PERRY PARTRIDGE

After an early morning rain, the ground was like a wet sponge. 
“Hurry up,” Bushy-Red said, shaking his reddish head.
His fuzzy squirrel coat trembled in the wind.  Bushy-Red liked to cling upside down.  Sharp claws held tightly to a large maple tree. 
As usual, he was impatient.  And his black nose wiggled nervously. 
His best friend, Perry Partridge was being a slow poke.  They were supposed to go on a picnic, at least before the sun set.
Perry was busy exercising his wings.  He kept trying to fly higher than the lowest branch. 
“Be patient,” he called to his squirrel-friend.  “I’m almost finished.”
Perry was still a young Partridge.  And he had to keep in practice. 
Once more he ran down the path created by years of animal usage.  His three-toed feet left deep marks in the soft soil.  Feathers flapped faster and faster. 
This time he landed almost on top of Bushy-Red.
“Yikes! Watch it!” the squirrel squealed.
“Try running like Fred-Fox the next time.  And keep your head up,” HOOTY Owl chuckled.  She was another one of Perry’s good friends.
The little Partridge tried seven more times.  Thankfully, crash landing on the ground did not hurt.  And finally Perry was successful. 
Now three friends sat together on the conquered limb.  From here they could see most of Greenwoods, their homeland in a little valley. 
“Look at the tall woods on both sides,” Perry said.
“I see them every day,” HOOTY added. 
“Yah, but I don’t,“ Bushy-Red scolded.  “I think this view is really neat.  So there.”
“Now, now,” Perry interrupted.  He did not like his friends to argue.  And they usually did.
Pretty Pasture looked yellow under the noonday sun.  The high grass was a safe place for the Dee-Deer to sleep. 
 “I can see a tiny lake,” Perry said.  He had never flown this high before.
“That’s North Pond,” HOOTY quickly answered.
“I was at South Pond once,” Busy-Red said.
Their branch swayed like a swing, back and forth, back and forth.
Just then, two fat floppy crows flew by.  “Hello HOOTY!” they yelled.
“HELLOOO,” HOOTY politely answered.
“Cheers to you too, Bushy-Red,” they said.
Bushy-Red was puzzled.  “What does Cheers mean?” he asked HOOTY.
“It means, Be Happy,” HOOTY answered.
“Thanks,” Bushy-Red said.  “CHEERIES!” he shouted.  Somehow his word did not sound the same. 
“Bye-Bye, Perry.” By now the fat floppy crows were almost at Three-Trees.  It was a meeting place for everyone in Greenwoods. 
“Perry quickly put his wings to his beak.  “BYEEE-BYEEE!!” became an echo in the valley.
It was time for the three friends to begin their hike. 
Perry flew from branch to branch.  All those flying practices sure helped. 
Bushy-Red scurried up and down trees along their path.  And he searched around each one for any of his buried treasures. 
HOOTY fluttered along carrying the food sack.  It was heavy and she had to rest often. 
Finally they stopped beside Creepy Creek.  It sang a song of strange noises as it winded like a corkscrew through the valley. 
Perry and Bushy-Red prepared the snacks.  It was only fair since HOOTY had carried the food all this way.
There was fresh leaf-tips and bush cranberries for Perry.  And a branch full of Hazel nuts for Bushy-Red. 
HOOTY was given his favourite treat, leftover pieces of mouse. 
After full tummies they rested. 
‘”Remember what happened yesterday?” Perry asked. 
“That Ra-Rabbit was sure lucky we came along,” HOOTY answered.
“Yes,” said Bushy-Red.  “Something was wrapped around Ra-Rabbit’s front leg.” He and Perry did not know it was a circle of wire. 
“It came from the Village of Walking-Trees.  Beyond Greenwoods,” wise HOOTY added. 
Perry had never heard that name before. 
HOOTY continued with her story.  “Sounds of thunder and lightning come from their branches.  It happens during the time of autumn.  And sometimes Dee-Deer fall to the ground.  Then they go to Forever Place.”
Perry wrapped his feathery arms around Bushy-Red.  The squirrel was sure shaking. 
“Please.  No more stories about those unwelcome visitors,” Perry said.  
They had a nice cold drink from Creepy Creek.  Then there was time to play.
HOOTY hid first.  She found a low branch on a thick pine tree.  But they could not find her.  She had to call out, “Hoot! Hoot!” until they did. 
Perry Partridge decided to hide under a log pile.  But his friends could not find him either.  He finally had to beat one wing loudly against a fallen tree. 
Only then did Perry’s friends find him. 
When they tired of their game they continued on their journey.  And kept a watchful eye for “HUSHY-Hawk.”
If that nasty bird caught HOOTY, he would eat her. 
They also had to be watchful of C-C Coyote.  And W-Wolf.  They lived in the Dark Woods, way past North Pond.  Squirrel and partridge would provide a tasty meal, if they were captured.
Three friends now went for a swim. 
They jumped and flew together off huge Rough Rock.  It was like a diving board.  They shouted and splashed noisily. 
And shook wet feathers and fur at each other.
After a short rest, they headed home.
This time they walked across Pretty Pasture.  And rushed past Lightning Tree.  “Long ago, a crooked arrow came from the sky, “ HOOTY said.  “It bent that tree and left it all dark on one side.”
They sang songs and laughed and yelled a lot.  Three friends hopped, skipped and flew.  This time Perry led the way. 
Their happy sounds carried across the sky. 
High above ‘Eagle Eyes’ slowly flapped her Bald Eagle wings.  She wanted to make sure three friends returned home safely. 
Greenwoods soon turned dark. 
Perry and Bushy-Red went to their homes with sleepy eyes. 
And HOOTY flew off until tomorrow’s fun.

