A Hot Summer Day 1e3m5t

HEROES AND FRIENDS

A HOT SUMMER DAY

ROD MORTENSON

Copyright © 2020 by Rod Mortenson.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019920819 ISBN: Hardcover Softcover eBook

978-1-7960-7950-0 978-1-7960-7949-4 978-1-7960-7948-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only. Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

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Rev. date: 08/24/2020

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CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1 Into the Big Forest

Chapter 2 Tree Trunk Trouble

Chapter 3 Sudden Danger!

Chapter 4 To Camelot!

Chapter 5 Monster Berries!

Chapter 6 Blueberry Barge!

Chapter 7 Wiggins Creek!

Chapter 8 BRUNO!

Chapter 9 Heroes and Friends!

About the Author

The Big Meadow

INTRODUCTION

O UT IN THE country, where the farmland ends and the forest begins, there is a very special place known as The Big Me adow.

The Big Meadow is nestled between Farmer Smith’s pasture and the edge of the forest. Among its many residents, there is a large family of field mice.

The Big Meadow Book Series tells the adventures of three of the most interesting young mice in the entire meadow as they live and interact with the fascinating world around them.

Spike is the oldest and bravest of the three. If a leader were chosen out of the group, it would probably be him. His real name is Steve, but his friends call him “Spike” because of his unruly crop of hair.

Curly is slightly younger than Spike, but is actually a little bigger. His real name is Chester, but his friends call him Curly. He seems to be the brains of the bunch.

Squeeky, whose real name is Mike, is the youngest and smallest of the group. He gets his nickname from the sound of his non-stop voice.

Come with me as we the trio on an adventure that took place one hot summer afternoon. They found themselves face to face with danger and opportunity. With courage and cunning they not only made their way through the

challenges of the day, but also found themselves among Heroes and Friends!

Together we can visit their little corner of the world. It’s a lovely place that I return to again and again. I hope you will, too. Perhaps someday we will meet down near Wiggin’s Creek, in the corner of The Big Meadow.

Under the Fern Leaves

Chapter One

INTO THE BIG FOREST

S PIKE LAY IN the shade of a big fern leaf with his two buddies. They were hot, and they were bored. They had no idea what kind of an adventure they were about to experience.

“What do you think, Spike? Want to chase a beetle? Huh, Spikey?” Squeeky seemed to chatter non-stop, and it was beginning to get on Spike’s nerves.

“No, I do not want to chase a beetle! It’s too hot to go running around!” Spike didn’t even open his eyes as he spoke.

“And don’t call me Spikey. My Gramma calls me that and I don’t like it.”

“Well, I kind of like your Gramma, Spike,” said Curly, who was lying on his back with his hands behind his head. He had been almost asleep and heard only a part of what Spike said. “She makes the best hazelnut brownies in the whole world.”

“I didn’t say I don’t like my Gramma! I said I don’t like it when she calls me Spikey.” Spike seemed irritated. Maybe it was the heat.

Suddenly Spike sat up. “You guys can just lay here all day if you want to, but I’m going for a walk.”

“You going for a walk, Spike? Where you going? Can I come? Huh, Spike?” Squeeky was up and on his feet.

“I’m going in the big woods. Down to the pond. I bet it’s cool down there.” Spike stood up and brushed the dust and dried grass off his back. “You can stay here with Curly.”

“You better ask your Mom, Spike. You can’t just walk off into the woods by yourself. Why can’t I come, Spike? Huh, Spikey?”

“Yes, I’m going to ask my mother. No, I don’t want you tagging along. I just want to be alone!”

Spike stomped off toward the big gray rock that marked the entrance to his family’s den. He lives there with his Mom and Dad. He has no brothers or sisters.

Squeeky looked at Curly with sad eyes. “What do you think, Curly? Are you going, too?”

Curly was up and walking toward his home with Squeeky bouncing at his side. “Well, it’s a free country, and if we want to go to the pond too, there’s no law against it.”

“Me too? You think me too?”

“Sure… Why not… If it’s ok with your Mom.”

Squeeky whizzed off toward his family’s den under the tall, old stump. He lives there with his Mom and Dad, and his three little sisters who are just barely old enough to toddle around, and must stay close to their mother.

Curly had the shortest distance to go. His family has a den under a thick clump of brush on the edge of the meadow.

He lives there with his eleven brothers and sisters, twenty-one cousins, and his aunts, uncles, grandparents, and a nice old guy everyone calls Uncle Wilber, who isn’t really anyone’s uncle.

Nobody knows exactly where Uncle Wilber came from. He just seems to have always been a part of the family.

Half the mice in the meadow live under that thick clump of brush. It was too big and thick for Farmer Smith to plow down with his tractor and he just never had the time to chop it all down, so there it stands. For which the mice are very grateful. The thick tangled branches make the perfect place for many mouse nests. It is a very grand clump of brush indeed!

As Spike left their family den and headed toward the Big Forest, he saw a familiar form standing near the toadstool that grows beside the pathway. He knew it was Squeeky even before he heard his chirpy voice break the silence.

“Are we going to wait for Curly? His Mom is packing him a lunch to bring along.”

“No, I am not waiting for anyone!” Spike scowled and stared straight ahead at the trail. “I just want to go for a walk. What’s the big deal, anyway? Can’t a guy be alone for one minute?”

Spike felt like turning around and telling Squeeky to go back home. In his mind he could picture himself turning around and shouting: “Just leave me alone!”

But he knew it would hurt Squeeky’s feelings. And after all, they had been friends for a long time. So Spike just went on his way, mumbling and grumbling as he went.

“Hey Guys!” A voice panted behind them. “Wait up!”

“It’s Curly! Should we wait for him? Huh, Spikey?”

Spike frowned and grumbled out loud.

“I suppose. But I don’t have all day. And stop calling me SPIKEY!”

“All right! All right! Sorry!” Squeeky said, as they turned to wait for Curly. “I think maybe I’ll call you GRUMPY!”

Curly caught up to them huffing and puffing. He had a stick over his shoulder and tied to it, hanging behind his back, was a big red bandana with white polka dots. It was so full that it was bulging. It looked very heavy.

“My Mom… packed a lunch… she said… to stay… on the trail… and to be… home… before dark.” Curly panted out the words between huffs and puffs.

“What did she pack? Huh Curly? Sure looks like a lot of stuff. Is there any cheese in there? We’ve been out of cheese. You guys got any cheese at your place, Spike?”

Spike ignored him, but Curly responded. “No, there isn’t any cheese. I don’t think anyone in the whole meadow has any left. I heard Uncle Wilber talking to Dad about making a trip to the farmhouse this weekend. They want to get five or six guys to go with them and bring back a load of cheese.”

“What about the cat, Curly? There’s a new cat you know. They say it’s really big! A huge tomcat they say. I haven’t seen it though. Have you seen it?”

“No, I haven’t.” Curly replied.

Spike spun around and glared at the two.

“Shhhhhhhh!!!” He said, then turned and continued walking.

The little trio continued on in silence. They were now entering the Big Forest, on the path that leads to the pond.

“YEE-OWCH!!” Spike yelled. He spun around and grabbed his tail. “Watch where you are going, Squeeky! You stepped right on my tail, you clumsy oaf!”

“Sorry Spike. I was looking for raspberries. There’s supposed to be some around here you know. Did you know that? What’s an oaf, anyway Spike?”

Spike just moaned, turned around, and continued walking.

“Well, Squeeky,” Curly replied, seeing that Spike had no interest in conversation, “an oaf is a dumb, clumsy sort of a person.”

“You think I’m an oaf, Spike? You think I’m dumb and clumsy? Do ya Spike?” Squeeky was getting a little upset with his grouchy friend.

“You know, Spike,” Curly ed in, “If you weren’t being such a grouch and dragging your tail, it wouldn’t have been stepped on in the first place.”

Spike stopped. Squeeky stopped, being careful not to step too close. Curly stopped, and laid down the heavy bundle to give his arm a rest.

Spike turned around slowly. “I’m sorry Squeeky. You’re not an oaf. And I know you didn’t mean to step on my tail. I’m sorry I was so grouchy.”

“Here,” Spike motioned to Squeeky, “walk beside me and we won’t have to worry about stepping on tails. And it will be easier to talk, too.”

