Mary, you're not still in bed are you? Mary, it's time to get up. You'll be late for school. You'll miss your school bus. You know what happened yesterday- and the day before- it was almost a miss. Must linger longer- come on- up and ready. If you don't come down right away, there will be no time for your porridge. I'm coming grandmother I called as I rolled out of bed, slipped out of my nightgown and swiftly dressed myself in a sensible blue muslin skirt, and a plain white shirt. My high button black shoes took only a minute to button. I added a ribbon to the collar of my shirt, out a comb through my blonde, curly hair, splashed some water on my face and within minutes I was downstairs, where I quickly devoured my breakfast, kissed my grandmother good bye and sped out of the house. Alas, even with my speed saw the school bus vanishing from view when I reached the bus stop.
When you live in the country and you miss your school bus, you're in a pickle and I realized, I was in a pickle. I looked back at our long cottage with its sloping slate roof and its fine white washed walls. The curtained windows were visible next to the green shutter. The gaily-colored flowers transformed the plain yard. I wanted to go back and tell my grandmother what had happened, but I knew she would give me a stern lecture about rising and shining in time so I decided to strike out through the woods and see if I couldn't find a short cut to school. The fact that I had no sense of direction didn't deter me in any way so I headed in the general direction the bus had gone in.
It was a wonderful day. The sky was blue, blue, blue with not a cloud to be seen. The sun was warm, making me feel all soft and happy inside. Birds were singing so sweetly that I was sure they must be having a bird conversation. I almost laughed out loud at the though-- and then it happened; just as I entered a small glade in the woods I heard the birds tweeting more loudly than ever but the weird strangeness was, I found that I understood what they were singing- and they were talking about me. The cardinal said to the other cardinal "There's the little girl who gives us birdseed and fills the bird bath on dry days. She's the one who scares the cat away when we are eating and it wants to sneak up on us. I've never seen her alone in the woods before. Her grandmother is so particular about her, I wonder how it has happened."
At this moment, I realized that exciting, as it was to understand the bird talk, I had a problem. I didn't know where I was. I had never been in this part of the woods before, and I seem to have been going around and round in circles because I kept seeing the same trees and bushes by a small pond.
I thought I'd try a new direction, but just as I started down a path that led straight ahead I saw a very gnarled old man walking towards me. As he came near a sneering smile came to his face so that instead of wanting to ask him for help, I wanted to turn and run away. I was too slow. Suddenly he was at my side. He almost grabbed me by the arm as he said in a rasping tone, preceded by a small "heh, heh, heh." Little girl, what are you doing in the woods alone and where is your mother or your father? He looked slyly around as he spoke and when I didn't answer and no one emerged to claim me, his hand tightened on my arm. "Ah, my pretty", he said in the same cold ratchety way. "ha ha, you're alone. Isn't that interesting?"
"I'm alone too, and I've been wanting to meet a little girl like you. I need a little helper. I live in that little old hut over behind the bushes. Come, come- let me show you."
"Oh please sir" I said, "I'm on my way home. I must get home." I tried to pull away here, but his hand tightened on my arm and I couldn't tear away. "No, no, my child. Come with old Tony, come." and he started to pull me, almost drag me, down the path.
As I drew near his awful hut I suddenly became aware of sounds in the air- sounds of birds, many birds, only this time the sound was shrill- not sweet. My same miracle occurred; I heard the birds exchanging words.
"Come, she needs help. Get into formation quickly, before he gets her to his house. Line up and then we'll nose dive." As the lead bird spoke, my heart lightened and I had hope. I had to slow him down to give them time.
"Oh, Mr. Tony" I called, "Give me a moment to catch my breath. I am out of it and will be no good if I have no strength. Just a moment if you please sir." Tony was dragging me by now. He looked at me. I smiled, pleadingly (I hoped). "Well, alright then, take a moment" and here he let me sit down on a stump of a small tree. He didn't hear the birds tweeting and exchanging signals. He was oblivious to the darkening swarm that was forming overhead. Only I knew what was going to happen. The cardinal outlined the plan. "We will nosedive and peck at him until he runs into his house leaving her alone. We will then fly along the path and show her the way to her home. BIRDS--TO WING!"
With that they did what they planned. They attacked old Tony- peck, peck, pecking until he could only blindly run towards his house for safety. I ran the other way- but not blindly for I had feathered friends who flew ahead of me turning first to the right, then to the left until finality I saw my dear little cottage ahead. I was home, safe and sound. As I reached my cottage, I turned to my friends on high and raised my arms in a salute of thanks. They gave one final mass swoop before they flew off in various directions.I went into the house and from that day on I never stayed too long in bed on a school day and I never missed the school bus again AND the birds at our feeder were never hungry or thirsty. In fact they all grew fat, if birds can.