Little Creature Big World

Chapter ll-New Stories

The surrounding cliffs shines and the leaves of the trees looked like gems covering the valley as the moonlight shines upon them. Tata was in awe looking upon all of this from a distance above with his father Tomo behind a light grey cliff owl named Screech.

“Higher screech! Higher!”Tata said this in bird like fashion and Screech flew higher and higher. Tomo warned his son “Hold tight son!” and screech took a very fast dive and arrives instantly upon the trees below gracefully evading obstructing branches until they reach their home tree.

“Tomo! Son! Screech!” Exclaimed Titi while waving from a platform made from twigs and vines fixed on the branches. Foods are arranged beautifully in leaf plates and bags in the middle of the platform. Screech landed on the platform and greeted Titi in birdish “ A good midnight to you Titi” Tomo climbed down from Screech back but Tata refuses to go down “One more Flight dad, Please” he pleaded “Silly little one, you can ride all you can once you have your own owl brother”

“How can I have one? I don’t even have a bird raiment and headdress yet” (his father is wearing one at the moment) he protested. “Don’t you remember what day is today son?” His father asked with a smile on his face. Titi brought a sack and put it in front of Tata “Look whats inside son” Tomo added now holding Titi’s hands. Tata stared inside the sack and gone speechless, tears flow on his little eyes out of happiness.“Happy 2nd cycle son (a complete cycle of four seasons) you are the greatest gift your mother and I received” Tomo said heartily. “It just seems like yesterday when I gave birth to you, it was the first full moon of spring same as today” Titi spoke now having a teary eye as well. “Try wearing them, let’s see if it fits you well” Screech speaking in birdish.

Tata immediately wear the costume and started flapping his arms and hopping, dancing in a birdlike manner “How do I look?” His parents are laughing and Screech made a remark in birdish “Not bad, but you’ve’ still got to practice a lot more little fledgling if you want an owlet to choose you as owl brother” Tomo started dancing as well hopping, flipping, spinning, and flapping. His dance was clearly on different level “Don’t worry son I’m here to teach you”. They continued to dance for a while then Tata leap on the arms of his father “Daddy, I forgot,what about stories? Do you have new one” Tomo replied “Stories, yes I have new ones.” suddenly Tomo’s stomach makes a growling sound “but let’s have our meal while I tell the story.” Everybody laughed and they started having their meal.

Tata, now with crickets on his hands asked his father with a very eager look“What is this story about dad?” Tomo spoke after biting a honeycomb “I was in Screech home helping him expand his nest when an owl came and told us to come at the great cliff rift.”

When we arrived, cliff owls and some owl brothers are gathered around an unfamiliar stranger. He is a huge bird with glowing white plumage (glows more, and bigger compared to the other owls) claiming to be a great owl as well. He knew the linage of owls and claimed that he was a relative of the very first great owls.

The owl started to speak “Brothers and sisters! I am a traveling bird, and I am so much pleased for the hospitality that you are showing me. All I could offer you are tales from my travels.”

This is a very unique event for the occupants of the valley especially for the owls. For ages, the owls only lived on the cliffs inside the valley and they were surprised to learn that they have traveling relatives from outside. Owls knew about the areas surrounding their valley but beyond they knew nothing. There was a small need for the owls to explore because all their needs are provided by the valley and abnormal winds and the height of the plateaus also discourage it.

The owl continued “Outside the valley on the south, lie complex mazes of valleys, and very high cliffs. The cliffs are really high and on top of it no plants could be found. Flying above these cliffs is difficult for unpredictable gust could blow from any direction strong enough to disrupt the balance of our flight.” The owl describes his adventures towards these mazes, creatures living in it, preys and predators, dangerous weather phenomena’s. The owls and tutoh alike were paying close attention.