“Just a sec…” Curly scooped up the bundle and swung it over his shoulder, “Let me get on the other side.”

“Yeah,” said Spike, “Let’s put our arms on each other’s shoulders and we can walk like the Three Musketeers.”

“Mouseketeers!” Squeeky corrected, “We’re the Three Mousketeers!”

“You got it, Squeeky!” Spike replied, “All for one and one for all!”

And into the forest they went…

Tree Trunk Across The Path

Chapter Two

TREE TRUNK TROUBLE

T HE PATH IN the Big Forest winds its way through the thick, tall, grass and dense undergrowth. The covering helps hide small hikers from the hungry eyes that are constantly watching from the shadows and high places. The most feared are the fox and the owl.

The fox likes to prowl through the bushy areas of the Big Forest and the surrounding thicket. He occasionally makes a trip through the meadow, so the mice are always on watch.

The owl lives in the tall pines that grow in the center of the Big Forest, near the pond.

The tiny trio made their way through the outer area of the Big Forest, where the trees are smaller and grow very close together.

This is the best place to find raspberries and hazelnuts. But they didn’t see any as they ed by.

As they left the smaller trees and entered the tall pines, Spike stopped and raised his hand for the others to stop.

He motioned for them to be quiet. The trio unwound their arms from each other’s shoulders and grew quiet.

They listened.

They heard a slow steady breeze making a soft whistling sound in the tops of the tall pines.

They heard the crackly sound of a small black and white bird chipping away bits of bark in search of mites, ticks, and ants.

They heard an occasional faint buzz of a fly ing by. In the distance they heard a couple of chipmunks chattering to each other. It sounded like they were very upset. That’s how chipmunks always sound.

Spike turned to face his partners. “From here to the pond we have to be very careful,” he whispered, “there isn’t much cover here in the tall pines and this is where the owl lives.”

His buddies knew this. It was important that they all were alert and watching as they crossed this area. The owl was always looking for a nice little lunch!

“Listen for the wind in his wing feathers,” Curly said. “The wind makes a ‘whua-whua-whua’ sound with every stroke of his wings.”

“And watch for his shadow,” Squeeky added. “My Dad says that he always tries to swoop down behind you.”

They ventured out into the tall pines, darting quickly from tree to tree keeping watch in all directions as they went.

About halfway through the pines they suddenly stopped. The biggest tree trunk they had ever seen was lying across the path.

“Wow!” Squeeky stood looking up.

“Wow!” Spike and Curly echoed in unison.

“Do you know what this is?” Spike exclaimed in a quiet, mysterious voice.

It sounded as if he was about to tell a great secret. “This is the tree trunk that the owl lives in!”

“It is!” Curly’s eyes grew even wider. “It’s the biggest tree in the forest. It must have blown down during that storm last week.”

“I hope he was in it when it fell!” Squeeky blurted out. “It would serve him right!”

Spike turned to him and frowned. It wasn’t nice to wish bad things on anyone, even if it was the owl.

“I don’t think he was in it,” Curly said. “Besides, he would have just flown away as it fell.”

“Well, his house is wrecked so maybe he moved away.” Squeeky was still hopeful.

“We can’t assume anything,” Spike cautioned. “Let’s keep going.”

“Going?” Squeeky squeeked, as he looked up at the huge front of them. “How can we keep going?”

Spike and Curly surveyed the huge roadblock. Hmmmmm… This was a problem.

“I’ve got it!” Curly announced. “See that branch over there?” He asked, pointing to a broken branch a few yards away, sticking out from the huge log. It was just high enough to be out of reach.

“We can boost each other up on that branch and climb to the top.” Curly sounded confident.

They walked over to the branch and stood looking up at it.

“Just how do we boost each other up there? Squeeky asked.

“Well…” Curly’s voice trailed off.

“OK…” Spike took command. “Here’s what we do. First, Squeeky and I will boost you up, Curly, then I will boost Squeeky, and hand the lunch up to you. Then, you guys can lower the stick that the lunch is tied to and I can hang on to it as you guys pull me up.”

Squeeky and Curly looked at each other and then up at the branch above them. Well, maybe it would work. They both turned to Spike and nodded.

Grunting and puffing, Spike and Squeeky gave Curly a boost. It didn’t seem like he was going to make it at first, but finally Curly grabbed the branch and pulled himself up.

Next, Spike gave Squeeky a boost while Curly reached down and pulled him up.

Then Spike handed up the stick with the lunch tied to it.

“Just a minute, Spike,” Curly said, “I’m going to take off the lunch so it doesn’t get squished.”

He fumbled with the knot until he was able to slip it off the end of the stick.

Curly and Squeeky laid down on the branch, stretching their arms as they lowered the stick to Spike.

Spike grabbed onto the end of the stick with both hands.

“OK… Pull!” he said.

Curly and Squeeky pulled, and pulled. Squeeky had his eyes shut tight as he pulled. Curly was starting to turn red.

Hand over hand the two pulled up the stick until Spike managed to climb up onto the branch.

“Whew!” exclaimed Spike. “Not quite as easy as I thought it would be.”

“That must be the first plan of yours that ever worked!” Curly teased as he tied the lunch back on the end of the stick.

He was kidding and they all knew it. They laughed as they climbed up the branch and onto the fallen tree.

The three stood looking up and down the huge tree trunk.

“Is this one of those Redwood trees?” Squeeky wondered out loud.

“No,” said Curly the walking encyclopedia, “This is a White Pine. Well, it WAS a White Pine, actually.

It’s got to be one of the oldest and biggest in the world.”

Not that he knew the size of White Pines all over the world, or even in all of the Big Forest for that matter.

But his companions accepted him as the authority on the subject.

“Now how do we get down on the other side?” Squeeky asked.

“Right over there!” Spike declared triumphantly. “We just walk down that branch.”

He was pointing to a long branch on the far side of the tree that reached out and stuck into the ground

It was a quick and easy walk to the ground on the other side.

As they scampered down the branch and continued on their way to the pond, they had no idea that danger was just a few moments away!

Three on a Tree

Diving for Cover

Chapter Three

SUDDEN DANGER!

H AVING CONQUERED THE giant tree trunk blocking their path, the happy little threesome went merrily on their way.

The forest floor was soft with layers of pine needles. They sang and talked as they skipped along in the sunbeams that penetrated the pine branches high above them and reached the ground here and there.

There was a cool breeze blowing softly through the pines. It was much cooler than the blazing hot sun in the meadow.

Ah! This is the life of a mouse! A good day, and good friends to share it with.

Spike had completely forgotten wanting to be alone. He also had forgotten how grouchy he had been. And the others were certainly not going to remind him.

Suddenly, very quietly at first, there was that sound…

whua… whua… Whua… WHUA!!!

Curly was the first to hear it.

“OWL!” He shouted, dropping the stick and the bundle of food.

They exploded into action!

“IN HERE!” Squeeky yelled, as he dove head first into a small hole, at the base of a big tree. It was partially hidden by a lumpy, twisted old root.

Spike dove in right on top of him!

Curly ran for the hole. The dark shadow swept over him as he ran. He could feel the wind of the wings closing in on him as he dove into the hole with the other two mouseketeers.

The three of them sat scrunched on top of each other.

None of them were able to speak. They were totally out of breath. Their hearts were beating as fast as humming bird wings.

“He… almost… got… me!” Curly puffed.

Spike could feel him shaking.

“He almost had me, Spike!” Curly said, “That was really close!”

“Yeah, but you made it, buddy!” Spike tried to encourage him.

“I felt his wings right above my head!” Curly was still shaking but was able to talk without puffing.

“Shhhhhh!!!” Spike warned. “He’s still out there!”

They heard a faint “whua… whua… whua…” of wing feathers circling the tree.

A shadow floated past the opening of their tiny dungeon. Then they heard a new sound just outside their doorway. It was a loud raspy sounding voice that echoed loudly through the trees.

“CRAAAWK! CRAAAWK!”

“That’s a raven!” Spike announced as he peeked out of the small opening.

“Yeah,” Curly added, “the scavenger of the forest. It wasn’t the owl! It was a raven! He wasn’t after me! He just wanted our sack of food!”

