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Seven-year-old Marigold sat alone in the crowded backstage dressing room. Her Momma had fixed her makeup for her and fussed over her pretty white dress. Momma left when the contest manager announced that all mothers must return to their seats in the theater. A few of the other mothers left as well, but most of them stayed, drilling their sons and daughters on last-minute stage manners. “Once more, curtsey!” a dour-looking owl momma instructed her owlet. “And smile, Olive, smile!”

Marigold kicked her big bunny feet back and forth in the tall chair, fighting a mix of jitters and boredom. She flipped through a pile of booklets the contest ladies had left next to the lighted makeup mirror. The brochures were for local contests -- mostly song competitions like this one, but also some general talent contests for kids, and a few band camps. Marigold sighed to herself. She was glad her Momma didn’t see all this stuff.

Song contests were a mistake. As much as Marigold loved to sing, and was pretty good at it, she now realized she wasn’t all that good. Not good enough to win a trophy, certainly. And it was embarrassing to get up on stage and sing your heart out and not get a nice shiny trophy for Momma to display on the mantelplace. The kids who won the trophy had been to dozens of contests and knew their way around. Plus, they could sing better than anyone Marigold had ever heard before.

Marigold sighed and flipped through the brochures again. She could hear the hubbub of the audience seated in the theatre, yards away from where she sat. She knew her Momma was there, and her Poppa, and Toto and Peanut, her two big brothers. They would soon be cheering and rooting for her to win. But she knew some other kid would get the trophy, and then her family would have another long car ride home, with Poppa declaring that winning is not the most important thing and that she needed to keep trying.

Toto had a trophy on the mantelplace for last year’s baseball championship. Peanut had two trophies, one for the spelling bee and one for archery.

Just then, she noticed a bright pink brochure tucked into one of the other booklets. LOCAL BEAUTY PAGEANTS – SIGN UP NOW! The brochure described a half-dozen local pageants for girls, and included the rules and applications for each pageant. Marigold smiled. She carefully put the other brochures aside and turned her full attention to the pink one.

The sound of applause signaled the first of the song contestants to make his entrance, a portly pig boy who began singing Oklahoma in a thin, reedy tenor. But Marigold was deeply engrossed in reading pageant rules. The Miss Harvest Squash Pageant was strictly for ages nine to thirteen ... that was a bit older than she needed. And the Miss Magnolia Blossom Pageant only accepted contestants aged five through eight. But there were several others that fit exactly what Marigold was looking for. The Foghorn Falls Tippytoes Pageant had a much wider age range, as did the Miss Succotash Junior Queen Festival Competition.

She grabbed a pencil out of her backpack and began filling out an application in Toto’s name.

It had been several years since Toto and Peanut were first introduced to dresses. Marigold fondly remembered that day. She was five years old. It was a rainy Saturday morning and momma was hurrying to get her shop ready for the 9 a.m. opening. Momma wore her usual shopkeeper attire, a spotless white blouse and a dark knee-length skirt with polished brass buttons.

Marigold was coloring in her art book and Toto and Peanut were having a rousing game of tag, chasing each other up and down the rows of dresses.

“Don’t break anything!” Momma cautioned. A moment later, there was a crash as a rack of dresses spilled over onto the floor.

Marigold shrugged and helped her momma pick up the dress rack as the boys raced upstairs to the second level of the shop.

Momma picked up an armload of dresses from the shop floor. Most of the colorful party dresses were fine, but two of them would need a lint brush. She hung those two on a hook just inside the dressing booths.

“You two play nice up there, or you’ll wish you did!” Momma yelled after the boys in her warning voice.

“Yes Momma!” both boys called back, followed by the sound of clatter as another dress rack fell to the floor.

“For Heaven’s sakes! We’re opening in thirty minutes, I don’t have time to clean up after you!” Momma exclaimed.

“It was Toto!” Peanut hollered down from the top of the stairs. “I wasn’t doing a thing!”

“He pushed me!” Toto accused.

“Come down here and sit nicely, so Momma can keep an eye on you!”

“Yes Momma,” the two boys chorused solemnly. Then they skipped downstairs, mischievous grins on their bunny faces.

“And don’t push your brother!”

“I only pushed him like this,” explained Peanut, gently pushing one of the chairs next to the front counter. “But heee – he pushed me like this!”

He gave the chair a mighty push and the counter behind it teetered back and forth. A display of earrings tipped over and fine jewelry scattered, jingling as it flew to every corner of the shop.

Without another word, Momma grabbed Peanut in one paw and Toto in the other and marched them both back to the dressing booths. Marigold sighed and started picking up the shining earrings from here and there.

“Get those off!” she heard Momma shout from behind the dressing booth curtain. “You two are in for a well-earned punishment now!”

“I’m not wearing this!” Toto objected. “I wasn’t doing --”

“Yes you are! You are wearing this! And you, Peanut, are wearing this!”

“Noo Momma, we’ll be good from now on!”

“That’s right, you will be good from now on!” Momma agreed. This was followed by the quick sound of a zipper being pulled up, followed by a second, equally authoritative zip. “Stop fidgeting! You’ll wear those until you prove you can behave yourselves, understand?”

