It was Christmas morning 1961
I remember it so well, my rabbit hutch was empty
And mother said I couldn't go into the shed
If I went to play nicely, I'd get something tasty
She didn't know where Flappie might be hanging out either
She'd ask dad, but since he was busy
In that little bike shed I had to
Spend just one hour really looking for Flappie
He was surely somewhere out on the grass
But I'd closed the hutch properly, though
Like I did every evening
I had even gone back the night before
I don't know why I did that either
I stood in front of the hutch a long time as if I knew
It was Christmas Day 1961
We searched for Flappie, dad simply joined in
By the trees and the water, but not in that bike shed
Because he couldn't be in there, right? And I shook my head
We searched together, together until coffee time
The family had coffee, but I didn't want any
I thought about Flappie and how it could freeze so cold at night
My little head bowed, big tears of grief
Because I'd really locked the hutch tight
Like I did every evening
I had even gone back the night before
I don't know why I did that either
I stood in front of the hutch a long time as if I knew
It was Christmas Day 1961
They ate noisily, but it didn't matter much to me
I thought of Flappie, my own little Flappie
Where could he be? Not a bite went down my throat
Then after the soup the main course had to come
My dad said, all joking: Look Youp, there's Flappie now!
And I still see the silver tray and there he lay in three pieces
For the first time I saw my father as a terrible man
And screaming and stomping I went to bed
First lay crying on the bedspread for an hour
Stood cursing once more at the top of the stairs
And shouted: Flappie was mine!
Stood at the window for a very long time
But the hutch just stood there deserted
It was Boxing Day 1961
Mother recalls it so well, father's bed was empty
And I told her she couldn't go into the shed
And if she played nicely, she'd get a treat