Chapter 2: Backpack Bird
Shivering in the icy wind, Sam stretched his arm way back behind him and flung his fishing line into the gurgling river. The sinker plopped into the water like a giant raindrop.
Sam was fishing with his dad and had been fishing in this river since he was three – thirteen years ago. He knew every swimming hole and sunbathing rock along this stretch. Waiting for his first fish of the day, he looked around him. In the dry, itchy spikes of long grass near his boyhood fort, Sam noticed something out of place. He narrowed his eyes. A soft brown lump, as long as a baseball bat had flattened the normally waist-high grass.
“Hey, Dad. There’s something over there. I’m going to check it out.”
Sam reeled in his line and set down his pole. His steps crunched along the river rocks to the grass. As he got closer, the lump moved and he knew at once, it was a large bird.
Sam first saw the brown feathers highlighted with specks of white and gold. Moving closer, he spotted two bright yellow feet with four long toes. The talons, similar to human fingernails, were as long as his pinky finger! The big bird was lying face down. As Sam approached, it seemed too weak to fly away. Only when Sam was directly above the bird did he see its head. It was completely white.
“Dad, I found a bald eagle,” Sam called out. He knew exactly what a bald eagle looked like because his dad wore an eagle patch every day on his Navy uniform...
Sam was fishing with his dad and had been fishing in this river since he was three – thirteen years ago. He knew every swimming hole and sunbathing rock along this stretch. Waiting for his first fish of the day, he looked around him. In the dry, itchy spikes of long grass near his boyhood fort, Sam noticed something out of place. He narrowed his eyes. A soft brown lump, as long as a baseball bat had flattened the normally waist-high grass.
“Hey, Dad. There’s something over there. I’m going to check it out.”
Sam reeled in his line and set down his pole. His steps crunched along the river rocks to the grass. As he got closer, the lump moved and he knew at once, it was a large bird.
Sam first saw the brown feathers highlighted with specks of white and gold. Moving closer, he spotted two bright yellow feet with four long toes. The talons, similar to human fingernails, were as long as his pinky finger! The big bird was lying face down. As Sam approached, it seemed too weak to fly away. Only when Sam was directly above the bird did he see its head. It was completely white.
“Dad, I found a bald eagle,” Sam called out. He knew exactly what a bald eagle looked like because his dad wore an eagle patch every day on his Navy uniform...
Chapter 4: Swimming Pool Takeover
Teenage Suki lay on her stomach reading in her favorite spot: the window seat in her family room. Her small size stretched the length of the window. Suki often spent Saturday afternoons here enjoying the warm sun on her back and hoping to glimpse a deer or hummingbird from the window.
Today, when Suki glanced outside, she saw something unexpected. A brown and yellow ball of fluff bounced across the lawn. Suki sat up and pressed her face to the glass. Another furry handful cruised by and then another. Suki went outside to get a closer look. Ten ducklings were running around her yard. But where is their mother? Suki wondered.
Suki knew what to do. She’d been volunteering at the Wildlife Shelter and knew to call Nancy, the director. Hurriedly, she punched in the numbers and waited for Nancy’s calm voice on the other end of the line.
“Sound Wildlife Shelter, is there an animal in danger?” Nancy answered.
“Nancy, it’s Suki – there're ten ducklings running around my yard and no mother duck. What should I do?” Suki’s voice cracked with worry.
“OK. Get a laundry basket, turn it upside down and try to gather the ducklings under it. The mother will be able to see them through the slats. You’ll have to wait to see if the mother comes back.”
Suki hung up the phone and ran to the laundry room. Her dark straight hair flared behind her. Grabbing the basket, she hurried outside and tip-toed toward the ducklings. They scattered – fuzzy fluff moved in ten different directions. One of them ran toward her outdoor pool.
“Oh, no you don’t,” said Suki as she ran after her. The duckling turned and waddled in the opposite direction. Then Suki spotted another one heading toward the open gate to the street. She ran ahead and closed the gate before the duckling could get out. As Suki surveyed her back yard, each duckling was in a different location and they weren’t staying still.
Suki sighed, “How am I going to get them all to go to one place?”
Just then, Suki heard her older brother coming home from soccer practice. She had an idea: if she could round them up in one corner of her fenced yard, they would be trapped. Having longer arms – or more arms – would give her more width to guide the ducklings into that corner.
