The secret of the bunny drawing
Intrigued I looked at the picture at the end of my favorite book, called Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Donk had read to George and me, and while he already was on the last page, I couldn't stop looking at the picture. The drawing was about a rabbit sitting in front of a rose bush starring into a trap. Now while it would perfectly fit in the book to its context, it was never mentioned that Alice tried to capture the white rabbit with a trap. It also looked very different to the other pictures before it. I had listened to the story carefully, and there was no mentioning of capturing the white rabbit. With my mind full of questioned I stirred up from the book while meeting donks sensitive blue eyes.
"Donk? Why is the white rabbit sitting in front of a trap?", I just exclaimed right ahead. "Yes, donk, why haven't you read us that part?", George now also hopped in sounding disappointed. Donk was first full of his usually questioning expression, the one who told me apparently he didn't know himself. Grown-up were always pretending they knew everything if in truth most of the times we had to tell them what it's all about.
He laughed after a moment and pulled me on his lap, while George took the book from our grandfather to study the picture more intensive. "Now, I can't answer you how the drawing come to be in the book, but I can assure you both that it isn't part of the actual story and I haven't skipped a chapter either.", he continued as George, and I still stared at him skeptically.
"The bunny looks like the one's uncle Tom draws for us when we play!", George said while he looked even closer at the drawing. He was right; it looked really like the one's daddy draw. Donk started to chuckle and put me to the floor on my feet in front of the sofa. "That isn't possible George! That book is in our family now since 22 years, and the picture was already in it as we got it. That was long before Uncle Tom came to Downton! I may just guess that since it was the first edition of the original print, it was edited out!", Donk corrected us and met our questioning faces again. "May you draw us a bunny please, donk?", I asked now believing that might every grown up can sketch a rabbit like daddy. If I had tried it in the past, it never looked as good, and daddy then just only told me that I would get better in it when he noticed how upset I was. There must be an explanation to it. Maybe there was a secret club of how to draw a proper bunny; then donk must simply know! He looked at me first disapproving, so I gave George a quick unnoticed push to his leg to sign him to help me in the matter. "Yes, donk please draw us a bunny!", George quickly picked up on my meaning. We played this game now for a while, and the grown ups still weren't able to figure it out. George and I are now training Marigold in it, but she still was new and didn't know yet when support for the team was needed. "Very well, I at least can try, but I have to warn you two, I was never a great artist!", Donk gave in with a gentle smile, stood up and walked over to his desk in the library. He opened one of his drawers and pulled a piece of paper and a pen out. George and I waited patiently, and a few minutes later, after sketching a little on the small paper, he returned to us to the sofa. With swelled chest, he showed it to us.
While the bunny had a friendly smile with overly large teeth, it looked kind of hideous with unfitting legs. I had to admit it looked amusing and made George and me fall out into hysterical giggles while George took the picture from Donk. Nevertheless, it didn't appear to look anything close to the rabbit in the book or daddies, so either way, donk wasn't part of the club and didn't know, or the person who drew the picture and daddy just sketched the same way. Suddenly the door to the library swung open, and Granny and Aunt Mary stepped in. George and I were still giggling over donks drawing. "Well look who has at least a great afternoon. What are the giggles about?", Aunt Mary asked with a generous smile. "Donk draw a funny picture!", George answered his mother while jumping up from the sofa and showing it up to her. Aunt Mary and Granny started laughing now too. "Now Donk has a lot to improve!", aunt Mary spook in laughter making Donk regret his decision to draw the bunny in the first place. "Well it's been a while since I practice my skills in art!", donk replied in a hurt tone. "I think it looks enjoyable. Well done my darling!", Granny told him and made his expression change into a happy smile again. I crawled back on the sofa and pulled the red book with the lovely golden frames on my lap. Granny joined me and sat right next to me. "I haven't seen this book in years. It was your mothers favorite.", Her voice sounded in a strange mix of sadness and happiness. It made me instantly wonder if it was possible to be both at the same time, but then they all seem to sound like that if they talked about my mother. "It is my favorite too!", I expressed kind of happy to have something in common with her I could relate. Sometimes it was difficult for me to hear stories about my mother. I don't know her at all, she is just a memory to the adults, and it makes me sad that I haven't any of my own from her.
