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Binq's Story!
Sally Sparrow sat on her nest inside her birdie's house that stood in the back of Ms. B's
yard. She adjusted and moved the various twigs and the bits of lint that Ms. B had left
out for her use. Sally had 2 little eggs in her nest that would soon hatch into
sparrowlettes as she laughingly refereed to them. The eggs put off a warm glow inside
Sally's heart. They were going to be her first chicks and she was so very excited. She
couldn't wait to see the world again through their young eyes, a world of danger but also
of joy. She would teach them the old songs and the would entertain her with new ones of
their choosing. Chirping happily, she peeked outside and saw that Ms. B was watering her
lawn. Time for a bath, thought Sally.
As Sally flew down toward the water splashing on the grass she spied her old friend Slim,
the rusty colored earthworm. Slim would have been a good meal for Sally except that Sally
had turned into a vegetarian after she got sick from eating Slim's cousin Harry, the
caterpillar. She still shuttered when she thought of that scene. Just seed for her from
now on, thank you! Sally and Slim had a fine friendship and they wanted to keep it that
way. Landing beside a puddle of water, Sally spread her wings and let the splashing water
wash the soil of the day away. Slim wiggled up near Sally and began to tell her all the
underground rumors he had heard. Sally knew everything that happened for a mile around.
Earthworms can carry tales that far in a very short time. As long as there was no thunder
to drive them deep underground then Sally always knew the latest scoop around the
neighborhood.That was how Sally found out about her other friend Beauregard Badger.
Seems Beau, as he was commonly known, had found a new love interest last month and the
happy couple were digging a new home in the forest nearby. Belle, the newest Mrs. Badger,
was very particular about how the new home would look to the little badgers that would
arrive in a few months. Baby badgers need a safe and secure home or they suffer from
terrible nightmares. Have you ever heard a bawling badger at midnight? It's not a pretty
sound for any ears! So, Sally being the kind of friend she is decided to make the short
flight to visit them. She would take them a new homewarming gift, a bright and shiny gold
button that she found in the lint that Ms. B had dropped outside. So off Sally flew to the
new burrow and gave the happy couple the shiny gold button and congratulated them too.That
button would surely spruce up the place by adding a spot of glitter to the underground
home.
Biding Slim a good day, Sally flew back to her perch in front of her home to dry off in
the bright sunlight. Spreading her wings, the water drops glinting in the sun, she peeked
in to check on her eggs. The nest was empty! She twirped so shrilly that Ms. B looked up
from the book she was reading. Slim popped up from his hole in the ground. The other birds
all stopped what they were doing and rushed to Sally's home. Her eggs, her soon to be
chicks, were gone! All the birds were upset and squawking at each other. The news traveled
fast and soon the Badgers had heard about it too.
A butterfly came and landed near Sally, flapping it's wings in a message, it told Sally
that a strange squirrel had carried her eggs off. Sally soared up and began looking for
this wicked squirrel at once. The other birds did the same, trying to help poor Sally find
her soon to be chicks. As Sally flew in circles around her neighborhood looking for the
squirrel, she spotted Slim and saw him motion her closer. She landed near Slim and he told
her to go to the Badgers place, that they had news of her eggs.
So off Sally flew to the new home of the Badgers in the forest. She was so upset that she
didn't notice that Beau's and Belle's beaming smiles. Sally, Sally, they cried, we're so
glad you have come at last. We have a surprise for you. And off the went into the burrow
home with Sally hopping in after them. There in a small basket were Sally's eggs!
How did you get my eggs?, Sally asked the pair. Beau, in his best southern accent, told
the tale of Rocky, the raccoon traveling salesman, who offered to trade the eggs for the
shiny gold button that Sally had brought to the Badger's as a gift. Now, the Badgers were
so happy to have had a special use for the gold button, as Belle knew her babies wouldn't
like anything shining in their eyes when they arrived. But Belle would never hurt Sally's
feelings by telling her that bit of information about baby badgers. Sally was overjoyed to
have found her eggs safe and sound and being taken care of by her friends. Beau carried
the small basket outside the burrow for Sally and she grasped it with her feet, biding the
Badger couple goodbye and many thank yous as she flew toward home.
She carefully placed the eggs back in her nest of twigs and lint and warmed them with her
body heat as they warmed her heart again. When she peeked out of the birdie's house again
she saw that all was well in her neighborhood and she was content to await the hatching of
her eggs with a good feeling.
And as for the squirrel thief, he was bombed out of the area by Sally's other friends, the
local birds, who dropped small stones on him as he ran away.
If you liked this story let me know!
Midi: Baby Baby
Luigi deMuse
Copyright Susan Allen December, 2000
