Chitter By: Masie Abbiati

Chitter was a ordinary flying squirrel. Just like all the other squirrels she enjoyed acorns with sap, and loved playing outside. But their was one thing that Chitter didn’t have in common with the other squirrels. Chitter had a birth defect. She only had half a wing on her right wing. While all the other squirrels flew around chasing each other, she stayed in the tree with her mother (Chestnut), and her father (Chunk). Chitter’s sister (Chatter) was the most popular flying squirrel around. Her fur was the most beautiful shade of brown, and was always combed back without a hair out of placed. She and her friends, Cacao, Coconut, Candess, and Cardinal could run the fastest, fly the farthest and climb the highest.

One late autumn day Chitters only friend Chap came over. Chap loved playing outside but he came and played inside with Chitter every now and then to give her company. Today Chitter and Chap were sitting on the sill of the tree hole eating hot acorns in the refreshing breeze and watching the other flying squirrels fly around. Chitter never really let this bother him. He knew he would never be able to fly like the other flying squirrels, but today was different. When a flying squirrel turns one year there is a big party, and that flying squirrel shows off his best flying tricks. Chap wouldn't stop talking about his one year party that would be in three days. Chitters one year party was supposed to be in two days but since she couldn't fly she wouldn’t have a one year party.

“I’m gonna have all my whole family enter by surfing leaves in the air and then they’ll all signal a firefly to light up so there will be a whole circle of fireflies around me, and then and then...!”

“Okay Chap I get the point, you’re going to have this whole big one year party and everyone will be so proud of you while I sit in my tree and help mom with the dishes or something”.

“Oh! I didn't mean for it to sound that way” said Chap. “It’s okay” said Chitter, “Things could be a lot worse”. “Its getting late, I should go” said Chap. “See you tomorrow?” “See you tomorrow” Chap said as he glided away. Chitter threw the remains of his acorn out the tree and went

inside to his mom. “Hey Chitter, what's with the sad face?” said Chitter mom. “Oh its nothing,” said Chitter. “Come on, tell me,” She said. “Fine,” Chitter sighed, “I'm supposed to have my one year party

in two days but I can’t have one because of my wing,”. “Well you get to be part of your sisters party next month,”

Citters mom said, “That's kind of like having your own,”. “Yeah but its not having my own,” said Chitter. “Oh stop pouting and feel proud of your sister,” Chitters mom

said. Chatter, Chitter thought, the conversation always ends up about

Chatter. At that second Chatter walked through the tree hole. “Well that’s a coincidence” Chitters mom said, “we were just

talking about you!”. “Cool!” Chatter said, “Hey mom can I have Coconut, Cacao,

Candess, and Cardinal over for the night?” “Sure honey, anything for our little perfect,” Chitters mom

cooed. “Can I have Chap over?” Chitter asked. “No silly, we don’t have room for five more kit’s” laughed

Chitters mom. “But Chatter gets to have all her friends over,” Chitter whined. “Thats different, Chatter is having her one year party in a few

weeks, she’s old enough to have friends over” This really set Chitter off. She was older than Chatter, even if

she didn't have a one year party she would always be older than Chatter. She knew that fighting wouldn’t help, so she stomped off into her room.

The next day Chitter woke up early and couldn't get back to

sleep. She had too many things on her mind. “Oh stop pouting and feel proud for your sister.” “Anything for our little perfect.” “Chatters having her one year party in a few weeks, shes old

enough to have friends over.” Chitters mom’s words rocketed through her head. To Chitter

there seemed no other possible way. She had to have a one year party. The question was how?

Chitter thought. A one year party was celebrating a flying squirrel turning one year. Its not celebrating a flying squirrel being able to fly. Then it hit Chitter. If Chitter found another talent she had that was not flying then she could perform that at her one year party!

She was running out of time. Her one year party was tomorrow and she hadn't even started thinking about her talent.

She thought a good place to start would be thinking about

other animals talents. Birds would not work because their talent was flying. Turtles would not work because they can hide in their shell. But

wait! Turtles can swim! That’s it! Swimming could be her talent! She could have her

one year party at the lake and do backflips into the water. There was no time to lose. Chitter had to start practicing now!

She raced down to the lake. Chitter slowly Put one paw in the water.”Burrrrrrrr!”. Chitter

quickly pulled it back out. The water was as cold as ice. She would have to get used to it.

Chitter gave it another try. She pulled her paw out again and again.

She gave up and thought. If putting one paw in at a time didn’t work then what if she put

her whole body in at one time. It might be cold at first but her body would get used to it.

Chitter climbed to a low branch and climbed all the way out so that she was hovering over the lake.

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and jumped! Chitter could feel the air rushing past her. It felt like eternity

falling from the tree. Suddenly she felt a big rush of coldness as she hit the water.

