Ellington Owl's Awesome Birthday



  Ellington Owl's Awesome Birthday

  by Anthony J. Garot

  Ellington Owl's Awesome Birthday

  Copyright © 2012 by Anthony J. Garot

  Illustrations Copyright © 2012

  Release version 7.3

  EPUB ISBN 9781301231126

  License Notes:

  This story is free to read and re-distribute for non-commercial use. Send it to a friend! Although this story is free, it remains the copyrighted property of the author.

  To include this free story in a not-for-profit publication, in whole or part, contact me. It's likely that I will give permission so long as it is properly credited and attributed, and that you send me a copy.

  www.garot.com

  Send E-mail with questions, comments, or mistakes with regard this first chapter to [email protected].

  A full book containing a new story with the same characters will be available soon for download as an e-book. By supporting me, you can be assured of future adventures.

  I dedicate this book to my sister who said, “Your characters are like friends, I want them to come out and play again.”

  Acknowledgments

  The author is grateful to the following for suggestions, edits, and encouragement.

  1. Lisa Farr

  2. Holly Prevost, my niece, for straight answers.

  3. Dave Pankratz. (Hoo hoo)

  4. Juli Land-Marx

  5. Mark Wells

  Preface

  I started this book because I thought it would be fun. What you are reading now was meant to be the first chapter in a full book. As I continued writing, the chapter took on a life of its own, and now it is a complete, albeit small, story.

  The characters in this book come from various sources.

  I love lizards, so that is why my protagonist is a lizard. He often acts like a lizard, including pushups and eating flies. He's a subtle character and speaks few words.

  Lady Horse is patterned after a horse near where I lived in Boulder City, NV. I was speaking with my sister over the phone when I noticed a horse nodding her head vigorously. I mentioned this to my sister, and even said, in time with the nodding, “Yes, yes, yes, yes.” The horse really did nod four times.

  Bootsy Bat was originally named “Drat Bat Puppet Roberts,” but I didn't want to get into trouble with the Princess Bride movie people. Bootsy Bat was derived from a finger puppet that my sister made for me of a bat for my forty-fourth birthday. In addition to liking lizards, I also like bats.

  The owl and melon characters were derived from a photograph I saw on a friend's Facebook wall. The characters names were changed to protect the innocent.

  The names of most of the characters are based upon famous jazz musicians. The obvious exception is Lady Horse. Bootsy Bat was named to honor a funk bassist, but I felt the parallel was close enough.

  I added a few very rough sketches of my own for fun.

  I hope you enjoy the story,

  Tone Garot, [email protected]

  https://www.garot.com/

  Some of the cast (except the serpent)

  The real Bootsy Bat

  Rules Of Hospitality

  ( so far . . . )

  1st Rule of Hospitality: Always have extra cakes and coffee, just in case an unexpected guest arrives.

  2nd Rule of Hospitality: The best coffee is the coffee shared with friends.

  3rd Rule of Hospitality: Always send an RSVP to a formal invitation.

  Find more Rules of Hospitality in the upcoming book, The Voyage of Captain Reginald P. Lizard And His Amazing Crew.

  Chapter 1

  An Upset Melon

  An upset melon rolled round and round an empty mailbox in an otherwise ordinary melon patch. Thelonious Melon cried, “Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear . . . it still hasn't arrived! Why hasn't it arrived?”

  Chapter 2

  A Horse and A Lizard

  It was a beautiful spring morning with bees buzzing and butterflies flitting. At the fence-line of a meadow full of fragrant wildflowers stood a regal horse named Lady Horse. She was munching a juicy clump of green grass that grew tall next to a weathered fence post. She spied another clump of grass on the other side of the fence, but when she went over to it, she realized that the grass only looked greener on that side of the fence.

  Then she spied Reginald P. Lizard, the P. was short for Pastorius, who approaching from the west. He wore a top hat and carried a walking stick. She stood upright and finished chewing to be ready to greet her good and trusted friend when he arrived.

  “Good morning, Reginald P. Lizard,” said Lady Horse in her regal way, snorting air out of her nose and tossing her head. “To where are you off on this exquisite spring day?”