“And it looks like he’s going to get it.” Spike said pointing out toward the big black bird.

The trio watched the raven as he landed a short distance away. Twisting his head from side to side, he looked at the bandana bundle like he was trying to figure it out.

“Oh, no!” Squeeky chirped, “There goes our lunch!”

The raven had the red bandana in his beak and was tearing it open with the help of one foot.

Bread crumbs fell out, tumbling to the ground in front of him.

He quickly snatched them up and carefully scanned the area in case he had overlooked one.

When he was satisfied that he had eaten every crumb, he dropped the shredded bandana to the ground.

He took three short hops and flew off between the pines. They heard his coarse croaks echo off into the distance.

The three sat for a moment in stunned silence, staring out the doorway. The raven was gone, and so was their lunch.

“Hey!” Squeeky suddenly yelped, “There’s somebody in here! I just stepped on somebody!”

“No kidding!” A small voice growled. “Get your big foot off me! What’s all the racket about, anyways? Can’t a fella sleep?”

Curly turned and squinted into the darkness, trying to make out the small form at the end of the tunnel.

“You’re a shrew, aren’t you?” He asked.

“A shrew? Good grief, do you need glasses, sonny boy? I’m a mole. Always have been and always will be.”

Squeeky leaned over and looked at the mole more closely. He had never seen one this close.

The mole was shorter than Squeeky, about half as tall as Spike. His eyes were squinted shut so tight that it looked like he didn’t even have any.

At the tip of his nose, instead of having whiskers like the mice, he had short stubby feelers. Squeeky thought they looked like roots. He didn’t have much of a neck. He had short arms with long sharp claws for digging.

“What’s the matter, kid? Ain’t you never seen a mole before?”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Squeeky was embarrassed. “Well, no sir, that is… well… not real close anyway.”

“Well, I’ve never seen a field mouse this close before neither.” He replied, “Not that I ever wanted to. Now what’s all this fuss about? Why are you youngsters crashing in here?”

“We didn’t mean to crash in on you, sir.” Spike said, “You see, the owl almost got us and we jumped in here to escape.”

“Well, we thought it was the owl,” Squeeky corrected, “but really it was a raven.”

“Yeah, I gathered all that. Now do you intend to stay here the rest of your life or will I be able to get back to sleep sometime soon?” The mole asked.

“We were just leaving.” Curly said as he crawled out the door.

“Yes, we are on our way to the pond.” Spike said, following closely behind Curly.

“It was real nice to meet you Mr. Mole,” Squeeky said. “Maybe we can stop by again, if you don’t mind.”

“Well…” Mr. Mole’s voice stopped for a moment. “That would be OK. Yes, that would be just fine.”

He paused, then continued, “You know, I don’t get a lot of company around here. You fellas are OK. Stop by anytime you like.”

He followed Squeeky to the entrance of his tiny tunnel, but stopped with his head in the shadows.

He squinted like the sun hurt his eyes, and shaded them with his arm.

In the light you could see the dirt that covered his short coat of fur.

Which is quite normal for a mole, since they spend their time tunneling underground, searching for worms and grubs.

“You fellas stay out of open areas. Keep close to the trees. Follow along sticks, rocks, and branches. Keep down low until you get near the pond.”

“Yes, sir.” “We will, sir.” “Bye Mr. Mole.”

Mr. Mole crawled back down into the far end of his burrow and settled down for a good long nap.

Spike picked up what was left of the red bandana and examined it.

“Hey, I’ve got an idea. We can make headbands out of this!”

Curly looked at it. “Well,” he said, “it’s all tore up anyway, so I don’t think Mom would mind.”

Spike tore the bandana into three strips and handed them each one.

“Should we put them around our necks or on our foreheads?” Squeeky asked.

“Let’s put them on our foreheads,” Curly said.

“Good idea,” said Spike. “We will wear them as headbands like pirates!”

Pirate Headbands

A Jump Too Far

Chapter Four

TO CAMELOT!

H AVING LEARNED A valuable lesson about staying alert at all times, the trio was less talkative now as they continued their journey through owl territory.

As they neared the pond, the pines were shorter and mixed with other kinds of trees. The gentle slope down toward the edge of the pond made travel a little easier. The thick underbrush gave them good cover as they went.

They relaxed a little and began to enjoy the sights around them. The leaves on the plants growing near the pond are every shape you can imagine.

Although most of them are some shade of green, there are a few that have tints of blue, red, yellow and brown in them.

They made their way among the weeds along the shore, being careful not to get their feet wet.

“You know,” Curly said, “these headbands really do make us look like pirates!”

“You’re right!” Spike said. “But I think we should have swords, too!”

“Like this?” Squeeky asked, as he reached down and picked up a short piece of a reed and held it up like a sword.

He held it high in the air and said, “All for one!”

Spike and Curly scrambled around quickly to find a good sword.

Soon they all had one.

Spike’s sword had a slight kink in it, but it still worked just fine.

Facing each other, they stood in a circle to do the Three Mouseketeer’s Salute. They raised their swords in the air with the tips touching in the center.

With their eyes fastened up on the points, they shouted in perfect unison;

“All for one… and one for all!”

“Buds!” shouted Squeeky.

“Buds!” Spike and Curly repeated.

“To Camelot!” Spike announced, with his sword still in the air.

“To fight the dragon!” Curly added.

With swords drawn they advanced to the water’s edge. The great sea lay before them!

Spike stepped out onto a Lilly Pad, and the other two followed.

They jumped from pad to pad until they were about as far out into the pond as they could get.

“Wow!” Spike said as he looked around, “This pond is a lot bigger than I it being. It’s almost a lake.”

“Yeah, it’s getting pretty big, but it’s not quite a lake,” Curly said with a frown.

He shielded his eyes from the sun with his hand as he scanned the distant

shoreline.

Out of the corner of their eyes, Curly and Spike saw Squeeky begin to make a jump for one more Lilly Pad, farther out.

“No!” Spike shouted. “It’s too…”

SPLASH!!!

“…far!” His sentence ended too late.

“HELP!” Squeeky was thrashing the water like a windmill in a tornado. Water was flying everywhere. His sword was floating away.

And he was sinking. “I… CAN”T… SWIM… Glub!”

“Grab my sword!” cried Spike, as he stretched it out toward him.

Squeeky was just barely able to reach it with one hand.

Curly glanced out across the water. There was “V” shaped wave moving very quickly along the surface, heading straight for Squeeky!

“FISH!” Curly yelped. His voice was even higher pitched than Squeeky’s. “A BIG fish! Pull him in quick! Pull Spike!”

Spike yanked on the reed sword.

“SNAP!” It broke in two!

Spike blinked at the broken sword and then at the bubbles rising from where Squeeky had been.

The “V” shaped wave swirled around right at the very same spot.

“Stupid wimpy sword!” Spike shouted, tossing it down.

Curly and Spike knelt at the edge of their Lilly Pad, staring into the deep dark water.

“SQUEEKY!” they yelled.

SPLOOOOSH!

Suddenly, the water exploded right in front of them. Squeeky flew out of the water and right over their heads. Their eyes grew as big as marbles. This was impossible!

SPLAT! Squeeky landed behind them on the Lilly pad.

“Sputter!… Cough!… Erk!” Squeeky blinked his eyes at Spike and Curly. “What did you guys do?” He asked, water dripping everywhere.

“We didn’t do anything!” Spike said.

“It was that big fish!” said Curly.

“Fish? What do you mean, fish?” Asked a strange voice behind them.

They spun around. Right next to their Lilly Pad they seen something floating in the water.

It looked like a wet cat with dark brown hair and black eyes. It had two long teeth and tiny round ears.

“A beaver!” exclaimed Curly. “It’s a beaver!”

“Hi!” said the beaver, bobbing in the water as he spoke. “My name is Billy, what’s yours?”

“Curly”

“Spike”

“Squeeky”

“Sorry I scared you guys, but it looked like you could use some help.”

“Yeah! That’s for sure! Thanks a lot!”

“Well, come on,” Billy said, “Let’s go to shore.”

Squeeky led the way, jumping cautiously from pad to pad, with the others right behind him. Billy swam slowly beside them.

“I lost my sword,” Squeeky said between jumps. “And my headband.”