Marigold put a pawful of earrings back on the countertop as Toto wandered out from behind the curtain. He had a dazed expression on his furry little face. He was wearing a pale yellow taffeta party dress puffed up with a lacy petticoat. A shiny satin sash encircled his waist and tied in large butterfly bow in back.

Marigold was so surprised she forgot to giggle. “Toto? What happened to you?” she asked in wonderment.

“Hmph! Nothing!” Toto crossed his arms and turned sharply away, his dress flipping, rustling and bobbing as he moved.

“But Momma—” Peanut complained from behind the curtain.

“Maybe you’ll be a little more careful around here, young bunny! Out you go!”

Marigold turned expectantly toward the curtain. She was rewarded with the sight of Peanut in a pale green dress decorated with rows of lace ruffles. The sleeves were puffed out in two pretty spheres and trimmed with a floral lace overlay. The fine silk of the dress shined and shimmered. His brother’s dress was truly fit for a fairy tale princess. This time, Marigold enjoyed a little chuckle, but quickly went silent as Momma entered the shop.

“There! This is what your horseplay and hijinks have brought you to! Now march yourselves up to the balcony and wait for me there! I have a lot of cleaning up to do, thanks to you! And don’t show your underskirts on the steps!”

The two boys glumly made their way upstairs, carefully holding their skirts close to their legs as Momma instructed. They crossed the carpet on the upper floor and opened the door to the little outdoor patio, where the balcony overlooked a pretty courtyard of buildings in the shopping district.

“I think I found them all,” Marigold said softly, as she put the last of the earrings back on the counter.

“Thank you, baby,” Mamma said warmly, and began to place the earrings back into the display case. “Baby, please check on the other rack your brothers knocked over -- and don’t tease them. This is a very severe punishment for boys to endure.”

“Oh, I would never tease my brothers, Momma,” promised Marigold. But in her heart she knew this would be a titanic promise to keep. “Um, but why did you put them in dresses?”

“Because I wanted good behavior from them.”

“So putting a boy in a dress makes them good?” Marigold asked.

“It’s a way to get good behavior from naughty boys,” nodded Momma.

Marigold thought this over as she made her way upstairs. The dress rack that fell here only had a few dresses on it and was easily put back in place. Then Marigold quietly opened the sliding door to the outdoor balcony, where her two brothers sat on a long wooden bench under the galvanized awning, staring unhappily out at the rain. A chilly breeze blew up from the vent in the floor, making the boys’ dresses flutter aimlessly.

“You look like a lemon and a lime,” Marigold said smugly as she sat next to her brothers.

“Hmph! Very funny!” Toto fumed.

“We might be wearing dresses now, but you have to wear dresses for the rest of your life!” Peanut said angrily.

Marigold carefully smoothed out her skirt and fluttered her eyelashes. “Well, who knows how long you’ll be wearing dresses? Because I –”

“Because you what?” Toto asked anxiously.

“Because I hid your trousers while Momma was busy!” Marigold said, surprising herself with her own idea.

Peanut looked like he swallowed a pepper plant. “Not our trousers! Where did you hide them?”

“In ... in a place nobody can find them! So I hope you like wearing your fancy fluffy dresses!”

Toto wrung his little paws together. “Oh come on, Marigold. That’s no fair. You have to give us our trousers back!”

“If you don’t, we’ll tell Momma!” Peanut threatened.

“If you tell Momma, you’re a frilly lacy lime-colored tattle-tale!” Marigold answered, and stuck out her tongue.

“Am not! Now give us our trousers back!”

“Okay,” Marigold smirked, “but first, you have to do me a favor.”

“A favor?” Toto asked suspiciously. “What kind of a favor?”

“A very nice one, mister fluffy puff dressy dress. My friend Zephyr is coming here today.”

“Zephyr’s coming here? Why?”

“To buy a dress, silly.” She drew closer to Toto and whispered in his ear. “I know you have a crush on her.”

Toto looked down at his pretty yellow dress in frustration. “I do not! And don’t tell her that!”

“So, what do we got to do?” Peanut asked impatiently.

“Just offer to help her pick out her dress.”

Peanut and Toto looked at each other uncertainly. “That’s all?”

“No. You’re going be modelling dresses for her,” Marigold explained with a sweet smile.

“No way! I’m gonna tell!” Peanut hollered.

“If you tell, you’ll never get your pants back. You’ll have to walk home dressed like that,” giggled his sister.

“Ooooh! We ain’t doing it!” Toto yelled, his paws balled up in fists.

The clock began to chime. It was time for the shop to open.

Marigold hopped off the bench. “Okay, you two stay here in your pretty dresses, I’ll go help Momma.” She scampered downstairs as quick as her bunny feet could carry her.

“You haven’t been teasing your brothers, have you?” Momma asked, as she undid the lock on the big front doors.

“Mee?” asked Marigold. Her cheeks blushed red.

“Hmm ... well, tell the boys to come down here, their punishment time is over.”

“Already?” Marigold’s disappointment was considerable.

