The Birdfeeder

                                                                "The Birdfeeder"



                                                                          By



                                                                  Jerry Steele





"It looks like a swing," said Bruno the black squirrel.



"More like a bell," sniffed Ronnie the red squirrel.



"I smell food," Samantha the grey squirrel said, wrinkling her nose.



It swayed in the spring breeze. It hung from a large pole. The day was young, with sunrise now behind them, and a meal right there, up there, before their very eyes. The stiff wind swung the bird-feeder ever so slightly on its' chain, left to right, back and forth. The squirrels' noses picked up the bird seed scent, and they had to have it.



"Come on," said Ronnie, "let's get up on the picnic table for a better look." With that, the three scampered up on to the weathered picnic table, taking a short leap onto the back of the chair railing.



"Oooh!" said Samantha. "I can see it from here," she said, standing up on her hind legs, "it's all different colors too, there's black seeds, and yellow seeds, and -"



"Whoa!" screeched Samantha, losing her balance, falling off, onto the ground with a soft thud.



"There's so much food up there," she said, looking up to Ronnie and Bruno, "you wouldn't believe it."



Ronnie and Bruno looked at each other.



"Well, it is free food," Ronnie said, gazing upward.



"And it's really not that far away," Bruno said, rubbing one paw beneath his chin. By now, Samantha had climbed back up to the picnic table.



"That hurt," she said, rubbing her backside, "so that food better be good."



"Look out," said Ronnie, "here they come!"



Suddenly the back door swung open, a floppy-eared Beagle followed by husband and wife. Bounding down the steps, the Beagle led the way, picking up the squirrels scent, running towards the table, as the trio leaped onto the ground, then scampered up the fence, on to the fence posts.



"Wow, that was close," said Samantha, looking over at her two friends on separate fence posts. They watched the couple below. The husband closely inspected the feeder as his wife poured in more birdseed. The scent of the seeds quickly rose into the spring air, and soon Ronnie, Bruno, and Samantha were wrinkling their noses in excitement. It smelled so good, and those seeds had to taste even better. Then, just as quickly as the pair came out, they walked back into the house.



"Hey, I've got an idea," Ronnie said, leaping  back onto the picnic table, "come on over here Bruno," he said, motioning with his paw, "if you get on my shoulders, and then Samantha on to yours, we can get to that bird-seed!"



Bruno's belly growled. Samantha's eyes grew wide.



"Okay!" Bruno and Samantha said, almost as one. With a running leap, Bruno climbed on top of Ronnie. "Ouch," said Ronnie, "watch those claws!"



"Sorry," said Bruno. "Oomph!" Ronnie puffed, as Bruno climbed on top of him. The pair was swaying back and forth, like a limb in the spring breeze.



"Now it's your turn, Samantha," huffed Ronnie.



"Wee!" Samantha shouted, the open air whistling through her furry tail, as she landed on Bruno's head, then on to his shoulders. She reached up her paws, but the three swayed back and forth.



"I can almost reach it, if you guys can just get me a little closer," Samantha said, her paws reaching up, swatting at thin air, as the feeder swayed in the breeze. Suddenly, she lost her balance, and the three landed on top of one another, on top of the table.



"Oh man, that was close. If you guys could have gotten me just a little bit closer,"said Samantha, brushing herself off.



"Hey, don't blame me," Ronnie said, rubbing his head.



"Me either," sais Bruno, staggeringn to his feet.



"Okay, that didn't work, now what?" said Samantha. "Oh boy, I can almost taste those seeds. We have got to get up there." Ronnie and Bruno were already at work, circling the picnic table top, around and around they went.



"What are you two doing?" Samantha siad, "I'm starting to get dizzy just watching you two."



"Thinking, that's what," said Bruno, "and I think I've got it," he said, looking over at the large spoon left on the table, from the last family picnic. Its' handle sat on top of a small branch that had rolled beneath it. Bruno went over and sniffed it.



"Well, what have you got?" asked Ronnie, hopping over.



"Yum, yum," Bruno said, "left over potato salad...delicious!"



"No, no, I mean what's your great idea?" said Ronnie impatiently.



"Well, if we put Samantha on top of this spoon and -"



"Oh no," said Samantha, running her paws down her hips, " I didn't lose all that weight to be placed on a spoon!"  Bruno looked at Ronnie and shook his furry head.



"Come on now Samantha," Ronnie said, "you said so yourself that the birdseed is up there, just waiting for us to eat it."