“My sword broke and I threw it away,” said Spike.

“Ha! That’s a good one,” Curly said as they jumped off the last Lilly Pad unto dry ground. “The Three Mousketeers went to Camelot and the dragon turned out to be the hero!”

“Three cheers for our dragon!” Squeeky chirped.

“Hip Hip HOORAY!”

“Hip Hip HOORAY!”

“Hip Hip HOORAY!”

Billy climbed up unto the shore and sat down next to his new little friends.

“I’m not a hero,” he said.

But Squeeky just smiled…

Billy and the Boys

Blueberries!

Chapter Five

MONSTER BERRIES!

S QUEEKY LAY DRYING in the grass in the hot afternoon sun. Billy was getting drier too, but he didn’t mind being wet.

Beavers are just as comfortable whether they are wet or dry. He probably spends more time being wet than he does being dry.

“How long has your family lived here at the pond?” Spike asked Billy, as he lay down in the grass along the shore.

“We moved here early this spring,” Billy said. “We used to live on the other side of the gravel road, just past the wooden bridge.”

“How come you moved?” Squeeky asked. He wasn’t trying to be nosy, he was always curious.

“Why did you move?” Curly corrected him.

“That’s what I said,” Squeeky replied.

Curly rolled his eyes and flopped his head down on the soft grass.

Billy sat up. “Well, the farmer who owns the land by the wooden bridge wants to make his fields bigger.”

“Every year he cuts away more trees, and drains away more water. Early this spring he blew up our dam with dynamite.”

“He blew up your dam?” Curly raised his eyebrows.

“With dynamite?” Squeeky couldn’t imagine such a thing.

“Did anyone get hurt?” Spike asked.

“No, nobody got hurt,” Billy said. “But my Mom and Dad said that it was time to move. So here we are. We like it here!”

“Well,” Curly said, “that’s a lot like what happened to our families last year.”

“That’s right!” Spike said. “But instead of dynamite it was cats!”

“Cats?” Billy the beaver asked.

“Yeah, we used to all live in Farmer Smith’s big red barn. Then one day he brought home two huge cats,” Spike explained in detail.

“One was a tiger striped cat named ‘Savage’, and the other one was a black and white long haired cat named ‘Fluffy’.”

The three mice told Billy the story of how they came to live in the Big Meadow.

They took turns talking, and interrupted each other if they thought of something really interesting and just couldn’t wait until the other person was finished before sharing.

By the time they were done talking, Squeeky was dry and Curly was getting hungry.

“I sure wish that Raven hadn’t eaten our lunch,” Curly moaned. “I’m starving.”

“We have plenty of food,” Billy said. “How about some cedar roots or aspen bark?”

“Well…” Curly paused, trying to think of a polite way to turn him down. He wasn’t quite hungry enough to eat roots and bark.

“Do you have any bread crumbs?” he asked.

“Or seeds?” Squeeky added.

“Hmmm…” Billy thought for a moment.

“I know…!” He jumped to his feet. “Blueberries! Do you guys like blueberries?”

“Do we like them?” Curly jumped up too.

“We LOVE them!” Squeeky and Spike ed in.

“Well, I know where there is a patch of the biggest blueberries you have ever seen in your life!” Billy exclaimed.

“And not too far away, either.” He went on, “They are just on the other side of the pond.”

The three mice looked at each other.

“We have to cross the pond?” Spike asked.

“We’re not too good at swimming,” Squeeky said.

“Yeah, I noticed,” Billy laughed. “That’s OK, we can walk across on the dam.

Follow me.”

So the little parade walked down the trail along the shoreline. It wasn’t very long until they reached the beaver dam.

It was a pile of sticks and branches, tightly woven together and covered with mud.

There were a few small leaks here and there that water trickled out of, and formed a small stream that rippled off into the forest and out of sight.

The dam was about six feet high and six feet wide, stretching across the pond in a banana shaped curve.

They slowly made their way climbing and walking across the top of the dam.

They hadn’t gone too far, when suddenly there was a “SMACK” sound out in the pond.

It was quickly followed by another “SMACK”. It sounded like someone was hitting the water with a flat board.

Billy dove for cover among the twisted branches at the water’s edge.

“Quick!” He whispered to the others, who were standing on the dam looking rather puzzled. “Get down! Hide! Be still!”

They all dove down among the twisted, woven, branches of the dam.

“What’s the matter?” Squeeky whispered.

“Shhhhh! Danger!” Billy explained. “That’s our signal for danger. If something looks, smells, or sounds wrong, we smack the water with our tail to warn everyone else.”

Just then, they heard a crashing sound in the bushes below the dam. It was getting louder.

The four pals peered out from between the branches.

There it was, coming toward the dam, the biggest, blackest bear they had ever seen!

“It’s Bruno!” Billy whispered. “He lives in the far end of the Tall Pines.”

“He comes through here almost every afternoon. He will cross the stream and head for home. He’s been eating blueberries all morning and now he will go home and take a nap.”

Sure enough, just as Billy had said, Bruno ed by in front of them, just below the dam.

He crossed the small stream and disappeared into the bushes on the other side.

“We really don’t have to worry too much about him,” Billy said getting back up on top of the dam. “But it’s still a good idea to stay out of his way.”

“I hope he didn’t eat all the blueberries!” Curly’s growling stomach made him a little concerned.

“No,” Billy said, “he goes up on the rocky hill and eats in the warm sunshine. We will be going to a hidden patch down near the shore, where they are much bigger and much juicier.”

“Well, let’s get going!” Curly cried, as he scampered off across the dam.

“All right! All right!” Billy laughed, as he and the others followed.

Crossing the dam wasn’t exactly smooth going. Sticks and branches were everywhere and they had to constantly climb, step, and jump as they made their way across.

“So, this is what beavers do all day?” Squeeky asked as he scrambled through the twisted branches.

“Yup, we chew down trees, chew off the branches, weave them together real tight, and pack them with mud.”

“Do you live in the dam?” Squeeky asked.

“Oh, no. We live over there in that lodge.” Billy said, pointing to a large mound of sticks near the center of the pond with a few weeds and cattails growing around it.

“You live in that?” Squeeky asked.

“Yup!” said Billy, “It’s a real beauty. Much bigger and stronger than our old one.”

“Where’s the door?” Squeeky asked.

“Oh, its way down under water, at the bottom.” Billy explained, realizing that his new little friend had never seen a beaver lodge before.

“We have a tunnel that goes in at the bottom and comes up inside of it. The inside is dry and lined with grass. It is cool in the summer and warm in the winter.”

Squeeky had a million other questions but they were nearing the other shore and his attention turned toward blueberries.

“OK, fellas,” Billy said. “Follow me.

The three small mice were glad to follow him because the tall grass was thick, and Billy plowed a nice trail as he wallowed through it.

“Billy the bulldozer!” Curly declared loudly.

“I guess that’s better than being a dragon.” Billy laughed.

The thick grass ended and they found themselves among the dark green leaves of blueberry bushes.

A short distance away was a tall rocky ledge that surrounded this entire side of the pond.

“The only way to get here is on the dam,” Billy said. “Unless you want to climb down those big rocks.”

“And as you can see,” he added, pointing around at the huge berries hanging everywhere, “nobody has done it yet!”

“Hooo Weeee!” Curly yelped in delight. “Have you ever seen blueberries this big?”

Spike was holding one so big that it took both hands.

“Monster Berries!” Curly exclaimed.

“Mumpfrbblerbys!” said Squeeky who was already eating one and was blue up to his ears.

MUMPFRBBLERBYS!!

Loading the Blueberry Barge

Chapter Six

BLUEBERRY BARGE!

S QUEEKY LAY IN the sun rubbing his rounded stomach. He was too full to even crawl under the shade of the blueberry bushes.

Spike was in about the same shape, but had chosen a shady spot to crash.

Curly was lying next to Spike, snoring loudly, with a big smile on his face.

“Well,” said Billy, who was also enjoying the warm sun, “you guys sure put away the blueberries!”

“Yeah”, Squeeky said, sitting up on one arm, “I had three big ones and just couldn’t finish the fourth one.”

“I finished four.” Spike said, not bothering to sit up or even open his eyes. “I have never seen blueberries so big!”