“Yes, and don’t tarry! Your friend is arriving this morning and I want you to help her find the perfect dress.”

“Yes Mamma,” Marigold turned and scampered back upstairs. She pushed open the door to the balcony and made a funny face at her brothers.

“Little Miss Lemon and Little Miss Lime!” she giggled. The boys sat on the bench with their arms crossed, looking very uncomfortable.

“You shut up!” Peanut grumbled at his sister.

“Yeah, shut up!” Toto agreed. “We decided, we ain’t modelling any dresses for anyone!”

“Especially girls!” Peanut added.

“Yeah! Especially especially pretty girls like Zephyr!” declared Toto.

“It’s beyond our dignity and honor!” Peanut exclaimed.

“Really? I guess you won’t get your trousers back then.”

The brothers looked at each other in panic.

“Now come on, Marigold!” Toto yelled.

“Now come on, Marigold!” Peanut echoed.

“Also, Momma wants you downstairs right now.”

“She does? Why?” Peanut asked nervously.

“I don’t know. But you dollies better hurry if you know what’s good for you.”

Toto hopped to his feet, the crisp taffeta of his dress swishing and swaying about him. “She’s not mad any more, is she?”

Marigold paused for dramatic effect, then shook her head. “She didn’t seem mad.”

“Oooh, we better hurry anyway!” Peanut peeped, the green lace of his dress crinkling and flouncing as he rose from the bench.

“Remember to keep your underskirts hidden, girlies,” Marigold said with a smile.

The boys hurried inside. At the top of the steps, Toto grabbed Peanut by the lace hem of his dress. “Wait a minute. If Marigold hid our trousers and Momma can’t find them, what are we going to do?”

“I don’t know! But I ain’t modeling no more of these stupid things! I’ve had it with frilly girl stuff!”

“Hey!” Peanut’s eyes lit up. “Maybe we can just say we want to model dresses, and then sneak off before anyone knows what’s up.”

“Sneak off, dressed like this? That’s got to be the dumbest thing you ever said!” Peanut’s ears twitched and quivered. His delicate lace dress ruffles flapped about his legs as he hopped indignantly.

Marigold, listening behind the door, had to cover her mouth to quiet her chuckles.

“Well, maybe modeling a few stupid dresses is the easiest way out of this predicament,” Toto argued.

“No way! Marigold and her zebra chum will laugh at us!”

Their plans at a stalemate, the boys made their way down the steps, carefully watching their puffy dresses as they descended.

When they looked up, the first thing they saw was the striped face of Mrs. Watusi, Zephyr’s momma. She was a tall regal-looking zebra lady wearing a small sky-blue hat trimmed with long, curled feathers. Her tailored raincoat perfectly matched the color of her hat. She carried a pearl-handled umbrella that was roomy enough for two. Her black purse shined like polished onyx. She wore earrings and a necklace of thick, heavy gold.

Next to her stood her daughter Zephyr, the lovely zebra lass that poor Toto was so enchanted by. She looked at him in surprised amusement as Toto reached the bottom of the stairs and took his paws from the hems of his lively skirt.
“Oh no!” Toto blurted out.

Zephyr wore a starched white blouse covered with a pattern of pink and blue floral blossoms. Her skirt was midnight blue, with perfect deep pleats. She wore a bracelet and necklace of the same thick gold as her mother’s. Her cropped mane shone, black and stiff. Her lovely face was beautifully exotic and refined. Toto was lost in her merry green eyes.

Mrs. Watusi’s mouth formed a small circle of surprise as she looked down at Toto and Peanut. Her eyes darted questioningly toward Momma.

“My boys were a bit rambunctious this morning,” Momma explained. “They needed a little change of pace to settle them down, but I think they’ve learned their lesson now.” She smiled and gently began to usher the stunned Toto and the shivering Peanut back toward the changing booths.

“Wait!” Zephyr said. She quickly crossed to Toto’s side and took his paw in her firm zebra grip. Peanut tried to draw back, but she quickly took hold of his paw as well.

Marigold watched from the top of the stairs, wondering what would happen next.

“It is you, Toto!” Zephyr exclaimed.

“Um, yeah, I guess it is,” Toto admitted shyly. “I guess you want to buy a dress or something like that, huh?”

“Why, yes,” Zephyr’s melodious voice washed over the timid bunny boy. “My cousin is getting married in the fall and she’s asked me to be her flower girl! Isn’t that wonderful?”

“Oh boy, yeah, that’s just swell, Zephyr,” Toto replied, nervously glancing at Mrs. Watusi. “Why, hello, Ma’am, welcome to my Momma’s dress shop.”

“Yeah! We got a whole heap of dresses and other girl stuff here,” Peanut explained, trying to appear relaxed and casual in his shimmery party dress. “You’re gonna be a flower girl? I guess there’s some flowery type dresses somewhere in this place. There’s gotta be, right?”

“Of course there is,” his Momma assured. “I set aside a selection of our best flower girl dresses for Zephyr to choose from. I know you’ll find your dream dress here, dear.”

Zephyr smiled, keeping her eyes on Toto. She seemed utterly charmed by the two boys in their puffy party dresses.

