The Legend of the Demon Squirrel

The Legend of the Demon Squirrel

Word Count: 962

Tommy followed his grandfather, Enrique, across the lawn to his basement. It was the worst tenth birthday ever! Tommy wished he was back in Los Angeles where it wasn’t pouring. He was counting on having his birthday party in the garden, but then the rain began, and they were going to do it in the house. San Diego, California, has never been so rainy on his birthday.

  “Come on, Tommy,” his grandfather urged him.

  “Grandpa, why are we going to the basement? It’s scary down there!” Tommy complained.

  “The birthday candles are stashed away somewhere in there.”

  “Couldn’t you get them earlier?”

  Enrique grabbed Tommy by his shoulders. “Tommy Spencer, if you don’t stop complaining, I will have to use the good old method.”

  Tommy knew all about his grandfather’s ‘good old method’ and restrained from saying anything else until they were in the basement.

  Grandpa Enrique unlocked the wooden door to the basement and lit the lamp at the entrance. The place was a mess: boxes were scattered all around the floor instead of lying neatly on the shelves. It looked as if a hurricane had been through the place. Tommy and Grandpa Enrique began looking in the boxes and piling them on the shelves when the content wasn’t the birthday candles. Enrique was muttering to himself as he was peeping in each box. Suddenly an excited exclamation from Tommy attracted him attention. He saw his grandson standing over a box and holding a stuffed squirrel with dragon wings, a black mask and a spear.

  “You found Calvin. I completely forgot about him.”

  “Calvin?”

  “My own father, your great grandfather Diego, won him for me in a fair when I was ten years old. It was a dark and stormy night. We returned home all soaked, and instead of going to bed he made me a cup of hot chocolate and told me the legend of the demon squirrel.”

  “Can you tell me?” Tommy said excitedly.

  Grandpa Enrique dug a flashlight from his pocket, turned off the lamp and taking his grandson onto his lap told the legend of the demon squirrel.

“Long ago, far far away there was a secret kingdom. Its king was Solomon the squirrel. He ruled peacefully, and his people loved him. One day the army of Kayne the fox invaded Solomon’s lands. King Solomon gathered his best warriors, and the two armies met at the Death Valley for a battle. It was a long bloody battle – both armies were fighting like their lives depended on the outcome of the battle – but Kayne the fox took the victory that day. The fox army was moving fast towards Solomon’s big white castle. Overnight Kayne and his army were camping beneath Solomon’s castle. The squirrels were clueless; there seemed no hope for victory. And then a squirrel named Calvin asked to see King Solomon. Wondering what anybody would want from him in a time of war Solomon told his guards to let Calvin in. Calvin entered the throne room and bowed.

‘What can I do for you?’ King Solomon asked.

Calvin said, ‘Your Majesty, I think I know how to defeat Kayne and his army. I want to help.’

The king was surprised. He couldn’t see how there was a way to defeat the enemy – after all, he has already lost some of his best warriors. He said, ‘What is your plan exactly?’

Calvin said, ‘Give me tonight. I assure you that tomorrow your enemies will fear you.’

The king said, ‘And if you succeed what will you demand from me?’

Calvin said, ‘I want to keep my identity a secret.’

The king was confused, but he agreed. He was desperate.

On the following morning the king woke up, walked to the window – and to his great surprise, Kayne’s army retreated to the tree line in the distance. He asked his guards what happened at night. They told him that a masked squirrel with dragon wings and a spear sneaked into the enemy’s camp and set on fire Kayne’s tent. The king told them to bring Calvin to him.

Calvin appeared in the throne room.

The king said, ‘You fulfilled your promise. It was you who sneaked into Kayne’s camp last night in a mask and with a spear and tried to set his tent on fire?’

Calvin said, ‘Yes, Your Majesty. I am called The Demon Squirrel in my village. I always act at night. I punish those who harm the poor and helpless.’

The king was impressed. He said, ‘Calvin, how would you like to join my army?’

Calvin refused. He bowed and said, ‘Your Majesty, I only ask you to keep my true identity secret. Nobody must find out who the Demon Squirrel is, or my enemies will kill me.’

The king said, ’Very well.’

Calvin said, ‘If you ever need me again, all you have to do is to call.’ Calvin took off his feathered hat, bowed low and went home to his wife and three children. But if you hear the swish of a spear and find a SQ on your wall the following morning know that the Demon Squirrel has been at your house.”

  “Wow, what a great story,” Tommy exclaimed. “Do you have anymore stories?”

  At that moment there was a knock at the door. Tommy’s father entered the dark basement. “Hey guys, where are you?”

  “We’re here,” Grandpa Enrique said.

  “What takes you so long?”

  “Grandpa was telling me a story about the Demon Squirrel,” Tommy said.

  “What’s that?” Tommy’s daddy said.

  “Grandpa, tell him.”

  “Maybe later,” Enrique said taking a package of ten candles. “Come on, the cake waits.”

  “Can you tell me another story after that?”

  “I’d love to, big guy.”

  The three men headed back to the house.