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Max, The Adventurous Flea

There once was a family of fleas that lived on a great big Saint Bernard  dog. Now this dog belonged to a wonderful family. There was a dad, a mom, and two little kids, Mollie and Jonathan. This family lived in a nice, peaceful country town somewhere in the south, around Louisiana or maybe even  Mississippi. Since the Flea Family lived on the great big Saint Bernard, that was their home and what part of the world the great big Saint Bernard lived in made no difference to them.
The Flea Family had oodles of kids. Max was the youngest of the Flea Family  kids and also was the adventurous one. He had an itch for adventure. No pun intended! He liked to roam from one end of the great big Saint Bernard to the other end. It was quite a distance since Saint Bernard's are very huge  dogs. Sometimes his parents would have to scold Max for roaming so far from home. He was not allowed to go past the middle of the great big Saint Bernard. Max did not always listen to his mom and dad and usually got into  trouble for misbehaving. He sure did have a bold personality.
Well, on with the story. One day, the nice country family decided to take a  trip to the big city. They decided to take the family dog with them and leave him in a kennel in the city until they got ready to go back home to the country. They were only going to be gone for a couple of days and thought the  family pet would do better in a city kennel rather than being left back home alone with just a neighbor caring for him. So, after arriving in the big city, the country family bid farewell to the family pet at the kennel and set  out to tour the big city and do some shopping at the big city mall.
The family pet did not like the kennel at all. It was too noisy. The other  animals in the kennel were not very friendly and the family pet was tired of all the commotion. The family pet decided to do something about this situation. He believed that if he could just find a way out, he could be reunited  with the country family and go back home.
When the kennel keeper came in to feed all the noisy pets, the family Saint  Bernard made his escape. He was so quick that the kennel keeper did not have a chance to stop him. He was out the door and down the street bouncing and running as swiftly as he could. He was mighty fast for such a large dog.
Well, all this confusion was starting to make the Flea Family a bit upset.  They were not used to so much excitement. They had always led such a calm and peaceful existence on the great big Saint Bernard. Of course, the adventurous Max loved the new feeling of the excitement. What was going to happen  next, he thought.
The family pet made his way down three streets, two avenues and across a  four lane highway without getting a scratch on him. A miracle, indeed! The Flea Family was just holding on for dear life. The smell of fumes from cars, the sound of sirens, people talking, horns honking and the great big Saint  Bernard panting was starting to make their calm lives turn upside down. Max, on the other hand, was having a fantastic adventure. He had never been this far from home before. He had traveled all the way to the great big Saint  Bernard's nose. From this point of view, he could see everything. "Say, what a big, big city", Max said. Max could see the mall, the people, the cars, and the big tall buildings. The city was enormous. The adventurous  Max was having so much fun except for the occasional wet lick from the great big Saint Bernard's tongue. Now that was a little too dangerous for Max. One lick and he could be a goner. But, no, the great big Saint Bernard missed  him by a mile. Thank goodness, Max thought.
The great big Saint Bernard did not know which way to turn next but luckily,  just about the time he was about to give up finding the country family, they found him. He had made it all the way to the mall. They could not believe their eyes. There was the family pet, the great big Saint Bernard, standing  at the mall entrance. "How in the world did he find his way here?" they said to each other. My goodness, what a story we will have to tell when we get back home.
The country family put the great big Saint Bernard in the family vehicle and  away they started toward home. Max was a little sad but happy as well. This had been a memorable adventure but now it was time for him to go home too. He made his way from the nose of the great big Saint Bernard back to his  home at the tail. Of course, his mom and dad scolded him for venturing so far from home. They had been so worried. After the scolding and Max promising not to wander so far from home again without permission, the whole Flea  Family hugged him. Max was so happy. Not only did he get to have a fun, wonderful adventure but also he got to go back home to his loving family.
Max was an explorer at heart. But, he also was smart enough to realize that  you could find happiness and adventure right in your own backyard whether it is in the country, the city or the bushy tail of a great big Saint Bernard.
Max, the flea, had many more adventures in his life. He lived a long and  happy existence on that great big Saint Bernard.

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