"Yeah," said Ronnie, "you get up there, throw down the rest of it, and we won't have to hunt for food for days. Just think of it Samantha, for days!"



"So it will be that easy."



"Sure, Samantha, it's a sure thing," Bruno said, walking around the spoon. "Ronnie and I will get you up there all right, no problem."



"You two are sure about this?"



"Absolutely positive," Ronnie said, gazing up at the swinging, swaying bird-feeder, "the three of us are just minutes away from a free meal."



"Oh, why do I listen to you two?" said Samantha, climbing slowly onto the spoon's handle, while Bruno and Ronnie began circling the spoon, running faster and faster.



"What are you guys doing?" said Samantha, watching them again.



"Getting a head start," Bruno said, "get ready Samantha, here we go!" With that the brothers in crime leaped on to the spoon, landing on its end, sending the handle up, and Samantha flying.



"Whoa!" said Ronnie to Bruno, watching Samantha fly over the feeder, "that worked a little too well." Samantha landed had on a branch, as her claws dug in. Re-gaining her balance, she climbed back on top of the branch, looking down on the feeder.



"Oooh, I'm so mad at you two," she said, rubbing both her head and bottom, "now I hurt in two places. Just wait until the others hear about this."



"Hey, if we  bring down that feeder, everyone will be proud of us," Ronnie said.



"Yeah," said Bruno, "it'll be worth a few bumps and bruises."



"Who's bumps and bruises?" Samantha asked.



"Okay, okay, so it didn't work," Bruno said, "we'll find a way. As a matter of fact, what are we doing here? Why not just climb up the pole?"



"Hmmm," said Samantha, "that's not a bad idea."



"I don't know," Ronnie said, as the three scampered on to the ground, now looking up at the pole.



"It looks pretty tall," said Samantha.



"Nah Samantha, I saw you go up that tall tree there on the corner just last week, remember?" said Bruno, giving Ronnie a wink.



"I don't know," said Samantha softly, "I probably thought I could do it a few minutes ago."



"Okay, so who's going up this time? Samantha said. Bruno and Ronnie looked at one another, then at Samantha.



"Oh no, oh no, not again," Samantha said, crossing her paws, closing her eyes and shaking her head.



"Oh come on Samantha, you know you can do it," Bruno said, circling around her.



"Yeah, Bruno and I, we're too heavy, why, we might bring the whole thing down," Ronnie said.



"Why should I? Huh? Why should I?" asked Samantha.



"Well, remember who took you to your first free meal at the dumpster, when you were just a baby squirrel?" asked Bruno.



"And remember when I told all the other squirrels that I took that extra walnut, when it was really you?" Ronnie said.



"Oooh! You two are just impossible. I don't know why I go along with your great ideas." Samantha slowly approached the pole.



"Just be quiet now, and let me concentrate," said Samantha, sitting up on her hind legs, staring at the pole. There seemed to be something shiny on the pole, and a wire wrapped around the bottom of it, but when she sniffed it, it had a funny, strange smell, even for a squirrel.



"Hey you guys, come over here and smell this," Samantha said, "what does that smell like to you?"



Bruno came over and gave it a good once over with his nose. Ronnie did the same.



"Got me," said Bruno, "what do you think, Ronnie?"



"I haven't got a clue, but you know, these human are always trying something new. I can't keep up on everything you know. Come on Samantha, let's eat already."



"For the last time, because if this doesn't work-"



"Just go," Bruno and Ronnie said at the same time.



Up the pole Samantha went, her claws digging in.



"Look at her go," Bruno said.



"She's a natural," said Ronnie.



"Wow, you guys were right," Samantha said, the birdseed scent growing stronger.



"This is going to be some great...aah!"



Suddenly, Samantha's claws were losing thier grip, and she was grabbing at the pole, pulling it close to her, the stinky, slimy smell now clung to her fur, as she slid faster and faster back down the pole. She could feel the air rushing by her furry ears, and when she landed on the wire, a sharp pain on her bottom.



She sprang off the wire and pole as Bruno and Ronnie went running off in separate directions.



"Oooh! When I get ahold of you two!" screamed Samantha, running after them, rubbing her bottom at the same time.



The next morning, while her husband re-filled the feeder, his wife picked up the spoon, throwing the branch off the table, for the Beagle to chase.



And far above, three squirrels shook their tired heads at what might have been.





                                                                    THE END