  Reginald P. Lizard stopped, bowed, nodded his head, and touched the brim of his top hat. “Birthday,” he replied.

  Lady Horse thought about what Reginald P. Lizard had just said while she chewed more grass. After she swallowed she said, “It would seem that you have the wrong day. Ellington Owl's birthday party is tomorrow.” She moved toward another juicy clump of grass but kept an eye upon her lizard friend. Lady Horse knew the lizard to be sensible, but to go to a birthday party the day before—well, it just wasn't done!

  Reginald P. Lizard was nonplussed by her abrupt termination to their conversation. He saw that she expected a further response from him.

  Reginald P. Lizard waited for just the right moment between Lady Horse's champing, then he said, “Setup.”

  Lady Horse was a positive horse.

  Lady Horse considered his terse reply, then she understood. She nodded and bobbed her head four times vigorously, “Yes, yes, yes, yes! That is a fine idea and a noble thing to do.”

  Reginald P. Lizard flushed green with pride. He liked compliments from Lady Horse. She added, “I do believe that I will join you.”

  Reginald P. Lizard scratched the back of his head and said, “Just so.” They were soon on their way.

  As they walked, Reginald P. Lizard's mind wandered. He remembered the flowers and fruits he ate last night for dinner, and the banana pancakes slathered in syrup that he ate for breakfast this morning. Lady Horse just finished saying, “. . . and that is where dreams go when you wake up,” when two pesky flies caught the lizard's attention. Lady Horse swished her tail to shoo them away, but to no avail.

  Reginald P. Lizard pretended not to see the flies. Although he generally dined upon plants, vegetables, and fruits, he adored a nice, juicy, buzzing fly for a snack. He felt that Lady Horse must be lucky for she always had flies follow her around everywhere that she went!

  The problem facing the lizard was that he didn't want to offend Lady Horse. She was a proper, dignified horse, and he was not sure if eating a fly in front of her was befitting to her stature. He thought more and more about these flies and less and less about what Lady Horse was saying. The more he thought about those flies, the more he wanted to eat one. He couldn't think about anything else once he had fly-on-the-brain. To make matters worse, a fly landed upon his nose!

  An inspiration came to Reginald P. Lizard. He pointed to a far away stand of trees and said, “What's that?” Reginald P. Lizard was well known for his economy of words.

  Lady Horse looked in the indicated direction, and snap! Out flashed Reginald P. Lizard's tongue to catch a fly in midair! It was truly a remarkable sight. This unassuming lizard was quick, accurate, and precise. He covered his full mouth, munched on the fly, and delighted in its delicate fly-flavor. Lady Horse shook her head from side-to-side and replied with a neigh resembling a sigh, “There is nothing there to be seen, Reginald P. Lizard.”

  Reginald P. Lizard eats a fly.


  Lady Horse was no fool. She knew well of Reginald P. Lizard's fly-catching antics. She didn't mind so much because, in addition to being a lady, she was an understanding friend. The lizard mumbled, “Oh,” as he swallowed the fly. Lady Horse resumed talking. She said, “Mondays are for important things, and Tuesdays are Shoes-days, and Wednesdays are . . . ,” Reginald P. Lizard did not really pay attention past Wednesdays.

  Chapter 3

  At Ellington Owl's Tree House

  Reginald P. Lizard and Lady Horse stood at the edge of the forest at the tall tree where Ellington Owl had his house. The lizard scurried up the tree to reach the door. Lady Horse could not go up the tree, but even if she could, she dare not because a lady does not “scurry” up trees. The lizard gave the door a light rap, then rapped a few more times, and when he was certain that Ellington Owl was not awake, he darted back down the tree.

  Lady Horse concluded that “darting” and “scurrying” are much the same thing, and neither was befitting of a lady. She lifted her head high at this thought, then awaited some response from Reginald P. Lizard. When he said nothing, she said in an exasperated tone, “Well?”

  Reginald P. Lizard replied, “Sleeping.”

  Lady Horse chewed on his statement for a moment. “Perhaps our owl friend had a busy night preparing for his party. It was good of you not to wake him.” She then said, “I wonder which tiara I should wear to the party.”

