Little Melanie or “Melly” as her Grand Papa called her, was standing very still, peeking through the sliding glass door that led out to, and in from, the garden. She was watching her also very still “Papa” sitting at his computer. He was supposed to be writing one of his “Silly Grandpa” stories but hadn’t moved a finger the entire time that she had stood there watching him.
Finally she quietly slid open the door and tiptoed in behind him.”He must be deep in thought” she thought to herself as she got close enough to view the absolutely empty computer screen.
“Hi Papa!” she softly spoke, not wanting to startle her silly Grandpa.
She had to repeat “Hi” again and he finally lifted his head and turned it toward her with a smile.
“Oh…hey Melly…how’r you doin’?”
“Great…are you writing a new story today?”
“Well…I’m trying to…but I sort of ran out of any ideas.”
“Maybe I can help.”
He looked at her and started to slowly nod his head. “Well, just maybe you could Dear. Any ideas for a good story?”
“Not exactly…but I know what kind of stories that I’d like to read.”
“Oh…and what kind are they?”
“Well…happy ones. Nobody is sad and no one gets hurt and it has a very happy ending.”
“My…I’m not sure I’ve ever read a story like that before.”
“Well…neither have I and so…I think that you should write one. The first story of it’s kind Papa.”
“But kids like adventure and intrigue and overcoming evil and conquering bad stuff and twists and turns and….”
“Sorry to interrupt Papa…but the totally happy story would be a great change from all of those hero stories that are all different yet all the same.”
“Well…I tell you what!” …and then Papa got up from his chair and guided Melly into his seat in front of his computer keyboard…”Why don’t you write me one of your Happy stories!”
“Oh Papa….really…?”
“Absolutely …are you happy now?”
“Oh very very happy Papa…and you?”
“I’m happy too!”
So Melly and Papa were the happiest they had been in quite some time.
And this is the story that I wrote him.
Signed…A VERY HAPPY MELLY

How all those animals knew when it was 8AM, let alone that fact that it was held only on Saturdays, and they all seemed to knew when that was, is still a wonder to me.
That rear garden of his was hidden, not only from the street and blocked by his big white house, but the entire perimeter of the yard was completely surrounded by a privit hedge that had been there for decades and hadn’t been trimmed for nearly as long.
It was actually by chance that I managed to spy on the scene one Saturday in the Fall when I was but eight years old. I thought that I saw something shiny in the dirt under the heavy branching that covered the ground under those privits, and when I struggled to part all of the thick underbrush and lower branches, there they were!
Old Mr. Thompkins was sitting on a wooden chair in the middle of them all with a large old book opened to about halfway, reading slowly and in a gentle voice and the circle of creatures nodding and turning to look at each other from time to time.
Once every page or so there would be a burst of spontaneous applause, but since most of the audience was furried, there was no “clapping” sound like with we humans. (I assume that you readers ARE all humans….aren’t you?)
Anyhow, there was a nearly complete circle of mostly small and medium sized animals if you can picture it, in rapt attention to the reader and his story. There were rabbits, mostly grey ones, and chipmonks, which admittedly had a hard time keeping still, and of course there were a myriad of birds. I noticed that additional birds were covering low branches with their heads turned toward Mr. Thomkins, intently listening along with the audience on the ground.
There was even a box turtle, and some animal that I’m not really sure of, but looked like a groundhog.
I heard Mr. Thompkins say…”And they all lived happily ever after…and I wish that for all of you…TOO!”
There was silent applause again and then most of the animals dispersed in many directions with a Tabby cat coming up to the old man and rubbing against his leg as he stood. The cat followed Mr. Thomkins into the house so I guessed that it was his own pet but all of the other animals were naturally wild but they all sure did love hearing the old man read  to them on Saturday morning storytime.

Little Wendy Summersby had heard lots of stories about the older gentleman that lived in the small ranch house over on Elm Avenue.
Ronnie Gulf said that the man was always grumpy and grouchy and that he hated kids.
Even adults like Mrs. Grimsly said that she had known Amos Wendt since he was a boy and never liked him much. “He didn’t like me either!” she added.
But Eric Sutton, Wendy’s classmate, told Wendy that when he “trick or treated” old Mr. Wendt’s house last Halloween, he seemed OK, but Eric admitted that the old man didn’t smile at him at all.
Wendy had seen Mr. Wendt outside in his garden last summer, and when the old man saw that he was being watched, he rose up and stared back at Wendy.
Wendy then said “Oh sorry, I didn’t mean to stare at you Sir.”
He nodded his head and said…”That’s Ok. I understand” and then went back to his weeding.

Wendy thought that Mr. Wendt seemed lonely. Halloween was coming up fast and Wendy decided to do something very unusual, possibly even unique!
She would go around the neighborhood collecting candy and then go to Mr. Wendt’s house and instead of saying “Trick or Treat” when he opened the door, she would say “No Tricks Mr. Wendt, but here’s your TREAT!” and give him the candy haul.
But what if he didn’t even open the door? What then?
Well, she’d leave the goodies on his doorstep, and ring the bell once more and then leave.

