Our Pond

Chapter 12

There was a lot of excitement--everywhere. Almost the entire wall around the Lake was finished There was even going to be a pretty, little waterfall over the Lake wall. This was to take the overflow, as the water continued spurting out from the opening they had  dug under the Apple Tree.

Day by day, there was a lot of “buzzing” in the forest. Hundreds of Birds worked there all the time, but they kept their secret. No outsider really knew what JAZZ was helping the Birds to build.

NOZZLE, the huge anteater, was the Leader of Our Pond.  His  oldest, and best friend was JAZZ, the retired Circus monkey. On a sunny morning, you might find NOZZLE taking his morning swim in the Pond, with JAZZ sitting up on his back--JAZZ did not  like  wet feet. They would be in deep conversation about matters concerning the Friends of Our Pond. Everyone was  talking about  the big Meeting when the Lake was finished, and NOZZLE wanted  to discuss it with JAZZ during their usual morning meeting, floating in Our Pond.

NOZZLE said, “So many things have happened since WHIZZY, and TWITTER, found that strange, white cloud of silly birds banging into each other with no “understanding”. They were thirsty, and were crashing around trying to find water. Now, here we are helping them build a lake. They are all our dear Friends led by the big, golden- chested COMMANDER, and THE LITTLE, BLACK BIRD, that now sings with TWITTER!”

“ How did this happen? We all worked together. We combined our skills, and we saw that we would first have  to  be  Friends,  real  Friends with the White Cloud. The Our Pond Family never gave up-- just think!”

“SNAG, the beaver, looked for water every day. He filled those little buckets, and helped the thirsty Birds, while at  the  same  time  he  hunted for ‘BIG WATER’, until he found it.”

“SALLY, the snake, went down a dark, stone tube, all  by herself, until she heard the splash of an underground river. Was she not brave?”

“SHARD, the great bird, flew miles and miles, through smoke  and  heat, to warn us of fire--not once--but again, and  again!”

“BOING, the kangaroo, with her children, HIDE and RIDE--her understanding, and just her “Ideas”—was  most  invaluable!”

“ We  saw  that  the  White  Birds  needed  a  language.   They  needed   “ Words”. Who taught them? Two Kangaroo children, new to Our  Pond, taught them three, new words every day. HIDE and RIDE  learned to make pictures to help with quick understanding, and, of course, they, too, learned more new words  at the same   time.”

“And don't forget, BUBBLEBATH, the artistic fish that blows colored bubbles with such fun and love, always points attention to where it is needed.”

“ How could we have done anything without powerful POSEY,  the Circus pony, galloping along with her old Chariot--always swinging around  with  something  important  in it!”

“And, KATE, the old catfish, who seemed to grow younger and younger as she came out from her sad home at the bottom of Our Pond--how many tines did she help save us at the last moment?”

NOZZLE added, “Our Pond is a loving Community of dear Friends--  we all look different--we all are different—and, yet, our combined  skills, and imagination  make  everything possible.”

“Now, I have heard something new is coming!  Way up, at the top  of  the old Pine Tree, Every day I hear it--it is  Music. It is  not just our  dear TWITTER singing to us. It is the combined voices of many, many Birds, directed by TWITTER! She is giving Love in the form of Music. Yes, now we know the “ mint cure” has helped our White Cloud  Friends to sing. All birds sing don't they?” he   added.

“It is very important! Music helps everybody!!”

It only took a few more days, and everything was  done. The Lake was filling up. The Drinking Pool had been fixed after the fire. Now, it was very welcoming for anyone who was thirsty, and wanted a cool drink.

They had even built an island in the middle of the Lake. The COMMANDER, and THE LITTLE, BLACK BIRD, knew a lot about vegetables. Some of the Wise Birds had gone out with them to bring back all sorts of seeds. They had planted them on what they now called Farm Island.

NOZZLE, and the COMMANDER, with THE LITTLE, BLACK BIRD,
had spent a whole  day together planning the ‘BIG WATER’ Festival. All the Friends of Our Pond were invited to the First Official Festival Day!

They were lucky. The Festival Day opened on a calm, sunny morning.

It had been decided that all The Friends of Our Pond would be the invited guests in, or around, a tiny pool that had been dug--just  a short way below the famous Apple Tree. From there, they could see the whole Lake and the sky above. All was quiet until TWITTER stood up on NOZZLE's nose and directed the singing of the Our  Pond Song. BUBBLEBATH shot out a huge stream of red bubbles that drifted up above their heads. When the  music stopped,  there was complete quiet. Then, from somewhere far away, there was another song sung by Birds. Hundreds and hundreds of Birds were flying down from high above singing a beautiful song meant to say ‘Thank you’. The Cloud of Birds was just so thick you could not see through it. Closer and closer it came --lower and lower. Yes, now they could see something . . . there was a big something in  the  cloud. Many White Birds were flapping very hard to hold it up. This must be what all the “buzz, buzz” was about.

The COMMANDER stood up on the side of the Lake. The White Bird Cloud came toward him, with  THE LITTLE, BLACK BIRD leading  the singing. Suddenly, the Cloud of White Birds  opened  in  the  middle, and everyone could see a soft, green, woven building being settled down beside the Lake edge. Oh, look,  JAZZ  was  there, directing the landing. What a beautiful thing  it  was!  It  was  green, with a brown roof. It had round windows surrounded with yellow flowers. Everything was woven together with reeds, and sticks, and thick leaves. Where you could see inside, there were all these thin, black, bird perches, while on the floor there were little  chairs,  and tables, made to fit the Friends  of  Our  Pond.  It  must  have  been  SNAG that made the new, big, water bucket for KATE, the catfish, BUBBLBATH, the artistic fish, SALLY, the snake, and CLUMP, the toad,  when  they visited  for concerts.

Yes, for concerts--for this was clearly a small house of Music--ready for all.

It was a day of Love and Joy that would never be forgotten.