  Reginald P. Lizard nodded, then dropped to the ground to do a quick set of pushups. When he finished, he got up and dusted himself off. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw objects located at the base of a distant tree. He turned his head to the side and stared at them, motionless like a statue.

  Lady Horse turned to look at what the lizard saw. She couldn't quite make out what they were, so she walked toward the objects to find out.

  “Ah, yes, yes, yes, yes!” exclaimed Lady Horse, “Tables, chairs, and boxes of decorations! We can surprise Ellington Owl by preparing for his party while he is asleep!”

  “Just so,” stated Reginald P. Lizard, who was now standing at her side.

  “Don't sneak up on me like that!” said Lady Horse.

  They got down to work.

  “Did I ever tell you the story of why we see only one side of the moon?” began Lady Horse. “It all began with a mouse with a wrist watch . . . .”

  Chapter 4

  An Impromptu Party

  After a few hours of work, the canvas tents were set up with collapsible tables and chairs underneath them. Colorful decorations were hung in the trees. The area was becoming quite festive. As Reginald P. Lizard considered where to hang a piñata, he heard an unexpected lull in Lady Horse's conversation followed by her hailing Ellington Owl. He looked up to see the raptor standing outside his door yawning.

  “Oh Ellington Owl!” called Lady Horse with a pleasant trill. “Do come down and see what we have done!”

  Ellington Owl recognized his friends, waved, stretched a bit, then dove off the platform outside his front door. He swooped around the tents discovering the preparations that his two friends had done, then he landed with a thud and a roll next to where they were standing. “Hoo, Ow!” he muttered under his breath. Although Ellington Owl was round, soft, and huggable, these were not the best attributes for flight. Still, he made do.

  “Hoo, you two have done a simply splendid job preparing for tomorrow's party! You even set up the dunk tank! You both have saved me so much time! Thank you! Thank you so much!” hooted Ellington Owl. “You must take a break now and have a bite to eat. Let me get something.” Ellington Owl was known for his hospitality.

  The three friends soon sat down to dine on muffins, cakes, toast with marmalade, and of course, coffee. Ellington Owl felt that impromptu picnics were the best kind.

  “I say,” said Lady Horse with her mouth full of a muffin and while still chewing it, “this is one of the best tasting muffins I have ever eaten! Lovely . . . marvelous! Out of this world!” After she finished chewing, she turned to Ellington Owl and said, “You were later than usual getting up today. Did you have a long night of it?” The owl did not seem to mind her direct question.

  “Hoo, yes! I flew to far side of the nearby swamp to hire the entertainment for the party,” he replied. “It took some searching, but I finally found them—the Frog Quartet! They are simply magnificent. Oh, look there! They are approaching us right now!” As Lady Horse turned to look, snap! Reginald P. Lizard caught a fly with his tongue from the air. Muffled munching sounds were soon heard. The lizard enjoyed the subtle nuances of the fly-flavor.

  Lady Horse sighed to herself, rolled her eyes, and wondered why muffins were not enough for her lizard friend. Still, Reginald P. Lizard was polite, kind, and he kept the flies in check. That was why he was invited to all the best parties.

  Around the bend, four frogs pulled what appeared to be a small stagecoach. Their combined gait was interesting. Each frog jumped at exactly ¼ intervals, not at the same time. The frogs sang as they hopped to keep their hops in synch. They also sang for the shear joy of singing. As they approached, the alto frog performed an intricate melody trill. The frogs finalized their approach and finished the song at the exact moment that the wagon stopped. They had planned the notes to coincide exactly with their destination. There was much applause.

  “Hoo, let me introduce you to the Frog Quartet whom I just mentioned. They will sing tomorrow at the party. Aren't they a hoot?”

  Lady Horse said, “Their voices are glorious! Simply the best. Do these fine gentlemen have names?”

  Ellington Owl said, “Hoo, we can tell them apart by their voices. Gentlemen, would you be so kind as to sound off please?”

