From: nwilde
To: jhopps
Subject: Re: Big Ears
Oh, Carrots, you have no idea the things I've heard here and didn't report back. Mostly it's not things that matter: one of my classmates talking to another about how she'd like to beat up a third one (not me, amazingly); another classmate crying from homesickness the first week. Someone has an embarrassing skin condition (which explains the weird-smelling lotion on their fur, and don't get me started on the smells I have encountered here; I'll say that I know exactly when the cafeteria food doesn't agree with someone, and whom that someone is, and the cafeteria food is terrible so that happens pretty much every day). I'm sure you know a few things about your fellow officers too.
The Paddington situation, though, that's tricky. You know I'm not one for working in group settings, but one thing I have learned over the years is that you've got to try to keep everyone happy. It's not enough just to be good. Sometimes you have to be nice too, and maybe that means letting Paddington take credit for some work you did. For me it's trying to get these
(I typed out about six different words I don't want to use there; let's just settle for:)
other students to study the police manual. I'm learning a few things myself from reading it, believe it or not. I know, hold in your amazement. I keep seeing laws and figuring out ways to get around them and then I have to remind myself, hold on, I need to enforce them. If only I'd had one of these to study about ten years ago…
And you'll be pleased to know that Shaggy and the rhinos (that sounds like a band, doesn't it?) are getting much better at the ice wall and today is the first day in a week that Ironside didn't threaten to hold me under the ice water if they didn't improve.
(It's a joke. I'm pretty sure. Maybe I kicked him in the head too hard.)
So I gave them some tips for beating Fangovic in the boxing ring. Would you believe these guys don't know how to fake being fatigued? I think maybe when you're the size of a fox's house you don't figure you need a lot of strategy to get through life because you can just trample anything that gets in your way. I'm sure none of them can do a death scene like you, but fortunately they won't need to.
And I'm sure that when your parents do set you up with a bunny, he'll be a real Schwarzenhare type. So he can protect you in big, bad Zootopia.
Nick
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From: jhopps
To: nwilde
Subject: Noses
Dear Nick,
You gave me an idea, actually. Not about getting set up with a Schwarzenhare (ew), but about being protected. First time I went to Happytown, I went with Paddington. The second time, I went in the evening before people were out. So I'm going to use myself as bait and go out early in the morning to see if I can lure this gang of weasels or whatever out into the open.
And the manual, isn't that crazy? A lot of my class was the same way. They said the laws change, they'll learn on the job, they'll have a superior to tell them the rules, and they just did the bare minimum to pass. They were a lot more concerned about being the strongest and getting through the obstacle courses and all that stuff. That's why I'm so confident you'll get first in your class. You already know most of the book and you're smarter than anyone else in the class.
We had another meeting today where Chief Bogo mentioned that I was still working on the Goldmane case. Meanwhile McHorn got praised for bringing in a shoplifter from Savanna Square. Yesterday it was Pennington who brought in a camel smuggling ring. And every time I feel like they're all looking at me, like I can't catch a measly fabric thief. I did start to tell Chief Bogo once about your theory but he asked what evidence it was based on and I couldn't tell him I just heard it from you because that's not real evidence. I don't mean to say I don't believe it! I just mean I can't arrest anyone based on it. You understand that, right?
Everything else is going fine here. It's getting to be harvest time which makes me miss home, and my parents keep sending me pictures of the produce. I think they still think I might come back to be a peace warden in Bunnyburrow. Do you talk to your mom much?
Love,
Judy