Lester went home that night to a grumpy Bonita. She was complaining about everything. The kids were too noisy, the laundry had blown off of the line and into the mud, the milk had been delivered late so there was none for the bunnies’ cereal and she was exhausted. Lester was tempted to go sleep in the forest and let Bonita get over the grumpiness by herself, but he had a mission and he was going to do it.

  Lester helped with supper and tried to appease Bonita by telling her he had more cookies and tea for her after the bunnies went to bed. He fixed the carrots and lettuce into a beautiful salad and cooked up a mess of greens, but Bonita just wasn’t shaking her grumpiness. Frustrated, Lester said, “Why don’t you go take a nice bubble bath and I will put the bunnies to bed?”

  He didn’t have to ask twice. Bonita was out of there in a flash and he heard water running. Lester got the bunnies dressed for bed and read them a bedtime story and they wore him out so much in that short time, he wondered if he was going to be able to fix Bonita’s snack. Bonita walked through the bunnies’ room on the way to her room, dressed in a towel and with another towel around her hair and ears.

  Lester went to the kitchen and fixed alfalfa tea to go with Bonita’s cookies. He placed a yellow rose in the bud vase this time. His wife was smiling when he walked into the room and if possible, her smile grew larger when she saw there was not one, but two cookies. She took her time and savored her snack. After the first cookie disappeared, she started getting real chummy. “Lester come lay down and cuddle with me.” He did and an hour later came up for air and suggested she finish her snack.

  The medicine started taking effect and Bonita said, “Hey Lester, do you see the pink hippopomacamus, i mean hiccopacamus…” she started giggling like crazy. “Lester, you know the big fat thing with huge flat teeth? There is one over by the door. Is he a boy? No, he is pink so she is a girl.” She started laughing so hard that she fell out of bed. Lester had to lift her back into bed. He was so glad when she finally fell asleep that he lay there revelling in the quiet.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Along about three in the morning, Lester woke up to his wife still in bed in the position she went to sleep in. Victory. Lester knew this was only temporary, as Nogdorf would come up with a permanent solution, but it sure felt good for now.

  When he left for work that morning, his wife was still sleeping away. As he walked up to Nogdorf, Nogdorf said, “Oh, there you are, my boy. I think we may have a breakthrough. Last night as I walked home, I thought to myself, ‘Bonita, that name sounds familiar.’ I got home and looked through my records and sure enough, I had treated your wife last year for fatigue. There are different remedies, but the one I used, which was nightshade heavy, only lasts for one month. After that it starts having undesired side effects. So, if she is still taking that year old medicine, that is quite possibly the culprit. When you get home tonight, I want you to check the medicine cabinet for a clay container with a smiley face on the outside. That will tell us a lot. Meanwhile, tell me how your night went last night and if the cookies helped at all.”

  Before Lester could say anything, there was a slight thump on Nogdorf’s shoulder. They both looked, surprised and there sat Sammy Squirrel. “Mr. Noggy, you my fwiend, wight?” he asked.

  “Well, yes, Sammy, of course. How are you doing today?” Nogdorf said after recovering from his surprise. How are your stinger sores?”

  “I good, but you bad,” Sammy Squirrel started. “ I not hurting anymore, but bad guys coming. They look like walking twees, but they not. I want my fwiends to be safe. Do something. Quick. I go." With that, Sammy squirrel was off.