"Where are my nuts!" Yelled out Squirrel in a high pitched, panicked voice.
"They were here only five seconds ago!"
He searched up and down for his lost food. Jumping from tree to tree, scanning the forest floor, but Squirrel couldn't seem to find them.
"Maybe someone stole them."He muttered to himself, thinking of the most mischievous animal in the entire forest.
"Rudy the mouse must have taken them! He's always up to something."
So down he went. Deep, deep into the depths of the forest, where Rudy lived of course. Through the thicket of pokey shrubberies, giving the feeling of discomfort and desolation, he kept going. Squirrel was determined to find his nuts that he had harvested all throughout the year.
When he reached Rudy's house, he immediately stormed in with an appearance as tough and angry as he could show.
"Rudy! Did you steal my nuts?!"he hissed at the mouse, who was hunched over in the corner.
"Indeed I did Squirrel!"
"Why you scuffling, wrinkly, dirty creature I worked hard for those! It demand them back do you hear me?!"said Squirrel in a voice as firm as steel but was slightly soft also. Then Rudy gave Squirrel a look of disgust and just ran off. Quickly Squirrel followed and stayed close behind until he lost sight of Rudy and had to rest for a moment. Never had he ran for so long! After looking and looking for him he finally called it a day and went home.
Days had gone by. Week after week. And all the days and all the weeks turned into a month. Still had Squirrel not found his nuts. He didn't know wether to go out farther into the woods and look for Rudy, or to stay and start his collecting over. The forest was a scary place outside of Squirrel's meadow. He would be taking a great risk all by himself,so he had an idea.'Ill just invite my old friend Moose!'he thought to himself. 'He will probably be happy to help, after I helped him with his house situation.'
So off he went. The only thing he brought with him was his courage. As he jumped along,he greeted some of his friends along the way, until he finally arrived at Moose's house.
"Hello?anybody home?"
"Who is it?"Said Moose in a low but friendly voice.
"It's me, Squirrel!"
"Squirrel?vIs it really you? Come in! Come in!"Squirrel went in. It was much different than before. The fort was bigger. Before it had just been one giant room. but something else was different.it was the feeling of the place.What had changed?Was he not alone now?
"I have a family now Squirrel.It may be hard to imagine,but when you left I met Ms. Moose."leading Squirrel to a private room where he noticed a big lump of fur,and than one little lump of fur just beside what happened to be Ms. Moose.
"I'm so happy for you!"Squirrel managed to say without sounding very sad.Moose could tell,but he didn't say anything.
"So why are you here?has something come up?"
"Actually Moose something HAS come up.It's Rudy.He stole my nuts.And I came here hoping you could help me,but I see you're too busy for my little problems."
Squirrel didn't mean to be mean to Moose,and it almost seemed like Moose actually understood that he didn't intend to throw all that at him.But it still made him feel guilty.
"But I do have time for this!It's not stupid Squirrel.Rudy deserves to get stepped on by human creatures!"Moose explained.
"Really?You would help me?Don't you have a family to take care of?"
"They can take care of themselves, for a little time."
"Well okay!If you say so.C'mon let's get going before it gets dark."
They went off. As the day went by they traveled far and wide until they got to a place called Mr. Frog's Swamp.Mr. Frog was an old amphibian who knew every single part of the forest.He was also a very kind Frog,unlike all other frogs.they were usually very hostile and rude.Anyway,they thought He could help Moose and Squirrel find Rudy.
"Mr. Frog are you home?We won't bother you for long it's very quick I promise."said Squirrel.
"Come in Squirrel," said a low ruff voice.
"How are you Mr. Frog! Gee it's been long since I've seen you."
"I've been doing quite well thank you.So, what lead you here?"
"Well I'm actually having some troubles.Rudy the Rat has stolen my nuts and now I'm left with nothing for the winter.I was wondering if you could help me and my friend Moose track him down."asked Squirrel eagerly.
"I'm certainly much too old for a journey like that Squirrel.And I haven't seen that old Rat for a very long time.I didn't know he was still up and about.But I do know someone who knows exactly where he is."
