The Easter bunny comes to Warburg
Do you know where the Easter bunny has his home? On the Desenberg in Warburg. And this is how it came about: The little bunny Maxi came from a large family of Easter bunnies. Like his parents, he was determined to become an Easter bunny. Together with his older siblings, he therefore diligently attended the Easter bunny school. He was top of the class when it came to painting Easter eggs and he always came up with the best hiding places for Easter eggs. Nevertheless, one afternoon he sat at home all sad and let his long bunny ears droop. “Maxi, what’s wrong with you?” his father asked him. “I don’t dare hop through the forest and across the meadows all by myself,” Maxi sobbed. “What if I get lost or the fox steals my eggs? Then I won’t be able to put anything in the children’s nests and everyone will be terribly disappointed in me!” Maxi’s nose trembled and his ears sank even lower over his little shoulders: “I’ll never pass the big Easter bunny test like this.” But Maxi’s father was an old hand in the Easter business and knew what to do. “Don’t worry, Maxi,” he cheered his son up. “I’ve got an idea. Go to Warburg! The people there love Easter and you can always ask for help. That way, you’ll be perfectly prepared for your Easter bunny exam.”
Maxi had already heard about Warburg with its large egg paint factory. The adult Easter bunnies met there every year and always came back with the most beautiful colors. He immediately felt much braver, perked up his ears and shouted: “That’s a great idea, Dad. I’ll quickly pack my pannier!” Maxi carefully placed all the painted eggs in the basket. Then he quickly waved to his parents, strapped the basket to his back and hopped off.
When he arrived in Warburg, he immediately looked for a few nice hiding places for the colorful eggs. Suddenly he heard children’s voices nearby. Oh no – the nests were supposed to be a surprise for the children! Under no circumstances should they discover Maxi! He frantically looked around for a loophole. Like all rabbits, Maxi could hear very well with his long spoons – that’s what they call rabbit ears. However, he was a little short-sighted. And so, in his haste, he stumbled over a stone. Maxi fell down. All the colorful Easter eggs tumbled out of his basket and broke. Now Maxi was sitting on the street, surrounded by broken eggshells and big tears were rolling down his little bunny’s face.
And so it was that Maxi the rabbit, Sophie and Theo went to the egg dye factory with Emma the hen and lots of fresh eggs. When the humans found out about Maxi’s misfortune, they all lent a hand. Together they boiled, dyed and painted the eggs. Even Emma the hen wielded the paintbrush with her beak. Little by little, the baskets filled up with beautiful eggs in many bright colors and some even shone golden. By the evening, Maxi was able to hop off and distribute his Easter eggs. Of course, he found some great hiding places again. He was the best in class at that.
And now guess whether he passed his big Easter bunny exam anyway? Of course he did – even with an A!
The little Easter bunny then decided to stay with his new friends in Warburg. Since then, he has lived in a cozy rabbit hole on the Desenberg under the large castle ruins. Here he paints his Easter eggs and sets off to put colorful eggs in all the children’s Easter nests. Sophie and Theo visit him regularly, of course, and have lots of fun together and always have lots of questions, which Maxi patiently answers.
Theo and Sophie have arranged to meet Maxi the Easter bunny. They want to find out more about his job. They meet their friend on the Desenberg and look for a sunny spot in the meadow. The Easter Bunny is happy to have a little break, because he always has a lot to do before Easter.
Maxi, how do you actually become an Easter bunny?
This has a long tradition in my family. My father was an Easter bunny, as was my grandfather and my great-grandfather, probably even my great-great-grandfather. To become an Easter bunny, I had to learn a lot and take the big Easter bunny test.
Psssst – in the past, chickens really did bring the eggs. But at some point the stress was too much for them and they specialized in laying eggs. But don’t tell the cheeky hen Emma!
Emma: Well, it wouldn’t be too much for me! Although I lay an egg every day – I don’t even take a break on Sundays.
Even the fox did my job for a short time in some regions of Westphalia. Unfortunately, there weren’t that many eggs left for the children and he was made redundant. The stork and cuckoo also applied, but the birds weren’t as talented at transporting eggs. In the end, the rabbit was left to distribute the Easter eggs to all the children. And let’s be honest, hardly anyone remembers the others.
How can you actually paint so many eggs before Easter?
I’m not doing this alone. I’m supported by lots of fellow bunnies at work and the people at the egg dye factory. Many children and their parents also help me when they dye and paint Easter eggs. So I always have enough colorful eggs for all the nests!
Where do you get the great colors for the Easter eggs?
There is a real egg dye factory here in Warburg. They have every color you can imagine. Very colorful, bright or glittery colors, some with gold and silver and even great things to decorate.
Colorful, of course! I can’t decide because I like all the colors so much. That’s why I always put eggs in lots of different colors in the nests.
Can we watch you at work?
Oh, unfortunately that’s not possible. We Easter bunnies give our word of honor that we won’t let anyone watch. After all, we want to surprise all the children on Easter Sunday! But I can show you some beautiful colors and ideas for your Easter eggs.
We have a pannier for that. It’s a basket that you carry on your back. My pannier was given to me by my father. I’ve been carrying the Easter eggs to the nests in it ever since. A big basket full of eggs is of course quite heavy. I had to work out quite a lot to carry it.
Emma: I could even bring the eggs by airmail!
How do you find all the nests? Do you have a GPS?
Nonsense, that’s not what an Easter bunny needs. I sometimes hop around in a zig-zag, but that’s just to distract the cheeky hen. Like all Easter bunnies, I have a nose for it and find every child who is looking forward to seeing me.
How did you actually know that we were on vacation at Easter and how could you find us there?
As I said, the Easter bunny has a nose for that … Yes, well, and sometimes I also get a tip from the parents.
What will you do when Easter is over?
Then I meet up with my helpers in the egg paint factory. We come up with new colors and try out new patterns. That’s always great fun. Then I go on vacation to the Baltic Sea.
Do colorful eggs only exist at Easter?
The real Easter eggs are of course only available at Easter. Incidentally, egg dyeing has its origins in the Middle Ages. Have you ever heard of Lent? During Lent, people were not allowed to eat eggs. To prevent the eggs from going bad, they boiled them and dyed them red. That way, they could distinguish the eggs from the fresh ones after Lent.
Today, many people don’t just like colored eggs at Easter, so they are actually available all year round. But they are colored eggs and not Easter eggs, which is important to me.
Of course, cheeky Emma is my friend. Without all the eggs she and her friends lay, I wouldn’t be able to fill all the nests. It’s only at Easter time that we sometimes have arguments. She would love to work as an Easter bunny – but that’s just not possible. We can’t swap either: I don’t lay eggs!
Emma: Yes, Maxi the Easter Bunny and I make a great team!
If other children want to ask you something, can they write to you?
Oh, yes, I love getting mail – I always take the time to read and reply! The children can write to me, draw or even send me an e-mail. After all, I am a modern Easter bunny. I’ll also give you my e-mail address. Maybe I’ll get some mail very soon – I’m already looking forward to it! Dear children, why don’t you try it out and write to: osterhase@brauns-heitmann.de
