IT was two days before Children's Day. Excitement filled the air amidst lively Caribbean music as about 100 people gathered at the main entrance of Lane Crawford's Central store, waiting for some unusual guests: a bird, a rabbit, a cat, a duck and, strangeas it may sound, a devil! When they turned up at last, in three chauffeur-driven, open-topped, and ribbon-decorated limousines, noon-day traffic on Queen's Road was briefly halted because all eyes were drawn to the five larger than life-sized characters - Tweety Pie, Bugs Bunny, Sylvester the Cat, Daffy Duck and the Tasmanian Devil. These Looney Tune characters arrived to kick off Lane Crawford's ''Cartoon Carnival'', a month-long celebration ''dedicated to the children and the young-at-heart.'' Children scrambled to shake hands with their favourite fluffy friends and to take photos with them, and the animals gave the children balloons bearing their own images. Of the five, Tasmanian Devil looked the most threatening: a biting look with open jaws. But the brown creature knew how to steal everyone's hearts - by blowing kisses almost non-stop. The grey tuxedo-clad Bugs Bunny looked most friendly with his ready smile. But it was Tweety Pie who seemed to attract most attention. Tweety was one-year old Gareth Packer's playmate and bed-friend. ''He doesn't go to sleep without his two Tweeties,'' Mrs Packer, a tourist, told Young Post. The carnival includes also merchandise corners, a children's tea party and fashion show besides a lucky draw that can win one a free trip to Movie World in Queensland, Australia.
