Stew the rabbit and I were performing a card trick for some young people at our church on Friday evening. I was rather vexed when, after getting a volunteer to sign their chosen playing card, I got some green marker pen on Stew. It showed up rather obviously on his white face.

I couldn’t just put Stew in the washing machine. Not only would it have been cruel but there was a serious risk that either colours would run and / or his stuffing would be badly affected.

I took him to a dry cleaners on Saturday and was disappointed that, while they have chemicals that would remove the ink, they would have had to put Stew through the wash afterwards to get rid of the chemicals and as we know that was not an option.

Today a stuffed penguin (was) volunteered to sacrifice his white fur in the hope that a remedy from the Internet would work for Stew but could be tried without risking fur ther (sic) damage.

After research Sally tried using hairspray to dissolve the ink and I was delighted to find that it worked for the penguin. So then she tackled the ink on Stew’s face. I will admit to feeling a bit like a pet owner at the vet’s while the pet is being operated on. It was not long before the vet (Sally) came out of the operating theatre (kitchen) and pronounced Stew cured.

Deep joy. Gratitude to Sally of course. But also to the sacrificial penguin. He risked his fur so that Stew could be cleaned up.

Obvious analogies with Easter now follow.

And Stew will be coming to a school assembly with me tomorrow.

And yes I am very fond of Stew the rabbit, I have had him for 19 years!

Be blessed, be a blessing.