“Zephyr? We could –” Toto blurted “I mean, if you wish – my brother and I could help.”

Mamma had just taken Mrs. Watusi’s umbrella and was placing it in the stand near the door when she heard Toto’s offer. “No, that’s – where is baby Marigold?” Mamma asked.

“Would you help me, Toto? And Peanut? Oh that’s so thoughtful and nice of you. Look, mother, they know all about flower girl dresses! Isn’t it remarkable?”

Mrs. Watusi blinked. She was too puzzled to know what to say. “But Zephyr dear, how could these boys help you pick your dress?”

“We could model them for you,” Toto whispered, his face turning crimson.

Zephyr hopped up and down joyfully. “You could? You would? Oh, Toto!” she cried and gave the bunny boy a kiss on his reddened cheek. “And Peanut too! Such a thoughtful lad!” she gave Peanut a peck on his cheek as well.

“Now hang on a dang-blasted minute here!” Peanut objected. “I ain’t gonna—”

“Zephyr!” Marigold shouted from the top of the stairs, rushing down to meet her friend with a joyful hug. Zephyr finally let her grip on the boys’ paws loosen just enough for them to wriggle free.

The two girls hugged like long lost companions, although in truth they had spent most of yesterday together in Zephyr’s back yard, playing on the swing set and discussing the pretty celebrities on TV.

Momma looked over at Mrs. Watusi, and shrugged her shoulders. “Well, I thought Marigold would help model dresses for Zephyr this morning, but I suppose the boys will be modeling as well!” She laughed a bit uncomfortably at her own joke.

“My Zephyr seems to like the idea,” Mrs. Watusi said thoughtfully, “And you do have the best selection in town — but I must say it’s rather unusual.”

“Oh mother,” Zephyr pleaded. “Please let them get all dressed up for me! It will be unforgettable, and fun too!”

Mrs. Watusi looked from one bunny boy to the other. “I suppose a few pretty dresses won’t hurt them. If their Momma agrees.”

“My Toto’s a natural born salesman,” Momma patted her blushing boy. “I can see he’d do whatever it takes to please a customer.”

Toto just felt lost in the radiance of the merry zebra girl’s nearness. He looked down at his soft lemon colored skirt, overwhelmed with feelings, as Zephyr gave him another gentle kiss on his cheek.

Peanut tugged at his Momma’s dress. “But Momma, I don’t want no part of this girly business!” he whispered.

“Hush, not in front of the customers!” She turned to the zebra lady. “This way to the lounge please, Mrs. Watusi.”

Momma led Mrs. Watusi into the room she called the lounge. It was for the most part, a long corridor with a pretty velvet couch at the far end. Momma snapped on the music system and a soaring violin concerto trilled from the stereo speakers. Zephyr followed her mother, and the two boys in lemon and lime followed close behind her. A skipping Marigold took the rear.

“So what the heck is a flower girl dress anyway?” Peanut whispered to Toto.

“It’s like a white dress, very puffy and –”

“Like these, Missy Peanut!” Marigold called out happily, pointing to the rack of beautiful flower dresses lined up in the lounge.

“Oh my goodness!” was all that Peanut could say as he beheld the row of fluffy whiteness before him.

Marigold pulled the first dress off the rack and skipped over to Zephyr, who was sitting with her mother on the big velvet couch. She held the dress up to herself, posing before her friend. “Get a load of this one, Zephyr! Isn’t it gorgeous?”

“Ooh! It’s got little fabric flowers inside the hem! Zephyr clapped her little hands together, making a joyful clipclop noise. “Are you going to model for me as well?”

“Sure!” laughed Marigold, “Anything for my super zebra friend!” She quickly produced another two dresses from the rack. “How about this one?” she asked, holding a lovely satin dress up to Toto.

Toto blushed more than he probably needed to, considering he was already in a dress. Zephyr and her mother tilted their heads and considered the satin dress. “I think ... I’d like to see something more ... fussy?” Zephyr declared.

“Fussy?” Peanut retorted. “They’re all fussy!”

“Peanut, go into the dressing room now,” Momma said in her no-nonsense voice.

“Yes, Momma.”

“And take this,” she handed him a particularly fussy dress from the rack, with embroidered smocking and a satin sash.

Peanut hesitated but took the dress in his paw. “Yes, Momma.”

Momma selected another dress of floaty chiffon and held it up in front of Toto. “Do you like this one, Zephyr?”

“Oh yes,” brayed the girl, “I’d dearly love to see him in it!”

Toto looked down in embarrassment at the full-skirted chiffon dress. It looked something like a ballerina would wear, with a glittering beaded bodice, puffy chiffon sleeves and a rhinestone decorated neckline. With a heavy heart, he took the dress from his Momma’s paw.
“We’ll be back in a flash,” Momma promised her customers, “Enjoy the music, please.” She smiled and grabbed Marigold by one wrist and grabbed Toto by the other, and marched them off to the dressing rooms.

“It ain’t fair!” Peanut was wailing.

