The Day Dawned Bright and Breezy

 

 
            The guests began arriving long before noon.
            Some of them, such as Benny and Lily, and the two boys had a long way to come. Ferdy and Constance, and their children arrived right behind Benny and family. They all set up camp on the third row of logs in the back. Uncle Bob saw them out there, so he went to say hi, and visit for a while, sitting on one of the logs he and Ralph had pulled over near the Stump House.
            Lily and Constance brought baskets lined in maple leaves, filled with cooked meats, wrapped in nice green leaves. A typical Forest Man picnic dish.
            All of nature seemed to be in a festive mood. Trees bowed and nodded. Grass was tossed in the breeze. Even an extended family of crows came by to see what new thing was happening in their world.
            And it was a new thing! Never before had there been a musical concert in the Great Forest!
            It was hours early, and there was already music in the air!
            “Listen,” said Constance, who had not been busy talking, and they all did stop and listen. On the breeze coming their direction was a jolly instrumental harmonica piece, called by its originator, Maurice, Manchurian Lunch Counter.
            Now, Maurice, that wily showman, really knew how to make an entrance. He’d done it before in other places and at other times. He’d arrive already making music. It had a wonderful way of drawing a crowd, and drawing a crowd together.
            When Maurice got there, he went around greeting the early arrivals just like he’d known them all his life. Nobody seemed to mind meeting a Howler, especially since he was one of the performers.
            The humans, having received written invitations, began arriving later, closer to noon. Some of them, such as Milly and Colin needed a map. Ralph had lowered the bars, so that people with maps could actually just walk right into the upper meadow where Uncle Bob lived.
            Rick showed up with two buckets of Kentucky Fried. He figure chicken would suit everyone. Then Milly with Colin, came and introductions had to start up. Rick hadn’t met Milly.
            “Oh! You’re that very interesting writer for the paper!” he said.
            “That’s me,” she said, laughing.
            Dexter and Hannah brought as much Coke as they could carry. He couldn’t figure out how to get a hand truck out there, through all the rough ground, so he didn’t. His idea was to truck a lot of pop out there, but alas.
            A blue orb of incredible brightness flashed over the head of the crowd. All eyes were on it wondering if it was a warm up for the show. It settled down of the grass right in the very front of the crowd. There was a hush of expectation, then Twigg and Leely appeared, Twigg carrying a big basket full of home made rolls, and Leely with butter and a knife. A flock of B’s accompanied Twigg, of course.
            Those two picked their way to the front row, and Koba, of course, revealed himself as a perfectly normal Forest child, giggling, because he loved to be in star form.
            The sun was just about directly overhead, when Ralph appeared, with wife and child, and wolf and cats, of course. Mother Bear came too, but didn’t say much, sitting mostly by herself.
            “It’s awfully bright out here, Baby,” said Ramona. “Can you do anything about that?”
            “I think I can, watch this, Mona!” he said, as the crowd watched waited to see what was next.
            Though Ralph was not on the ticket, he started singing in that almost inaudibly low voice of his. As he sang, an ultramarine blue cloud began to form over the whole group of onlookers and the Stump House, causing a pleasant partial shade.
            Then, he thought he could improve it. So singing some more, he caused bright little white points of light, like stars, to decorate the underside of the blue cloud.
            Everyone clapped in amazement!
            While they were clapping, Bob and Maurice climbed up to the top of the Stump House. Eyes turned toward them, when Maurice began playing, and Bob began to sing: Don’t Worry, Baby, the gist of which seemed to be he’s just going hunting, and will be back in time for dinner, so, don’t cry like that! Just stop! Already!
