The Tale of Bitty the Hummingbird

I know this is a male hummingbird...just liked the colorful picture...so pretend that it is Bitty...OK?

I have a little tale to tell this October morning

.

It was a windy morning in October. The North Wind was blowing some very windy gusts across the county. The weather forecasters predicted snow for the evening. The man of the house had just put away the furniture off the porch. He came into the room, blustery as the old wind. He was just tired and as he sat on his favorite red chair he made a harumph sound. He picked up the newspaper and the woman of the house brought him a cup of cocoa...to sweeten his mood. She said, "I think that I will sweep the porch for the last time," as she gathered her broom, basket, and warm clothing. Putting on her cozy red jacket and her babushka she stepped out to the porch. A tear came to her eye as she looked at the empty porch. Just yesterday it was full of flowered cushions, quilts, and table coverings. She had memories of playing with the little girl next door...playing dolls, beauty shop, and just enjoying the chatter of a 6 year old. In the tree, hiding from the woman, sat a tiny hummingbird. Let's call her Bitty. Bitty had been checking out the flowers in the yard. There were only Susans left. How was she going to eat? She trembled as she sat in the swaying tree. A beautiful blue bird...majestic in stature, sat next to her. He introduced himself to her...His name was Jay." Why are you still here," he grumbled. Bitty told him that her parents had died and she had no one to guide her this first season. Jay told her that she had better get going...so she could make the flight. Bitty said that the woman of the house would feed her and that she was planning to stay. Hoot the owl flew to the top of the tree. "Whoooo are you?" he said. "My name is Bitty," said the trembling Little bird. He was grumpy this morning...it had been a long night of hunting. "I thought that you went south for the winter," he grumbled. "I didn't know that I was supposed to, so I will spend my first winter here....

the woman of the house will feed me." She fluffed her sparse feathers to keep the wind out. Hoot flew off saying, "Women...harumph." The woman of the house was busy sweeping and when she was done, she started taking the hummingbird feeders down. She placed them in her big basket and set them inside the door. The little frightened bird was shaking. Would the woman of the house refill them and put them in their place? What would she do if that was not the case? " The woman of the house wiped her teary eye and gave a little sigh as she went into the house, closing the heavy door behind her. Bitty was all alone now, sitting in the swaying tree, bending in the heavy wind. She waited and waited until she was so cold that she had to fly. Chick the chickadee flew by with a sunflower seed in his mouth. He was headed for the woods to put the seed in his stash. When he stopped, Bitty asked about the seed. He said, "There's plenty to share...do you like seeds?" She tried to eat one and put her sad little head down and said, "I don't think so." A tiny hummingbird tear dropped from her tiny eye. She took off and saw a group of robins hopping around the yard. They were eating grubs. She told her little tale and Robert asked if she liked grubs. She looked at the fat, white, grub..."No thank you, "she said politely.The robins were feeding heavily, because they were getting ready to leave for the south. Bitty heard some raucous honking just over the fence, by the pond. She thought that maybe the sound was coming from a flock of geese that she had been watching just the other day. Sure enough...there was one goose, who wobbled about looking for food. "Hello Mrs. Goose," she said in her tiny voice. The goose was making so much noise that she couldn't hear. "Ahem.... Hello Mrs Goose,"she said in her loudest hummingbird voice. Mrs. Goose looked down and saw the tiny bird. "Well, hello, little one. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you have left already?" The tiny bird was embarrassed to say that she had paid no attention to the bird chatter. She was just enjoying the impatiens, petunias, and other bright flowers in the yard. She was in a muddle of frightening thoughts right now. "Are you going south?" she asked Mrs. Goose. " I was going to stay here by the river, why do you ask? The little bird got up her little birdie courage and said, "I thought we might go together." Mrs. Goose thought a moment...a long moment and noticing the trembling tiny wee bird. the little bird would never make it on her own and staying here would be her doom. Mrs Goose decided at that very moment to help out the tiny creature After all she was known as Mother Goose. She told the tiny bird to hop up on her back to get ready for the flight. Bitty had always done her own flying, but now she was turning the flying over to this huge bird. She stood on the goose's back as they took off. A gust of wind blew her off and on to the ground. Shaking her tiny head, she hopped back up and this time she went up to where the goose's wings came together and she settled herself into the warm downy feathers that were like a feather bed for tiny birds. She nestled in and fell asleep, because she was so tired. Mother Goose turned her head and smiled a big goose smile..."There, there, little one....you'll soon be warm and safe. Lie there now and dream of warm weather and beautiful flowers. "

Balisha