Butler Mike plays Easter Bunny

Butler Mike was excited to be doing a party at such a big Jacobean Mansion near Manchester. The place was wooden  panelled, high ceilinged and it totally bowled him over with its  grand entrance and sweeping  double staircase with suit of armour and broadsword at the bottom. It was furnished with large showy pieces of dark oak furniture and grand looking, gold framed family portraits adorning all the walls. A group of ladies had hired it for Easter weekend and wanted to make their hen weekend different from start to finish.

Mikes part in the weekend was first to meet and greet all the ladies as they arrived with a glass of bubbly. He did this with all his usual charm and panache. And as soon as he had them all relaxed and laughing at his jokes, his next assignment was to serve them all pizza and then whilst they were eating it he was to take a basket of chocolate eggs out into the grounds and hide them in very unusual places. He had just ten minutes then they would be out there hunting for them as they had to complete the hunt before the light went.

He had hidden some in the flower beds, some in the hands of a Greek statue, some in the fountain and some in the dove cote . He still had two left and wanted to make them particularly hard to find, so he surveyed the garden critically. Finally he spotted what he was looking for – a big old oak tree. He was extremely fit so climbing an oak tree was only a small challenge to his ample muscles. He quickly heaved himself up into its lowest branches looking for a low down fork he could balance the eggs in. He found the spot he wanted and placed the eggs carefully so they wouldn’t roll off, then he backed cautiously away and was about to swing himself down again when he realised his apron was tangled up on a branch. He started trying to free himself but as he tugged, he lost his footing and slipped right out of the tree, landing in a heap on the grass below. He looked up unhurt but most surprised to find several pairs of female eyes smiling down on him  - unfortunately for Mike though his apron was still caught in the tree!