Hi, my name is Timmy. Here I am, sitting in this dark oval-shaped
room. It is so spacious, warm, and comfy. It’s usually really peaceful in here
but sometimes it feels like there is so much more beyond this oval-shaped room.
As the days go by, this room seems to be getting so much smaller. It’s not as
comfortable either. I like to stretch and move around, although it is kind of
hard to do since this space is getting so small.
One day as I was stretching, I accidentally hit the wall and
it began to crack. I was surprised because I usually stretch and it would be
fine, but today was different. I could see light peeking through the cracks. As
I was curious to see what was out there, I began to move around until the
oval-shaped room wasn’t a room anymore.
As I looked around me, there were two other baby orioles
right next to me. I got really excited because I wasn’t the only one there. As
minutes passed, another baby oriole popped out of its egg. In total, there were
five of us. We all talked to each other although it may have just sounded like a
bunch of chirps.
I suddenly felt really hungry.
“Is anyone else hungry? I am starving!” I asked my siblings.
They all replied, “Yes!”
“Okay, let’s find out
where Mom and Dad are!”
Since we couldn’t really move and our bodies were not fully
developed we couldn’t go anywhere. We all decided to chirp and call out for our
parents. Minutes later, I could see my mom flying towards us.
“Hello, my babies, I knew you would be here soon. Here are
some beetles and grasshoppers. Eat these while I go and find more food,” said
my mother.
As I finished the piece I had, I looked up and Dad was
flying towards us. I was still hungry. It’s weird because when I was still in
that oval-shaped room I was never hungry.
Dad brought us some delicious fruits. I think he said they were called
oranges, but they are definitely my favorite. After he gave them to us, he left
to go find more food.
As the days went by, I noticed how each one of us began to
grow feathers. My brother, who was bigger than us, grew his flight feathers
before any of us did. He was able to leave the nest and find his own food. I
sat there with the rest of my siblings just waiting until it was our turn. I
wanted to see what was out there. My parents said it was dangerous but I just
wanted to explore.
For some odd reason, I was the last one to grow my flight
feathers and to also molt into my beautiful orange color. My mother said it was
because I was special.
The day finally arrived and my mother told me I was
ready to fly. I was kind of nervous but being the last one I was definitely
ready to try this new thing out. The nest that I have been sitting on for about
two weeks was on the branch of a pecan tree. As I stepped off of the branch I
began to fly.
I was so amazed by everything I saw. There were so many
trees, flowers, and other animals! I have never felt so free in my life. I was
finally able to meet up with my family. They were all collecting nectar from a
bunch of flowers. I never had nectar before so I found a flower and took its
nectar.
“Wow, I have been missing out!” I told my family. “This is
even better than the oranges!”
After we all had some nectar, my parents told us to gather
ourselves and they asked if we were ready to see the rest of the world. I
screamed with excitement. I didn’t know what to expect when I got out of my
oval-shaped room but I have never been more excited. There is so much to see in
this world.
“Before we leave, let’s all thank the pecan tree for keeping
us all safe. The pecan tree is our good friend and before you go out into the
real world I want you all to nest in the pecan tree. They will keep your eggs
safe just like how they kept you all safe,” said Mom.
I asked my mother, “How come?”
Mom replied, “Long ago, the pecan tree kept an oriole family
safe from a big storm and in return the father oriole warned the pecan tree
that there was a cold coming so they shouldn’t put out their buds just yet. Ever
since then, we have been great friends with pecan trees.”
After hearing this story from Mom, we all went to thank the
pecan tree. He said we were welcome to come back any time and if we ever did
pass by remember to say hi.
Well, I have to catch up with my family now because they are
flying so fast. I wouldn’t want to lose them. I’ll let you all know how my next
adventure goes!
Author’s Note: I was inspired to write this story after
reading “The Pecan Tree’s Best Friend.” The story was about a pecan tree and a
little oriole family that lived on the tree. The pecan tree liked the oriole
family because they would eat the insects that ate the leaves and made holes in
the tree. One day, there was a storm coming and the father oriole did not know
what to do because his baby orioles were not able to fly yet. He was scared
that that his children would get blown away by this storm. The pecan tree told
him and his family to hide in the hole under his branch and they will be safe.
By doing so, the storm passed and they were safe. In return, the father oriole
told the pecan tree that there was a cold coming so he shouldn’t put out his
buds. After this, orioles and pecan trees became really good friends.
I chose to write this story about a baby oriole and his
experience from being in this egg to coming out into this world. I thought it
would be interesting to write this in his point of view. Birds always seem so
free to me because they are able to fly and see the world.
Bibliography: When the Storm God Rides: Tejas and Other
Indian Legends retold by Florence Stratton and illustrated by Berniece Burrough
(1936)
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