He Who Does Not Work

Angelica was ready to set her plan in motion. It wasn't a very complicated plan, but she was sure it would work. She grabbed the pile of 103 books she was supposed to read and hopped out of the library and into the living room. She scanned the area, looking for Yvonne. But she saw only Savio, sitting on the floor and reading Green Eggs and Ham for the 8th time that day. 

"Have you seen Yvonne?" asked Angelica. 

"Oh yeah!" said Savio. "She's in her secret office that you can only access by pulling a particular red book on the third shelf to the right in the library. It's a secret bookshelf door, like in the movies! Did you know we had one? Oh!" He suddenly slapped a paw over his mouth. "I wasn't supposed to tell you all that," he mumbled sheepishly. 

"Oh, didn't feel bad about it," answered Angelica. "You have assisted me in a noble cause."

Immediately Savio's face brightened. "Really? Yay yay yay!" He then remembered he had left a tennis ball under the sofa and went to fetch it.

Per Savio's instructions, Angelica made her way into the library, pulled the red book on the shelf, and the bookshelf slid over, revealing a secret passageway. Angelica entered the passage and in a moment found herself in Yvonne's office. Other than yet more bookshelves lining the walls and the rather nice desk in the middle of the room, the room was mostly empty.

"What are you doing in here?" exclaimed Yvonne.

Angelica initiated her plan. She mustered the cutest, saddest little bunny face imaginable. "Would you please tell me a story?" she asked. Before Yvonne could answer, and Angelica knew how she was going to answer, she added quickly, "I know I still have reading assignments to do, but I just don't think I can work so much without a little bit of leisure in between."

Yvonne paused and stared into space. She seemed to be remembering something, something that Angelica could not see. "Fine. I'll tell you a story. But we're going into the living room. My secret office has been breached. I guess I'll just have to get a new one."

"So," Yvonne said when she was seated in the living room, coffee in one hand, while the two youngsters crowded her and listened attentively, "there once was a little princess bunny named Margaret. Do not ask me why the theme of 'princesses' is used so often. The only answer I will give is that they are great for illustrating things. Why else do you think they were used so often in fairy tales?

Anyway, Princess Margaret was, like so many other princesses, a very spoiled princess. She got whatever she wanted whenever she asked for it. And, of course, her father Carrot Cake, being a king, could pretty much always get her what she wanted. For instance, she once asked for a pet dragon. So he deployed all of the knights of the kingdom to acquire one for her. Many knights were roasted in the attempt, but eventually one achieved the quest and returned home with the tamed dragon, albeit a little toastier than he had been previously. And, as is usual, the princess did not care about the sacrifices other bunnies made for her. 

However, over the years, Princess Margaret began to demand more and more. Eventually she demanded that her father give her the entire kingdom. So, since her father King Carrot Cake loved her, he said to her while the minstrels struck up a most lovely tune, 'My daughter, because I love you so much, I will... not give you my entire kingdom! That would be dumb! It would be bad for you and bad for me and bad for everyone involved! Instead, I suggest you take up knitting and make something nice for someone else for once.' 

And so, Princess Margaret took knitting classes, and, in time, she became the best knitter in all the kingdom, and actually produced something of her own instead of bumming off everyone else like a parasite. Imagine what might have happened if her father had instead just given her the kingdom? What a disaster!"

Angelica opened her mouth to say something. Yvonne interrupted her. Yvonne tended to be pretty rude sometimes, but not without good reason. "Yes, yes, I know. You're about to complain about my story, like you always do," said Yvonne. Then she added, "But the funny thing is, you always come back for more. While doing nothing yourself."

"I think her story was about you," Savio shouted in Angelica's ear, although he thought he was whispering. It was not uncommon for him to mix up his volumes and yell when he should be whispering or whisper when he should be yelling.

"Well, excuse me," said Yvonne. "I have to go buy a new portable office kit, since you discovered the last one. Although I do prefer to call it my secret lair. I have many things to do. Lots of reading, homework, writing, thinking, reading, breathing... oh, and I should probably eat at some point in there. Maybe. Maybe not. But I also have to E-mail Rene Descartes in a couple hours. He doesn't like people to be late. Or maybe he does. He ​wouldn't know for sure, at any rate."