The Jaws of Hell
£22.50
At the beating heart of this sampler stands Jack Rabbit. At first glance a rather small, insignificant creature, but looks can be deceptive and there’s more to this bunny than meets the eye. His friends say he’s kind, funny, loyal; and those who have seen him in action will tell you that he has the courage of Gallipoli Murphy himself. And then there’s the crown. Jack is an Ætheling, a title which dates back to Anglo-Saxon times when his ancestors, the fierce Icenii warrior rabbits, used to course into battle with Queen Boudica, positioned precariously between the wheels of her wicker war chariot drawn by snow white stallions.
Æthelings are Princes of the Blood who are destined to, one day, become King and rule their tribe. But first they have not only to prove themselves in conflict, they must also complete The Seven Trials to gain the enlightenment necessary to take back The Kingdom of the Coney from The Usurpers. Many have tried but, throughout the entire course of history, only an elite few have ever succeeded.
Our Jack has just completed Trial Five by passing unscathed through The Jaws of Hell, the maw of the great white shark who guards the opening into the underworld, using nothing but his own wit and cunning to do so. That hapless squirrel may not be so lucky and the flamingo with the titfer is definitely next in line to be dragged, bum first, into Niflheim, the World of Darkness.
But Jack has moved on, he has other fish to fry. He must somehow elicit the secret of The Oaken Bough, Trial Six, from The Monarch, a magnificent stag with sixteen tines to his antlers (although not all are apparent in this sampler). A tine can only be counted if it’s thick enough to wear a wedding ring. The Monarch doesn’t look as if he will be particularly receptive to Jack’s blandishments but our fearless wabbit hasn’t come this far only to give up now with the end, Trial Seven, very nearly in sight.
“Sometimes you will never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” the disembodied voice of Dr Seuss whispered in Jack’s big floppy ear. “Mark my words little bunny …… they are important!” To be continued …..
Comes to you as a pdf because in the 21st century we’ve forsaken paper and gone back to magic, it’s much more f U n!
- Area in stitches: 294 x 335