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The Crooked Carnival Caper

A Zootopia Story

It was sunny and clear, the grass was trampled and dotted with pawprints, younglings of every kind ran about cheerfully and the air was thick with balloons, music and the smell of funnel cakes and pies and other delicious treats of questionable nutritional value. Everything was as it should be at the county fair.

Nicholas P. Wilde squinted in the sunlight, trying to see the screen of his cellular phone clearly and make sure none of the rabbits ten feet in front of him got left out of the picture he was trying to take.

"Okay everyone, now smile and say 'Leeks!'"

"LEEKS!" said two hundred and eighty-one voices as the fox tapped the camera icon on his phone screen and immortalised the image of the Hopps family all standing together at the front gate of the fair.

As soon as Nick had taken the picture, a flurry of fuzzy bunnies scurried in every direction to join the fun among the multi-coloured tents and food stands. As the bunnies dissipated, three remained standing in almost the same pose they had been in for the picture. Mr Stuart Hopps and his wife Bonnie, and their daughter, Judy Hopps.

"This will look great on your computer desktop," said Nick as he tapped the screen a few times and sent the picture to Judy's phone.

"And this one will look good on my phone background," said Judy as she took out her phone and pulled Nick closer. "Smile for the camera, handsome."

Nick did as Judy pressed her cheek against his and took a picture of the two of them with the fair as the background.

"I'll have it printed and framed so it can go up on my wall," said Judy happily as she pocketed her phone and took Nick's arm. "C'mon, Nick, let's go have some fun."

Stu and Bonnie Hopps watched with smiles on their faces as their daughter and the fox vanished among the flurry of colourful attractions of the fair.

"Who would have thought of it ten years ago…heck, even one year ago," said Stu as he watched his daughter with a mixture of fatherly pride and wonder.

"Certainly not you, carrot cake," teased Bonnie as they walked arm-in-arm towards their family stand, where they sold tasty treats made from fruits and vegetables grown on their family farm.

It had been somewhat of a shock at first, when the Hopps family watched Judy walk off the train holding paws with a fox. But Nick quickly became beloved among Judy's younger siblings with his funny stories and playful antics. Stu became Nick's Number 1 Fan almost immediately on account of the fox's ability to sit and listen to his wisecracking for hours on end, adding funny quips here and there, not to mention his uncanny ability with playing cards which gave Stu's card-playing skills a run for their money.

It was the first vacation Judy had taken since she became a police officer assigned to Precinct 1 in Savanna Central, Zootopia. She had planned on taking her vacation in her hometown of Bunny Burrow, taking time to relax and unwind with her family and at the same time introduce them to Nick. Everything had gone far better than she expected, and she felt that the old prejudices her townsfolk held against other folk of certain species would soon be consigned to the history books.

It had been a week-and-a-half since Judy and Nick arrived in Bunny Burrow and today Judy was looking forward to a good old-fashioned day of fun and games at the county fair with her family and her friend.

"What an adorable little baby chick plushie!" squealed Judy as her eyes caught sight of a little yellow baby chick plush toy that was a prize at one of the carnival games.

"Step right up, folks! Are you a dead-eye with darts? Three tries for a buck! Hit the bull's-eye and take home a prize!" bellowed the cheerful carnival barker, a large grey boar with colourful clothes and a pinstriped hat.

Judy tugged Nick's paw towards the game booth and fished in her pocket for some change.

"Watch me land the dart dead-centre," she said confidently as she paid the booth owner and took her three darts in her paws. She had practiced quite a lot with her father when she was younger and was sure she could hit the target with perfect aim.

"Hmmm….I'll bet you can't hit the bull's-eye on your first try," whispered Nick with a cheeky grin.

Judy smirked and narrowed her eyes, following his game.

"I'll bet I can. I could do it with one paw tied to my back and both ears covering my eyes," she played along.

"Not happening, sunshine," teased Nick.

"What're we wagering, Wilde?" said Judy.

"Ooh, alliteration," crooned Nick teasingly. "Oh, I don't know. How about a blueberry pie against…"

"Haha, blueberry pie? You're losing your touch."

