory had been put on table set up duty, again. Digory was in charge of watching his and Jade’s six kits. At six weeks old, they were absolutely adorable, and very naughty. They were acting as sheep, goats, and baby Jesus in the Christmas play.

“I’m telling you, Sebastian, these kits are evil. Yesterday, when Jade was at the Christmas Eve party, they stole the applesauce out of the fridge and dumped it in corners all over the house!” Digory still looked a little scarred.

“Wow. That sounds bad.” Sebastian was almost speechless, for once.

“Sebastian! Time for rehearsal!” Aravis called through the crowded room. Sebastian and Digory grabbed the kits and headed for the stage.

“There you are! I thought you’d never come!” Aravis said, “Go get your costume on.”

“I still don’t see why I can’t be Herod,” Sebastian, who was playing Joseph, whined, “I would do a way better job than Fritz.”

“Sebastian, we talked about this. You are the king of this rabbitry, and your citizens need to see you as the good guy.” Aravis sternly reminded him. Sebastian rolled his eyes and went off toward the changing rooms mumbling something about Aravis and her ridiculous theories.

10 minutes later…

“Time for a roll call!” Izzy, the director, yelled. “Let’s start off with Aravis!”

“I’m here!” Aravis replied.

“Good! I’m not going to give you any pointers, cause you’ve been playing Mary in this pageant for several years now!” Aravis smiled, and then went back to stuffing one of Jade’s bunnies into a sheep costume.

“Sebastian!”

“I am also here.” He didn’t look happy.

“Ok. Remember your lines, don’t look grumpy, and no making noise backstage. Also, don’t make fun of other rabbits while they’re saying their lines, or I’ll have to get the rolling pin.” Most of the bucks in the audience cowered. Izzy looked pleased.

“Yes, ma’am.” Sebastian hurried off.

After Izzy had confirmed the presence of all her actors, she conducted a quick run through of the play. Sebastian, much to his delight, was allowed to play Joseph AND Herod, when Fritz had a panic attack and threw up all over the stage. After the play rehearsal, Izzy corralled them all into rehearsing the Christmas carols they were going to sing, too.

“Awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay in a maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaangerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…” Sebastian wailed. He was normally an excellent singer, but he couldn’t resist goofing off occasionally.

“SEBASTIAN! WHAT are you DOING?” Izzy was sick and tired of his antics.

“Uh, singing. Ma’am.” Sebastian tried to look repentant, but then Digory snorted, and they both started laughing hysterically.

“Sebastian, you’d better sing nicely, or I’ll take away your new drone!” Aravis threatened. That did the trick.

“Uh, Izzy, I have a question!” Silly waved her paw frantically.

“Yes, dear?”

“Can I wear my glittery angel costume when we’re singing, too?”

“No, Silly. Remember I said we all have to wear the black choir robes?”

“I know. But they’re just so…BORING!”

“Well, maybe next year we can wear sparkly ones.”

“REALLY?!?!?!?! OH. MY. GOODNESS. I’M SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!” Silly squealed. Izzy shook her head and smiled.

The rest of the rehearsal went off with only a few minor problems. Silly tripped and knocked over her music stand, triggering a domino effect that knocked them all down. Then, Digory forgot he was supposed to be watching his kits, and had to run off in search of them. Char and Remi also got into a fight over who would be the backup soloist if Sebastian got kidnapped. By the time Lottie came up and pulled them off each other, their choir robes were shredded, and Aravis had to go dig some old ones out of the storage closet. As a consequence of being buried in the closet, the robes had faded to a brownish gray color. There was no time to dye them, so Digory spray painted them black, which made the entire auditorium smell.

An hour later…

The rabbits had all sat down and enjoyed a lavish feast with their friends and relatives. After it was mostly over, the rabbits involved in the entertainment went backstage to get their costumes on. Izzy went around whispering instructions and giving pep talks, especially to Fritz, who had recovered from his panic attack and was again playing Herod, much to Sebastian’s chagrin. There was a mad search for the baby bunnies at the last minute, and then the curtain went up.

Two hours later…

The play went remarkably well. Everyone behaved, and remembered their lines. Silly even managed to “fly” through the air without injuring herself OR anyone else. Sebastian also succeeded in behaving himself the entire way through the singing. The only incident was when one of the baby bunnies jumped off the stage into a potted plant at the end.

“TIME FOR THE GIFT EXCHANGE!!!!!” Silly was quite possibly more excited than Sebastian.

“PRESENTSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!” Jade’s bunnies made a mad rush at the gift pile.

“THAT’S MINE!” Digory wrestled a ginormous box out of his kit’s grimy paws.

“Alright, everyone, let’s do this in an orderly fashion!” Aravis declared.

“NO WAY!!!!!!!” Sebastian dove into the middle of the pile and began tossing gifts left and right. Aravis gave up all thought of organization, and began helping him.

“YESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!” Bertha hoisted a gigantic cleaver, with paisleys painted all over it, “I’ve ALWAYS wanted one of the these!!!!!!”

“OH MY GOSH THAT IS AMAZING WHERE DID IT COME FROM THAT IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Lottie gazed in astonishment at the giant box containing a bathtub that looked just like a coffee mug.

It was very late that night, when Sebastian and Aravis finally headed home.

“Wasn’t that a lovely night?” Aravis sighed in contentment.

“Nope. I wanted to play Herod. But of course, that Fritz had to go and stop getting sick.” Sebastian was decked out in all the party streamers, while sucking on a sour candy cane, and had obviously had a great time. Aravis rolled her eyes. Only Sebastian.

Merry Christmas!

~Just a Girl on the Homestead