The Adventures of Crump - the squirrel with no tail, is finally coming along. As I work on the book, I will be posting drafts here. Please feel free to leave your reactions in the comment section. Thanks!
"Crump Meets LT Ombre"
Crump was born in Dark Cedar
Village and grew up with a crumpled right ear and no tail. He had been told by his parents that a Hawk
had come in at night when he was just a baby and somehow got frightened away
before he could do anymore harm but tear his right ear and take his tail.
Once Crump was old enough to go outside, the other squirrels, nick-named him Crump which was short for “crumpled.”
The Governor of Dark Cedar Village was very mean and there seemed to be a dark cloud that hung over the Village most of the time. No one was sure why. But, Crump knew he did not belong there and told his parents that as soon as he was old enough to leave, he would leave. They had both grown up in the Village and told Crump that they were used to it and had many relatives there; but that when the time came, he would be free to go and that they completely understood his desire to find a new home of his very own. After all, most of the Villagers were unhappy people and none of them liked Crump at all. They said that just looking at him made them feel even more miserable than they already did.
As soon as Crump was old enough to venture out into the world to make his own way, he left Dark Cedar Village. He had heard of a place to the east called, "The Wood’s Secret Garden” and he decided that that was where he wanted to live. He was told that if he followed the creek that ran through the middle of town for four or five days straight, he would arrive at his destination.
That was where he met Evanderfield the Chipmunk.
After Evanderfield disappeared and had been gone for over a year, Crump decided that it was time to reach out and trust someone else with his friendship. He knew that no one could replace Evanderfield, but he also knew that Evanderfield would not want him to be all alone again.
Perhaps it would be the new squirrel that had recently moved into the tree next to Crumps. Crump felt compassion for him because, although he had a tail, his tail didn’t really match the rest of his body. His body was primarily brown, and his tail was mostly grey, so Crump thought that maybe he was also accustomed to people making fun of him.
That morning he brought over a basketful of peanuts as a “Welcome to the Neighborhood” gift. After all, what squirrel can say “NO’” to peanuts?
LT Ombre was his name. He seemed more interested in meeting Crump then he was in the peanuts. This struck Crump as rather odd. After all, he was a squirrel.
LT had so many questions. He wanted to know everything about Crump. Where was he born? How old was he? How did he end up with no tail? Did he have any childhood memories, etc. Crump answered LT the best that he could. He told him that he was six years old and that he had been born in Dark Cedar Village and that all his parents had told him was that when he was a very little baby he had survived a Hawk attack. He grew up learning how to live without a tail but that he never really had any friends when he was little and the only friend that he ever had, Evanderfield, he had met here in the Wood’s Secret Garden. Of course, Crump told LT all about Evanderfield and he could tell that LT wished he had known a friend like that.
Crump wanted to know everything about LT as well; but, LT would always change the subject whenever Crump would ask a question. One of the things Crump really wanted to ask was why LT’s tail didn’t match his body; but Crump knew that was way too personal a question to ask until they got to know each other better.
Days turned into weeks and Crump and LT decided that they had way too much fun together to simply not hang out with each other every day. LT was amazed at how well Crump could keep up with him in the tall trees and on the power lines without a tail. After all, tails are what squirrels use to balance when climbing and jumping through the air.
As soon as the words came out of Crumps mouth he knew he had made a big mistake. LT’s entire mood changed and he told Crump that he was not feeling well and that he had to go home. For two days, LT did not come out of his house or even take the peanuts that Crump would leave at the entrance of his tree house each day. Crump was beside himself and feeling a bit heartbroken over the whole thing.
On day three, LT met Crump at the door and invited him inside. He told Crump that he had something to tell him that might ruin their friendship forever. He told him that he could no longer live with himself if he didn’t go through with the mission he had set out to accomplish and yet he didn’t really want to go through with it.
Crump was scared inside and could hardly breath. He did not want to hear something that would end their friendship. He had no idea what was going on and decided to remain quiet and simply listen to what LT had to say.
LT began by telling Crump that he had come to the Wood’s Secret Garden to “make right a wrong”. He had come to give back to a person something that his parents had stolen from them. He also told Crump that he believed he had finally found that person; but he had decided to pretend it never happened and to live in the Wood’s Secret Garden with his new friend and never again even think about his original mission.
Crump was sitting there not sure what to think or do. LT glanced over at him and said, “I’m going to tell you a long story, Crump. A story about you. Please do not ask any questions until I am finished.”
LT continued, “As can happen at any time during anyone’s life, an evil ruler can take over a land. Such was the case where a Iittle squirrel named Crump was born. Crump was not his birth name. It was a nickname that he was later given in life. As I continue telling you this story you will understand why.
The unusual thing about Crump was that when he was born he had the longest and fullest tail of all the squirrels in Dark Cedar Village. That would have been a wonderful thing, because squirrels with long and full tails can stay warm on cold nights; climb faster and higher in the tall Cedar trees; balance easier on the power lines as they run from one tree to another; and also stay protected from heavy rains and storms when they are caught away from shelter.
The reason I said, “would have been a wonderful thing” is because that very same month that Crump was born, the Governor of Dark Cedar Village and his wife had given birth to a little boy squirrel who was born without a tail. They felt that it was too disgraceful to even tell anyone and kept it a secret from everyone until they had a chance to accomplish their evil scheme.
The Governor’s brother was a highly skilled surgeon, and the Governor knew that if anyone could help him to carry out his horrible, terrible plan it was his brother for they were both evil. When his brother arrived, he was quickly ushered into the secret hallow of the ancient Cedar tree. Knowing that no one had seen him arrive and that no one could possibly hear them, the Governor felt free to explain all the dastardly details of his idea.
“Brother”, he said, “I have a very serious and highly secret problem that simply must be solved. I know that I can count on you to carry out the solution to our problem and in so doing you will be compensated greatly. You may have already heard about the squirrel who was recently born in the Village who has a very long and full tail. What you do not know is that we also had a baby recently; but, our baby was born with no tail at all! What you must do, before anyone sees our baby, is to get us that tail from the other squirrel. We don’t want you to kill that other squirrel. We just want you to sneak in at night; drug everyone in the hallow with something that will make them sleep through the night and surgically remove his tail. Be sure to toss around everything, tear one of his ears, and leave a few Hawk feathers laying near the baby squirrel so they will think an attack happened during the night. Then come back to us and stitch the beautiful tail onto our son so that we can announce his birth to the Village.”
So, that night, the Governor's brother did exactly as he had been told.
The next morning Crump woke up without a tail and with a torn ear. They all believed that a Hawk had come in at night and somehow got frightened away before he could do anymore harm.”
Crump just stared in silence at LT as he hung his head. With tears rolling down his cheeks he said, “I am the Governor's son. The reason my tail doesn’t match my body is because my tail is really your tail and that was why I came to the Wood’s Secret Garden. I found out what my parents had done and I wanted to make it right. I came here to find the rightful owner of my tail.”
Crump could hardly believe his ears. He sat stunned for a few minutes and then let out a joyful laugh and said, “Is that all this is about?” Still laughing, he said, “My goodness. I wish you would have told me all of this early on. I don’t even want my tail back. I have gotten so used to not having a tail that it would just get in my way. In fact, I am so happy that you have my tail. You need it much more than I do."
With that, they hugged really
tight and decided they would be friends for life.
Comments
Your love for these animals comes through in your words as well as your photos. Thank you for sharing.
Best wishes. Secret, of course🍂