‘Easter Egg’

Once upon a time there was a basket of 13 Easter eggs. Painted in different colors, the eggs huddled together and listened to the stories of a humble brown egg. There was much happiness in the basket until one day a woman came and ordered the eggs to prepare to fight each other. The eggs trembled, not wanting to kick each other for the amusement of humans. The brown egg begged them to listen to him, but they ignored his stories and started praying to get legs to escape their fate. The day the house filled with guests, all the eggs shouted the name of the brown egg hoping he cracks first. Soon the guests started to tap each other’s eggs. The brown egg watched as his siblings cracked. They cursed him for not saving them. When the eggs lost pieces of their shells and ended up broken on the plate the brown egg said:

They are cracked but still beautiful

Eggs – eggs – eggs – eggs

They can’t escape fate by gaining

Legs – legs – legs – legs

But they won’t listen when a sacred egg

Begs – begs – begs – begs

One by one, all the eggs from the basket disappeared until only the brown egg remained. He waited for his turn, calm and collected. His heart beat so strong, and his shell felt oily. A woman took him in her hands. Not wanting to slip out of the woman’s grasp, the brown egg trusted his fate. He saw no other egg left to fight. Though he did not feel safe, he relaxed until the woman squeezed him hard, leaving him breathless. Then, she hit him on the edge of the table but the brown egg did not crack. All the guests gasped, but the woman took a spoon. She tapped the egg, but no crack appeared. Frustrated, the woman placed the egg in a black pot full of boiling water, but even there the egg remained whole. 12 Easter eggs saw the strength of their brother and said:

You must be some magical Easter

Egg – egg – egg – egg

What is your secret please we

Beg – beg – beg – beg

How do we become strong like a chair

Leg – leg – leg – leg

Soon after, the brown egg emerged from the pot feeling hot and wet but looked brand new. The woman dried him off with a rainbow kitchen towel, and he smiled at his siblings revealing he was in fact a wooden egg. Amazed, the woman placed the brown egg inside a small golden egg cup. She took the broken eggs to the kitchen. In the morning, the family served plates of peeled boiled eggs on large trays. The eggs chatted amongst themselves, admiring their strong white bodies and their gentle yellow hearts. And so then, never did any eggs fear the egg tapping. They embraced their fates with strength of their egg white bodies and gentleness of their yolk hearts. And the wooden egg? Well, he lived for a long time saying:

All eggs get kicked like a chair

Leg – leg – leg – leg

So if you wish to be one special

Egg – egg – egg – egg

Embrace the suffering and never

Beg – beg – beg – beg