            “Oh!” said the gathered listeners! They got it. They could feel it.
            “Hi, everybody,” said Maurice, after the song. “Feel free to picnic while we fool around up here!”
            Just about then Ooog and Thaga appeared with a great big backpack full of ham on rye sandwiches wrapped in wax paper. This caused a sensation because Forest Giants don’t get many ham on rye sandwiches.
            While they were down there lunching, Uncle Bob sang one of his most heartfelt songs, I Used to Smoke a Lot, But I Quit. Maurice’s accompaniment was tender and soft, sentimental even.
            It’s nice to have a memory.
            Very useful stuff.
            Now, I can find what I put, where it is!
            Etc, etc.
            Some of the Hairy People had to have the song explained to them.
            Cherry and Koba decided to go up and play in the blue cloud among the little stars.
            Ramona assured the crowd that they were perfectly safe, that they do this all the time at home, to a general sigh of relief.
            Eyes went back to the top of the Stump, where Suzie sang, We All Fall In Sometimes. The sense of it seemed to be that water, running especially over rocks, on a hot day, is darn attractive, and anyone might just fall in, suddenly. She had a strong contralto voice, and no one doubted her! Maurice was playing the blues.
            But then, a guitar picked up the tune. There was a young guy in the audience that no one knew, but heck he could play, and soon no one cared that they hadn’t met him.
                        After the song, he said his name was Ted, and that he had noticed all the music and crowd noise while hiking in the park, and just followed his nose to the concert. Everybody clapped and he bowed. He said, yes, he did hike with his guitar!
            Maurice sang in his husky, drawling voice, Why’d You Name Me That, Mama. It was a comic song, in which he inquired why they couldn’t have named him Russell or something instead of Maurice, a sissy name for a True Howler.
            Next Bob and Suzie sang, You’re My Friend, Even If You Don’t Like It! It seemed to have something to do with dealing with fame. The music was appealing, though most of the crowd knew nothing about fame or its pitfalls.
            Mother Bear decided to ramble on home about then, full of sandwiches. For her the party was over.
            While Suzie and Bob climbed down to have a bit of lunch, and Maurice stayed up there playing one of his favorite blues compositions, a completely unexpected guest arrived.
            A cigar shaped silver ship lowered itself slowly and gracefully out of the sky, and scooted in under the edge of the blue cloud. The hatch on the side slid open and a small ramp appeared. Onto that ramp strolled a small, but stately person, Mak, himself.
            “I couldn’t stay away!” he said. “I brought a few things to share. Boys!” he said loudly. And like once before, his four sons set up a lovely rustic table full of desserts of the finger food sort, and lots and lots of that pale yellow, very mild wine in beautiful glass jugs. There were many cups of course.
            Twigg introduced Mak to those who didn’t know him, and while everybody enjoyed Mak’s dessert table, Mak and Ralph had a long conversation by themselves.
            Finally, Maurice came down off of the stump to have some lunch too. In between bites, he played his harmonica some more. Then he got back up on the Stump, and called out, “Come on back up here, Bob.”  There were a couple more sort of country style tunes, such as If I Wasn’t In Love, You’d Know It, and a possibly plagiarized piece called I Found The Hat.
            And that’s pretty much what happened at the First Great Forest, Howler and Uncle Bob Concert in The Meadow.
            Milly swore to write it up without disclosing the location.
            Ted said that he had learned some new material.
            It was getting dark before everyone went home, full and happy.
            Mak and his boys took off, last of all.