“My little fireball ... life ain’t fair.” Momma said as she slid his lime colored dress off. “Marigold, go fetch some underthings for your brothers. They can’t wear their regular briefs for this job!”

“Yes, Momma,” Marigold did her best to look solemn but she wasn’t successful.

“And nothing too fancy! The fancy underthings are for paying customers!”

“Yes, Momma.” Marigold skipped happily out of the dressing room and gathered up two pair of the fanciest lace panties in the entire shop. On top of them, she stacked two adorable lace camisoles and two packages of white tights, remembering that Peanut would need a larger size since he enjoyed a bit too much ice cream.

Then she remembered the Easter bonnet display Momma had set up last week, and picked out some dainty white bonnets and a few pair of white cotton gloves.

She skipped back to the dressing room to hear Momma talking sharply to the boys. They were both stripped down to their white briefs, the fancy white dresses hanging ominously behind them. “I can see the sun’s coming out! I was about to let you two have your trousers, and you’d be playing at the park by now! What happened, my dear Toto? What on earth made you announce that you and your brother wanted to model dresses for Zephyr?”

“It’s not my fault,” Toto mumbled. “It was Marigold! She said we had to model for Zephyr! She stole our trousers and wouldn’t give them back!”

“What on earth are you talking about? Your trousers are right here, hanging on the same hook since I took them off you!” Toto and Peanut stared up at their trousers in amazement. Momma looked over at her youngest. “Marigold, were you fibbing to your brothers?”

“Mee?” Marigold said meekly. “I was just kidding, Momma.”

“You’re the eldest, Toto! You shouldn’t be foolish enough to believe everything your little sister tells you! Or are you a baby?”

“No, Momma!”

“When you make a promise to a customer, you are bound to it, do you understand?”

“Well, yes.”

“And you promised that your brother would dress up as well, didn’t you? Do you think that was fair to him?”

Peanut shook his head in disgrace.

“Well, now you’re obliged to model dresses, and so is your brother, thanks to you!”

“I—I’m sorry!” Toto mumbled sadly.

“You’re getting a spanking tonight and no dinner! Because of what you did to poor Peanut!” Momma said sharply, grabbing the armload of things from Marigold. She looked at the extravagant lace panties in her paws. “Marigold baby, is this just a game for you?”

“They were the only ones I could find, Momma!”

“You’re getting a spanking tonight as well! For horsing around and playing tricks on your brothers!” Momma declared. “I’m sorry, Peanut dear, but you have to wear these.”

Peanut looked at the panties. They were pearl colored, with an iridescent sheen, and lavish lace trim around the waistband and leg holes. The matching camisole was equally upsetting to his male ideal of proper undergarments, with ruffled lace along the shoulder straps and a tiny satin bow at the neckline.

“Don’t forget your tights, Peanut dear,” Marigold said as poker-faced as she could.

“Are those the ones with the little hearts?” Momma said in surprise.

“It’s for a wedding, Momma. They ought to be special.”

“Little hearts?” Peanut said, his long ears flicking in irritation. “That’s for g—”

“We know they’re for girls, Peanut, just go put them on!” Momma said impatiently. “Our customers won’t wait forever.”

Peanut and Toto forlornly made their way into individual booths, their arms filled with unfamiliar lingerie.

“Can I help them, Momma?” Marigold asked as innocently as she could.

“I think you’ve helped them enough, baby. Go to the lounge and show off that pretty dress to your friend.”

“Yes, Momma, right away,” Marigold turned to the large mirror and began fussing with her dress.

From behind the curtain, Peanut cried out, “These are really much too soft!”

“Oh Peanut, girls like their panties to be soft!” Momma explained.

“The top part is soft too!” complained Toto. “This is much too frilly and girly!”

“I don’t know how tights work!” wailed Peanut.

“Just point your toes and – oh Marigold, help Peanut! I’ll help Toto!”

Momma rushed into the booth with Toto. Marigold rummaged for a minute in Momma’s purse and then went into Peanut’s booth. Peanut stood there in the pearlescent panties and camisole, a befuddled expression on his face. She could see his fluffy tail quivering in the mirror behind him. The camisole only covered the top half of his little belly, so Marigold gave the hem a tug to pull it fully down to the waistband of his panties.
Then she lifted up the perfume she got from Mama’s purse and gave Peanut a good squirt. The scent of violets filled the room.

“Hey! Don’t spray all that flowery stuff on me!”

“You’re a flower girl now!” Marigold laughed. “You’re supposed to smell like one! Lift your arms up high in the air!” she told him, spraying his underarms with the pretty scent as he did so.

“Now, pucker like this!” She puckered her lips in a little ring, then covered Peanut’s mouth with lipstick when he did the same.
Peanut ran his tongue over his colored lips in surprise. “What was that for?”

“To make you a pretty young lady! Now, gloves!” she displayed a pair of snow white cotton gloves, and Peanut gingerly held out his paws.
“I don’t need these!” he griped, as Marigold swiftly wriggled the gloves into place and did up the little pearl button at each wrist.
“Yes you do! You’re supposed to look girly, and you’re a boy! You need all the help you can get!” she quickly pulled open the package of tights. “Come on, sit down, chop chop!”