  Mr. “Alto” Frog started by singing the word, “froggieeeeeeee.” and he extended the final “e” sound. Mr. “Soprano” Frog joined at a lower pitch, singing the same word “froggieeeeeeee,” and he, too, continued the “e” sound, which blended with the “e” from Mr. “Alto” Frog. Mr. “Tenor” Frog and Mr. “Bass” Frog joined them in much the same manner. Their frog voices blended together in perfect harmony in a beautiful and satisfying way. With no discernible cue, they all stopped at the exact same time. If it wasn't so impressive, it might have been downright spooky.

  Singing frogs. “Froggieeeeeeee . . . ”

  “Oh my, how lovely!” exclaimed Lady Horse nodding her head up and down. “Without a doubt, this will be a wonderful birthday treat. Yes, yes, yes, YES!” Her pleasure at the singing was palpable. She turned to Reginald P. Lizard and said, “Didn't you find them amazing?”

  Reginald P. Lizard said, “Just so.” He tipped his top hat to the frogs, then he dropped down to the ground for a quick set of pushups. The four frogs looked at him in wonder and amazement.

  Ellington Owl said to the frogs, “Hoo, my excellent good frog friends, you can see where the party will take place. Please set yourselves up anywhere you can find. The party will begin tomorrow at 3:00 pm., sharp,” hooted Ellington Owl. The frogs then began their chore of unloading their wagon.

  Chapter 5

  A Melon Without An Invitation

  In a different part of the forest from Ellington Owl's tree house was an ordinary garden, and in this garden was an ordinary melon patch. In this ordinary melon patch was an ordinary mailbox. The name written on the mailbox was “T. Melon.”

  Thelonious Melon was busy rolling round and round his mailbox saying, “Oh dear, oh dear.” From out of the sky, a black dot grew larger and larger as Bootsy Bat approached his melon friend. The furry brown bat saw that something had upset the melon.

  “Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear,” continued Thelonious Melon as he continued to make elliptical patterns.

  Bootsy Bat landed upon a nearby melon. The nearby melon didn't seem to mind. “Muffin crunch! What's the matter, Thelonious Melon? You look upset.”

  Introducing Bootsy Bat!

  Anxiety at the home of Thelonious Melon.

  Thelonious Melon stopped rolling to say, “E
llington Owl's birthday is tomorrow, and I did not get invited!” He then resumed rolling.

  “I'm sure there must have been a mistake,” replied Bootsy Bat while scratching behind his ear, “I received my invitation last week, and from what I hear, everyone we know will be there.”

  “Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!” said Thelonious Melon as he continued to roll in elliptical patterns.

  Bootsy Bat realized his lack of tact, so he offered, “Don't worry, old chum. I am sure you were invited. There must have been an extraordinary mishap with your invitation. You know how things can happen.”

  Thelonious Melon paused, for he did know how things can happen. “Do you really think so?” asked the melon, then he resumed rolling again.

  “Yes, of course I do!” replied Bootsy Bat while spreading his wings to emphasize his point.

  “Just a mistake you say?” asked Thelonious Melon.

  “Surely, it must have been,” replied the bat.

  “Lost in the mail, perhaps?”

  “Without a doubt!”

  “Extraordinary mishap?”

  “The extraordinariest!”

  “Is that even a word?”

  “It is now.”

  Thelonious Melon was comforted by this interchange. Bootsy Bat always knew how to cheer him up. In a sheepish manner, Thelonious Melon then asked, for he didn't want to be an imposition, “Do you think . . . I mean . . . would you go and find out? Just to be sure. After all, it wouldn't do for a melon to roll into a party to which he was not invited.”

  Truer words have never been spoken by a melon.

  “Well, as matter of fact,” replied, Bootsy Bat, “I'm going to town. I will stop by Ellington Owl's tree house to ask him what is what. We will get to the bottom of this, you'll see. Now don't you worry, my melon friend.”

  “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! That is so generous of you,” said Thelonious Melon. He added, “Are you sure it's not an imposition?”

  “Not in the least,” said the brown bat.

  “It would mean so much to me.”

  “And then you would know for sure.”

  “There would be no doubt.”