🌟🚀🌟

Sympurrsium: Causes of Caution™ In Cats

 

            “Everyone, the question on the table in general is how do Cautious™ cats end up the way we are, and specifically what the heck is bugging Ms. Charley? Our human friends are mystified as to why she is so hostile in the home where she was succored as a dying foundling,” said Toots, setting the table, so to speak.
            “She is uncommonly rude, but just there,” said Mr. Baby, who was not there presently. “Actually she is rather rude to me too, whenever we meet.”
            “It seems to me that we who were raised by our mothers have an easier time,” said Sammie.
            “Apparently our minds are formed at a time when we should have a mother present,” said Suzy. “I don’t even remember my mother, even though I must have had one. I mean I am a regular mammal!”
            “True, true,” said Buddy thoughtfully. “My mother was very sharp in the matter of manners, and gratitude, in fact.
            “I have no idea what my mother thought,” said Suzy. “I just about can’t help jumping and running when anything at all happens. Everything scares me!”
            “I get that,” said Toots.
            “This is what I think about Charley and her behavior. She didn’t have a mother except in the most basic biological sense. She was bottle fed by a young man and his girlfriend. They didn’t know how to educate a kitten!
            “Charley must have experienced sorrow there, even though the kids did their best for her. I can’t help but think that it’s subconscious with her. The place of her rescue was also the place of her kittenhood sorrow,” said Sammie.
            “A kitten needs a mother to teach her how to be a cat,” said Buddy. “Look at those two Bengal Scouts. They stayed with their mother for nearly three months, and that was long enough. They are cheerful, agreeable, and kind. Though I hear they have a few things to learn!”
            “Poor Charley didn’t know her mother at all. We have no idea how she ended up dying, dirty and soaking wet on that sidewalk. It might be even a more tragic story than it appears to be on the outside,” said Toots.
            “That’s really horrible to think about! No wonder she’s confused and grumpy. Why she actually punched P really hard!” said Suzy. “I saw her do it!”
            “Well, we can’t go back into  her story and fix it. All we can do is remember to Purr™ for her to have peace in her heart, wherever she is,” said Toots. “In fact, those of us who were nearly orphans could use some of that too!”
            “It wouldn’t hurt at all if she learned gratitude, and to count her blessings,” said Sammie. “Gratitude overcomes many fears, and much groundless anxiety!” 
            “I guess we all know what’s next,” said Toots.
            So, all present closed their eyes and Purred™ for peace, for themselves in general, and for Charley in particular, and that the Lord of All Cats would be among them and teach them!
            Then the meeting broke up as usual, and each went about his or her own business, as all cats do, wherever they find themselves.  

🐈‍⬛❤️🐈‍⬛🐈🐈‍⬛🐈🐈‍⬛

Meanwhile, Back At The Home Clearing

 

Sea Serpent's Birthplace

            Evening was creeping in. Days were getting noticeably shorter now. As Ralph trundled back home, he could see Ramona and Cherry waiting for him at the fire. It’s not far from Bunny Town to the Home Clearing, after all.
            “Mona! You’ll never guess who I saw today!” sang Ralph when he got close.
            “Hm, I can’t guess,” she said, looking up from something she was doing to something on her big square pan.
            He took a seat, exhaled a big breath, and said, “A sea serpent came clear up the  river to see me. Bob saw it too!”
            “Why? Why would a sea serpent come looking for you in that little river, Baby?” said she.
            “He said I saved him when he was little and wanted to thank me! How about that? A grateful sea serpent! He was awful small the last time I saw him. Years ago. At the beach on the Sound. Some boys had him in a bucket, but when I walked up to see what they had, they took off! I remember taking the bucket back to the water and turning him loose. Anybody would do the same!
