Bath Day

I rolled over in my bed, trying to ignore the slight prodding coming from my wife.

"Come on, Mr. Beaver! Rise and shine. Today is going to be a wonderful day!" Mrs. Beaver said, trying to arouse me from my once peaceful sleep.

It's going to be quite the opposite of a wonderful day. It's going to be a horrible day, I thought.

I thought this because it was the worst day of the year. Bath day. It was also the most dreaded day of the year. Well, in my opinion it was. You were poked and scrubbed; your fur was tugged and stretched. Not to mention the rose water my wife added to the water to make you smell 'fresh as a summer's day'.

I crawled out of bed, stood up and faced Mrs. Beaver; and said, "Today is the day that Mr. Hodgepodge the porcupine and I are going fishing together. I am afraid I will have to skip bath day this year."

Mrs. Beaver put her paws on her hips and raised an eyebrow. "The Hodgepodges are out of town. You know that. You're just making up one of those excuses to get out of bath day. You try it every year. Now I am going to go make breakfast."

"Fish tails! I thought I was going to get away with it this year," I muttered. I sighed, and then straightened up a bit, and walked into the kitchen. A lovely scent was wafting through the air, and I inhaled it, taking in the smell of warm toast and melted cheese.

Mrs. Beaver bustled about, putting two plates of toast with cheese on top on the table. She sat down, and I went and joined her. I started eating, and Mrs. Beaver began talking about the plans she had for today.

"Now, let's see. After breakfast I'll do the dishes; then I have to go to Miss Velvetine's-"

"Who's Miss Velvetine?" I interrupted, the name not ringing a bell.

"She is the new fox that moved in a few days ago. I am going to take her a welcome package."

I quickly asked, "May I have a piece of one of those scrumptious pies you put in those packages?" She made those pies only when she gave welcome packages, and that wasn't very often, as not very many animals moved to this area often.

Mrs. Beaver quickly shook her head and said, "I am not going to give her a half eaten pie. One piece of pie for you is half of a pie. Besides, you've been putting on a few pounds."

I sighed, and went back to eating my breakfast. Mrs. Beaver went on again and told me the rest of the things she was doing today. These things included: Making the beds, lunch, nap, bath time (I shuddered when she said that), and then supper.

She bustled about the kitchen, picking up the breakfast dishes, and assembling her welcome package. "I will be gone around an hour and a half." She said, putting on her small cape. "I should be back in time to make lunch. If not, there is some fish I fried earlier along with some cranberry pudding in the cupboard." Then she picked up the welcome package and set off.

I decided that I would read, and went over to a bookshelf. I pulled off a book, sat in a comfy stuffed chair, and began reading. After awhile, I dozed off.

I was in my house, and it was bath time. I looked at the bathtub, and dreaded getting in there. I backed away from it, but suddenly; it was behind me, and I fell in. Then the horrible scrubber came. I was scrubbed until the skin under my fur felt raw, and I smelled like a rose. Then suddenly I was out of the tub, and I was being dried. The towel fluffed and puffed my fur, and the brush tugged and pulled, removing all the tangles from my fur.

I started, sitting up. My book thumped to the floor, and my reading glasses fell to my lap. What a nightmare! I shuddered and then got up. Hopefully bath day wasn't really here. It was just a dream. But then my memory came back to me, and I groaned. It really was bath day!

I tried to put thoughts of what was to come away, and I went to the cupboard to get lunch. I ate the delicious meal, and after that I went outside to gather some more kindling for the fire. Just as I had added the kindling to the pile by the fireplace, Mrs. Beaver came in.

"Sorry I am so late getting back. Miss Velvetine is most delightful to talk to! She knits just like me, and sews too! We had tea together. It was very enjoyable," She said.

I nodded, and then said, "She sounds like she would make a good friend. There is still some fish and pudding left, if you want lunch."

Mrs. Beaver got out her lunch, ate it, and then went to go take her nap. "Now don't go wandering off. After my rest, it's bath time."

I sighed, and went back to reading the book I was reading earlier. It was a book about the stars; and it was very intriguing.

I read for a long while, and I had nearly finished the book when Mrs. Beaver appeared and announced, "Bath time! Get the wash tub out, and I will start warming up the water."

I groaned, and she said, "I won't have any difficulty from you, Beaver. You know that you have to take a bath. You only take a bath once a year. Just be thankful I don't make you take one every week, as I do."

I pulled the wash tub out of a corner, and set it near the fireplace. Mrs. Beaver had already put a pot of water over the fire, and was getting out a towel, scrubber, and soap. She also got out her bottle of rose water, and added a third of it to the pot.

"That should do it," She said, replacing the bottle to the cupboard. "Now you will smell fresh as a summer's day."

I wrinkled my nose and scowled. "Why do you have to put that stuff in the water? It smells too fresh."

"It makes you smell nice, and it keeps you smelling nice most of the year. If I didn't add it, the soap smell would wear off after a few days, and you would smell horrendous."

She took the pot off the fire and added it to the tub. She motioned for me to get in. I shuffled towards it as slow as possible.

My wife thumped her foot and put her paws on her hips. "The sooner you get in the tub, the sooner it will get over with."

I finally reached the tub, and I gingerly got in. I have to admit, the warm water was very relaxing. The only thing that ruined it was the rose water. And of course, the scrubbing and soap that was coming.

"Ouch!"

"Hold still!"

"You're scrubbing my skin raw!"

"No I'm not. I getting you clean!"

"Yeoww!! You got soap in my eyes!"

"If you weren't squirming around so much, then you wouldn't have gotten soap in your eyes. Honestly, Beaver. You are acting like a child! Here, take this towel."

I wiped the soap from my eyes and muttered, "I wouldn't be acting like a child if you didn't make me take this bath."

Mrs. Beaver shook her head and poured the final rinse of water over me. Then I got of the tub and dried off.

"Now come here and I will brush you fur."

"I can brush my own fur!"

"If I let you brush your fur, then it really won't be brushed. Now come here, please."

She started tugging and pulling at my fur, attempting to get the tangles out. After what seemed like an eternity, and after I had sore aching skin, she was finally finished.

"There," She said. "Now you look as good as new. Now let's have supper."

I waddled over to the table and sat down. She set down a bowl of fish salad and a plate of bread. We ate and talked, and then she brought out a pie. I looked at it eagerly, and she cut me a piece. I dug in, and I enjoyed the delicious pie.

"This is really, really good," I said in between bites.

"Thank you," she said, clearing the table. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

After supper we sat by the fire. Mrs. Beaver knitted, while I read my book. It was a very good ending to a day like this one. In fact, it was the best ending to bath day I could ever think of.

The End