Gabby Comes to Help

   “Hey guys!” greeted Gabby as he flew down from the tree and landed on the table. “What are you guys doing?”

“Hi Gabby,” smiled Midge. “We are talking with Bitsy.”

“Who is Bitsy?” asked Gabby.

“This is Bitsy,” said Booker-T pointing to the tiny bird sitting on the cloth near the bench.

Gabby flew over to the bench and landed on the seat. “Well, well,” smiled Gabby. “You are Bitsy?”

“Yes,” said Bitsy. “Can you help me? Midge said you could help me.”

“Help you do what?” asked Gabby.

“I can't find my mother,” sighed Bitsy. “Midge carried me here to her house and said you could help.”

“That sounds like Midge,” smiled Gabby. “She is always there to help someone.”

“We all want to help you if we can,” said Jake.

“Where did you see your mother last?” asked Gabby.

“In our nest,” said Bitsy.

“Maybe she went back to the nest and didn't find you,” suggested Gabby. “Don't you fly?”

“No,” said Bitsy. “My sisters learned to fly but I'm a little slow at learning. When my mother left to go get food for me, I tried to fly. I wanted to make my mother proud and a strong wind came up and I fell from the nest to the ground.”

“That is where I found her,” said Midge. “She was laying on the ground and needed help.”

“So Midge brought her here hoping that you would help since you fly all over the place,” said Booker-T.

“Can you help her Gabby?” asked Jake.

“Where was her nest?” asked Gabby. “I can start there maybe.”

“The tree near the cafe up the street,” said Midge. “I also have another favor to ask you for, Gabby.”

“What do you need?” asked Gabby. “I think Polly can help me search.”

“Bitsy don't know how to fly,” said Booker-T. “We don't know how to fly so we were hoping that you would teach her to fly.”

“Me!” asked Gabby.

“Sure,” smiled Midge. “Won't you help her learn to fly? Please Gabby!”

“I think Polly would make a good teacher,” said Gabby. “She just taught our little ones to fly. I will go check with her and bring her back here with me.”

“You are going to help me fly?” asked Bitsy.

“My friend Polly will teach you,” said Bitsy. “I will be back later with her.”

“You don't know how to teach Bitsy?” asked Booker-T.

“Sure, I know how,” said Gabby. “But I will have Polly do it while I fly around the area and see if I can find Bitsy's mother.”

“Okay,” smiled Jake. “That is really good.”

“I'm going to get Polly and I will be back later,” said Gabby as he took off from the porch.

“Is Gabby going to help me now?” asked Bitsy.

“He is on the way to get Polly and will be back later,” said Midge. “Polly is across the town so he will probably be back this afternoon.”

“I'm happy his friend is going to help me,” said Bitsy. “I really want to learn how to fly and make my mother proud.”

“I know,” said Booker-T. “Polly is really nice.”

“Do you want to go see another friend of ours while we are waiting?” asked Midge. “You can climb back on me and we can go in the house to meet Snappy.”

“Okay,” said Bitsy. “Snappy don't come outside?”

“Snappy lives in a little tank in the house,” said Booker-T. “He is a small turtle.”

“What's a turtle?” asked Bitsy. “Is he a kind of bird?”

“No,” laughed Jake. “A turtle is a kind of animal. He used to live at the park near a pond but it was very cold in winter so Midge helped to get him a home with her owner.”

“What's an owner?” asked Bitsy.

“We each have an owner,” said Jake.

“Except Gabby and Polly,” added Midge. “Booker-T, Jake, Snappy and I are pets so we have people who take care of us and they are our owners.”

“Gabby and Polly don't have anyone to take care of them?”

“No,” said Jake. “Polly and Gabby are like wild animals. They live outside and eat what they find outside. We pets have people who feed us and give us a place to sleep.”

“Does my mother have an owner?” asked Bitsy.

“No,” said Jake. “You are like Gabby and Polly. You and your family live outside.”

Midge laid down near Bitsy so she could climb onto her neck and they went inside to meet Snappy. Booker-T and Jake followed her into the house through the doggie door.

“Wow,” said Bitsy. “You live in here?”

“Yes,” said Midge. “This is where I live with my owner. Do you like it?”

“It is so big but I don't see any trees and grass in here,” said Bitsy looking around the kitchen.

“We don't have trees inside the house,” said Midge. “Some humans have plants in their houses but we don't have trees. The trees are outside in the yards.”

“Do you like living in here?” asked Bitsy.

“Yes,” said Midge.

“We all like living in a house,” smiled Booker-T. “Some owners make their dogs live outside in a little dog house.”

“Our owners let us stay inside the house with them,” said Jake. “They are good people and they take care of us pets like family.”

“That's nice,” said Bitsy. “I miss my mother and sisters.”

“Gabby will find them,” assured Midge.

“Hey you guys!” called Gabby banging on the window with his beak. “Hey!

“Lets go see what Gabby is wanting,” said Midge. “Maybe he brought Polly to help teach Bitsy to fly.”

The four went back outside and ran around to the front of the house where they found Gabby sitting on the table.

“Where is Polly?” asked Midge. “Did she come with you?”

“No,” said Gabby looking toward the bench. “But look who I brought with me.”

Midge walked over to the bench with Bitsy still on her neck. “Mommy!” called Bitsy. “Mommy, I missed you.”

“Gabby told me what happened,” said the momma bird. “I came back and you were gone. I couldn't find you.”

“Midge here found me on the ground and she helped me,” said Bitsy. “And this is Jake and Booker-T.”

“I'm so happy you found my little baby and helped her,” smiled the momma bird. “Can Bitsy and I stay here while I teach her to fly?”

“Sure,” said Midge. “Am glad Gabby found you.”

“Thanks for helping my little baby,” said the momma bird. “My name is Jenny.”

“We are glad we could help,” said Jake. “Good luck with the flying lessons.”

“And always remember,” said Booker-T. “You are our new friends and we hope when you learn to fly and you fly away, that you will come back to see us sometimes.”

“We will do that,” said Jenny.