Maeve Has A Story To Tell

 

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The Gossip Monger

            Maeve was doing that thing she does when she wants attention again. It’s rather undignified for a bird of her age. While the snow filtered down through the trees and the forest had that hushed sound that happens during snowfall, she was hanging upside down on a low branch.             In her mind it was such a compelling sight to see a large Raven upside down that it should demand attention.
            Nobody was around though, so she started making that knocking sound Ravens make. The snow muffled it though. It wasn’t working.
            At last Ramona came out to build up the fire. A good sign. Finally the day was beginning.
            “Guess what I know,” said Maeve, from her reversed perch.
            “Well, since you say you know everything, it’s hard to guess,” said Ramona to the needy bird.
            “I heard something you might not believe,” said Maeve.
            “Well, I can tell one thing for sure, you’re dying to spread the news, Maeve!”
            During this interchange Ralph appeared, yawning and checking out the morning. Maeve flew to his shoulder, as was her custom.
            “I know something you don’t know,” she announced.
            “That’s hard to imagine,” Ralph teased. “Oh, what could it be?”
            “Maybe I just won’t tell you then,” said Maeve.
            “You can tell me, Maeve. I won’t spread it around. Ramona isn’t even listening!”
            Just then Twigg appeared with Berry and Bob.
            “Hey, Maeve!” said Twigg. “Why don’t you ever sit on my shoulder?”
            She was getting a little desperate by this point. No one seemed to be taking her seriously at all. Everybody was acting as if nothing special was going on.
            “M’naouu!” said Berry.
            “Mrrt!” said Bob, because he didn’t always talk, only when he wanted to.
            Ramona had been making fish soup for breakfast because it’s quick and nice to have something hot on a snowy day in the great forest.
            “Maeve, would you like some soup?” asked Ramona, holding up one of those wooden bowls Ooog had made a while back.
            “Yes! Yes! But, oh my beak and feathers, why will no one listen to me?” pleaded Maeve.
            Finally, soup bowl in hand, Ralph said, “aw, it’s okay Ma Bird, what’s the big story today? There’s always a story. Right? Tell us all together!”
            Just then, little Cherry drifted out to join the breakfast party, and have a little soup too.
            “Yes,” said Maeve. “There is always a story. This one is about you Ralph and Ramona and Twigg and Cherry too. A bird who knows these things told me early today, before the sun came up, that you are all characters in a book.”
            “I think that bird was pulling your tail feathers, Maeve,” chuckled Ralph. “Why don’t you have some of this nice soup? That was surely just a story!”
            “Do you think so?” wondered Maeve, with her head tilted to the side, studying him up close.
            “Well, OK then. I should have known better than to believe that bit of gossip. You’re usually right, Ralph,”said Maeve at last, because she always believed Ralph, and he was almost always right!