One morning in the cave, with Ramona
still sleeping, which was strange because she was always first up, and Twigg
and Cherry still soundly asleep, Ralph opened his eyes suddenly.
“It’s time,” Ralph told himself. “Must stop dallying around.”
He slid tenderly out of the big bed and the extensive quilt made by Thaga to fit the big bed. He held his breath and listened. Nobody was waking, by the sound of it.
He went out that green door and headed to the erstwhile fire circle. Bob had let the fire go out again. Ralph had a sort of inner knowing about this situation. He suspected that Ramona didn’t really like getting up early and having to wade through sleeping Uncle Bob to get her fire going and breakfast on the way.
Uncle Bob was still sleeping like a baby by the dead fire. Bob and Berry looked at Uncle Bob and then looked back at Ralph. They didn’t need to actually say anything. So they didn’t. Ralph was getting the picture loud and clear.
Ralph sat on a log and started talking.
“Bob, it looks like today’s the day. This has been fun, but we have to make you a place to sleep of your own.” Bob slept on. He didn’t even twitch.
Ralph kicked the bottom of Bob’s foot a little. Nothing. Stoners, ex or not, must sleep really well! Ralph did it again. Maybe Bob’s breathing changed a little. Suddenly he sat up!
“Oh, hi, Ralphie, why are you out here?” said Uncle Bob, looking rather disreputable with fir needles and stuff in his hair.
“It’s going to be a nice dry day Bob, and today is the day to make you a place to live,” announced Ralph, firmly. “So wake up. Let’s go catch some fish like in the old days and get started. I’ll tell Ramona.”
Ralph stuck his big head back in the cave, “Mona, me and Bob are going to make him his own place today. First we’re going to the river, without the portal, to just eat some fish and get moving!”
“Thank the Maker, Baby! I was beginning to wonder!” whispered Ramona as Ralph left, shutting the door behind himself. It looked like Bob was getting sleepy again when he got back to him.
“Let’s go!” sang Ralph. And off they went on a morning walk to the river.
“We have to find a good place, and we need to decide what kind of a house we will make for you,” Ralph told Bob as they walked. “Do you have any ideas, Bob,” he asked.
“Not really, Ralphie. Last I remembered I was in Minerva’s basement, and before that the garden shed. Those ideas don’t work out here! When I was smoking a lot, I dunno where I slept, or ate. Before that I remember my mom and then it kind of fuzzes out…” He giggled, a little sadly.
They had just come out into the open, facing the shining river in the morning light, when a great black form drifted down out of the canopy of firs. She landed on Ralph’s left shoulder and said, “what are you guys doing out here so early?”
“Oh hi, Birdie. Me and Bob are going to eat a few fish, then make him a house,” said Ralph to the bird by his ear.
“Oh! He needs a nest!” said Maeve. “A big nest, really big!”
“I want a nest, Ralphie!” said Uncle Bob.
“Do you have a place yet,” said Maeve.
“Well, no, we don’t, we were going to go look for a place,” said Ralph.
“Oh, go eat your fish, Ralph. You don’t have to go looking. I will show you,” and she looked very pleased with herself!
Maeve flew around high over the river, swooping up and down and in great lazy circles while Ralph and Uncle Bob caught a few nice trout for their alfresco breakfast. She was waiting to show them the good place to build.
At last, they seemed to be done fishing and eating and were sunning themselves on a couple of boulders. It’s chilly work fishing underwater, and with all that hair they get pretty soaked.
Maeve flew down at last and looked at Ralph and Uncle Bob, she waited.
“OK, show us the place,” said Ralph, “we can’t wait.”
“I think I can just tell you,” said Maeve. “And you will know it’s the best place ever for Uncle Bob to live! It’s perfect.”
“This buildup is killing us, Maeve! Speak!” demanded Ralph, laughing.
“Well, boss, how about this? Do you remember that monster stump in the next clearing over from your place? You know one of the ones left by the first loggers who came through here? What I bet you didn’t know is that it’s hollow inside. I’ve been in there, inspecting and so on. You understand.