On Halloween night Wendy’s Mom told her not to eat “Too much candy!”
“Oh I won’t!” Wendy said, knowing that she might not even take a bite!
The kids were scattering all over that night and news of the houses giving out whole candy bars spread like wildfire. Those giving cash money, even if just a small coin, also quickly made the rounds.
Wendy, after her hollow plastic pumpkin had filled with treats, made her way through the squeaky iron gate and up the broken brick path to Mr. Wendt’s door.
She rang the bell, twice and just as she was about to leave, the door curtain was pulled aside and a wrinkled face peered out from the inside darkness.
The door slowly opened. “Oh you’re the girl that stares!”
“Ah, I guess I am Mr. Wendt, but then she said “NO tricks Sir, but here’s your TREAT!” and she handed him the mostly full plastic pumpkin.

He backed off away from her slightly.
“It’s OK Sir I just figured that you don’t go out trick or treating, so I did it for you!”
He just stood, not blinking, but not smiling either, the black pumpkin strap around his wrist.
“I hope you like the candy Sir” and Wendy started to leave.
“WAIT!…Ah, please. I’ve got a treat for you too.” The old man leaned over and reached out behind the door and then reached his hand out toward Wendy’s head. She jerked away, thinking that this was not such a good idea after all.
“No…I would never hurt you…but you have something behind your left ear!”
As he reached his hand near, but not touching her, he pulled a Snickers bar from behind her head and put it into her hand.
“Wendy felt her ear. “How’d you do that?”
“Oh…some call it magic, but it is all pretty simple if you know the secret!”
Wendy was amazed. “Is it real?” she asked holding up the candy bar.
“Oh yes and fresh too! Let your parents check it first of course.”

“Wow! Could you, would you, teach me how to do that?”
“Oh I could. You know, I used to be a Magician with the “Jackson Carnival Of Wonders” so many years back. I also was the sword swallower and the fire eater too!”
“Wow! Really?”
“I wouldn’t lie to you. And I would gladly teach you everything that I know, if your parents approved of course.”

“May I come back and see you, maybe Saturday Mr. Wendt?”
“Check with your parents first Wendy!”
“How did you know my name?”
“I checked after our little staring episode last summer.”
She tried to hand the Snickers bar back to him and said, “Here! Do it again!”
“Oh we never repeat the same trick twice. But, wait, what’s this in your right ear?”
He pulled out a quarter and handed it to her. “You’d better go home and wash those ears out!”
She laughed and so did he!
“Thanks for all the candy Wendy! I made the Snickers and quarter appear, but I’m going to make lots of your candy gift DISAPPEAR!”
“Ha! You’re funny too! Thank you for the Snikers and the quarter. See you Saturday!”

After telling her parents about meeting Mr. Wendt and her idea about learning “Magic”, her parents were highly skeptical and said that the old man was indeed a very “strange” and “scary character.”
It was decided that Wendy, her Mom and her Dad would all go over to Mr. Wendt’s house on Saturday. Wendy happily agreed.

Saturday came, and when the three Summersby’s rang the bell, Mr. Wendt answered in a long black and gold robe with a golden wand in his hand.
“Hello…all enter. This is the costume that I wore when I performed. Nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Summersby, you have a wonderful daughter.”
“Yes, thank you. Do you mind if we stay while you teach Wendy?” her Mom asked.
“Not at all. Why don’t you give Magic a try too? I promise no sword swallowing or fire eating lessons!”
All three Summersby’s looked at each other and smiled…”Why NOT!” said Wendy’s Dad.
They all learned how to make quarters appear and objects spring up out of nowhere. But the main thing learned, was that all of them made something disappear completely…namely, all of the wrong ideas that everyone had about Mr. Wendt, just because the way that he lived, was different.