            “So, pretty wench, what’s for dinner?” said Ralph.
            “Fishes, my dear, fishes. Cooked in Thaga’s butter, and a few of Ooog’s little red potatoes. You bring me fishes, so I cook fishes!
            “Where is your sea serpent now?” said Ramona, getting back to the point.
            “He went back to the sea!” said Ralph. “I wonder if he has a name.”
            Three or four trout and six potatoes later, Ralph had a sudden thought. He had been distracted by Cherry sitting on his left, and Blue, with her muzzle resting on his foot.
            “Oh, Mona! Here’s the real news of the day! Not only did I meet a sea serpent, Bob and me ran into Maurice tootling away up by Bunny Town! What a surprise, huh?
            “Maurice had a heck of a good idea! A concert! For real! Him and Bob have been up there at the Stump House making music. Maurice does the tunes, Bob makes up the lyrics, and sings, and even Suzie sings. Did you know what they were up to? What do you think about that?”
            “Sometime I hear music on the wind. I had to assume it was them. But, oh goodness, where would it be? Who is coming? I guess anything is possible, since Maurice does have some experience performing in public!” said Ramona.
            “At the Stump House, three days from now, at high noon,” said Ralph.
            “It could be a potluck!” said Ramona. “Sort of musical, potluck picnic! Everybody could bring something to eat! I need to talk to Thaga!”
            “Hold up, Mona! I need to talk to Maeve. I think this is going to have to be word of mouth, and Maeve has the mouth with the word in question. Where is she anyhow?”
            And just like she always is, there she was, drifting down, silent and black from the middle of the air.
            “What’s what Boss? You were thinking too hard! I heard you,” said Maeve settling in.
            “I have a proposal, my glamorous feathery friend,” said Ralph. “You have veto, if you want, but I bet you won’t!”
            “Let’s hear it!” said the bird.
            “Maurice and Bob want to give a concert up at Bob’s Stump, three days from now, at noon. Now, none of us can write, so posters are right out! It’s got to be word of beak if it happens. Will you spread the news, Birdy? You know who to talk to. Twigg and Leely, Thaga and Ooog, and Milly of course. I’ll put it on our Forest Keepers underground, so don’t worry about us!
            “What do you think? Anybody else?” said Ralph, thinking.
            “Maybe Rick and his crew,” said Maeve.
            “Yeah, and you might talk to Ma Bear, see if she’s interested. Oh, may as well tell the B’s too!” said Ralph.
            “Tell them to bring picnic food!” said Ramona quickly.
            “Sure, Boss. No problem. Sounds like fun! A first! A Great Forest Concert! You know Milly could print up some cute invitations, and I could just deliver them to the readers,” said Maeve. She was getting excited too. “I’ll tell the crows, jays and robins too! Then the news will spread, you bet!”
            “I’ll go see Milly first thing, and I’m sure she’ll play too, so I will drop off the invitations by noon,” said Maeve.
            “OK, good. I’ll go up and square the whole thing with Bob and Maurice in the morning. That should give everyone lots of time to prepare.”
            “What about seating?” said Ramona.
            “Oh, me and Bob will pull up some logs tomorrow. I can see them kind of arranged in rows in a  half circle facing the Stump! Maybe three rows?”
            A few dreamy moments went by.
            “I made some cookies out of hazelnut flour and raisins! Anybody want a cookie and some coffee?” said Ramona as the conversation slowed down.
            Of course, everyone wanted a couple cookies, including Blue and Bob and Berry. But only Ramona, Ralph and Maeve had coffee. The animal friends and Cherry were water drinkers.
            It looked like tomorrow was going to be a very interesting day!

