The Easter Egg Hunt

By Carol Bennett

All the cousins were gathered on Grandpa’s back porch. Chad looked about eagerly, waiting for the signal to start the annual Easter Egg Hunt. It was fun to see Tina, who had been very sick and was now much better. Last year she could hardly even walk and had just watched the Easter Egg Hunt.

“I hope I win the gift certificate this year,” she said to Chad, excitedly. “I can run fast and keep up with everyone now. I saw a wonderful yellow stuffed bunny that I want.”

Chad knew that Tina’s parents couldn’t afford stuffed animals. They had lots of medical bills to pay for.

“There’s a red airplane that I’d buy if I won,” he told Tina.  He wished they could both win.

“Here comes Grandpa! Finally!” another cousin said excitedly.

Chad clutched his red bucket as Grandpa waved the white flag—the signal to start.

Chad’s cousins rushed off, already finding several eggs. But he ran faster. He found a   green egg, then a yellow egg, then a blue polka dotted egg!

He glanced around and was surprised to see that Tina had her purple bucket almost half filled with eggs. She was right. She could run fast this year. She wasn’t sick anymore.

“Come on!” she urged him. “I know a place where Grandpa hides lots of eggs!”  She led him to a grove of pine trees. The yellow sunshine formed speckles on the ground.  The pine needles crackled beneath their feet. Sure enough, they soon found a pink egg and a red egg and a black and white striped egg.

Soon they had their buckets full and started back toward the house.

“I’ve never had this many before,” said Tina, happily. “Oh, I would love to have that yellow bunny.”

The cousins were still scrambling around but seemed to have run out of places to look.

“Watch your bucket,” Chad told Tina, “you know how they sometimes snitch other people’s eggs.”

But before Tina could answer, Grandpa blew his whistle and waved the white flag.

They all gathered at the porch to count their eggs. Chad and Tina had exactly the same number of eggs. So did another cousin.

“Okay,” said Grandpa, “it looks like Chad and Tina and Michael are tied. There’s one more egg out there! Go find it!”

Chad had never been more excited. He’d never been this close to winning. “Come on,” he exclaimed.

But Tina held back. “You still want to go together?”

He paused a moment, then said, “sure, why not? After all, as much as I’d like that red airplane, it’s still all just for fun. Come on!”

Tina smiled happily, “okay.”

“I’ll give you a hint!” shouted Grandpa. “The egg is orange.”

Michael was off hunting under the porch steps but Chad said, “we haven’t looked under the apple tree.”

“That’s right. He almost always hides one there. But it’s a long way.”

By the time they got to the big old tree in the middle of the meadow, Tina was very tired.  Chad remembered that it hadn’t been all that long since she’d been so sick.

“You look, Chad. I’m too tired.” The girl sat down on the ground.

Chad looked all around the old apple tree but found nothing. Finally they started back. They passed some big purple flowers

And they got the idea at the same time. They turned back and looked. There nestled under the leaves was the orange egg. They had seen it at the same time!

Chad and Tina looked at each other, then back at the egg. They both reached for it, then drew back. Chad thought about the red airplane.

Then suddenly, all he really cared about was a yellow bunny for a girl who’d had a very difficult year.

“You take it,” he said quickly.

“Are you sure?” Tina asked.

“Yeah, go ahead.”

But she still didn’t pick it up so Chad took the orange egg and placed it in her bucket. “I mean it. It’s okay.”

“Thanks, Chad.”

On the way back, Chad felt a little sad about the red airplane but every time he looked at Tina’s happy face, he was glad he had done it.

Tina told all about it when they got back to the house and even though she would get her yellow bunny, Grandpa gave Chad a shining blue  ribbon.

“That’s for being kind. You’re a winner with all of us.”

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