She was still falling. Slower now but still falling. She needed a breath of air. She took a breath and got a mouthful of water. She opened her eyes. Black. That was all she could see. Her eyes burned. She must have air.

Chitter felt a hard object slam into her, pushing her up, up. Suddenly she was flying through the air.

How could that be? She was falling and now she was flying. But wait! Now she was falling again! Chitter forced her eyes open. She was falling into the lake, No! She was falling into the mouth of a giant fish. Chitter thought desperately. Every second she was coming closer to the open mouth. Flying was the only thing that came to mind.

Chitter forced her wings out and prayed it would work. Her right wing caught air slowing down her fall. It also made her go to the left and away from the fishes mouth. Thump, Chitter landed hard on the ground.

Shivering, Chitter climbed up the nearest tree. No doubt about it, Swimming was not Chitters talent. Chitter sat in her room eating hot acorns with sap when her

dad Chunk walked in. He had to turn sideways to fit through the door.

“Hey Chitter, what's up?” Chunk made the whole bed shake as he sat on it.

“Oh, I'm just trying to find a talent that I have,” Chitter responded.

“Well, you make a mighty good pinecone pie, thats a talent,” Chunk said.

“I’m trying to find a talent for my one year party.” said Chitter. “Well, how about flying?” Chunk recommended. “Dad you know I can’t fly.” “Do you have any better ideas?”Chunk said as he walked out

the door. The answer to her dad’s question was no. She didn’t have any

better ideas. But she couldn't fly. At the lake it just slowed down her landing.

That’s it! Her right wing worked just fine so all she had to do was find

something to use for a left wing. The two things that came to her head were feathers, and

leaves. Leaves would be easy to find at this time of autom. Chitter decided to start with that. She ran outside and found a leaf that was not so dry and

holey. She found a nice yellow ont that fit right where her wing should be.

Chitter climbed to a low branch that was only a few yards off the ground.

She grabbed one end of the leaf in her front paw and the other end in her back paw.

She looked down remembering what had happened at the lake. Before she jumped she looked below her carefully making sure their was no animal prowling around waiting for her to jump.

All clear! Chitter took a deep breath, made sure she had a good grip on

the leaf and jumped!

Once again Chitter felt the wind flying past her. She was going down but unlike the lake she was also going forward.

She was flying! Relief flowed through Chitter. She would be able to fly at her

one year party! Chitter would make it even as good as Chatters to show her

parents how good she really was. It all felt to good to be true, and as she was about to find out, it was too good to be true.

SLAM! At that second Chitter slammed hard into a tree. “Ouch!”

Chitter said. She had been so into her own thoughts that she completely forgot about landing.

She retrieved her leaf and tried again. This time as she climbed up she didn’t mind looking down, to

make sure there wasn't any hungry animal waiting for her on the ground. She was so confident that she wouldn't fall that Chitter thought it was a waste of time to look around.

As Chitter felt the air fly past her this time all she was focused on was landing. As she neared the tree she was more ready for landing than any flying squirrel ever had been.

Chitter landed on the tree gracefully, but immediately lost her grip because she was still holding the leaf.

Thump. Chitter landed hard on the ground. She sighed and lied on the

ground in defeat. If holding on to something didn’t work then holding on to a feather definitely would not work.

At that second she heard a low growling. Every muscle in Chitter’s body stopped moving.

She turned her head slowly and saw two yellow eyes staring at her from under a bush.

The fox slowly walked out from under the bush crouched in an attack stance.

Chitter sat up and scurried up the tree just as the fox attacked. She felt the wind of the foxes claw blow on her. Her heart was pounding. She didn’t dare look back she just

kept running and running until she got to her tree hole, the whole time thinking “It’s no use, I’ll never have a one year party”.

When Chitter got home she didn’t know what to do. Her mom was out collecting acorns for dinner somewhere in the forest so there were no chores to do, and she didn’t feel like thinking about a one year party so she decided to invite Chap over.

Chitter went to her stack of pebbles and threw it as hard as she could at the tree across from hers. Most days she would just go over but on days that she felt lazy or tired she would just throw rocks at Chaps tree until it caught someone's attention. It took three throws until Chap stuck his head out the window.

He was over in a matter of seconds. Chitter quickly got him some pine cone pie. As they sat down Chap asked

“What's up Chitter?” “Oh nothing much,” said Chitter, “I’ve been trying to find a

talent I have other than flying but I haven't been very successful”. “Well what have you tried?” Chap asked. “I’ve tried swimming and flying,” answered Chitter. Chap thought for a minute. “I can’t think of anything else,”Chap finally said. They sat in silence for a while watching the other flying

squirrels. Then something caught Chitter’s eye. Their in the distance was a regular squirrel. Chitter froze at the sight.

