Two Funerals

“Oh, Mama, Mama!” Billy called, bursting through the back door. “Our bunny is dead!” His two curly-headed sisters ran to the window.

“Peter Rabbit?” cried Janie.

“Our darling little bunny!” cried Sandee. “Look, something killed him.”

Mother came to the window to look out. “What happened?” she asked. “He wasn’t acting sick, was he?”

Billy shook his head. “I think he was hungry,” he whispered, looking at the floor. “There wasn’t any food left.”

Mother shook her head sadly. “I’m sorry you didn’t tell me about it, for I could have bought some rabbit feed in town yesterday.”

“Peter Rabbit starved to death?” Janie looked shocked. “You were supposed to take care of him, Billy!”

Sandee was in tears. “Poor little bunny,” she said. Billy looked ready to cry himself.

“Come,” said Mother. “The only thing left to do now is to bury him.” She helped the girls get on their boots and coats. “Billy, did Dad and Uncle Frank use the shovel when they were working on the gate?” Mother asked.

Billy nodded his head. “Uncle Frank cleaned it and put it in the garage,” he said. He ran off to get it while the girls looked at the dead rabbit. He was lying in his cage and didn’t hop up to them or move at all.

Billy came back, dragging the shovel. “I’ll help dig the hole,” offered Janie. She went with her brother to the corner of the yard to choose a spot for the grave.

“Remember to dig it deep enough,” Mother told them.

“I want to hold the bunny,” Sandee said. “I want to tell him good-bye, Mama.”

“He won’t be cuddly anymore,” Mother warned as she picked him up. “When animals die, they get stiff.”

Sandee brushed her fingers over the soft brown fur. “He’s cold,” she said.

“That is because his heart stopped beating,” said Mama. “Dead things don’t have life inside to keep them warm.”

“The hole is ready!” called Janie.

Sandee and Mother walked over to the fence. The three children looked sadly at the dead bunny in Sandee’s arms.

“I want to put him in,” said Billy. Mother helped him put the bunny in the bottom of the muddy hole. Everyone took turns dumping dirt on him. “We should have a funeral,” Janie suggested.

“Here’s a stone,” said Billy. He brought a rock and put it on top of the pile of dirt.

“Peter Rabbit would like some flowers,” said Sandee. She picked a couple daffodils by the fence and laid them by the stone. “I’m very sad he died,” she whispered.

“At funerals they have prayers, too,” said Janie.

“Yes, even if we are sad about losing our pet, God can help us learn a good lesson today,” said Mother.

“I’ll pray,” said Janie. “Dear Father, help Peter Rabbit to be happy in the ground. And let Billy learn to feed the bunny, if we ever get another one. Amen.”

Billy blinked his eyes quickly. Sandee sniffed. “I think Peter Rabbit is sad under the dirt. I want to dig him up!”

“No,” said Mother firmly. “He is dead and doesn’t feel anything any more. Soon worms will begin to eat him. That’s why we buried him.”

“Yuk!” said Janie. “I don’t want to dig him up.”

“Good-bye, Peter Rabbit,” said Billy.

“Good-bye,” said Sandee.

When Dad got home, the children told him about Peter Rabbit and showed him the grave. “Maybe tomorrow I can help you write on the stone,” he said. “Tonight we are going to Uncle Frank’s baptism. Do you know what that means?”

“I remember!” Janie said. “In Sunday School we learned about John the Baptist. Who is going to dunk Uncle Frank under the water?”

Dad smiled. “Grandpa Alan is,” he said.

After supper the whole family drove down to the river. “Come,” Dad said, taking Billy’s hand. “Let’s go find a spot to sit down.”

Soon they were sitting on the grassy bank. Sandee sat in Mother’s lap, Billy perched on Dad’s knee, and Janie snuggled between. “I see Uncle Frank!” Janie whispered. “And there’s my Sunday School teacher. Hi, Miss Crawford!” Janie called. The gray-haired woman smiled and brought a folding chair to sit beside Mother.

“Do you know our bunny died?” Sandee said.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Miss Crawford said. “What happened?”

“Billy didn’t feed him,” said Janie, looking at her brother. Billy hung his head. “And so we dug a hole and had a funeral,” Janie continued. “And we had to bury—”

“Shh!” Mother said. “It is time to be quiet now, Janie.”

The children tried to sit still as Grandpa Alan and Uncle Frank stood up and talked. Uncle Frank told how he used to tell lies and just live for himself all the time.

Dad nodded his head. “Yes, I could never trust what he said,” he whispered. “He always tried to give me all the hard work. Isn’t Uncle Frank different now?” The children nodded their heads.

“Since Jesus changed my heart I’ve been living a new life,” Uncle Frank was saying. “I want to show that my old life is dead and gone forever.” He walked out into the river with Grandpa Alan while everyone sang a song.

“Is Uncle Frank going to going to go under the water?” asked Sandee, her eyes getting big. “Is he going to drown?”

“Uncle Frank can swim,” said Billy. “He won’t drown!”

“He’s going under the water to show that all his bad attitude and lies are dead,” said Mother. “Now he’s going to bury them.”

“Just like your bunny had to be buried when it died,” added Miss Crawford.

With a splash they watched Uncle Frank’s head disappear. In a second Grandpa Alan was pulling him out of the water. “Praise the Lord!” he said. Uncle Frank walked out of the river with a big smile and someone handed him a towel.

“I’m glad he’s alive,” said Sandee. “And not dead like Peter Rabbit.”

“Yes,” Dad said, with a smile. “Jesus has given him a new life.”

“Do you know what?” said Janie, as they got in the car to drive home. “What?” said Mother.

“We had two funerals today,” said Janie. “One for Peter Rabbit, and one for Uncle Frank. But I liked Uncle Frank’s best!”

Mother smiled. “Yes, I did, too.”