🎼💚🎼

🐟Well Met, Old Friend 🐟

 

            Before Ralph and Bob made it to the Fire Circle and Ramona, they began to hear some bluesy harmonica notes from somewhere ahead of them and down the path.
            “I bet that’s Maurice,” said Uncle Bob.
            “You amaze me, Bob,” said Ralph.
            “I think he’s got the only harmonica in the whole Great Forest, Ralphie! It’s gotta be him!” insisted good old Uncle Bob.
            “Correct, as always, Bob!” said Ralph. “He’s the only bluesman in the whole Forest!”
            They found him at Bunny Town, though no bunnies were in evidence at the moment. Maybe they didn’t like Maurice’s Howler looks? In any case, he was stretched out on the grass beside the path with his eyes closed just blowing away. The forest rang with the music.
            “Maurice! What are you doing here at Bunny Town?” said Ralph.
            Maurice sat up quickly. The harmonica landed in his lap.
            “Bunny Town? What bunnies? I was looking for you two. Ramona said you were over here somewhere,” said Maurice, looking around like he could conjure up bunnies if he stared hard enough.
            “That was a nice tune,” said Ralph.
            “It’s called ‘I’ll be Back, Baby’ said Uncle Bob proudly. “I made the words. It’s about going hunting!”
            “You still amaze me, Bob,” said Ralph, eyebrows up in his hairline. “Whatcha got in mind Maurice?”
            “Listen, Ralph, you know how me and Folkie Joe, and Sleeky Sue used to go around making music on park benches and stuff?” said Maurice, earnestly.
            “Sure do! But I never heard you guys do it,” said Ralph.
            “I don’t want to make money anymore, Ralph. What would I do with it, and nobody out here has money anyhow. I just want to play the songs for the people, whatever kind of people they are! I wanna have a show, Ralph! It’s killin’ me making music and nobody much hears it.”
            “I hear you!” said Bob. “I made up the words!”
            “I know, Bob! But, don’t you want to have a show too, man?” said Maurice. "Think about your ‘Wind in the Forest’ touching the hearts of a crowd!”
            “How many songs do you have ready?” said Ralph.
            “At least ten, man! I have them all written down in my book!” said Maurice quite eagerly, reaching into his bag and pulling out his dog eared Allegory book, and waving it around.
            “That ought to be enough,” agreed Ralph, grinning at the boys. “Would you like to do it in the Home Clearing?”
            “I’ve been thinking about that,” said Maurice.
            “The Bees Did It All,” is another one,” mused Uncle Bob, to himself.
            “How about if Bob and me get up on top of his Stump House and do it there. We’d be up where people could see us good and the sound would project well!” said Maurice. “What do you think, Bob, that OK with you?”
            “Um, OK. Who do you think will come to hear us?” said Bob.
            “Well, I don’t know. We can’t put up signs. None of you guys in the forest read. We have to spread the word somehow. I didn’t think about that! What will we do, Ralph?” said Maurice.
            Uncle Bob was still talking to himself quietly, “There's ‘We All Fall in Sometimes. And ‘I Used to Smoke A lot, But I Quit’.”
            “I think me and Maeve can work something out. She’s pretty good at spreading the word, whatever it is. Just pick a day,” said Ralph. “I’ll talk to her when I see her.”
            “You know, Suzie knows all my songs,” said Bob. “She could help! She helps me remember the words. In fact, she kind of made up ‘Tree Knockin’ Boogie’!”
            “Aw, Bob! You know I love it when Suzie sings with us!” said Maurice.
            “Aw, thanks, Maurice,” said Uncle Bob. “She loves it too!”
            “Pick a day! I  have to know when and where before I set Maeve loose on the population, you know,” Ralph reminded the boys.
            “No calendars. So we gotta do this old style,” said Maurice looking very thoughtful. “How about at Bob’s place, three days from now, when the sun is straight up? I don’t know how to say when, Ralph.”
            “I think that will work OK,” said Ralph. “Done, unless Maeve refuses, and I’ve never seen her refuse to be the bringer of news yet!”
            “Oh, I better take these fish to Suzie!” said Bob, remembering that he had a bunch of trout on a little branch lying at his feet all of a sudden.
            “We better run through all ten songs, Bob, a couple times,” Maurice told him. “Can we get started tonight?”
            “Sure, four fish each ought to be enough, come on,” said Bob, and they split together, talking excitedly as they wandered off to present the fish to Bob’s Firekeeper and get started practicing for the show.
            Ralph watched them go with a grin. He couldn’t wait to see how it all worked out, but now he was getting really hungry. It had been a long time since morning. He was eager to see what Ramona had done with her fish, and tell her the news. Maybe there would be coffee, and some kind of dessert too! His steps quickened.

💚🐦‍⬛🍁

*Photo by R. A. Bird, Oct. 6, 2013.

The Great Forest in Late Summer

 