There had only been a squirrel this close to the flying squirrels territory twice. Once to take over the territory (Luckily the flying squirrels stopped him) and another to steel acorns. Both are not good.

“Chap,” Chitter whispered, “look at that.” It only took a few seconds before Chap too was frozen to his

place. “What should we do?” Whispered Chap. The squirrel was scurrying up and down trees all over like it was

nothing. “We have to get into the house” Chitter replied. Chap gave a slight nod never taking his eyes off the squirrel. They slowly backed into the house and as soon as they were

out of sight of the squirrel they sprinted to Chitter’s room. “That was close,” said Chap. Chitter wasn’t listening. She was thinking of the squirrel. Up and

down up and down. It was so graceful. Chitter wished she could do it. Climb like that.

“You okay Chitter?” Chap asked. “I’ve got it!” Chitter yelled. “Got what?” “What I'm going to do for my one year party!” Chitter

answered excitedly, “Climbing!”. “That’s great but how are we going to get outside to practice if

the squirrels still there?” Chap asked. Chitter thought for a minute. Than a big smile crossed her face. “We climb!” she said.

Chitter went to the back of her house to the emergency tree

hole and sprinted down the tree, right at the squirrel. As Chitter expected, instead of preparing to attack the squirrel

ran away. As much as squirrels like to sneak around they are absolute scaredy squirrels.

“Come on out Chap, the coast is clear!” Chitter yelled. Chap poked his head out of the tree hole and seeing that the

cost was clear scurried over to Chitter. “That was epic!” Chap said. “Yeah, now we can start practicing”. “All right, lets start by going to the big evergreen that has lots

of sap.” said Chap. When they got to the big evergreen they took a break and ate

some sap. “You ready to start?” Chap asked. “Beat you to the top,” Chitter said. Chitter and Chap started rocketing up the tree. Chitter

couldn't see Chap next to or in front of him. That means she must be ahead! The branches seemed to be coming at her at lightning speed. She quickly dodged all of them.

Chitter could see the top of the tree. She sped up afraid that Chap might catch up to her. She got to the top and looked down.

Chap wasn't even halfway up the tree. That means she was a fast climber, but what about tricks?

As soon as Chap caught up to Chitter they tried some tricks. “Are you sure this will work?” asked Chitter. “Sure I’m sure,” answered Chap. Chitter looked down. It was an awfully long fall if it didn’t work. She took a deep breath tucked into a ball and rolled off the

end of the branch. She was doing flips! Chitter opened her eyes to see how close she was to the

branch below her. the branch was coming up fast. Chitter came out of her tuck and landed gracefully on the branch below.

“You did it!” said an excited Chap. “Yeah, but its getting late, we should go home,” said Chitter. “Right.” said Chap. They parted their separate ways. Chitter couldn’t get to sleep that night. She was too excited

for the next day. She decided to start decorating. She went outside and started. Sure, it would not be the most fancy one year party. She didn’t

have enough time to plan. But it would still be a one year party and that was enough for

Chitter.

The next day Chitter jumped out of bed. She ran to her mom and dads room.

“Mom, dad its my one year party! Its my one year party!” Chitter was literally bouncing on them to get them up.

Chitters parents lazily opened their eyes. “Come on Chitter let us sleep, we’ve been spending so much

time planning your sisters party that we’re too tired to get out of bed” Said a lazy Chestnut.

“Yeah but I’m having my one year party today” Chitter said. “You found a talent?” Asked Chunk. “Yes climbing and I won't have a party if you guys just lie in

bed” Chitter was now pulling Chestnut out of bed. “Guess we have some extra streamers” Said Chestnut

uncertainly. “Oh don’t worry, I got it covered” Chitter said. He pulled his parents to the door and their mouths hung open

in amazement. Chitter was even impressed herself. It looked even better in the

day. Her name was engraved in big letters on every tree in the area and there were big leaved making the whole place a big dome.

“This is amazing” Chatter said as she walked out, “But don’t you think this is a little early to be preparing for my one year party?”

Chitter rolled her eyes in frustration. “This is for MY one year party,” Chitter explained. “Well than what are we waiting for?” Asked Chatter, “Lets get

this party started!”. Immediately the whole family started to bring the town over to

Chitters party. As soon as everyone was their Chitter went to the base of the tallest tree, and once everyone was watching him he sprinted up the tree.

The crowd oooooed. When he got to the top he did his back flip landing on the branch below the crowd aaaaaaaed. Then Chitter went to the small tree that he had pulled down the night before. She had saved this for the grand finale.

She stepped on the tip of the branch and pulled the string that was holding the tree down. Immediately Chitter was flung into the air.

She felt alive she felt free everything was going to get better.