"I remember how happy she was as she brought it home one day after a visit to London. She was almost your age back then, just two years older I believe." I observed her face; she was so beautiful with that gentle magnificent smile on her lips while she was lost in her memory. "Do you know who draw the rabbit at the end of the book then?", I asked her while showing her the picture. "Yes, I believe she told me. She was so excited as she came back with her governess from London. Sybil had there a doctors appointment at the time, and she had met this boy in the waiting room. It had belonged to him, and as he noticed how bored Sybil was he gave the book to her!", Granny told me. "That boy draw the bunny, then?", I continued questioning her.
"I don't remember that part with the boy!", Donk now pushed in while he was eavesdropping. "Of course you don't! She had told it to me as a secret, and by the way, if I remember correctly. You were so busy adoring it for being a first edition print that you wasn't exactly listening to a word Sybil had said," Granny explained to donk, and he was starting to make his pouty funny face again. "I was paying attention of course! Maybe I zoomed out at certain parts while I was distracted!", Donk contradicted.
"You want me to tell you the story how the last picture came to be?", Granny asked me now directing her attention back to me. "Yes please Granny, tell us!", I begged while Aunt Mary sat down on the chair next to the sofa with George on her lap. "Yes, I want to hear that story too, Mama.", she encouraged Granny to tell.
"All right then. Once upon a time, there was a little girl who loved to run around in the gardens. She has been particularly wild for a young Lady and made her old governess not very pleased with her behavior.", Granny started to tell, making it sound like a fairytale.
"Oh, yes I remember! Fräulein Kelder was mostly strict with Sybil, but we all weren't fond of her either.", Aunt Mary throws in. "Well, we couldn't have known how far she would go, we would have stepped in earlier of course!", Granny now also clarified. It made me feel uncomfortable with the why Granny had said it. Like this governess had been an evil witch or something.
"Anyway let me continue, I will come to this part of the story later. As I said, the old governess wasn't very pleased with Sybils behavior as she found her at this time running around the rose bushes in the gardens. Suddenly as Fräulein Kelder came closer to catch the wild child, she stepped into a big hole that was recently covered up with grass. While the hole wasn't really deep, the governess had sunk in it with her right foot and fall over into the mud in front of the rose bushes. Sybil who had sat behind the bushes couldn't help herself and started laughing hysterical. That made the governess even angrier, and while she had freed herself from the hole to get some explanations from the young child, Fräulein Kelder had missed pay attention to Sybils point of view. I have to admit I had missed out on it too, at the time.", Granny said now in a sad tone. "That was naughty! What was her explanation, Granny?", I asked intrigued. It sounded like I had maybe even more in common with my mother as I thought if she was also a little wild like me. "She wanted to stop the rabbits from chewing on the rose bushes roots, so she had dug a hole to catch the rabbit. Well, you may guess Fräulein Kelder was still furious at Sybil. The usual punishments she would have to give Sybil wasn't enough anymore. She convinced us to let her see a professional because of her un-lady like behavior. I wasn't persuaded from her at first but after Sybil had refused to tell us the whole story we thought it might help if she had someone to talk about it." "You sent her to a Therapist?", Aunt Mary now asked shocked, apparently not knowing anything about it. "Well, as I said, Fräulein Kelder could be very convincing. "What is a Therapist?", George wondered now out loud. I have to admit I didn't know either so I was delighted as he asked. "A therapist helps people who are not quite right in the head!", aunt Mary explained and made donk stare at her in anger. "I don't think that is the correct explanation for the children! ", Donk told her in his usual outburst. "I would prefer that a therapist is helping overcome certain issues, as troubling past or a wrong behavior who weren't there before. With other words, a therapist is a doctor for the mind.", donk clarified to correct aunt Mary. "She just rolled her eyes at donk while petting George over his blonde hair.
"We sent her to a very qualified professional, but you can imagine Sybil wasn't very pleased that she had to go there. The thing was they had accidentally booked an appointment in the same hour for another person. Fräulein Kelder was outrageous and fall in quarreling with the doctor and the guardian of the other patient. While Sybil and the boy were waiting in the lobby, she was bored. The much older boy sitting across from her wasn't paying attention to her as he had his nose buried in a book. Now it wouldn't be proper for Sybil to talk to the strange boy but with Sybil being Sybil she just didn't care. `What you're reading?`, She had asked him. The boy wasn't responding. `You know it is obscene not to answer a question when asked!`, Sybil told him annoyed as he still ignored her. `Then you should be aware that it is not proper to talk to strangers!`, the boy had huffed to her.