Then Mr. Frog pointed Squirrel in a direction and sent him and Moose off.They walked for just a little while,until they reached Badger's home.The conversation between Squirrel and Badger went quickly,as if it were rushed,which it was.Anyhow they now knew where to find Rudy.
"Don't you think it's getting late?"exclaimed Moose.
"I suppose it is getting dark,let's rest by this willow tree until the sun rises once more."
Squirrel could see the bags under Moose's eyes.He himself was getting them.
Moose woke up in the moist grass.The willow tree was frosted all over.It was a perfect day for an adventure.As he looked around him he noticed that Squirrel was missing!Where had he gone?Did he leave in the middle of the night?
"Squirrel!Where are you?"yelled Moose.Then he heard a high voice off in the distance that must have been Squirrel.He ran over only to find himself lost within the shadows of the trees.He heard another screech and followed the sounds calling back.Finally,he found Squirrel trapped in a cage.
"They're coming!you need to hide!"
Moose didn't understand.He was already overwhelmed by the sight of his beloved friend in a cage.
"Squirrel you have to get to the back of the cage so I can break it open!"Squirrel followed Moose's instructions.Moose immediately started stomping his hooves at the opening of the cage until he made a dent so that Squirrel could squeeze through the small opening.As they ran away,they heard people going to the cage.Thank god they had gotten away in time.
"That was close.You saved my life Moose!"
"Wow I did!Im so happy we made it out of there alive!
They kept going.both of them reflected on the journey so far,and they also both knew it was time to get back Squirrel's nuts.
After one hour they had reached the dark and gloomy part of the forest.Though this was where the dangerous animals lived,Moose was not afraid,and he would protect Squirrel if anything attacked them.
"Do you see Rudy anywhere?This is where he would be, right?"Squirrel asked Moose.
"I don't see him.Let's keep looking just a little longer."
They walked slowly,vigilant of their surroundings.Soon it would get dark,and they still couldn't find that rat!And Squirrel started to get impatient,and Moose tried to calm him down but then he got aggravated.
"Why can't We-"
"Sshhh!"interrupted Moose.
"I just heard something."
"What is it?"
"You could have heard it if you weren't whining!"
Then out from the bushes,a small fury animal jumped at them.
"Rudy!There you are!We've been looking for you.And we won't let you go anywhere until you tell us where you're keeping my nuts, you rat!"
"Only after you tell me where you took my cheese!And by the way I am not a rat. I am a mouse. Know your animals you chipmunk!"
There was a pause.Then Squirrel looked at Moose who looked back as if asking him if he HAD taken Rudy's cheese.
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."explained Squirrel.
"Of course you do!Why do you think I stole your nuts?Because I'm a maniac who goes around steeling squirrels' nuts for fun?You know I do have a brain don't you?"
Moose and Squirrel shared a glance once more.
"You mean to say you THOUGHT I stole your cheese?"said Squirrel.
"You did didn't you?"
"I certainly did not!Why would you think I did?"
"Because you ARE a maniac who goes around and steels mouses' cheese."
"I do not!We thought you were crazy."
"Well I'm not.I guess neither of us are."Rudy said.
There was a short moment of silence before Moose finally said;
"Okay so we've found out that Squirrel hasn't in fact stolen Rudy's cheese,so how about Rudy,you give back Squirrel's nuts and we all go home."
"But I still don't have my cheese!"Rudy whined.
"Moose, why don't we help Rudy find his cheese, and then we can all go home?"
"Oh could you please?I won't last through the winter without any food, " said Rudy.
"I guess we could," said Moose.
Interval #8
So off the three went, walking side by side. At first they were a bit hostile to each other, but they eventually got used to each other's company. It would seem like a moose, a squirrel, and a mouse would not get along,but these three were different.they shared a bond like no one could imagine.And as they would spend more and more time together,they would find themselves in a whole new level of friendship;Moose.Loving moose who would never let anyone or anything hurt his too friends.Rudy;Little Rudy who was too good for everyone else.She was like the boss.But when in times of need,got as sweet as a mouse.And finally Squirrel.Always full of energy! Adventurous and caring.They fit perfectly together.they just didn't know it yet.
