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Mrs. Squirrel was primping
and getting ready for a club meeting. She was so excited, since she had seen
in the newspaper new members were being taken into the local garden guild.
Mrs. Squirrel loved growing things so she was being very careful to groom
herself well. She brushed her long bushy tail and manicured her extra
long, almost claw like paws. They were unusual in their length and she was
proud of them.
At the meeting she was
invited into a beautiful room all decorated with the women's hand work going
to flowers and plants.
“We are asking our members to
“sign in.” This lady was looking at her a bit out of the corner of her eye.
“Oh, I'm not a member.” Mrs.
Squirrel was quick to identify herself.
Mrs. Squirrel enjoyed the
meeting with the ladies presenting different short talks about their
gardens, and when she left one of the ladies told her they would review her
request to join their club.
A couple of weeks went by and
then a lovely little message arrived in her mailbox. It smelled of lavender
and was the most beautiful soft color too. However, as Mrs. Squirrel read
over the note there were tears slipping down the side of her face.
“We feel.” The note read.
“Since you are not totally a squirrel, having a father who is a Mottled
Hawk, you would just not fit into our society.” “We try to keep our blood
line strong and it is a rule (in fine print) that we do not accept those of
half and half, this and that.” “You understand, we are sure.”
That evening Mrs. Squirrel
showed the note to her husband who was a mighty Eagle. He took the note,
crumpled it in one mighty talon, and turned to his beloved wife.
“My dear, my dear.” He tried
to comfort her. “Please do not be grieved over a silly note such as this.”
“You know how much I and our children love you.”
Mrs. Squirrel knew but she
longed to be a part of the community so when she again saw another message
in the newspaper of a group of Mottled Hawks who were meeting she made a
note of this.
This time when she stood at
the door the fierce looking hawk there looked down her beak at the squirrel.
“Yes.” “Can I do something
for you?”
“I read you are having a
meeting today and I wanted to visit.” She meekly replied.
“Well, really, I don't see
how you would want to be here.” Today is the day we manicure our talons,
and 'er ah, excuse me, but I don't know what you would do while we are
busy.”
“My paws are very long and
quite a lot like talons.” Mrs. Squirrel wanted so badly to fit in
someplace.
“Oh, no, no, no, no!” “Not
at all suitable for our group.” “Sorry!” This woman did not beat about the
bush and slammed the door in her face.
As Mrs. Squirrel hurriedly
rushed away from the house there were tiny tears squeezing out from under
her eyelids. It just so happened the post man was coming up the walk and
saw her.
“I couldn't help but hear,”
Mrs. Squirrel. “I know how you feel.”
Mrs. Squirrel was indeed so
hurt, but she did not want to admit this to a stranger, so she said nothing.
“Here is an invitation to our
next meeting.” The postman handed the little squirrel a card. “Please
come.” "We are from every group." "One is a lion, one is a peacock, some
are gazelles and there is even an elephant." "I'm not sure, but I think
the lion's mother was a crane!"
So it was Mrs. Squirrel found
her niche. No one at her new group even asked her who her parents were.
They were so busy with their good works, worrying about calling on people,
and at the moment taking care of their immediate sorrows or joys. They
shared association and ideas with each other too.
Mrs. Squirrel no longer felt
alone. In fact her life was so complete. She had her husband's love, her
children were central in her life, but too, she enjoyed friends who loved
her for herself as well. |