“All it needs is a roof. It’s not open to the sky on top, but a roof is still a good idea, and you need to enlarge the doorway a little and make a door. Then he just needs to have a bed and a couple of cooking things and he’ll be fine,” said Maeve. It’s hard to tell by looking at a Raven if she is grinning, but there might be more of a twinkle in the black eyes, a sort of avian grin.
“You’re right, Maeve. It’s perfect. I wasn’t thinking about the big stump!”
“See,” said Maeve. “A perfect nest for a Forest Keeper!”
“And,” she said, in a whisper, “his place will be like your place, not really any place at all when it comes to anyone just walking up on it!
“Close. We will be good neighbors,” said Ralph.
“I'll be a good neighbor, Ralphie,” said Uncle Bob. “You’ll see!”
“Boy, I sure like this idea better,” said Ralph. “I didn’t want to put you someplace far away. That’s no life for friends.”
So, they all walked back to the fire circle, where Ramona was baking oatcakes on her big flat pan. Twigg and Cherry were waiting nicely for breakfast. The cats were lounging around looking smart and silent.
Of course, even though they were full of fish, Ralph and Uncle Bob had some oatcakes too. Because, whyever not?
Then everyone, Ramona, cats and kids and both guys all went out to inspect the big stump, that was just the right distance from the cave and the fire circle. Bob decided to spend the night there. So, he had to gather a lot of low hanging branches to sleep on like a rough mattress. Everybody helped. When they got done it looked very cozy. It was a squeeze but Bob was able to get inside.
Ralph decided that the next morning they would go see Ooog to get his help with a roof and door, because he had the tools and not being a Forest Keeper, he was used to using them.
Before they left Uncle Bob there to enjoy his very own nest, Ramona said, “if you want, Uncle Bob, I will teach you a little bit about cooking.”
Bob thought that was a wonderful idea, and was honestly touched that she would make that offer.
On the way back to the Home Clearing, Ralph said, “you know, Blackleg, you’re a pretty sharp old bird! You watch out for all of us!”
She managed to bow and spread her wings, even while clinging to Ralph’s shoulder as he walked his family home.
“Evermore!” said Maeve, with great satisfaction.
“It’s time,” Ralph told himself. “Must stop dallying around.”
He slid tenderly out of the big bed and the extensive quilt made by Thaga to fit the big bed. He held his breath and listened. Nobody was waking, by the sound of it.
He went out that green door and headed to the erstwhile fire circle. Bob had let the fire go out again. Ralph had a sort of inner knowing about this situation. He suspected that Ramona didn’t really like getting up early and having to wade through sleeping Uncle Bob to get her fire going and breakfast on the way.
Uncle Bob was still sleeping like a baby by the dead fire. Bob and Berry looked at Uncle Bob and then looked back at Ralph. They didn’t need to actually say anything. So they didn’t. Ralph was getting the picture loud and clear.
Ralph sat on a log and started talking.
“Bob, it looks like today’s the day. This has been fun, but we have to make you a place to sleep of your own.” Bob slept on. He didn’t even twitch.
Ralph kicked the bottom of Bob’s foot a little. Nothing. Stoners, ex or not, must sleep really well! Ralph did it again. Maybe Bob’s breathing changed a little. Suddenly he sat up!
“Oh, hi, Ralphie, why are you out here?” said Uncle Bob, looking rather disreputable with fir needles and stuff in his hair.
“It’s going to be a nice dry day Bob, and today is the day to make you a place to live,” announced Ralph, firmly. “So wake up. Let’s go catch some fish like in the old days and get started. I’ll tell Ramona.”
Ralph stuck his big head back in the cave, “Mona, me and Bob are going to make him his own place today. First we’re going to the river, without the portal, to just eat some fish and get moving!”
“Thank the Maker, Baby! I was beginning to wonder!” whispered Ramona as Ralph left, shutting the door behind himself. It looked like Bob was getting sleepy again when he got back to him.
“Let’s go!” sang Ralph. And off they went on a morning walk to the river.
“We have to find a good place, and we need to decide what kind of a house we will make for you,” Ralph told Bob as they walked. “Do you have any ideas, Bob,” he asked.