Sybil was angry at the strange boy for what he had said and just glared at him for a few minutes until he gave in with a sigh. `I'm reading Alices adventure in wonderland!` Sybil didn't know the book back then. `What is it about?`, She had asked him. `Don't you know the book? I thought every child at least heard about it!`, he had told her. She had just shaken her head at this. `It's about a girl who chases after a white rabbit and falls accidentally in a hole deep down to a strange place called Wonderland.`, The boy explained to her. That captured her interest now. `Did she catch the rabbit? How did she do it?`, Sybil questioned the boy. `No, not really! She just followed him; he wasn't an ordinary rabbit you know!`, he described to her. `Oh, how disappointing! I thought maybe it would help me catch the rabbit in my rose garden!`, she told the boy. `You tried to catch a rabbit?`
`Well, that is the whole reason why I'm here. I tried to get a hold of the rabbit, but instead of the bunny, my governess falls into the hole.`, She told him. He started laughing at Sybil, and she became furious again. `Why is that so funny? Why are you here?`, She asked him with a pout. `People say I'm odd!`, He just said. `People say that about me too! Why are you odd?`, she answered in a question. `Because sometimes I know too much for my age. I could read before I could walk and calculate long before I even entered school.`, He answered her. `How is this a bad thing`?
`Because I think different and different is not always good.`, he told her. `I still don't understand.`, she continued. `Well, they were afraid I became like someone in my past, an evil man. He was smart just like me but a real devil. I was responsible for putting him in prison because we think the same way and now they assume I'm just like him!`, He stated. Are you bad like they say then?`, Sybil had wondered out loud. `No of course not! They just assume and tell me it's for my own good being here!`, the boy clarified. `Same for me! The adults also say it's for my own good being here and to learn how to behave like a proper Lady.`, she clarified to him. I hope they don't teach me how to behave like a proper Lady I don't know how that would turn out!`, He had joked to her and Sybil couldn't stop laughing about it. `Well, I could borrow you the book if you like? Are you for longer meetings here?`, The boy had asked her. `Yes, I'm staying for two weeks and have to attempt every day. Would you borrow me the book?`, Sybil wasn't sure if she could believe it. `Of course, I'm also here for some weeks. I trust we meet again.`, he told her and gave Sybil the book. At that moment Fräulein Kelder came out of the doctor's office and made the boy quickly jump back to his seat. Ovyesly the boy knew it wasn't proper for them to talk like that and pretended the conversation never happened. `Apparently, we have to wait another hour!`, The governess had expressed to Sybil while giving the boy a disapproving look. `They asked me to sent you in!`, She told the boy, and he got up and vanished into the office. While Sybil wanted to start reading right ahead, Fräulein Kelder didn't approve. After they had waited patiently and Sybil had her meeting with the doctor the governess and her headed back to London House. Even as they were back, Sybil still was not allowed to read, and she took the book away from her. The governess let Sybil sit down at the table and write a 10000-word long letter in perfectly cursive to how to behave properly. It took her the whole day, and as she still wasn't finished on the evening, she sent her to bed without supper., Granny stopped abruptly. Her face had turned sad again, and I felt anger growing inside of me by the thought on the mean governess. "If I had known how bad she had treated Sybil I would have let her go much earlier! How could I not have noticed it? There was no way Sybil had could finish the letter in half a day, so Fräulein Kelder's punishment was unexpectable. Well, curious young Sybil just waited until everyone had gone to bed to sneak downstairs and taking the book back, Fräulein Kelder had left laying on the table in the drawing room. Instead of sleeping Sybil took the whole night to read Alices Adventure in Wonderland and was fascinated by it. On the next day, Sybil couldn't wait to go to the appointment to meet the boy again and return the novel back to him. To her disappointment, he wasn't there just the man who had companied him. He looked like a strict man and Sybil was afraid to ask about the boy. She not even knew his name so how had she could ask without being misbehaved again. Something was strange thought Sybil couldn't right place. Even if the boy wasn't there the governess and the guardian of the boy were arguing. They were behind the closed doors of the office, but Sybil had seated herself this time close to the door and could hear what say we're talking.
