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Revised again today, Wednesday...Thank you all!!..JohnJohn,GJ, Beth, Wy Wy, Huggin Stan, Heidi and the lay, layed laid folks on general forum...Geoff, Jeff, Nige, Mike DeFoote', Ray and Jack Although this story was written for children, “The Empty Nest” expresses the "pangs of letting go” many of us have felt in September when our kids have gone away to college. This story is an accompaniment to the song, “Empty Nest Feelings” from the CD, “Miss Willow’s Fence Row”. ©The Empty Nest, Written by Kaley Willow
Little Charlotte Chickadee woke with a start. She thought she'd heard one of her babies calling. She got up from her fine feathery bed, put on her fluffy slippers and looked around the big empty nest. "Oh dear, I must have been dreaming again," she chirped. Charlotte's heart felt very heavy. Though she saw her children at least once or twice a week, it just wasn't the same since they'd grown up and left the nest.
"I can sit here and chirp about it all day and feel sorry for myself, or I can do something special to feel better," she said.
As Charlotte Chickadee poured her favorite crunchy birdseed cereal into her little red bowl, she thought how nice it would be to hear the pitter patter of feet again. Before she could take that thought any further, she heard a cry come from somewhere in the Fence Row. "I wonder what that's all about." Charlotte quickly flew to the tip top of her tree. She looked up and down the fence row paths. She looked high to where the tree tops touched the sky. She looked down low to the overgrown brush and honeysuckle bushes. Finally, her keen eyes spied two tiny puffs of fur huddled together under the old spruce tree. "Oh my, they are just babies!"
Charlotte Chickadee swooped down to the ground and flapped her wings gently. "Excuse me, dear little ones, but why are you alone?"
”We were up on the big hill playing tag on the fallen tree limbs," the first fur puff baby began, pointing his little paw in the direction of Round Top Hill, "when all of a sudden Mama cried, ‘hide, children, hide!’ We ran to the tall grass and lay very still. A big hawk came down from the sky and tried to pick Mama up and carry her off, but Mama scurried under some brush.”
"The last thing we heard our Mama say," whispered the other baby, was "Run down to the fence row. You'll be safe there. I'll come back for you as soon as I can."
Little Charlotte Chickadee's heart grew two sizes bigger as she looked into the babies' eyes. She knew exactly what she had to do. "You may stay with me in my big nest until your Mama returns." And so they did.
Days went by and the fur puff babies began to look like young squirrels. Charlotte loved caring for the two youngsters, but she never gave up hope that one day Mama Squirrel would come back for them.
One evening as Charlotte was tucking them into bed, she heard a rustling sound just outside the nest. Suddenly, a very tired but happy face peeked in.
"My babies, my babies," Mama Squirrel cried, gently reaching out her paws and hugging her children the special way only Mama Squirrels know how to hug. "How I missed you!"
"We knew you'd come find us, Mama. We just knew you would! Did the big hawk hurt you, Mama?"
"I'll explain everything to you after we get home."
"The most important thing is we're all safe."
After thanking Charlotte Chickadee many times and promising to come visit, Mama Squirrel led her children down the tree to a new home at the edge of the Fence Row.