“Or so good!” Squeeky added.

“It’s too bad the whole gang couldn’t enjoy them,” said Spike.

“Why don’t you bring them here?” Billy suggested.

“Half of them are too small to travel this far,” Spike explained.

“And some are too old,” Squeeky added.

“Then why don’t we bring the berries to them?” Billy asked, standing to his feet. “We could bring some for everyone!”

Spike opened his eyes and sat up.

“It would take a lot of berries to feed everyone.” He said, “A LOT of berries!”

Squeeky was standing next to Billy now.

“Ha!” he said, “That’s for sure! It would take a mountain of them!”

Curly rolled over in his sleep. “SNNYX…. GRMPH!”

They weren’t being very quiet. A guy couldn’t even take a decent nap!

“I’ve got it! Billy said excitedly, slapping his tail on the ground with a thump. “Have I got a plan, or what!”

Curly raised his head and opened his eyes half way. He turned his head slowly, trying to figure out what was going on. He was still sleepy.

“Whaa…?” he asked.

“Wake up!” Billy exclaimed, “We have some work to do! A lot of work to do!”

Curly sat up, yawned and stretched.

“What’s going on? Why are you guys so noisy?” he asked.

“Are you awake?” Spike asked him.

“Well I am now,” Curly said, standing up on wobbly legs.

“I was dreaming that I was running real fast and this big blueberry was rolling after me.”

“It looks like it caught you,” Squeeky laughed, pointing at Curly’s blueberrystained face.

“What’s all the fuss about?” Curly asked.

“We…” Billy began proudly, “are going to bring a mountain of blueberries back to your families! More than enough for everyone in the Big Meadow.”

“We are?” Spike asked.

“We are?” Squeeky echoed.

“We are!” Billy exclaimed.

“That’s a great idea,” Curly said. “But how are we going to do it?”

“Just leave it to me,” said Billy. “You guys pick all the berries you can, and pile them up right over there next to the pond. OK?”

“Yeah, we can do that,” Spike said, glancing at Squeeky and Curly.”

“Sure we can!” said Squeeky. “And we can do it lickity-split!”

“How do we get them to the Big Meadow?” Curly asked. This was beginning to

look like work.

“Just leave that to me,” Billy said. “I have to go talk this over with Mom and Dad and I’ll be right back.”

“OK, we will start piling up the berries!” Spike said.

Billy disappeared into the pond, hardly making a ripple. One little “Swish” and he was gone.

“All right!” Spike said. “I guess we better get at it!”

They started picking blueberries and piling them up. They already had a small pile on shore when they saw Billy swimming back toward them.

Billy had several small branches in his mouth and was pulling a large one behind him. He looked like a small tree floating across the pond. He pulled everything up on shore near the pile of blueberries.

The trio kept carrying blueberries as Billy went to work. First he laid out a long branch and then began weaving the other branches onto the smaller end of it, where it divided in several directions.

“You sure can do that fast!” said Squeeky, as he ed by with another armload of berries.

Well, this is what I do all day,” Billy said. “You should see my Dad weave branches. Sometimes his hands are just a blur.”

Curly came up with a huge armload of berries. “Wheew!” he puffed, “We picked all the close ones. It’s getting a little farther to run, now.”

“There are some real nice ones up on top of that rock,” Spike said, pointing to a large, flat, moss covered rock. “And I know how we can get them.”

The trio stood at the base of the rock as Spike laid out his plan.

“I will go around the backside and climb up on top. I can pick them and drop them down to Curly. Curly, you can toss them over to Squeeky, who can throw them on the pile.”

Spike disappeared around the backside of the rock, and in a few minutes he reappeared on top with a huge blueberry in his hands.

“HIKE!” he called as he tossed it away from the edge toward Curly.

“HARK!” Curly called out as he tossed it down the path to Squeeky.

“HEEE!” Squeeky chirped as he turned and flung it toward the growing pile.

“HIKE!… HARK!… HEEE!”

“HIKE!… HARK!… HEEE!”

“HIKE!… HARK!… HEEE!”

Again and again, faster and faster the Hike’s, the Hark’s, and the Heee’s continue until the pile became a mountain of blue.

Hike! … Hark! … Heee! …

“Well,” Spike wheezed as he slid down the mossy slope, “That’s all there is up there. It looks like there’s more growing along the bottom edge of the cliff. I saw them from up there.”

“I think we have enough,” Curly said. “We have way more than the whole meadow can eat.”

Squeeky squinted in the sun as he looked up at the heap of berries.

Never in his life had he seen so many blueberries. Then he ed the other two who were watching Billy.

Billy had been busy as a beaver, dashing around getting more weaving material from the pond and from the nearby bushes.

“Taa-Daa!” Billy announced, standing next to his creation. “It’s done!”

They looked at it. It looked like a huge birds nest, lined with big green leaves, woven into the end of a long branch.

Billy swung the end of the big branch into the water and pulled the huge nest into the pond.

“Hurray!” Squeeky jumped up and down. “It floats!”

“Billy built a barge!” Curly exclaimed.

Billy pushed the barge back to shore next to the blueberry pile. “OK! Let’s load them up!”

As they loaded the berries, Billy explained what they were going to do.

“I can pull the barge to the far end of the pond and up Wiggins Creek to the Big Meadow.”

“That’s right!” Spike said. “Wiggins Creek runs across the end of the Big Meadow just before it goes into the woods.”

“Yes,” said Billy, “It starts way on the other side of the road where we used to live. Up past the wooden bridge.”

“I know where the bridge is,” Squeeky said. “I can see it from the top of the tall stump we live in. It’s a long ways from here.”

“Yes, but the creek is a much shorter route than the path you guys took through the Big Forest,” Billy said.

Soon the blueberries were all loaded and the Blueberry Barge was floating near the shore. The three mice climbed up and sat on the front as Billy eased it out away from shore.

Spike sat on the highest part of the nest, up in the front, in the center.

“A little to the right, Billy!” he called out.

“Aye, aye, captain!” Billy said, turning the barge out toward the center of the pond.

Beavers are very strong swimmers and Billy didn’t seem to have to work very hard at all to keep the barge moving at a good speed. The water rippled into a “V” from the tip of his nose and widened out behind them on either side as he went.

“TOOT… TOOOOT!” Curly hooted in the air.

“Riverboat a-coming! Riverboat a-coming! There’s a party tonight!” Spike made up a song as they went.

Tiny laughter echoed across the pond and into the Big Forest. It was a splendid afternoon indeed!

River Boat Coming!

Turtles on a Log

Chapter Seven

WIGGINS CREEK!

T HE BEAVER-SHAPED TUGBOAT towed the blueberry barge, with its three engers, out across the pond and toward the mouth of Wiggins Creek which flows into the west end of the Big Pond.

Along the shoreline, the marsh grass and cattails grow thick. At the mouth of the creek the tall blades of grass grow thinner, until you can see the bottom of the clear stream that empties itself lazily into the pond.

The creek bottom is covered with coarse yellow sand, with a few rocks of various sizes and colors scattered here and there.

The creek begins its winding journey miles away, crossing many farms as it rambles across the countryside.

Then it flows under the wooden bridge, across the end of the Big Meadow, along the edge of the Big Forest, and finally into the pond.

All along the way, there are many twists and turns.

It constantly turns this way and that, making short turns and long sweeping turns under the cover of the thick overhanging tree branches.

It also varies in width as it travels. In some places a fox can easily jump across, and in other places it would be just a bit too far.

As the barge slowly rounded corner number three, (or was it four? No one was counting…) Spike was still singing loudly.

“Sail - ing, Sail - ing, over the bounding blue!”

“Hey!” Squeeky complained, “Enough singing already!”

“Yeah, give us a break!” Curly added with a chuckle, “You’re hurting our ears.” They all laughed.

Just ahead on the right, a log stuck out from the grassy shore, almost all the way across the creek.

The blueberry barge had to go very close to the far shore to get around it. As they grew closer, three strange bumps on the log suddenly caught Billy’s attention.

“It’s the turtles!” Billy announced. “Hey Timmy! How are you guys doing?”

