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Decmeber 20, 2001 - A children's Christmas storyDecember 20, 2001 I II I �i Times /Review sketch by Joyce Grigonis In the tool shed teary -eyed Fluffytail is saved by some help from one of the `woodland gang' on Christmas Day. ' "I Il through the month of December the Christmas spirit was building. Then just before that wonderful day, a dark cloud came across everyone's thoughts. It was a "real" dark cloud. The weather fore- cast was for a terrible storm, one that would just about ruin everyone's hopes for a merry Christmas. Everyone watched in hopes of a change, but no, it was still moving in their direction and the worst part was it was going to hit just about Christmas time. The storm didn't really matter to most of the "wood- Focus and gang." Squeaky the mouse was all curled up with his family in the ON woodshed, the opossum was asleep NATURE under the woodpile, Bandit the rac- by Paul coon had found an old hollow tree Stoutenburgh and was curled up inside fast asleep. The chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers weren't worried because they had plenty to eat. There were always those good people who put out bird seed and suet for them, but Fluffytail, the youngest squirrel, was snendine his first winter alone. He had lived in a hollow tree with his parents for the past year but now that he was older, his parents told hin he had to go out on his own. So he built himself a leaf nest in the top of a tall oak tree. (Squirrels are pretty smart about building nests it trees and if you've ever looked up amongst the win ter trees, you've probably seen their leafy nests. What a squirrel does is cut small branches, with their green leaves still on them, which bend easily so he can work them into a nice tight nest. Then when everything dries out, the nest is pretty strong.) So we find little Fluffytail spending his first win- ter alone atop a tree in his own newly made nest. Little did he know there was a storm coming. He had just curled up with his long tail wrapped around him and fallen fast asleep. Remember, the storm was by now building up every hour. How the wind did blow and how the something awful. Fluffytail didn't know what was happening, but he could start to feel his world com- ing apart. The wind blew and the snow came in great swirls of white. Every once in a while a piece of his nest would blow away. Pretty soon little Fluffytail began to feel cold drafts of wind coming in, first in one corner and then the next. His nest was slowly being blown apart! What could he do? He peeked outside and could see nothing but white snow — every whirling, twirling snow. What to do? He was scared and all alone. He decided to get out and abandon his nest, but where could he go? He looked out and found he could go down the tree only on one side because the other side was so windy and snowy. When he did try to go down the windy side, he was almost blown off the tree. Finally he slowly worked his way down the tree, and when he stepped ott, he was way over ms neao in deep snow. It was like floating on a big cloud. Where would he go? He could always go back up in the trees but by now there was nothing left there. No food. No nest. Nothing but wind and snow. He remembered there was a holly tree over in the garden that had big red berries. Maybe he could make his way through the trees to the holly and get some of those because he was getting mighty hungry. So, very cautiously, he made his way, jumping from one tree to the next. One time when he jumped the wind blew him so hard he almost missed the next limb. But he was a good climber and had lots of practice jumping from tree to tree. After much huff- ing and puffing, he finally reached the holly tree. A man was walking out in the garden, all wrapped up in his winter clothes. With a pair of snippers in Fluffytail sat shivering and wondering what he would do next. his hands, he went to the big holly tree and cut off the limbs with. the best red berries. He must have had 10 or 12 branches of holly. He took so much holly that there were hardly any berries left on the tree, and those few were guarded by a tough old mock- ingbird who kept jumping in and out, telling everyone the berries were his and his alone. The man paid little attention to the mockingbird as he picked up his armful of holly branches and headed back to the house, where he would use them for decorations. How cozy and Christmasy it looked inside the house. That didn't make the little squirrel, Fluffytail, feel very good, for he was cold and hungry. He remembered the little tool shed in the garden that was out of the wind, so he headed there. Luckily, with the help of a long limb of the trumpet creeper vine, he was able to make his way from the big holly tree over to the tool shed. Once there, he sat shivering and wondering what he would do next. There was no food around. The wind and snow still blew and he was all alone. A big tear ran down his cheek. "What to do? Perhaps if I can get over by the big house, I can get something to eat from the bird feed- ers," he thought. So back up the trumpet creeper vine he went and across the lawn, jumping and holding on for dear life until he got near the house, where the wind wasn't blowing quite so hard. Sure enough, there were bird feed- ers there and the folks in the big house had put a big red Christmas bow on the feeder. The birds were having a wonderful time eating, so he went over and jumped onto the bird feeder, but to his dismay, it was one of those with wire all around it to keep guys like him and the big bluejays and crows out. He could see why, for those two were such hogs. No matter how much he tried to get that bird food, he just couldn't reach it. He was foiled again. "Oh, if I could only get in and get some of those sunflower seeds, but I just can't reach them. I guess the only thing I can do now is go back to the tool shed and hope for the best. After all, it is Christmas and wonderful things do appen ur- ing this time of the year," he thought. So he worked himself through the trees and down the trumpet creeper vine and into the tool shed, where he sat with his tail up over his back, tears running down his cheeks. "What am I going to do ?" He stayed there for the rest of the day and into the night. By then it was Christmas Eve and, believe it or not, the wind and snow stopped and the stars and moon came out. Everything was so quiet and Fluffytail would have to wait until morning to see if he could find some food. So once again he curled up in the corner of the tool shed, his tail up over his head, and went fast asleep. The next morning he was up bright and early, but the snow was so deep he couldn't run on the ground. The only way he could get around was through the treetops, but that was no trouble now because the wind and snow had stopped. It was a beautiful world but also a very scary one because he was so hungry and no one was around to help him. Pretty soon a wood- pecker came along and looked in. He listened to the little squirrel's tale about how his leaf nest had blown away and how hungry he was. Then the woodpecker said, "Maybe I can bring you a little suet from the feeder." So off he flew and brought back a ball of suet for Fluffytail to enjoy. To Fluffytail it was as good as any Christmas present could be. Slowly but surely, word got out that Fluffytail was in dire need of food. Then the chickadees and nuthatches brought sunflower seeds and dropped them off. In no time, he chewed through the shells and ate the sweet meat of the seeds. It made him feel better and warm inside. So this was the way Christmas was celebrated by the woodland gang. Those that could get around, like the birds, were busy carrying suet or sun- flower seeds to those in need. Fluffytail was beginning to feel like himself again. What a wonderful Christmas he was having. He had filled his tummy up and was running around the tool shed like he'd been born again. He was so thankfut that all these good woodland friends had helped him in his desperate need for food, but now he began to think of his nest and wonder where he would live for the rest of the winter. He could see there was nothing left of the nest he had built but one or two leaves in the top of the tree. The raccoon had the best spot of all in the hollow tree, the opossum was happy in the woodpile, but squirrels nest high in the trees. Just then he remembered where Blackie the crow had built a big nest in the summertime up in the back woods. Maybe he could use that. So up he went, through the trees, to Blackie's now- abandoned nest. It was nothing but a big bunch of sticks, but if he got way down inside, it was pret- ty nice, and so, that Christmas Day he curled up in his new nest and thought of how wonderful it was that everyone was so giving and so friendly. But then, isn't that the way the whole world should be, everyone helping everyone else, through good times and bad? Pretty soon Fluffytail was fast asleep, dreaming of bushels of hickory nuts and sunflower seeds. After all, this had turned out to be the very best Christmas a squirrel could ask for. P.S. We are very thankful to Joyce Grigonis of Southold, who offered to draw a sketch for our children's Christmas story this year. Thanks, Joyce, and Merry Christmas to every- one.