Although she missed the fur puffs, Charlotte was thankful that Mama Squirrel was safe and had returned for her children. And the empty nest? Well...Charlotte's nest never felt empty again! To this very day, Charlotte Chickadee opens her home to all little ones in the Fence Row who need a hug and a place to stay. Miss Willow's Fence Row CD......NEW! http://cdbaby.com/cd/kwwg2 Piano Music and Demos (Many Genres) http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=8404&content=musicChildren's Songs http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=6469&content=musicAndy & Friends CD http://cdbaby.com/cd/kwwg The Empty Nest (Revised Again) ©2008 Kaley Willow Little Charlotte Chickadee woke with a start. She thought she'd heard one of her babies calling. She got up from her fine feathery bed, put on her fluffy slippers and looked around the big empty nest. "Oh dear, I must have been dreaming again," she chirped. Charlotte's heart felt very heavy. Though she saw her children at least once or twice a week, it just wasn't the same since they'd grown up and left the nest. "I can sit here and chirp about it all day and feel sorry for myself, or I can do something to feel better," she said. As Charlotte Chickadee poured her favorite crunchy birdseed cereal into her little red bowl, she thought how nice it would be to hear the pitter patter of feet again. Before she could take that thought any further, she heard a cry come from somewhere in the Fence Row. "I wonder what that's all about." Charlotte quickly flew to the tip top of her tree. She looked up and down the fence row paths. She looked high to where the tree tops touched the sky. She looked down low to the overgrown brush and honeysuckle bushes. Finally, her keen eyes spied two tiny puffs of fur huddled together under the old spruce tree. "Oh my, they are just babies!" Charlotte Chickadee swooped down to the ground and flapped her wings gently. "Excuse me, dear little ones, but why are you alone?" We were up on the big hill playing tag on the fallen tree limbs," the first fur puff baby began, pointing his little paw in the direction of Round Top Hill, "when all of a sudden Mama cried, "hide, children, hide." We ran to the tall grass and LAY LAYED LAID ? ? ? very still. A big hawk came down from the sky and tried to pick Mama up and carry her off, but Mama scurried under some brush. (thank you Wy on that and the A too) "The last thing we heard our Mama say," whispered the other baby, was "Run down to the fence row. You'll be safe there. I'll come back for you as soon as I can." Little Charlotte Chickadee's heart grew two sizes bigger as she looked into the babies' eyes. She knew exactly what she had to do. "You may stay with me in my big nest until your Mama returns." And so they did. Days went by and the fur puff babies began to look like young squirrels. Charlotte loved caring for the two youngsters, but she never gave up hope that one day Mama Squirrel would come back for them. One evening as Charlotte was tucking them into bed, she heard a rustling sound just outside the nest. Suddenly, a very tired but happy face peeked in. "My babies, my babies," Mama Squirrel cried..gently reaching out her paws and hugging her children in the special way only Mama Squirrels know how to hug. "How I missed you!" "We knew you'd come find us, Mama. We just knew you would! Did the big hawk hurt you, Mama?" "I'll explain everything to you after we get home." (thanks Wy) "The most important thing is we're all safe." After thanking Charlotte Chickadee many times and promising to come visit, Mama Squirrel led her children down the tree to a new home at the edge of the Fence Row. Although she missed the fur puffs, Charlotte was thankful that Mama Squirrel was safe and had returned for her children. And the empty nest? Well...Charlotte's nest never felt empty again! To this very day, Charlotte Chickadee opens her home to all little ones in the Fence Row who need a hug and a place to stay. Empty Nest Feelings is Track # 6 http://cdbaby.com/cd/kwwg2 Piano Music and Demos (Many Genres) http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=8404&content=musicChildren's Songs http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=6469&content=musicAndy & Friends CD http://cdbaby.com/cd/kwwg ***************************************************************** A little rough around the edges...but is this any better content wise? thanks...to anyone who reads or wants to offer any suggestions... very best... Kaley
The Empty Nest (Revised)
©2008, Kaley Willow
Little Charlotte Chickadee woke with a start. She thought she'd heard one of her babies calling. She got up from her fine feathery bed, put on her fluffy slippers and looked around the big empty nest. "Oh dear, I must have been dreaming again," she chirped. Charlotte's heart felt very heavy. Though she saw her children at least once or twice a week, it just wasn't the same since they'd grown up and left the nest.
"I can sit here and chirp about it all day and feel sorry for myself, or I can do something to feel better", she said determinedly.
As Charlotte Chickadee poured her favorite crunchy birdseed cereal into her little red bowl, she thought how nice it would be to hear the pitter patter of feet again. Before she could take that thought any further, she heard a cry come from somewhere in the Fence Row. "I wonder what that's all about." Charlotte quickly flew to the tip top of her tree. She looked up and down the fence row paths. She looked high to where the tree tops touched the sky. She looked down low to the overgrown brush and honeysuckle bushes. Finally, her keen eyes spied two tiny puffs of fur huddled together under the old spruce tree. "Oh my, they are just babies."