The first bump on the log stirred to life. A small head with a pointed nose emerged from its shell. Two emerald green eyes blinked in the bright sunshine. Slowly his long neck stretched out and up.

Billy pulled the floating basket of blueberries around the end of the log and brought it to rest against the far side, where the gentle current held it in place.

“Oh, we’re just warming in the sun,” Timmy said. “Catching some rays.” He looked at the Blueberry Barge. “What’s that?” He asked.

“It’s a barge loaded with blueberries,” Billy answered. “It belongs to these guys.”

“I’m pulling it up the creek to the Big Meadow where they live. Oh, yeah, this is Spike… Curly… and Squeeky.” He pointed to each one as he introduced them.

“Hi guys, I’m Timmy, and this is my brother Tyler, and my sister Tina is on the end.” He pointed to the other two bumps that were stirring to life and growing heads, legs and tails.

The three mice waved and nodded their heads toward Timmy and the others.

“Do you know Billy?” Squeeky asked him.

“Oh, yes!” Timmy said. “Billy is always dragging trees and branches by here on his way to the pond.”

“This is the first time he has dragged anything upstream!” He laughed.

Tyler and Tina were awake and studying the strange floating object.

“What is it?” Tyler asked.

“It’s a river barge!” And I’m the captain!” Spike announced from his perch. “We are bringing home a load of blueberries to the Big Meadow for a feast!”

“Hey, Gramps!” Tina yelled, “Come and see this!”

There was a slow shuffling in the grass along the shore and a very large turtle slid into the water.

Gramps looked like a small round island floating toward them. He held his wrinkled head up out of the water as he swam.

“What in tarnashun?!” he exclaimed as he approached. “In all my hunnerd an’ thirteen years I ain’t never see’d anything like this beferr!”

He circled the barge slowly as he spoke.

“That there’s a pritty good job of boat makin’, I must say! But jist how do y’all

perpose ta git it through the fast waters?”

“Fast waters?” Spike turned quickly to Billy. “You didn’t say anything about fast water.”

“Oh great!” Curly sat down rubbing his forehead. “Oh, man! Rapids! That doesn’t sound very good! Nobody told me about that!”

“Just take it easy, Curly!” Billy assured him. “There aren’t any rapids or water falls. Up around the bend, the creek gets narrow and shallow and the current is a bit faster, that’s all. I think I can pull it through.”

“You THINK you can?” Curly was still a bit worried.

“We can help push!” said Timmy, as he slid off the log, into the creek.

“Yeah, let’s do it!” Tyler said. He slipped into the water, followed by his little sister Tina.

“We may be slow on land, but in the water it’s a whole different story.” Timmy said, as he began pushing the barge away from the log.

Billy clamped his sharp teeth on the front end of the long branch, and steered the barge upstream.

The three young turtles came behind, pushing like little tugboats.

Gramps followed close behind. This was the strangest thing to happen on Wiggin’s Creek in a hundred and thirteen years and he wasn’t going to miss it!

Around the bend, the creek became narrow just like Billy had said. The current here was much faster.

Billy swam hard. The turtles pushed hard. Gramps ed in the battle.

The creek became shallow. Their feet dug into the sandy bottom as they shoved forward. They used the rocks that the water was swirling around for footholds, handholds, and anchors to push from. Progress was very slow.

“Come on!” Spike encouraged them. “We’re halfway! You can do it!”

“Come on, Billy!” Squeeky ed in.

“Push, Guys!” Curly scrambled over the blueberry mound and was cheering on the turtles. “Come on, Gramps!”

The rushing water rocked the barge from side to side but it was in no danger of tipping.

“All right!”

“Way to go!”

“That’s it! A little more…!”

“Yay! We are through! Hurray”

As the creek turned, it became wider and deeper. The current returned to its lazy slower pace.

“Whew!” exclaimed Billy, “That was tougher than I thought.”

“I couldn’t have made it without you guys,” he said to the turtles. “Thanks a lot!”

“Well I wunta believed it less’n I see’d it!” Gramps declared. “Some pritty good river boating! We dint lose nary a one of yer berries neither!”

The blueberry barge settled into an easy pace as it continued its journey.

Spike began singing once again. This time he was ed by his two buddies:

Row, Row Row your boat,

Gently up the creek!

Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily,

Curly, Spike, and Squeek!

“Hey, what about me?” Billy asked.

“Oh, yeah,” Spike laughed, “and Billy too!”

Many minutes, and several turns later, they came out of the cover of the forest and found themselves ing along the end of the Big Meadow.

“Let’s put it up on shore over there by that fence post.” Spike pointed to a place where the ground made a gentle slope to the water’s edge. “We live straight across on the other side of the meadow.”

They pulled it up on shore. The huge shipment had made it safe and sound.

“Let me show you where I used to live,” said Billy, heading back to the creek. “It’s just a little ways farther up, on the other side of the wooden bridge.”

The three mice followed along the shoreline.

“Hey! Wait up!” Curly called out.

Gramps and the other three turtles stayed near the barge. They settled into the soft warm grass to continue their afternoon snooze.

Mice can scurry pretty fast through the grass but not as fast as a beaver can swim.

Before long they arrived at the Wooden Bridge. Billy was already under the bridge sitting on a huge boulder when the three came scampering up.

Steep piles of gigantic rocks lined the shore under the wooden bridge. Many of them looked as if they were ready to fall.

They climbed part way up the rock pile so they could get a better view. Billy pointed to the field on the other side.

“That field was all woods and pond last year. We lived right over there. It’s hard

to imagine it now because everything is cleared out and it is all a wide open field.”

Suddenly…

BOOOM!!! The ground shook so hard that they almost fell over.

“That’s the dynamite!” Billy gasped. “It’s over on the far side of that new field. They must be expanding again.”

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

“Look out!” Billy yelled, pointing to a huge boulder above them. It was starting to slide down the pile towards them!

Splash! Billy dove into the creek and swam to safety.

Swish! Spike ran back the way they had come.

“In here!” Curly shouted to Squeeky, as he dove into a crack in the rocky ledge. Squeeky followed right behind - and not a second too soon!

SMASH! The boulder came crashing down! Dust flew everywhere! Small rocks

fell all around for a few more moments, and then… silence.

Billy surfaced and crawled up the pile to the big boulder. Spike came slowly back out from around the corner. They looked around.

No sign of Squeeky. No sign of Curly. They stared at the huge chunk.

Then faintly, they heard something. Some muffled noise coming from under the big boulder…

“Cough! Cough! Sneeeze!”

“Squeeky!” Spike called out. “Curly! Are you guys OK?”

“Yeah… We are OK…” The voice was Squeeky’s but he could barely hear him.

“We have a problem here!” It was Curly. “The rock is on top of the crack we jumped into!”

Billy pushed on the rock. It was like pushing on a mountain. There wasn’t a chance in the world of moving it.

They both scrambled in circles around it looking for a way to get their two

buddies out.

One place had a small gap just big enough for Spike to squeeze his hand through, but that was all.

“Can you guys squeeze out?” Billy asked, already knowing the answer was no.

“Can you follow the crack that you are in?” Spike asked.

“The crack doesn’t go anywhere,” Curly called out. “It’s just a hollow spot in the rock.”

“I hate rocks!” Billy said.

“You can’t chew them, you can’t dig through them, and you can’t move them!” He added.

“Maybe if we use something to pry with…” Spike said.

They looked up at the huge boulder. No, it was just too big. They slumped down and sat up against it.

“Nobody could move this rock,” Billy said sadly. “What are we going to do?”

He blinked away the tears in his eyes.

“Wait a minute!” Spike jumped to his feet. “Oh yes, there is somebody! He’s the strongest animal in the world!”

“You mean…” Billy never got a chance to finish his sentence.

“Yes!” Spike shouted. “BRUNO! I’m going to go get Bruno! You stay here with these guys. I’ll be back.”

“But Spike, it’s a long ways!” Billy didn’t like the sound of this. “And besides he might be in one of his grouchy moods.”

“I’ve got to try, Billy!” Spike sounded desperate. “He’s our only chance!”

Billy sat down next to the big rock as Spike disappeared over the creek bank.

“What’s going on out there?” a faint squeeky voice asked.

“Just hang on a while. Spike is going for help,” Billy said.