"Hehe," laughed Nick and leaned in closer to her ear. "Blueberry pie against…say…a date?"

Judy's heart skipped a beat and her cheeks felt warm when she heard that last word. Nick noticed.

"Of course, if you don't wanna bet…"

"Oh, you're on!" said Judy. "If I don't hit the bull's-eye on the first try, it's pie."

"Poet, didn't know it," said Nick with a wink.

Judy giggled.

"And if you hit it on the first try," said Nick, "I'll take you out on a date that will set the bar for dates so high, it'll take a giraffe on stilts standing on tippy-toes to reach it."

"Done!" said Judy, laughing and feeling her heart swell with excitement. "Okay, here goes."

Judy gripped the dart in her paw and closed one eye, studying her target. Then, with one move, she flung the dart hard and true at the target.

A hollow thump! And…it landed on the outer circle.

"Cotton rot!" said Judy under her breath. "Missed!"

"The first shot is always to get the feel of it, missy! Come on, now! Show us your skill!" said the cheerful boar barker.

Judy took aim and threw her second dart, which landed in the second ring just around the bull's-eye.

"There you go, little lady! The third one's the charm!" said the boar.

Judy took a deep breath and concentrated on the target. Then she lightly threw her third and final dart, which flew straight and true at the centre….only to deviate at the last second and land beneath the second dart.

"Well, nice try, missy! And here's your prize!"

The boar held in his trotters a cute little Gazelle doll.

"Huh?" said Judy. "But I…"

"Go ahead, missy! Everybody's a winner at Old Todd's Game Gallery! Step right up, folks! Try your luck, all for a buck, take home fabulous prizes…"

Judy smiled as she stepped away from the booth with her little Gazelle doll in her paws.

"I know Clawhauser will go bonkers when he sees this doll. I might give it to him as a memento. Can you imagine the look on his face, Nick….Nick?"

Judy suddenly stopped and looked up. Nick was nowhere to be seen.

"Huh? Nick?"

Then she felt a tapping on her shoulder. She turned around and her nose bumped lightly against the warm nose of her dear friend. Her eyes met his green eyes.

"So, what'll it be, Carrots?" said Nick in a suave voice. "Candle-lit evening at the Bison Bistro? Or late-night movie and a limelight stroll in the park?"

"How about blueberry pie and lemonade on the porch as we watch the sunset, Romeo?" chuckled Judy as she tucked her arm around Nick's waist. "I lost the bet."

"I'd say it was a win-win situation," said Nick as they walked.

"Where did you scoot off to, mister?" asked Judy.

"Funny you should ask," said Nick, holding something up in front of Judy. It was a cutely decorated carrot cupcake.

"For me?" said Judy delightedly. "Oh, Nick, you shouldn't have."

"But I did, because I know they're your favourites and I know they just don't make them like this anywhere else but at the fair, am I right?"

"Right you are," said Judy and happily reached for the cupcake, only to realise her paw was holding the Gazelle doll.

"Oh, can you hold this for me, please?" said Judy as she gave the doll to Nick and took the cupcake.

"Nice! I bet Clawhauser would give a week's worth of doughnuts for this doll."

"That's what I was thinking!" said Judy as she munched her tasty cupcake.

"I figured you'd settled for the baby chick plushie."

"This was a consolation prize," said Judy. "One of my sisters is bound to win the baby chick."

"Very likely," said Nick.

"Juuu-dyyy!" came the voice of Stu Hopps from a stand nearby. "Jude! A little help!"

The Hopps family had a food stand every year, and every year business was excellent. The whole family took turns at the stand so they could all enjoy the fair and also help with the family business.

Judy and Nick walked to the family stand to find Stu and two of Judy's younger siblings working away.

"Jude, your mother and I want to go into the funhouse for a while," said Stu. "Would you mind taking care of the stand until we get back?"

"Sure, pops," said Judy. "C'mon Nick, this'll be fun!"

While the parents went to have their fun, Nick and Judy and her two siblings manned the stand. They sat on stools and greeted the fairgoers. Refreshments were given, money was taken, many familiar faces were greeted and smiles

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