Charlotte Chickadee swooped down to the ground and flapped her wings gently. "Excuse me, dear little ones, but why are you alone?"
"We were up on Round Top Hill playing tag on the fallen tree limbs," the first fur puff baby began, "when all of the sudden
Mama (yelled??) hide, children, hide. We ran to the tall grass and (lay??) very still. A big hawk came down from the sky and tried to pick Mama up and carry her off, but Mama ran away as fast as she could."
"The last thing we heard Mama say," whispered the other baby was "run down to the fence row. You'll be safe there. I'll come back for you as soon as I can."
Little Charlotte Chickadee's heart grew two sizes bigger as she looked into the babies' eyes. She knew exactly what she had to do. "You may stay with me in my big nest until your Mama returns." And so they did.
Days went by and the fur puff babies began looking like young squirrels. Charlotte loved them as if they were her very own...but she never gave up hope that one day Mama Squirrel would come back for them.
One evening as Charlotte was tucking them into bed, she heard a rustling sound just outside the nest. Suddenly, a very tired but happy face peeked in.
"My babies, my babies," Mama Squirrel cried...gently reaching out her paws and hugging her children in the very special way only Mama Squirrels know how to hug. "How I missed you!"
"We knew you'd come find us, Mama...We just knew you would." "Did the big Hawk hurt you, Mama?"
"I'll explain everything to you, children, after we get home."
"The most important thing is we're all safe now"
After thanking Charlotte Chickadee many times and promising to
come visit, Mama Squirrel led her children down the tree to a new home at the edge of the fence row.
And...although she missed the fur puffs, Charlotte Chickadee knew it was best for the children to be with their Mama. And her empty nest? ..Well....Charlotte's nest never felt empty again! Because to this very day, Charlotte opens her home to all little ones in the Fence Row who need a hug and a place to stay. ****************************************************** The Empty Nest by Kaley Willow ©2006 All rights reserved Little Charlotte Chickadee woke with a start. She thought she'd heard one of her babies calling out to her. She got up from her fine feathery bed, put on her fluffy slippers and looked around the big empty nest. "Oh dear, I must have been dreaming again," she chirped. Charlotte's heart felt very heavy. Though she saw her children at least once or twice a week, it just wasn't the same since they'd grown up and left the nest. "I can sit here and chirp about it all day and feel sorry for myself, or I can do something to feel better", she said determinedly. As Charlotte Chickadee poured her favorite crunchy birdseed cereal into her little red bowl, she thought how nice it would be to hear the pitter patter of feet again. Before she could take that thought any further, she heard a cry come from somewhere in the Fence Row. "I wonder what that's all about." Charlotte quickly flew to the tip top of her tree. She looked up and down the fence row paths. She looked high to where the tree tops touched the sky. She looked down low to the overgrown brush and honeysuckle bushes. Finally, her keen eyes spied two tiny puffs of fur huddled together under the old spruce tree. "Oh my, they are just babies." Charlotte Chickadee swooped down to the ground and flapped her wings gently. "Excuse me, dear little ones, but why are you alone?" "Mommy didn't come back," said a tiny grey squirrel. "Mommy always came back before, but this time she didn't," sobbed the other baby squirrel. Little Charlotte Chickadee's heart grew two sizes bigger as she looked into the babies' eyes. She felt the babies had been left alone far too long and feared something had happened to their mother. "We''ll need to do something about this," Charlotte chirped ever so softly. "You may stay with me in my big nest." And that’s exactly what the babies did. Although the two puffs of fur had no feathered wings and didn't look a bit like her, Charlotte loved them as her own. When the squirrels grew big enough to take care of themselves, they left the nest in the Fence Row and built their own homes. And, Charlotte Chickadee's nest was never empty again. To this very day,Charlotte opens up her heart and home to all little ones in the Fence Row who need a hug and a place to stay. ©2006 Empty Nest Feelings is Track # 6 http://cdbaby.com/cd/kwwg2 Piano Music and Demos (Many Genres) http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=8404&content=musicChildren's Songs http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=6469&content=musicAndy & Friends CD http://cdbaby.com/cd/kwwg
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