`It is unexpectable to be that disregarded in such a manner by a governess!`, The man had shouted. Sybil was intrigued after that and eavesdropped more carefully. Had Fräulein Kelder misbehaved? `I'm so sorry Lord Ardee, but Fräulein Kelder over here had made clear that special treatment for Lady Sybil is required,' the doctor's voice came calmly. `How is a misbehavior of a young Lady more significant than a traumatized boy? I paid already for the appointments what for an unprofessional business you are running.`, the angry Lord answered. `Lord Ardee as far as I've informed you not even the boy's guardian. He is just a village boy in your county so why are you so involved in his treatments.`, the doctor sounded unsympathetic. `I've been never so insulted in my life. I don't have to explain myself you are getting paid to help him deal with what happened to him and you refused to do so. I will look for someone else then, but you may be sure I will make people hear about what happened here today.`, as soon the words have been spoken the door swung open, and the angry man stomped out in a hurry. `Come right in Lady Sybil!`, the doctor had pronounced right after. She did as she was told and seated herself in the odd office while being carefully watched by the therapeutic and the governess. Well, Lady Sybil, I heard you still refusing to listen to your lovely governess!"
"Lovely governess? What was going on in there?", Aunt Mary interrupted. "Why was the doctor refusing to help that boy, I don't get that either?", Donk now questioned too. "Really Robert, can't you guess! Fräulein Kelder had seduced him to do so. Of course, Sybil didn't know that at the time she was only seven. Apparently, she wasn't happy with how she had to wait the first time and had arranged to eliminate the competition.", Granny explains to Donk, but I still didn't understand the meaning. How had she convinced the doctor? "Where do you know that then Cora?", Donk asked interested making Granny sigh. "Well after Sybil had told me what had happened in London I had a nice talk with Fräulein Kelder, you wouldn't want to know what she did to convince him.", Granny told him. I still didn't understand just that it had been something wrong. "I wonder how she had seduced him, Fräulein Kelder was awful to look at.", Aunt Mary added. "Well, but how did the bunny come to be in the book? You didn't say it was already in, Granny?", I still wondered. She laughed again. "No, it wasn't in by then. The appointment took quite a while, and Sybil didn't get into detail with that, just that it was unpleasant. It made me worry even more as she let it out of her story. After they had left the building in which the doctor`s office was, they waited quickly in front of it. Suddenly the boy stood right in front of them. `Do you have a moment please, Miss?` he had asked the governess polite. `What do you want? Make it quick we haven`t got time!`, She had told him harshly. Don't you think that there is something wrong with the doctor? `, The boy had asked. That was the part that scared me the most. Sybil hadn't focused on that part enough to tell me, but I was able to pick up on it. `Why what should be wrong with him, boy?`, Fräulein Kelder had asked in annoyment. How he treats his patients, do you think his abuse is right? I can see he did the same thing to the young milady here her knuckles are as red as mine.`, he continued. It made me cringe as Sybil had told me that part. "He had hit our Sybil? Why did you never told me that, Cora?", Donk shouted at Granny now. "I didn't think it was necessary to worry you. As soon I heard about it I took the matter in my hand and let Fräulein Kelder go without a reference.", Granny explained. Aunt Mary just stared at Granny in disbelieve.
"Sybil hadn't bothered to tell me about her knuckles. Instead, she was fascinated by how blue the boy's eyes were. I think she had a big crush on him back then.
`It's called Child discipline by physical punishment; I am sure you have plenty of experience in the matter yourself!`, The governess had stated to him coldly. `Of a matter effect I have, but it seems unnecessary to me to use that kind of punishment on a young lady!`, The boy had defended Sybil. `Just get out of the way boy, it isn't any of your business!`, Fräulein Kelder winked him off.
/A: Sorry I have to make it a two parter. I thought I could upload it as a one shot. I know I have still so many stories open, but I try my best to update soon. The Image of the bunny in front of the trap is original sketched by an unnamed artist, and the rose bush by an unnamed tattoo artist. I just borrowed it and photoshopped it together. If I had drawn it myself, it would look like Lord Grantham's bunny ?. Either way, I would like if you leave a review for me and let me know if you like my story so far. I try to get better with my description writing.