The sight of spring is never hard to forget, no matter the age. Even the ages where children seem think they can't remember.
A little boy watched in wonder as his mother woven a small basket with nibble fingers.
"Jackson?"
He looked to his mother when she called his name.
"Mommy, what are you doing?"
"I'm making a basket."
"For what?"
"For to bring in the spring of hope."
"How do you do that?" He asked, handing her another piece of twine.
"The beholder of spring comes when the first blossom blooms strongest the bitter winters. Signing to all of hope for a new year." His mother stated, finishing the basket, letting her son hold it, taking in of how well made it was.
"What does this hope person look like, mommy?" Jackson asked has he handed it back to her, for she needed to paint it.
When she picked the brush with the smallest tip, started to paint thin lines of bright colors, flowers with leaves, birds, anything that could be found on a spring day.
"Mommy?"
"No one really knows, sweetie. For some say this bringer of hope is a master of hiding and holds great power of speed.
"Like daddy when he's out hunting?"
She gave a sigh and nodded. Adding. "Yes just like daddy."
"But even daddy get's sloppy sometimes."
"That he does."
"So, I bet I can find this hope person."
She looked to her son with a smile, then questioned. "Oh, do you?"
"Yeah!"
With a sudden thud outside and a quick groan was heard.
"Daddy's back!"
And off went Jackson to greet his father with a hug, to which was greatly returned. His father very glad to see his son, glancing to his wife with a smile. But saw her stern look. Seeing she saw the small scrap on the side of his forehead.
"Hello dear." He said, moving with his son in arms to hold his wife close, with Jackson in the middle.
"I'll go get some wraps for that."
"It's just a scratch." He stated, placing his son back on the ground, ushering him to play outside for a bit. Not knowing Jackson grabbed the basket on his way out to find some hope. "Edith?"
"You know how I worry about you." She said, coming back with some cloth and water to clean his cut.
"This year's spring has been good to us. Tomorrow, let's spend the day together."
"Until the next day afterwards, you're off with others. Thaddeus Burgess Overland, I know you must ever-so be doing for your people. But don't forget about your family. Your son needs you. I don't want him growing up forgetting what his father was like."
"Yes, yes, I understand. I'll try to find someone else to take over. But starting now this is about us."
"Good. Tomorrow is the gathering of spring. Spend it with Jackson, okay?"
"I will."
"Daddy, mommy!"
They turned to face their son covered in dirt and a large, tooth gaping smile.
"Yes, son?" His father asked.
"Do you know what hope looks like?"
His father widely grins to his son, ushering Jackson over to him, to which Jackson does.
"Hope is small object that can fit in your hand. About the size of an egg, painted with the finest colors of spring. Some say the drawings tell the story of how the bringer spring traveled through the harsh winters. For that if hope withers away, as does the bringer. So on the day when the greens grow proudly, the bringer knows he has done his deed."
"I can't wait!"
The following day, children of all ages wandered through the open fields. But for Jackson, it looked to crowned and wanted to try somewhere else. Using his father as a horse, as he rode on his father's shoulders, soon found a good spot to try to find some hope.
"Daddy, put me down. Here!"
"All right, stop squirming. Here you go." His father said, placing the boy down and handing him his basket, but not before giving him a warning. "Don't wander off to far. Okay?"
"Yes, daddy." And rushed off.
"Jackson I said not too far!" He was about to go after him, but heard the calls of some his buddies.
"Thaddeus, a word about next weeks hunt."
"Best to make it quick, Alfred."
"What your dreamer of son run off, again."
He glanced to the side of where his son was last seen, and nodded.
Jackson heard his father's voice, wanting to go back, but something caught his eye. Now and then finding eggs as he did.
When a twig snapped, he followed it.
"Hello?"
Another snap came.
Not watching where Jackson was stepping felled to the ground with a light thud. Giving a weak groan of pain, brushed it off, and got to his knees. While brushing off dirt from him, found another egg below the edge of a shrub. Bending to get, saw something furry and gray.
Forgetting the egg and stroke the fur, the owner of the fur jumped a bit and turned to face what it was.
"Bunny!" The boy shouted in amazement and he tried again to touch it.
"How in the world did you find me, you little ankle-biter?" The tall rabbit asked, watching as the child caught his open paw in surprise.
"Soft."
"If any of the other spirits saw this. I'll never hear the end of it." The rabbit said to one really, but himself, as he tried to shake of the kid.
It wasn't working, the child only giggled when the fur brushed against his skin.
Once he was able to make the kid let go, he looked to kid at eye level.
"Look here, ankle-biter, you might want to get home before . . . "
He was quickly cut off when child grabbed his face and started to rubbed against his head to the child's chest. Again the child called his fur soft.
"Dang it." The rabbit grumbled a bit, and gave a bit of frown to this. Not really sure what to do now.
The rabbit felt a hand petted his nose.
"Good bunny."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm a good bunny. Now stop it." Rabbit told the child, gently pushing the child away. Not knowing on his eggs fell out of his basket.
And it started to walk, thankfully it got the child to look at with wide eyes, trying to catch it.
"Your mind is like a sparrow, kid."
"Huh?"
"Nothing, just take the goodie and go home."
"But I got to find the bringer of hope."
That caught the rabbit of guard and had to ask. "Why?"
"To say thanks. The hope bringer made sure my daddy came home from his long trip."
"Oh, well . . . um, I'm a helper of his. I'll be sure to tell him for you." The rabbit said, knowing of the little whiteness of the lie it was.
"You will? Thank you Mr. Bunny."
"Jackson! Where are you?"
Jackson looked to where voice called from and looked back to the rabbit.
"That's daddy. I got to go. You'll tell the bringer of hope of what I said, right?"
"Yes. Now shoo!"
Jackson just smiled at the rabbit, gave it a quick hug, and rushed off to his father. Along with all the goodies he found.
Leaving the rabbit to think of way for this to never happen again. Although, it was nice of someone to say they believed in him.
Ankle-biter or not.
Snow. Snow was everywhere. Covering every inch of land it could.
"Jack Frost!"
"Bunny, how you doing?"
"That's all you have to say. What have you done?" Bunny said in anger, as he gesture to scene before the two.
Today was Easter Sunday, eggs were place about, but yet hidden under foot after foot of snow.
"I thought it would make the hunt for harder for them." Jack said with a smile, hanging upside down from a tree, just within hitting distance from the Easter Bunny.
"You thought this was a good idea."
"No, the groundhog told me about your plans of this Easter a bit better from last year. Just thought I could help."
The rabbit looked to the side, hands shaking with rage. "That rotten dirt rodent." And then looked to Jack with the same look he had for the groundhog.
"What?" He asked, but eyes widen in shock when a boomerang came at him, luckily it missed. But to make sure, moved to a new spot.
"Hey, look, the snow will calm down soon. What are you freaky out about?"
Another boomerang came at him, once the first came back. It was harshly sent flying towards Jack.
"Hey . . . Come on . . . You acting . . . A bit . . . Immature . . . About this!" Jack called out, as he kept dodging each attack.
"You frozen my Easter."
"Come on, take this out on the groundhog."
"I plan on it. But you carried his little ploy. I won't forget this Jack!"
Their fight stop, when seeing children started to leave their homes. To which, the two spirits left before being seen. Well at least one of them that is.
"Hey, Kangaroo! One day, we'll laugh of about this!" Jack called out to him with a wild grin.
The Easter Bunny wasn't that amused as the other. Still chasing after the other, only to soon lose the winter sprite.
Only thanks to the winds for helping out with the matter.