“Not really, Ralphie. Last I remembered I was in Minerva’s basement, and before that the garden shed. Those ideas don’t work out here! When I was smoking a lot, I dunno where I slept, or ate. Before that I remember my mom and then it kind of fuzzes out…” He giggled, a little sadly.
They had just come out into the open, facing the shining river in the morning light, when a great black form drifted down out of the canopy of firs. She landed on Ralph’s left shoulder and said, “what are you guys doing out here so early?”
“Oh hi, Birdie. Me and Bob are going to eat a few fish, then make him a house,” said Ralph to the bird by his ear.
“Oh! He needs a nest!” said Maeve. “A big nest, really big!”
“I want a nest, Ralphie!” said Uncle Bob.
“Do you have a place yet,” said Maeve.
“Well, no, we don’t, we were going to go look for a place,” said Ralph.
“Oh, go eat your fish, Ralph. You don’t have to go looking. I will show you,” and she looked very pleased with herself!
Maeve flew around high over the river, swooping up and down and in great lazy circles while Ralph and Uncle Bob caught a few nice trout for their alfresco breakfast. She was waiting to show them the good place to build.
At last, they seemed to be done fishing and eating and were sunning themselves on a couple of boulders. It’s chilly work fishing underwater, and with all that hair they get pretty soaked.
Maeve flew down at last and looked at Ralph and Uncle Bob, she waited.
“OK, show us the place,” said Ralph, “we can’t wait.”
“I think I can just tell you,” said Maeve. “And you will know it’s the best place ever for Uncle Bob to live! It’s perfect.”
“This buildup is killing us, Maeve! Speak!” demanded Ralph, laughing.
“Well, boss, how about this? Do you remember that monster stump in the next clearing over from your place? You know one of the ones left by the first loggers who came through here? What I bet you didn’t know is that it’s hollow inside. I’ve been in there, inspecting and so on. You understand.
“All it needs is a roof. It’s not open to the sky on top, but a roof is still a good idea, and you need to enlarge the doorway a little and make a door. Then he just needs to have a bed and a couple of cooking things and he’ll be fine,” said Maeve. It’s hard to tell by looking at a Raven if she is grinning, but there might be more of a twinkle in the black eyes, a sort of avian grin.
“You’re right, Maeve. It’s perfect. I wasn’t thinking about the big stump!”
“See,” said Maeve. “A perfect nest for a Forest Keeper!”
“And,” she said, in a whisper, “his place will be like your place, not really any place at all when it comes to anyone just walking up on it!
“Close. We will be good neighbors,” said Ralph.
“I'll be a good neighbor, Ralphie,” said Uncle Bob. “You’ll see!”
“Boy, I sure like this idea better,” said Ralph. “I didn’t want to put you someplace far away. That’s no life for friends.”
So, they all walked back to the fire circle, where Ramona was baking oatcakes on her big flat pan. Twigg and Cherry were waiting nicely for breakfast. The cats were lounging around looking smart and silent.
Of course, even though they were full of fish, Ralph and Uncle Bob had some oatcakes too. Because, whyever not?
Then everyone, Ramona, cats and kids and both guys all went out to inspect the big stump, that was just the right distance from the cave and the fire circle. Bob decided to spend the night there. So, he had to gather a lot of low hanging branches to sleep on like a rough mattress. Everybody helped. When they got done it looked very cozy. It was a squeeze but Bob was able to get inside.
Ralph decided that the next morning they would go see Ooog to get his help with a roof and door, because he had the tools and not being a Forest Keeper, he was used to using them.
Before they left Uncle Bob there to enjoy his very own nest, Ramona said, “if you want, Uncle Bob, I will teach you a little bit about cooking.”
Bob thought that was a wonderful idea, and was honestly touched that she would make that offer.
On the way back to the Home Clearing, Ralph said, “you know, Blackleg, you’re a pretty sharp old bird! You watch out for all of us!”
She managed to bow and spread her wings, even while clinging to Ralph’s shoulder as he walked his family home.
“Evermore!” said Maeve, with great satisfaction.
💚
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