The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

It was a normal day for the town’s beloved store owner, Jack the Bunny. Jack was an old bunny; he wore rounded glasses on his rounded nose and fluffy sweaters over his rounded belly. He had a long gray beard and a smile that could light up the room.

Early one spring morning, he was opening his shop when he realized it had become a disaster. Items were torn off the shelves, and all had fallen to the floor. With all of the vandalism, funny enough, nothing was missing except in one section – almost all the apple juice had been taken. Jack found this odd but did not think too much of it. He picked up his store and went about his day as normal.

The next morning, as Jack walked into his store, it looked just like yesterday – torn apart. By this time, Jack was upset. Who would be doing this? He walked over to the juice section, and just as the previous morning, all the apple juice had been taken. He decided he needed to do something about this; he was going to catch this thief!

With night approaching, it was time for closing. He gathered his keys and went to lock up. He wanted to watch for any unusual activity, so he hid in the alleyway across the street, the only light peeking from a street light above him. The bunny watched for a while, but the night was as calm as could be. As soon as he thought it was time to just go home, he heard something…Jack hopped closer and peered around the corner, and there he saw “it” – the Racoon Floyd was climbing through the top window of his store.

Jack waited for Floyd to leave, letting him believe that no one had seen him. Floyd thought Jack was just a dumb old bunny he could take advantage of and not get caught. So, Jack went on as normal letting him think that. Jack decided he wasn’t going to make a big scene. In fact, he wasn’t even going to let Floyd know that he saw him. He left his hiding place and let Floyd continue on with his tomfoolery. Little did that not-so-sly racoon know that this was going to be the last night of him getting away with his pranks.

As the sun arose, it was a new day, and Jack was on his way to work. He walked through the door, and just as the other times, the place was a mess, and the apple juice was taken. But he wasn’t upset at all; he was actually the opposite He knew that he was going to do something about it. He walked over to the rodent poisoning and thought, “This is perfect! I’m going to crush this up and put it in the apple juice, and maybe next time Mr. Racoon won’t underestimate me just because I’m old.” That night, he closed up and went home as normal, knowing that Floyd the Racoon was in his store right now, stealing from him.

The next morning, just as he assumed, the store looked as it had the previous mornings. Jack waited all day in his store. It was a quiet day until it happened: Floyd came rushing in, begging for help. “Please, kind sir, Jack, I need your help. I have fallen awfully sick.”

“Oh, really, however do you mean?” Jack asked Floyd.

“Why, I have bought some of your apple juice, and I have started seizing and throwing up. I am afraid I might die!”

Jack knew Floyd’s ways – he was lying and manipulative. But Jack was not going to fall into his trap. “Did you really buy my apple juice? I don’t recall you ever being at my register. I believe you have stolen from me.”

Floyd suddenly looked more panicked than before; he started to stutter his words in a rush to respond. “I..I…fine! Yes, I might have taken some, but I didn’t mean to, I swear it! Please just help me get back to wellness, and it will never happen again!”

”I will not help you, Floyd, for you do not deserve a trace of kindness, but you shall go home and get rest, and you will start feeling better by nightfall. I suggest that while you get rest, you think about your choices. Just because you think you are sly does not mean you can fool me.” Floyd looked sheepishly toward the ground and walked out the front door just like that.