            The day was perfectly ripe. Soft and warm and golden. He thought of apples, and orchards he had visited from time to time. The trees, dusty and warm, the fruit peeping out succulently gorgeous, red and green, striped and speckled. Devastating! The juice like wine.
            It was still warm in the sunshine, but evenings were coming earlier every day, and there was a breath of mist in them, and the wind when it blew was cooler.
            The mighty firs stood as always. Looking up, he saw the year’s cones, and he saw that it was all very good. There had been summer, and now there would be the fall of the year.
            He was walking perimeter, so to speak. A late summer tradition.
            Things were always changing. He knew that. He could see it easily. He thought that someday the people by the water would come further uphill, into the Cascades and build more roads, and then there would be more people following the roads. A stance to take, that was the question. Peace, surely.
            Out in the meadow, the bees were busy, preparing for winter and rest. Ralph greeted some of them by name.
            “Winter is coming, Twigg’s Father,” said a Betty near his ear.
            “Yes, soon, soon,” he whispered to the small creature, lest his breath send her tumbling through the air.
            Several crows saw him coming and called to him. He raised a hand in answer. They flew to tell their friends that the lord of the Forest had noted them in passing.
            A couple of small brown rabbits followed him for a while, giggling behind his feet, then scampered away. Ralph smiled, pretending not to notice them.
            He walked through the trees to the other smaller cleared area where Uncle Bob’s Stump House stood. Coming closer, he saw that Suzie was home. She was weaving a basket of slender green branches.
            “A fine day to you, Firekeeper,” he said in the old language.
            “And to you,” Aunt Suzie said. “Perhaps you will meet Bob if you continue up this way.”
            “I pray that I do, dear lady. A walk with my cousin would be a fine thing today.”
            He found Bob standing in the sunlight, with his eyes closed and his hands spread in the air. He was singing in his sweet light tenor a song with no words, or old words, or angelic words. A wonder and a mystery.
            “Bob, shall we go walking about?” he whispered, so as not to startle the worshipper.
            “Oh, hi, Raphie! This is a good day for a walk,” said Uncle Bob, opening his eyes and smiling. The bright sunlight glinted off of his greyish hair, and seemed to linger around him for a few moments.
            “Where are we going, Ralphie?” said Bob.
            “Oh, just to explore a moment in time, Bob,” said Ralph, smiling.
            They circled back down the path and walked out to the beach of the Silver River. They sat on a couple of round boulders right near the river’s edge, with their feet in the water.
            “What do you see?” said Ralph. He was looking over the river as he spoke.
            “Well, something that never changes, but is always moving,” said Bob, also gazing out over the water. Then he frowned.
            “What is that, Ralphie?” said Bob.
            “Looks like a head, Bob,” said Ralph. “Wonder who it is? Only one way to find out!”
            Ralph and Bob waded out into the middle of the river. There was a large reptilian head rising up out of the stream.
            “I remember you!” said Ralph. “What are up doing clear up here?”
            “Oh, I thought I might find you, and here you are!” said a great long writhing, shining sea serpent. “You saved me when I was little.”
            “You’ve certainly grown into a fine great serpent!” said Ralph.
            “Well, thank you. I never knew your name!” said the serpent. He seemed to smile.
            “I’m Ralph, and here is Bob,” said Ralph.
            “This river water is a little hard on my scales, so I’ll swim back down to the salt water now. Thanks, Ralph!” said the serpent. He splashed and was gone in a flash of time.
            “I can’t wait to tell Ramona about this,” said Ralph. “She might think I’m pulling her leg!”
            “I’ll vouch for you,” said Bob, who was laughing.
            “This was a very good day. Thanks for walking with me, Bob,” said Ralph.
            “Any time,” agreed Uncle Bob.
            “Let’s go see what Mona is making for dinner. Oh, do you want a few fish for Suzie while we are here?” said Ralph. Bob thought that sounded like a very good idea, so Ralph charmed some eager trout up to the very shallow water and strung a dozen of them on a sapling branch for Suzie.
            “Suzie will love these. She gets tired of cooking turkeys,” said Bob.
            As the friends walked back into the forest, behind them, shining in the later afternoon sunlight, the river moved on, as always.

🍃🍁🍃

The Best of Summer to All 🍉

 What could be simpler?

A box of homegrown tomatoes.

Summer is right there, and fleeting!

They were a gift from my son, in a berry box one year!

I wish you the best of it all!

🍁💚🍁

Meow!

A Kittens' Tale 🐈‍⬛🐈🐈🐈‍⬛🐈Part 3

 

