Here Comes Peter Cottontail

Colonel Wellington B. Bunny, the retiring Chief Easter Bunny, names Peter Cottontail as his successor. Peter dreams of being the Chief Easter Bunny and accepts the responsibility with enthusiasm. The scene is set for Peter’s adventures in April Valley, where all Easter activities take place.

January Q. Irontail, a villainous rabbit, plans to become Chief Easter Bunny to ruin Easter for children, fueled by resentment over a past incident. He demands a contest based on egg delivery to achieve his goal, and begins sabotaging the competition. His motive is revenge after his tail was injured by a child.

Irontail feeds magic bubblegum to Peter’s rooster, causing it to seal its beak and prevent Peter from waking up on time. As a result, Peter oversleeps and stays in bed all day, missing the chance to deliver Easter eggs. Irontail’s sabotage is a key move in his scheme to win the contest.

While Irontail tries to deliver his eggs throughout the day, he manages to deliver only one, falling behind Peter. Because Peter delivers no eggs, Irontail is declared the winner of the contest. He then enacts laws to ruin Easter, such as making eggs dull and decorating with dark colors.

Feeling ashamed for his irresponsibility which led to Easter being ruined, Peter leaves April Valley. He seeks a way to fix his mistake and restore Easter’s joy. This marks the beginning of his journey to make things right again.

Peter encounters Seymour S. Sassafras, an eccentric inventor and gardener who supplies vibrant colors for Easter eggs. Sassafras offers Peter a time-traveling Yestermorrowbile and a French caterpillar named Antoine to help him go back in time to deliver eggs and win the contest.

Using the Yestermorrowbile, Peter tries to give away his eggs during other holidays, such as the Fourth of July and Halloween, but is unsuccessful. Despite tying the score with Halloween by giving an egg to Madame Esmeralda, Irontail sabotages him again by sending a bat to steal his eggs.

Dressed as Santa Claus, Peter attempts to hand out eggs on Christmas Eve, but the streets are empty. He discovers Bonnie, an Easter hat artisan, sobbing in a hat shop. Peter trades his eggs for Bonnie’s happiness, but Irontail steals the eggs once more during their chase.

During the chase after Irontail, he and Montresor crash into Santa’s sleigh, and Santa returns the stolen eggs to Peter. Peter, overwhelmed and sad, leaves Antoine behind as he misses New Year’s Day. Subsequently, he and Bonnie land on Valentine’s Day to continue their attempts.

Peter gives a Valentine egg to Donna, but Irontail casts a spell turning all eggs green and unappealing. This failure on Presidents’ Day pushes Peter to become more responsible, as he learns the importance of honesty and perseverance in his quest.

Landing on St. Patrick’s Day, Peter gets another chance to give away his eggs. He finally succeeds, and with the help of Bonnie, he wins the contest, becoming the new Chief Easter Bunny. Antoine transforms into a butterfly, symbolizing the successful conclusion of his journey.

Peter is crowned Chief Easter Bunny and takes over from Irontail, who ends up working as a janitor. Peter leads a parade, restoring joy and order to Easter in April Valley. His journey emphasizes responsibility, honesty, and perseverance as key themes.