“Don’t go up to that house Billy, there’s a ghost that lives there! Jason has saw it!” Tommy said.
“Jason has SEEN it.” corrected Billy.
“Yeah, that’s what I said!”
“Well, I’m going anyhow! Besides, it’s Halloween. Halloween is for witches and…wait for it…GHOSTS!!!”
“Well, I’m leavin’.”
“Me TOO!” both of the other boys said as they quick stepped their way down the street and away from the creepy house!
Billy had to admit, at least to himself, that it was scary, even for Halloween, but he creaked up the old splintered steps and just as he was about to push the door bell button…
“WHAT???” The door flew open and just about the oldest, grayest, staringist person he’d EVER seen yelled out at him.
He was so startled that he nearly fell off of the top porch step, but caught himself just in time to prevent falling.
After recovering his balance and a little nerve, the door was still filled with the eeriest sight his nine year old eyes had ever seen or imagined, he gathered his strength and said ..”That wasn’t very nice you know. I know that I’m supposed to respect my elders but you make it VERY difficult M’aam.”
There was just a stare back at him with steely eyes that didn’t seem to even have any white parts to them.
After just staring at each other, Billy decided to just leave…”Well, Happy Halloween M’aam.”
A pause then…”Wait.” When Billy looked back at the woman in the door he saw that tears were streaming out of both of her old tired and, he had to admit, scary eyes.
“I’m sorry. I just hate being scary and hateful. But, everybody thinks that I’m a witch or worse yet, a ghost and there is absolutely nothing that I can do about it!” She was fully crying now.
“Oh, M’aam there is always something that you can do. Besides we kids LIKE to be scared and on Halloween, well, you’re just about the scariest…” No wait, thought Billy. THAT won’t help.”
“Here, take my candy and give it out to the trick or treaters. I’ll go get more while you do that and I’ll help you give it out too if you’d like!”
“Why don’t you sit down on this porch chair M’aam.”
“I…I haven’t been outside since, this is gonna sound strange, the full moon of last Halloween.”
“You’re right…strange. But make the most of it. I’ll help you!”

Well, little Billy Smith helped the lady, who he found out was Ima Sloan, over the threshold and out onto the porch. He placed the candy into her dress lap and then went out to the curb and directed kids to “Trick Or Treat” the Scariest candy giver EVER!”
Ms. Sloan started each kid with a grumpy look then laughed out loud as she gave them the treat!
Soon there was a line forming and the candy was running out. “You each have to put a candy in and then take a candy out!”
In less than twenty minutes, the line was out on Elm Street and down the block.
A newspaper photographer who was out covering the story for the local press actually took Ms. Sloan’s and Billy’s picture and it appeared in the next morning’s edition.
Ms. Sloan was a local celebrity and so was Billy and neither one could wait for next Halloween!

I was helping my grandson
To read a book ’til it’s done
Just me and him
We were not at the gym
We sat on the sofa and had fun

“Gus And Grandpa” was the book’s name
And reading it was just like a game
The two in the pages
With their names and ages
Had been read about and gained fame

Well Gus and I said “What’s the deal”?
“We should also be famous we feel”
But there’s something we’ve got
That they have not
Our “Gus and Grandpa” are REAL!

“OK,OK you guys….and gals, just have patience out there. We’ll get to all of you I promise. Who was next?…I lost track!” The Emporer Penguin doorman checked his clip board…”Now Mr. Pachyderm, what is it exactly that you can’t do?”
The huge grey elephant trumpeted before admitting “I….can’t…..JUMP!”
The penguin checked off the elephant and allowed the huge animal to squeeze through the double doors, with the aid of about six employees pushing the south end of the north facing creature.
“Next!” shouted the Penguin.
The doorman whose name was Ernie, got his job after being a regular attending member of the Cannots and even though Ernie couldn’t fly like other birds, he made a GREAT doorman.
“NEXT!!!” Ernie had to shout to be heard and then felt a tapping on his ankle. When he looked down he saw a black snake looking up at him. “SSS…my name’sss SSSSSam and I can’t run. BUT I CAN SSSLITHER!”
“OK…ah SSSSSAM! Got it!” And the snake slithered into the club.
Outside of the Cannot club the animals were lined up a block long. Ernie was a very intelligent Penguin and after assessing the crowd of animals lined up, he had a thought that would make his job easier and faster and relieve the long lines quickly.
“How many of you, like me, can’t fly?” he yelled.
The raccoons, and possums and groundhogs and dogs and cats and well, nearly every waiting animal except for the ducks and geese raised their paws!
The chickens and pheasants in line raised their wings just about halfway but would need another CANNOT to get them admitted because although they don’t fly well, they do get off of the ground.
The chickens and pheasants were eventually allowed inside because none of them could climb a tree.
Just as Ernie was about to close the entrance door he noticed a small boy leaning against the side of the building and sadly looking down at the ground.
“Ah…kid…what’s the matter? Did your pet go inside the club?” asked a concerned Ernie.
“No…I’m Eric and I was told that this is the Cannot club and I…cannot….READ!”
“Oh my! Well. Here at the club we don’t celebrate what each of us cannot do but we cheer and try to improve the things that we CAN all do. But, in your case, I think that since nearly everyone I know of can read, we will all be happy to teach you how to read. I guarantee you that after lessons from our best readers you will be such a good reader that the library will know you on a first name basis! AND…since you can’t fly either, without an airplane that is, you qualify, so welcome to the Cannot Club.”
And Ernie swung the doors wide open for Eric.
After just a few weeks Eric was reading really well and in fact was reading stories about kids and their pets to all of the Cannot Club.
And it was at Eric’s suggestion that the Cannot Club shortened their name to the “Can Club” which of course is true of everyone, human or animal, if they learn and work hard at something that they CAN do.
Who knows? One day at a zoo or in India or Africa somewhere…an elephant will JUMP!