           The next time I opened my eyes, it was still dark. Morning was just starting. I lay very still so that I wouldn’t disturb Koba. When I listened, I could hear his mother and father breathing in the other side of the round room. It was all very peaceful, until I thought of my mother and sisters again.
            I tried to be quiet, but I started crying again. Then Koba woke up. He patted and petted me and said soft words to calm me.
            “Today, when morning is really here, we will try to find your family, Joey,” he said. “Try to be brave.”
            We rested together until the sun began to rise, and birds began to call outside in the meadow. Then he carried me over to his parents’ bed.
            “Daddy, can we go look for his family now? He’s sad,” said Koba.
            Twigg sat up and looked at his son and I standing there by the bed. Leely woke too.
            She said, “Let me make something quick to eat first. Better not go out hungry! It might take a while to find them!”
            Koba and I watched as she made a small fire in her stove. Then she broke a dozen eggs into a bowl and whipped them with salt and pepper. Then she set a sort of flat pan on the stove and put butter in it. When it was hot, she cooked the whipped eggs in the butter. That was my first time eating eggs.
            When we all went out to search, the sun was peeking through the trees, and shadows were still long over the meadow. Everything was still wet with dew. Koba was still carrying me, because the grass was wet.
            “How will we find his family?” said Koba.
            “I think we should follow Joey. Set him on the ground, Koba. Even though he got lost, he might still know which direction to go,” said Twigg. “He knows what his home looks like, and he will know it when he sees it.”
            So, he put me down in the grass, facing away from the sun. I began to walk deeper into the meadow. I was looking for the tallest thing out there, our stump. I was sniffing for a trace of my mother’s scent too.
            “Look, Joey smells something!” said Leely.
            “Maybe we’re getting close!” said Twigg. He was smiling, his brown eyes twinkled as he looked down at me.
            I kept walking and sniffing. I thought maybe I was getting just a little whiff of my mother’s sweet familiar presence. As I walked and they followed, it got stronger until I was sure. That was her, no one else.
            “Look,” said Koba. “There’s the big stump! I wonder if he came from there?” He picked me up so that I could see over the grass, and then I knew! My mother and my sisters must be right there in the nest under the stump, just like always. Oh, my heart beat so hard! I was barely able to breathe as we rushed forward.
            Koba carried me in his arms, because it was faster that way.
            But, when we got there the nest under the stump was cold and empty. No one was there! The old burnt-out stump had no way to tell us where they had gone, or why.
            I began to cry in desperation. Koba began to cry, too. Leely sat down on the grass and held both Koba and me in her arms. Her long hair hung down over both of us, and in my grief, I clung to it.
            But Twigg was looking up at something in the sky.
            “Maeve!” he said.
            “I hear a kitten crying! This must be the lost one!” she shouted.
            “Yes, he is a lost kitten. He came to us yesterday. Do you know something about his family? He must have at least a mother somewhere,” said Twigg.
            “His name is Joey,” said Koba.
            “Oh! Well, I met his mama yesterday right here at the stump. She was looking for him, and very frightened.” said Maeve.
            “Maeve, dear,” said Leely, “Where can his mama be? You must know!”
            “Evermore! I moved them. Mama was afraid that her other kittens would be taken from her, so I led them to Ramona. That’s where Mama and three little sisters are right now, playing with Cherry and hoping that I will find the lost one!”
            Twigg told me that all was well, but of course I only understood his heart, not his words. The words and the whole story came later.
            Maeve flew on ahead to give the Home Clearing the news that the lost kitten was found. No one wanted them to worry a minute longer.
            Twigg and Leely and Koba, carrying me, all made our slower way to the Home Clearing. I was so excited. I couldn’t wait to see my mother and my sisters again!
            What a place the Home Clearing was! It was a big open space in the forest. I had never seen such trees. Our stump must have been a tree like one of those when it was alive. There was a fire burning, and seated by the fire, were Twigg’s father and mother. I learned their names later.
            My mother and my sisters were sleeping in a box, full of leaves and moss, being watched over by Twigg’s little sister. Koba set me down, and I went to them and climbed into the box. It was like we had never been apart. I just snuggled down in my usual spot, and my mother greeted me as cats do. Her eyes were full of happiness.
            The great black bird was seated on the father’s shoulder watching everything with approval.
            “Oh, we are so happy that the little one has been found. How did it happen?” said Ramona.
            “I heard him crying in the meadow yesterday,” said Koba. “So, I flew up to see where he was, and I brought him home. Mama fed him fish and he slept with me, then we went to find his family, but Maeve found them first!”
            “Wonderful!” Ralph said.
            “I want them all to live with us,” said Koba. “Please! They all need names!”
            “Of course they can all live with us!” said Twigg, with a grin. “And they do need names!”
            “Oh yes, they must come home with us!” said Leely. “A family of cats in our house would just be wonderful!”
            “I will miss them,” said Cherry.
            “Come to see them at our house, and you can help name them,” said Koba.
            So, it was decided, and everyone was happy, me most of all.
            And that is the true story of how I got lost and found, and my family was rescued and came to live in the Alder Tree House in the meadow near the old stump, and how that became our home.
            Mama became Lois. Leely named her.
            One sister, the black one, was named Olive by Cherry, who really likes olives!
            Koba named my nearly all white sister Luna, because the moon is nearly white.
            Twigg named my tabby sister, Cocoa!
            That’s how we all got our names too.

🐦‍⬛❤️🐈‍⬛