“You guys didn’t get hurt?” he asked.

“No, we’re fine,” Curly answered. “But it’s kinda cramped in here.”

“And dark!” Squeeky added in a shaky voice.

“Well, just sit tight,” Billy said. “Help is on its way.”

Billy turned to watch as Spike scurried over the rocks and disappeared into the tall grass.

“Good luck my friend!” Billy said quietly.

Bruno Taking a Nap

Chapter Eight

BRUNO!

S PIKE’S T HOUGHTS WERE racing as he scrambled up the bank of Wiggin’s Creek. He would have to go to the thicket and let everyone know what had happened.

He would have to take the shortest path to the far end of the tall pines to find Bruno. It was a very long distance to run. It could take hours to get there and find him.

“How can I convince Bruno to help us?” he thought, as he approached the barb wire fence on the edge of the Big Meadow.

“He will help us. He has to.” He cried out loud. “He just has to!”

“Looks like you boys got yourselves a bit of trouble.”

A strange voice called from the top of a leaning, old, gray fence post.

Spike stopped in his tracks and looked up. He couldn’t move. It was the owl!

“I said,” Owl repeated, “it looks like you boys have a bit of trouble.”

“Ah… Ah… y-y-yessir,” Spike stammered. “I’m on my way to find Bruno and ask him to come and push the big rock.”

“I don’t know… that rock is pretty big,” Owl said. “I don’t think he can do it.”

“Yes, he can!” Spike shouted, sounding almost angry.

“Well, I guess we can hope so,” said the Owl, “but he is pretty lazy.”

“Do you know where he is?” Spike asked.

“Do I know where he is? HA!” Owl tipped his head back almost upside down and laughed. “Of course I know where he is. I know everything that goes on in the Big Forest.”

He rolled his head back around straight and blinked. “He’s up on the far end of the Tall Pines, sleeping next to his favorite log. Just like every other afternoon.”

“Oh, Mr. Owl! Would you take me there? Please?” Spike pleaded, looking up into the Owls big round eyes. “It would take me forever to get there. You could fly me there in a few minutes! Oh, please… PLEASE!!

Owl looked very surprised.

“What?” he asked, “I don’t know! I have certainly never done anything like that before!”

“Oh please!” Spike pleaded, “I really need your help!”

“Oh, brother…” Owl shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Well, get up here and let’s get going.”

“Oh! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

“Just get up here.” Owl said.

Spike climbed the leaning fence post in a flash. In a wink, he was up on top, standing in front of Owl. He had never been this close to an Owl before.

Owl was much bigger than he had looked from a distance. His soft feathers were white on his front and speckled grayish-brown on his back. His feet were yellow with very sharp claws.

“Hang on to my ankles and don’t let go,” Owl said. “There will be a jerk when we take off, so hang on tight.”

“Yessir!”

“I hope you’re brave. I don’t want any screaming or yelling.”

“Yessir!”

“Good. Let’s go then.”

Owl turned around and spread his wings out wide. As their shadow swept over him, Spike’s heart skipped a beat. They were huge! This was a really scary! This was crazy!

Spike grabbed hold of the lumpy yellow ankles as the Owl pushed off. He closed his eyes and held his breath as he felt himself being jerked up off the fence post.

Then with strong, steady beats, they rose higher and flew faster. He could hear the “whua… whua… whua…” of the wind rushing through wing feathers.

He opened his eyes to see the meadow rushing by under them.

“Can you stop at the tall stump by the thicket?” Spike asked.

“You mean your Uncle Wilber’s place?” Owl asked.

“Yeah, how did you know?”

“Oh, I know everything there is to know around here,” Owl replied.

Owl spread his wings and slowed down as they approached the tall stump.

He swung his feet forward so Spike could drop to the top of the stump.

The other mice had seen them coming, and scurried out of sight.

“It’s the Owl!” someone screamed.

“The Owl has Spike!” someone else shouted.

“Spike! Oh, my little Spikey!” his mother cried out.

“No, no!” Spike called from the top of the stump. “Settle down everyone. Owl is helping me. I will explain it all later.”

“Go down by the Wooden Bridge,” He continued. “Curly and Squeeky are trapped under a big rock but they are OK. We are going to get help. I will be right back.”

He turned to Owl, who was ready to take off.

Without a word, Spike grabbed onto Owl’s ankles, and with a swoop, they were off and into the Big Forest.

The mice on the ground were running here and there telling everyone what had happened. Some didn’t believe it when they were told. Others said they wouldn’t believe it if they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes.

Soon everyone was heading across the meadow, toward the Wooden Bridge.

Spike hung onto Owl’s ankles and watched everything by.

Flying with Owl

Owl was flying higher than the bushes and small trees, but lower than the upper branches of the Tall Pines. He swerved and swooped around the Tall Pines with ease.

Spike was amazed at how it felt to fly. He wondered if any other mice had ever flown.

Owl glided silently for a moment, without flapping his wings, descending slowly.

“Right up ahead,” Owl said, “…see him?”

Spike swallowed hard. “Yes, I see him.”

Owl swept down and let Spike jump off onto the log beside the sleeping bear. Then he circled around and landed on a branch nearby.

Spike looked at the big black bear. He took a deep breath. He was scared. This was all crazy. But he had come this far and he could not turn back. His pals were depending on him. He would not let them down.

“Hey! Bruno! Wake up!” he called out.

Bruno stirred, grumbling something that only a bear could understand. He raised his head, trying to focus his sleepy eyes on whatever was on the log next to him.

Who dared to interrupt his nap? Somebody was going to be very sorry!

“Who are you and what do you want?” Bruno growled.

“My name is Spike and I need your help.”

Bruno shook his head. He must be dreaming. He shook his head again. Nope, it wasn’t a dream.

“What?” he bellowed, “A mouse needs MY help?”

Spike quickly explained the situation to him. He told about Squeeky and Curly, the dynamite, the big rock, and the Owl.

“Well, that’s quite a situation you have there.” Bruno said at last, pondering whether he should help or not. He really didn’t want to.

“I don’t know… It’s a long ways over there… It sounds like a lot of hard work in the hot sun.”

“But you’re our only hope!” Spike pleaded. “We need you! There isn’t anyone in the whole forest as strong as you!”

Bruno stood to his feet. He rocked back and forth and shook himself.

“No one in the whole world, you mean!” he said.

“That’s right. The whole world! You are the only one who can help us.” Spike was almost in tears.

“Well, all right kiddo, climb on my back. We have a job to do.”

Bruno didn’t have to tell Spike twice. He jumped onto Bruno’s back and hung on to the thick, shiny, black hair.

Bruno turned and began a slow gallop through the Tall Pines.

Owl swept off his perch and flew overhead.

On the bear’s back, the ride was not smooth.

Spike was being tossed around with every lunge the bear made.

“Whoa! Stop!” Spike called out.

“What’s wrong?” Bruno asked, slowing to a walk.

“I’m falling off!” said Spike. “Let me get up on top of your head.”

Spike made his way up Bruno’s back and sat down on top of his head, between his ears.

He grasped a fist full of hair in each hand and held on tight.

Bruno started to gallop again. This time Spike just bobbed up and down.

“Yee - Haw!” shouted Spike, “Boy can you go!”

“Ha!” said Bruno, “You haven’t seen anything. Watch this!”

Riding on Bruno

The huge bear charged ahead at top speed. CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!

Right through the thick brush and over small trees.

They were moving fast! Very fast!

Spike lay down and hung on tight. What incredible power! He never would have imagined that such a huge bear could move so fast.

In minutes they were out of the forest and heading across the meadow.

“Look out for that old barbed wire fence!” Spike warned.

Bruno slowed to a slow gallop.

“You mean this rusty old thing?” Bruno asked, as his chest hit the wires. SKRUNCH!

The leaning post fell to the ground. SPROING! The rusty old wires snapped and flew to the side.

“Ha - ha!” Bruno laughed, “That’s not much of a fence!”

The bear and his little enger approached the Wooden Bridge, along the rocky shore.

Owl perched high on the top of the bridge. On the rocks surrounding the area, there were dozens of mice, waiting, and wondering what was going to happen next.

“So, this is the rock?” Bruno asked, walking slowly in circles around it, studying it closely. “It’s pretty big.”