“Hey Toshi, can you help me for a second?”
Suki’s tall and thin brother looked past her. “Whoa. That’s a lot of ducklings. What do you want me to do?”
“Help me walk behind them until they move into the corner.” Suki pleaded.
With arms outstretched and bending low to the ground, Suki and Toshi tried to corral the ducklings. Suki put the laundry basket in the corner of the yard. They’d have to guide a few at a time to get them all under the laundry basket. First Toshi got three in, then Suki got four in. Toshi got another two in, but the last duckling just didn’t want to be caught. The more Suki and Toshi ran after him, the more the duckling evaded them. “Cheep cheep,” he sang as if enjoying the chase. Finally, Suki cornered him by a tree and gathered him gently, cupped in her small hands.
“Ok, Speedy, I’ve got you,” exclaimed Suki. The duckling felt like a cloud: soft and airy. He looked up at her through a mask of black markings around his eyes. Prickling her skin, his webbed feet tried to keep running as his little heart pounded against her fingers.
Luckily Suki held the duckling carefully with plenty of room for him to move within her hands. Ducks have air sacs all around their body to help them breathe. Holding them too tightly can keep them from breathing.
“Let’s hope their mother comes back,” Suki said...
Today, when Suki glanced outside, she saw something unexpected. A brown and yellow ball of fluff bounced across the lawn. Suki sat up and pressed her face to the glass. Another furry handful cruised by and then another. Suki went outside to get a closer look. Ten ducklings were running around her yard. But where is their mother? Suki wondered.
Suki knew what to do. She’d been volunteering at the Wildlife Shelter and knew to call Nancy, the director. Hurriedly, she punched in the numbers and waited for Nancy’s calm voice on the other end of the line.
“Sound Wildlife Shelter, is there an animal in danger?” Nancy answered.
“Nancy, it’s Suki – there're ten ducklings running around my yard and no mother duck. What should I do?” Suki’s voice cracked with worry.
“OK. Get a laundry basket, turn it upside down and try to gather the ducklings under it. The mother will be able to see them through the slats. You’ll have to wait to see if the mother comes back.”
Suki hung up the phone and ran to the laundry room. Her dark straight hair flared behind her. Grabbing the basket, she hurried outside and tip-toed toward the ducklings. They scattered – fuzzy fluff moved in ten different directions. One of them ran toward her outdoor pool.
“Oh, no you don’t,” said Suki as she ran after her. The duckling turned and waddled in the opposite direction. Then Suki spotted another one heading toward the open gate to the street. She ran ahead and closed the gate before the duckling could get out. As Suki surveyed her back yard, each duckling was in a different location and they weren’t staying still.
Suki sighed, “How am I going to get them all to go to one place?”
Just then, Suki heard her older brother coming home from soccer practice. She had an idea: if she could round them up in one corner of her fenced yard, they would be trapped. Having longer arms – or more arms – would give her more width to guide the ducklings into that corner.
“Hey Toshi, can you help me for a second?”
Suki’s tall and thin brother looked past her. “Whoa. That’s a lot of ducklings. What do you want me to do?”
“Help me walk behind them until they move into the corner.” Suki pleaded.
With arms outstretched and bending low to the ground, Suki and Toshi tried to corral the ducklings. Suki put the laundry basket in the corner of the yard. They’d have to guide a few at a time to get them all under the laundry basket. First Toshi got three in, then Suki got four in. Toshi got another two in, but the last duckling just didn’t want to be caught. The more Suki and Toshi ran after him, the more the duckling evaded them. “Cheep cheep,” he sang as if enjoying the chase. Finally, Suki cornered him by a tree and gathered him gently, cupped in her small hands.
“Ok, Speedy, I’ve got you,” exclaimed Suki. The duckling felt like a cloud: soft and airy. He looked up at her through a mask of black markings around his eyes. Prickling her skin, his webbed feet tried to keep running as his little heart pounded against her fingers.
Luckily Suki held the duckling carefully with plenty of room for him to move within her hands. Ducks have air sacs all around their body to help them breathe. Holding them too tightly can keep them from breathing.
“Let’s hope their mother comes back,” Suki said...