Friend for Life
Mabel Owl stood watch over the abandoned farmer’s field below, the wind rustling through her feathers as she gazed out at the autumn landscape. The trees, once green and lush, now stood tall with branches etched against the gray sky like a delicate pen and ink drawing.
“It is still autumn,” Mabel said to herself, her soft voice carried away by the wind. “But the colder that wind blows, the faster winter will be here.”
As she stood there, Mabel couldn’t help but feel a pang of loneliness. She was getting older now, and with her increasing age, she found that her heart had become softer for all the little creatures scurrying below. She longed for companionship, for someone to share her days with but being a predator didn’t bode well with creatures she wanted to befriend.
“The very next creature that crosses my path is going to be my friend,” Mabel said to herself, determination in her voice. “I will be friendly and likable. I don’t want to scare the creatures away.”
Mabel knew that the creatures were scurrying around trying to find any seeds or nuts that had fallen to the ground. She also knew that if she had food for them, it would make it easier for her to be a trusted, loyal friend. So, she kept some of the seeds and nuts that she had been collecting for herself, planning to offer them to her new friend.
It was a cold and dreary autumn afternoon when Mabel spotted a little mouse under a few leaves, trying to keep warm. She gathered a feast into her beak and flew down to where the mouse was.
“I have something for you,” Mabel said gently, emptying her beak.
The mouse looked up at Mabel longingly but also with a touch of fear.
“You aren’t going to fatten me up and then eat me,” said the mouse, shivering.
Mabel’s soft feathers ruffled in the wind as she shook her head.
“Absolutely not,” she said. “I just want to be your friend.”
The mouse came hobbling out to where Mabel had dropped the seeds and quickly ate them.
“What is wrong with your foot?” Mabel asked, noticing the mouse was hobbling.
“I stepped on a nail this morning,” said the mouse. Mabel’s eyes filled with concern.
“I can fix that for you,” she said.
The mouse looked up at her in surprise.
“You can?” he asked, obvious relief in his voice.
Mabel nodded.
“Wait right here,” she said, noticing the mouse shivering. She opened her wings and motioned for the mouse to climb in.
“This is so warm,” said the mouse, snuggling into the soft feathers.
Mabel told the mouse to hold tight and flew over to the tree she lived in. Once there, she quickly cleaned the mouse’s foot and then applied a sterile bandage to it.
“Thank you,” said the mouse, truly appreciative.
From that day on, Mabel and the mouse became inseparable. They spent their days exploring the forest together, Mabel flying above, watching over the mouse as he scurried through the underbrush. They shared seeds and nuts, and Mabel even taught the mouse how to identify the different types of berries that grew in the forest.
As the seasons passed, their bond grew stronger. Mabel found joy in the mouse’s company, and the mouse found comfort in Mabel’s protection. They proved that even the most unlikely of friends could become the closest of companions.
Mabel and the mouse would sit on a branch, watching the sunset, and reminisce about their adventures. Mabel would softly hoot, and the mouse would squeak in response, their own special language. And as they sat there, wrapped in the warmth of their friendship, Mabel knew that she had found something truly special – a friend for life.
Moral of this Story:
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