“It sure is,” said Spike as he jumped down and ed the others at a safe distance.

“Well, let me see what I can do about this,” Bruno said.

A low pitched growl shook the rock as he lowered his head and glared at it…

Bruno and the Big Rock

Chapter Nine

HEROES AND FRIENDS!

B RUNO PACED AROUND the rock. It was bigger than he was.

He placed his front paws against the huge rock and crouched down. He closed his eyes and pushed hard.

“Growl! Groan! Grrrr!”

The rock wiggled a little bit but sat firmly in place.

“He can’t do it!” Someone gasped.

“It’s just too big and heavy!”

“He can’t push it!”

The little crowd whispered to each other, pointing at the rock and at Bruno.

“OH, YES I CAN!” Bruno bellowed!

“EVERYONE GET BACK!”

He lowered his head. He was getting mad. He was mad that a rock thought it was stronger than he was.

He circled the rock growling at it and baring his long white teeth. His eyes were red. The hair on his back was sticking up like bristles on a hairbrush.

The mice all ducked down and peeked out from behind the rocks and bushes.

Bruno went behind the huge boulder and crouched down on all fours. He got real low and put his back against the curve of the rock. He pushed up against the rock with all his might!

He closed his eyes. His whole body started shaking. But the rock didn’t budge.

“RRRROOAARRRRRR! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

The bridge shook from his roaring. The rock shook. Dust and sand fell from it.

Bruno’s huge claws scraped marks in the stone surface that he was bracing against.

Sweat was pouring from his face.

Then it happened!

With a screechy, grinding noise the rock began to slide. Bruno gave one last shove with every bit of strength he had.

The rock slowly slid and then toppled over the edge into the creek below with a tremendous SPLASH!

Bruno jumped off the ledge, onto the big rock. He stood up high on his back legs with his arms raised up in victory!

“RRROOAAAARRR!” he growled, “I am the strongest bear in the world!”

No one disagreed with him. Tiny cheers echoed under the bridge. Hoots came from high above, and happy splashing sounds came from the creek.

Squeeky and Curly stood up from the dusty little crack that had been their prison.

They ed the cheering crowd as their mothers rushed over to them and smothered them with hugs and kisses.

And Bruno just smiled…

The happy crowd spilled out from under the Wooden Bridge and wandered back along the shoreline.

It was a strange looking group that included mice, beaver, owl and bear.

“We should celebrate!” Spike exclaimed.

“Yes, we should!” Squeeky agreed.

“I know,” said Spike, “let’s have a party!”

“A party?” Curly asked.

“Yes, a great big Blueberry Party!” said Spike. “Hey, everybody… Follow us!”

Spike, Curly, and Squeeky marched along the shore of Wiggin’s Creek.

Billy swam beside them following the shoreline.

Owl did a slow circling glide overhead.

Behind them came aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, moms, dads, cousins, and many other friends and families.

They were all scurrying along in the shadow of the world’s strongest bear.

When Spike reached the bend in the creek, at the edge of the Big Meadow, he turned and made an announcement to the crowd that was following.

“Ladies and Gentlemen!” he called out in his best circus ringmaster voice, “In honor of my two best friends, Curly and Squeeky, and in honor of Bruno, the strongest bear in the world, I would like to announce…”

He turned and pointed to the Blueberry Barge on the shore just ahead of them.

“It’s party time!” He shouted.

At first no one moved. They just stared at the mountain of blueberries. They couldn’t believe it. It was amazing.

Then like a wave, they all rushed forward.

“Yahoo!”

“Yee - Haww!”

“All Riiiiight!” Bruno bellowed as he rumbled forward.

Spike, Curly, and Squeeky began tossing the berries out to the crowd.

“Hike!… Hark!… Heee!…”

“Hike!… Hark!… Heee!…”

Bruno didn’t wait to have them toss any berries to him. He sat down next to the pile and scooped up a whole handful.

“Ooooohh!” he moaned, “These are really good! I mean REALLY good!”

As Billy sat by the shore nibbling on a good-sized blueberry, the turtles came waddling up out of the tall grass.

“Hey Billy!” Timmy said, “What’s all the fussing about? You guys are sure making a lot of noise!”

“Hey there, guys!” Billy said to the turtles. “We’re having a party! Come and the celebration! You guys helped, too!”

Then he told the turtles all about the dynamite, the big rock, Curly, Squeeky, Owl, and of course… Bruno.

Owl was perched on the side of the barge, carefully picking away at a berry.

“You know,” Owl said, “I must say, that as blueberries go, these are quite good.”

“I usually don’t eat Blueberries,” he added, “But these are rather good! Splendid, I must say!”

“Yes, I know what you mean.” Billy said. “I usually eat tree buds, bark, and roots. But these are delicious.”

“Quite!” Owl said, as he picked away at another one.

A baby mouse who had eaten the insides of a berry, decided that the empty skin would make a nice bonnet.

She put it over her head with a mushy “PLOP” and giggled out loud.

The others pointed at her and laughed. Her mother would spend days trying to get the blue out of her hair.

Owl bounced up on the highest part of the Blueberry Barge and spread his wings out wide.

“Hoooo! Hoooo!”

Everyone grew silent and turned in his direction.

When he had everyone’s attention, he folded his wings and cleared his throat.

“Ahem! I would like to say a few words,” he began. “First of all, I think we should give a round of applause to a very brave and courageous young man who, at great risk and danger, prompted the rescue of his friends. Let’s hear it for Spike!”

Cheers, whistles, and hoots accompanied the clapping.

“And…” he went on, “Let’s hear it for Bruno, who may be the biggest and strongest bear in the world, but yet, as we have seen here today, he has a soft and kind heart that cares about others! Bruno, you are a true hero!”

The cheers, whistles, and clapping started again.

Squeeky’s mother ran up to Bruno. Tears were in her eyes.

“Thank you, Bruno!” she exclaimed, “You saved their lives!”

Then she jumped up and hugged his ear before returning to the group.

“Aww, it weren’t nothin’.” Bruno sniffed.

He wiped the corner of his eye with the backside of a clumsy paw. Nobody ever dared to it they had seen the tear that he wiped away.

“And in conclusion,” Owl resumed, “I would like to propose that we declare this an official holiday. Perhaps a day we set aside to that in difficult times and situations it is best that we together to help one another.”

“Yes!” someone declared, “We should meet here next summer!”

“How about an annual picnic?” someone else asked.

“A special holiday in the Big Meadow!” said another.

“For heroes and friends!”

Spike, Curly, and Squeeky looked at each other. They each picked up a blueberry and held it high in the air with one hand.

“Heroes and Friends!” they shouted.

“Heroes and Friends!” everyone cried!

“HEROES AND FRIENDS!!”

Heroes and Friends!

* * * * * * *

THE END

The Big Meadow

On The Map

1. Barn 2. House 3. Tall Stump 4. Big Gray Rock 5. Ferns 6. Clump of Brush 7. Fallen Tree Trunk 8. Mr. Moles House 9. Bruno 10. Lilly Pads

11. Beaver Dam 12. Beaver Hut 13. Blueberries 14. Rock Cliff 15. Three Turtles 16. River Rapids 17. Bruno’s Short Cut 18. Blueberry Barge 19. Fallen Rock 20. Bridge

In the heat of the summer, when Blueberries are at their finest, you should wander down the path that crosses the Big Meadow. If you are careful and quiet, you will see the strangest party you can imagine.

Animals of all types now gather at the far end, near the creek bank. They bring food of all kinds. But everyone agrees that their favorite snack is the Blueberries!

For a day or two they forget the cares and troubles of the world. They enjoy each other’s company and get to know each other. And I think that with each ing year, the Big Meadow becomes a better place to live.

The Big Meadow:

Home of Heroes and Friends!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

R ODNEY MORTENSON, ALSO known as Grampa Rod, was born and raised in northern Minnesota. He grew up among the trees, lakes, rivers, farms, and wildlife found in the north woods.

The stories found in the Big Meadow book series are based on things, places, and situations he experienced in the northland. They were told to, and written for, his grandchildren and are now being shared with you.

He hopes you will enjoy these few minutes we spend together visiting the many characters we find in the Big Meadow!