Peanut plopped down on the little changing room bench, feeling quite overcome by the busy actions of his little sister. “Point your toes, sweetie! That’s right!” she instructed, then gathered up the legs of the tights and drew them up his legs. “Now stand up to pull it all the way up to your tummy! Very, very good!”

Peanut looked down in dismay to see the pattern of white hearts covering his tawny legs. It was as if he had been swept away on a sea of feminine feelings as the scent of the perfume, the feel of the lipstick and the touch of the soft girlish underthings all combined together.

Girls were really a mystery to young Peanut. They were all over the place and you had to deal with them one way or another, but he certainly never imagined that any of their fluffy, lacy stuff would float their way into his boyish world of racing, chasing, throwing and knocking things over. Now it seemed like his secure, reliable world had suddenly vanished as he was plunged into a new universe of satin and lace, charm and manners. His little sister’s barrage of orders had worn him down to the point where he barely voiced a complaint as he automatically complied. It was embarrassing to be fussed over so much by Marigold, but deep down, a little part of him enjoyed all the attention and careful grooming. Peanut looked about anxiously. At least they were behind a curtain, hidden away from curious onlookers. No one could see his little sister treating him like this.

“Aren’t the tights pretty? Pretty pretty Peanut, that’s you!”

For Marigold, the experience of dressing her brother was like a dream come true. She had always dearly wished for a little sister she could share special girlish secrets and experiences with, to fuss over and fix her hair just so. Even though Peanut was bigger and taller than her, and certainly a boy, she began to imagine he was just a little sister who needed her guidance and direction.

She gently touched the tip of his nose. “You are just a little ball of fluff,” she told him.

“Hmph! That’s… Hmph!” Peanut said uncertainly. “Go tell Zephyr I’m not doing this!”

Marigold smiled. “No.”

Peanut trembled, and tried to undo the button on his glove. “Oh please!” he pleaded.

“No. Leave your pretty gloves alone. You’re gonna model flower girl dresses, and that’s that!”

Peanut looked helpless and desperate. He calmed down a bit as his sister patted him on the shoulders.

“There, there. You’ll be fine. If a little girl can do this, so can you!” She gently turned him until he was facing the mirror. “See how pretty? You’ll be fine, missy!”

Somehow, Peanut felt her soft words were calming him down and taking away the edge of panic he was feeling. He still didn’t like all the lace trim on his shoulder straps, and the panties were much too soft, but it wasn’t the absolute worst thing in the world. His sister smiled at him and gently stroked his ears.

“Where’s your petticoat?” Marigold asked. There was a loud rustling as his sister found what she was looking for. “Okay, lift up your arms! That’s a girl!”

The curtain parted just as Marigold tugged the boy’s lacy petticoat down into place. Mama entered the booth and helped her daughter fluff out poor Peanut’s underskirt. Marigold glanced over to see Toto in his lovely ballerina-style flower girl dress, overwhelmed by masses of chiffon fluff. He watched unhappily as his sister and Momma carefully pulled Peanut’s dress over his head. It was a lightweight brushed cotton with an ivory-colored smocking pattern across the chest. The waist had a shiny satin sash which gathered at the side in a large thick bow decorated with tiny fabric flowers. The skirt was shiny taffeta, which rustled and zipped at the slightest movement.

As Momma smoothed out the skirt, Marigold popped one of the Easter bonnets onto Peanut’s surprised head. “Good idea, baby,” Momma said happily, and began to tie the sash of the bonnet around Peanut’s chin. “Wait! Why are you wearing lipstick?”

Peanut blinked. “I don’t know. To look girly?”

“He’s a fashion model, Momma. He has to look good.”

Momma’s nose wiggled as she sniffed. “And perfume? Did you play with Momma’s perfume, Peanut?”

Peanut looked to Marigold, expecting her to explain.

“Oh, it’s okay if you wanted to play a little bit, my darling Peanut,” Momma gave her nervous little child a hug. “You are a elegant little girl now. Did Marigold tease you again?” she asked warningly.

“Um. Not really ... she just said what to put on.” Peanut blushed and looked down at the full round skirt of his bright white dress.

Marigold pulled a bonnet onto her head. “We all need bonnets before we do our modeling!”

“No we don’t!” objected Toto. A moment later, Momma was placing a broad-brimmed white sunhat on his head.

“Sorry, honey. But it really does improve the look of the outfit,” she said. “And I might sell a hat as well! Hold still, angel.”

“Hold still, angel bunny butt!” whispered Marigold.

“Marigold, I expect you to be on your best behavior! Take your brother’s hands and walk nicely out to the lounge! And no more teasing!”

“Yes, Momma,” Marigold genuinely wanted to please her Momma but the temptation to take advantage of her brothers’ predicament was enormous.

Toto wore most of the dresses that long, long morning. Marigold lost count, but she knew he wore more than fifteen flower girl dresses. Momma let Peanut go after his eighth modeling appearance, and he was soon back in his trousers and running around in the park, his relief undercut slightly by the scent of violet perfume wafting about him. Marigold did her share of the modeling task as well, but Zephyr kept asking if she could see that dress on Toto, leading to many changing room visits and sighs and blushes for the lovestruck bunny boy.

