Chapter One…NEW EVERYTHING

“What is it Maggie?”
“I don’t know Toucie…it’s a bird of course…a BIG BIRD but I’ve never seen another one like it”
“Nudge it…is it dead?” Maggie the Macaw asked.
“Naw…it’s breathin'” replied Toucie the Toucan.
“I hope it’s not like one of those “you know what” birds that do the unthinkable.” Maggie’s voice was trembling.
“No…it doesn’t have talons…or a beak like those raptors.”
“What you got there? Did it wash up on shore or somethin’?” Theodore the tortoise was lumbering over to the amazed and growing group of onlookers surrounding the strange bird from another land.
“Wait…LOOK it’s wakin’ up!” Maggie warned as she hid behind Toucie.
As I slowly woke up bleary eyed, I was scared at first by the many pairs of eyes staring down at me.
“Where am I eh?” I asked no one in particular while trying to hide my sudden fear.
Theodore grumbled…”Humans call it Argentino.”
“AH!…teenAH…Theodore!” Toucie corrected.
“WHATEVER!” snapped Theodore, although he was NOT a snapping turtle in the true zoological sense.
“What’s your name…where are you from…what ARE you anyway???” All of the small croud were shouting out at once.
“Give him….or ah…her…a chance will you?” Toucie held up her right wing to silence the inquisitive group.
“I…I’m from the North and I got off course during my migration….ah….I’m a Canada Gander, and my name is …well… Oscar.”
“WELL OSCAR…that’s a funny name!” Theodore laughed.
Toucie, shaking her head at the tortoise, said to me…”We already have an Oscar…the Ostrich…he’s over there with his head stuck into the sand. You scared him when you woke up.
How about if we call you…STORMY?”
Toucie seemed to be the friendliest one there and was definately in charge…in my humble opinion.
“That’s fine…I never liked Oscar very much anyhow.” I replied, repeating STORMY over and over in my mind and liking it very much indeed.
“Yeah….Oscar doesn’t like his name either but his Mom would be disappointed if we all didn’t call him that. Maggie said…becoming more relaxed now since Oscar…ah…”Stormy” awoke.
“What have we here, might I inquire of this erudite gathering?” A banded Armadillo waddled to a stop near the edge of the group.
“He’s a Canada…ah….oh yeah…GANDER….Bandy. We named him Stormy. He just blew in from somewhere up North.” Toucie explained.
“Are you planning to take up residence Mr. Stormy?” Bandy asked with his sniffing nose high up in the air. But before I could answer he continued.
“You know…all of this needless commotion has interrupted my nap! I’m just not “Me” if I don’t get my 16 hours of sleep each day. Good Day to you all! Stormy, we’ll talk later. I’ll bring you up to speed. Ta Ta ALL!”
The armadillo wheeled around and wobbled back off to his burrow.
“Bandy’s OK once you get to know him Stormy. So…are you?”
Toucie asked.
“Are I what?” I inquired, rather confused.
“Staying. Taking up residence with us?” Maggie asked excitedly.
“Well…I could never fly all the way back to Canadian Lake or even Gastonia from here. So if you all are inviting me…then…YEAH…I’m stayin'”
“Good!” said Toucie… “Now for the bad news!”