Finally, Zephyr discovered her dream dress. She had to see Toto model it, of course, and then model it again after he had worn a few other styles, but she finally rose from the velvet couch to try it on herself. Mrs. Watusi and Momma both agreed it was a perfect dress for the wedding, the skirt had just the exact fullness and bounce, the ruffled tiers of soft silk fell one layer upon the next in just the right way. Toto was thrilled with the news that his modeling predicament was finally reaching a conclusion and hurried back to the changing room, only to find that Marigold had hidden his trousers. He hurried back to the lounge, his long heirloom gown flapping around him, ready to confront his little sister over her exasperating pranks. Instead, he found himself wrapped tightly in sturdy zebra arms as he got a big hug and kiss from Mrs. Watusi.

“What a talented young man you are!” Mrs. Watusi said, smiling indulgently as she looked down at him. “Zephyr is overjoyed with her dream dress, and you were so kind and thoughtful to spend the morning assisting her! Your Momma should be very proud of you!” He smiled up shyly as she favored him with another motherly kiss. “Now where is your wonderful brother? He has earned a kiss as well!”

“Peanut went out to play, he couldn’t resist a run in the park once the sun came out,” Momma said with a happy smile.

When Toto was finally released by Mrs. Watusi, he found himself wrapped in another strong hug, this time from Zephyr. Her dream dress floated and flounced against his own fluffy dress, as the enchanting zebra girl gave him a full kiss on the lips. “You’ve been so lovely, so graceful!” she exclaimed in an impassioned whisper (but Marigold overheard everything). “You helped me find my dream dress. I wanted to be pretty for my cousin’s wedding, and now I will be beautiful! You are my dream dress boy!”

“Oh, well, gosh!” was all Toto could think to say, as Zephyr’s hug continued. She began to gently rock him back and forth, their dresses swaying this way and that.

“You are invited to come visit me any time, my sweet bunny boy.” She looked down, seemingly shy at what she wanted to say next, then blurted out, “I only need this dress for the wedding and you can try it on any time after that. Don’t worry, it will be our little secret,” the pretty girl promised him.

“Oh Zephyr, I couldn’t—”

She gently placed a finger on his lips. “Don’t agree right away, think it over!” she whispered.

The crimson-cheeked boy wished dearly there was some way to impress Zephyr with his natural boyishness. In any case, he was glad to see his starry-eyed attachment to Zephyr was not one-sided.

Mrs. Watusi skillfully separated the two lovebirds and made her daughter pose again in front of the mirror.

“Let’s see, are you buying the gloves and hat too?” Momma asked, jotting everything down on her notepad. “And the tights? They are so lovely, with the little hearts, I have a fresh package right here. – What about the petticoat? I have one that is exactly the correct length for that dress.”

“Goodness, I never even thought about the petticoat!”

Toto froze as he felt Marigold take a strong hold on the hem of his dress and lift it high in the air. “Here is what the petticoat looks like!” she announced. The bunny boy trembled as he felt Zephyr and Mrs. Watusi also take hold of his dress to get a better view of his underskirt.

“Ooh, so pretty and lacy!” squealed Zephyr. “Mother, please?”

“Yes, it does add such a nice finishing touch,” agreed Mrs. Watusi.

Momma rushed to Toto’s side and helped him arrange his dress properly once everyone had released it. “Don’t tease, Marigold!” she whispered in her warning voice.

“What about panties? Toto’s got on some nice panties too!” Marigold announced.

Toto tried to hold his skirt in place, but Marigold got a firm grip with both paws and lifted his petticoat and dress as high as she could.

Unlike her vivid recollections of her brothers’ very feminine predicament, Marigold only dimly remembered her spanking. She remembered shedding a few tears in silence, and feeling proud that she was much quieter than the dreadful racket that came from Toto’s bedroom when it was time for his spanking.

All things considered, she thought to herself, it was probably worth it.

“You’re up next, hon,” the contest manager tapped Marigold on the shoulder. The bunny girl looked up from her stack of completed pageant applications. Oh yes, the song contest! “Good luck ... Toto,” the manager said, peering over her shoulder at the application she was finishing.

“Oh, I’m not Toto -- this is for my brother,” Marigold explained, but the manager had already hurried away to see after another detail.

She sat up straight in her tall chair, and stretched. She felt much better. The routine task of filling out applications, coupled with her recollections of a favorite childhood memory, left her feeling refreshed and jolly.

The bunny girl rose to her feet and made her way over to the stage entrance, just in time to hear her name announced to the audience. She stepped onstage to the cheers of her family in the front row. She waved to them, and then to the row of stone-faced judges. A gaunt vulture woman wearing a judge’s badge jotted something in her notebook. The applause from the rest of the audience was polite, but brief. It had been a long evening, and the piggy tenor had not yet been topped.

Marigold sang a medley of tunes she had rehearsed dozens of times before. It included her favorite, “I Enjoy Being a Girl” followed by “Femininity” from the film Summer Magic, then “I Feel Pretty” from West Side Story, and the Dinah Shore classic “Buttons and Bows.” Thoughts about her brothers’ first experience in dresses swirled about her head, and mixed with plans for future adventures on the pageant circuit. She felt her mood lift and her self-consciousness vanish.

About midway through her medley, Marigold realized the audience had become a lot more friendly than at the other song contests she had performed at. Even the gaunt vulture woman was nodding to the song and tapping her talon on the floor. When Marigold broke out in the final part of the medley, “Get Happy” from Summer Stock, the audience rose to their feet and began to clap in time with the music. Their enthusiasm led Marigold’s performance to new heights. Again she sang her heart out, but this time her heart was being welcomed and embraced by everyone in the little theatre. She ended with a graceful little curtsey, hearing the roar of applause in her ears.

“And the winner is,” a judge read out from the podium a few minutes later, “Piggie Poltowsky singing Oklahoma! Congratulations, Piggie! Good night, everyone!”

It was a long drive home in the family car. The spring in the front seat was broken, so Momma sat in the back with Marigold on her lap. Her brothers sat next to her, and Poppa drove.

After a few miles of silence, Peanut suddenly exclaimed, “Marigold should have won! She was really good this time!”

“Well, sometimes things like that happen, Peanut,” Poppa said philosophically. “Sometimes, a piggy just barges in front of you, and you can’t do a thing about it.”

“Humph!” snorted Toto. “If I was in that contest, I’d punch that piggy in the nose!”

“Oh yeah?” Peanut replied, not wanting to be outdone, “If I was in that contest, I’d put a firecracker in that piggy’s trousers and blast him to the moon!”

“Now, now, boys, violence is never the answer,” Poppa admonished them.

“Did you want to be in the contest?” Marigold asked slyly.

“Um, I dunno,” Peanut pondered. “It looks like a lot of work.”

Toto frowned. “It’s not that much work!”

“I guess if Marigold can do it, it’s not too hard,” Peanut nodded.

“Okay, good, because I ...”

“Because you what?” Toto asked suspiciously. “What did you do this time, Marigold?”

“I just thought you might have fun in a few of the contests that were coming up, that’s all. So I ...”

“So you did what?” Momma asked cautiously.

“I just signed up Toto and Peanut for a bunch of things while I was waiting backstage.”

“What kind of things, Marigold?” Peanut asked, alarmed.

“I can’t remember them all,” giggled his sister. “Little Miss Watermelon, that was one.”

“That’s a beauty pageant!” Momma exclaimed.

“Well, they were all beauty pageants, Momma! There was the Carroltown Junior Miss Competition and the Badgerville Petite Southern Belle Gala, and, oh yeah, the Foghorn Falls Tippytoes Pageant!”

“The Foghorn Falls Tippytoes Pageant?” Toto exclaimed. “That’s for girls!”

“All beauty pageants are for girls, Einstein,” Peanut said dryly.

“Wait a minute! I ain’t gonna be no Little Miss Watermelon!” Toto exclaimed.

“Don’t talk negative! You can do anything!” Poppa admonished. To be fair, Poppa was driving and not paying close attention to the conversation.

“Poppa’s right,” giggled Marigold. “And it’s not that much work! Momma has all the dresses and stuff you need right in her shop, and I’ll help you practice! I bet Zephyr would help too, her parents were big stars in the circus!”

“Oh baby, there you go again,” laughed Momma and bounced Marigold on her lap. But Momma had a little smile on her face, a smile that told Marigold her hopes weren’t totally out of the question.

“I think it would be a good experience for them, Momma! They’re getting much too boisterous! They broke Mrs. Crow’s window last month, and they’re always getting in fights.”

“Hey, I apologized for that window! It happens when you play baseball!” Toto objected.

“Boys will be boys,” Momma told her daughter.

“Fights?” Poppa said, his face suddenly serious. “Who is getting in fights?”

“Nobody, Poppa!” Peanut replied.

“Well, if ‘nobody’ gets in another fight, he will have a big sore bottom!”

Peanut fell silent. He thought he had kept his street boxing secret enough, but it was hard not to brag about his exploits, and news carried quickly from kid to kid. It was no surprise that a little busybody like his sister would get wind of it.

Marigold looked from one brother to the other. “Come on. It’s only four little pageants, and the Petite Southern Belle Gala is just a parade where you sit on a float and wave your paw.”

“Hmph!” Peanut said in disgust. “Four little pageants my foot! I’m not getting involved in all that frilly fluffy stuff!”

“Hmm, maybe few pageants would be all right,” Momma said thoughtfully. “It would keep you boys out of trouble, and maybe you’d learn a thing or two.”

“Yeah, maybe you’d learn a thing or two,” Marigold echoed.

“You shut up!” Toto growled. “You’re always trying to get us into dresses!”

“Don’t be rude to your sister!” Momma warned. “She’s only seven!”

“I only want what’s best for you,” Marigold smiled cheekily at her brothers and nuzzled in her Momma’s lap.

And that, dear reader, is how Marigold retired from song contests and got her brothers involved in beauty pageants.

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