Bruce Moose 5!

Bruce Moose 5!

“Wheeeeee! Look at me, I’m the moose with the most! Screamies and wheelies! Watch out everybody, I’m faster than lightening! Bruce is hard to catch—he’s so fast it’s frightening! Eat my dust! Woo-hoo! Bruce is lighter than air, Bruce is feeling the breeze…oh boy, oh no! Can’t slow down, uh-oh, lookout town! Where’s the brakes?! So many things in the way, for goodness sakes! There’s too much whistling whizzing and louder than loud whooshing! Too many limits I’m pushing! I’m—”

“Bruce! Bruce!” Betty shouted.

Bruce woke up with a snort, a jolt, and a head snap. “Wha?! What’s wrong, Betty?”

“Bruce, you were dreaming. And you were talking—well, shouting—loudly. Everybody in the big barn was looking—and concerned about you.

“Oh?” Bruce looked around and saw a variety of eyes staring at him. “I didn’t realize. Thank you for waking me up, Betty.”

“No problem.” Betty responded.

Bruce gently lifted the gate handle with his teeth and slowly walked out of his stall. Betty jumped down from her perch and onto his antlers. They exited quickly because Bruce was feeling a little embarrassed, but most of the other animals had already gone back to munching and crunching and paid no more attention to the matter. Once they got outside Bruce got very excited, even animated, as he explained to Betty what he had been dreaming about.

“Guess what I was doing in my dream, Betty.”

“I can’t imagine, not in a million years.” She responded.

“I was skateboarding!” Bruce whispered loudly.

“Wow, that sounds fun!”

“It was fun! And not only that, it was also educational! And then a bit scary when I got going too fast and couldn’t stop, but it was fantastic other than that!”

“How was it educational?”

“Well, I rolled through many different places. It was like a rolling geography lesson. I went to places like, Moose Jaw Canada, and Dull Scotland—but I bet it’s not dull there, they have bagpipes—and plaid stuff! And I rolled through Papua New Guinea, and Accident Maryland—where I did not have any accidents by the way. Good Grief! There was even a Good Grief, Idaho! Did you know there’s a place called Walla Walla Washington? Those are some funny names, but I like them.”

“Those are some funny names, Bruce. Just out of curiosity, how do you know those names?” Betty asked.

Bruce ignored the question. He was still thinking about the funny names of places. He mumbled some words to himself, then continued.

“And there’s places called, Goose Pimple Junction Virginia, and Monkey’s Eyebrow Kentucky, and Gogogogo Madagascar, and Christmas Pie—”

“Bruce!” Betty interrupted.

“What?”

“How do you know the names of all those places?”

“Oh! Right. Well, I have a geography book and I’ve been reading it—a lot. I like to read about all the places in the world I haven’t been to—yet.”

“I see. I think I’ll have a look at that book sometime. That sounds really interesting.”

“It’s very interesting. Did you know that a geography book can tell you where a country is, and what its capital is, and how many people live in the country, and what language they speak, and the food they like to eat, and what their money’s called, and how long the people have been living there, and what activities they like to do. All sorts of interesting things.”

“I heard that.” Betty said.

“Did you know that Walla Walla is in the state of Washington, and Washington state is known as the apple capital of the world? Apples! I want to visit that place someday, and I know exactly what to pack for that trip!”

“What’s that, Bruce?”

“A huge appetite!” Bruce replied, giggling. He then added, “And my Moose Jaw, Canada would be very sore if I lived there…”

“That’s a good one.” Betty replied.

“Stanley isn’t the only one good at comedy around here.” Bruce said, feeling very proud of himself. He continued, “Betty, where’s the furthest from the farm you’ve been?”

“Let’s see…Probably about fifty miles as the Betty Crow flies, I think.”

“Uh-oh, I think I’ve got some comedy competition from funny bones Betty…”

“Maybe so, Bruce, maybe so.” Betty replied, laughing.

“That seems like a long way from here. I wish I knew how far I’ve been, or where I was born. I could have been born somewhere with a funny name, but it was probably out in the woods around here somewhere. That’s kind of boring.”

“Well, Shiverburr Lake is sort of a funny name.” Betty said, then continued. “It’s hard to know the details of our past, but just because we don’t know the exact location in the woods doesn’t mean it was boring.”

“Why is that Betty? Why don’t we have more details about our past?” Bruce asked.

“Well, it’s a little complicated. We’re considered wild animals, so there’s no paperwork in those cases. It’s not like someone keeps track of that. When you’re born in the wilderness, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where and when. Now, compare that to Paul and Penny and Little Teddy Ready. People, in general, are born in hospitals, so there are records. The staff who works at hospitals keeps track of where people are born, and what time of day they’re born, and even how much they weigh. When you were born, and I was born, that didn’t happen. We’re what you call, adopted, meaning someone else, who may, or may not, be related to us, stepped in to take care of us, and help us, and love us. That’s what the Ready’s did for all of us here. Well, adoption happens to people too, but sometimes with people there are mix-ups, or paperwork mistakes, and some of the information gets lost, so they don’t always know everything about their past—like us. Adoption just means we have a different kind of family. It’s not always easy, but it’s what we have, and that kind of family is just as important as any other.”

“I guess you’re right, Betty. I just wonder sometimes.”

“I know you do, Bruce. So do I. It’s natural to wonder where you came from.”

By this time there was a rumbling and a grumbling and a general emptiness in the pit of the stomach of a certain giant moose. It was time for a trip to the orchard for a mid-morning snack, so Bruce and Betty wandered and moseyed to apple central. After Bruce got nearly a dozen apples polished off, and Betty was still picking (pecking) on her first, they both suddenly stopped and listened. There was a rustling coming from some bushes and trees about five moose lengths away. The two moved a bit closer to investigate. General rustling brings out the curiosity in most moose and crows. They got a bit closer, then stopped again for a quick listen. They heard a low, gravelly, “grr-grr” coming from the other side of a small group of trees. The trees were shaking like a leaf, and the leaves were shaking like, well, leaves. The low, growly voice was getting closer and closer until it felt like it was too close for Bruce and Betty’s comfort, so they backed up a bit. Suddenly a nose poked through. Then a full beaver followed the nose out! And it wasn’t just any beaver, it was a beaver with a head cold!

“Excuse me, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” Said the beaver with a deep raspy voice. My nose is stuffy, and my eyes are runny and puffy and my joints ache, for goodness sake. So, pardon me please if I start to cough and wheeze. I was struggling a bit with the branches of the trees.”

“Oh, well, that’s okay, now that we know you’re just a beaver with a head cold, and not a scary creature behind the bushes and trees, if I may be so bold.” Bruce answered.

“Phew!” Betty said, relaxing a little after several nervous flaps.

“I’m sorry you’re not feeling well. Why don’t you relax a spell, and tell us your name, and why haven’t we seen you around these parts before?” Bruce asked.

“I’m Eva Beaver and I come from a broken home. Well, a broken home in the sense that someone, or something, destroyed it while I was out this morning. I live on the Shiverburr river just down yonder. Now I have to start over, so I was checking out the tree quality around here. I hope you don’t mind.”

“We don’t mind at all. It’s nice to meet you, Eva.” Betty said.

“Eva, have you ever been to Beaverton Oregon?” Bruce asked.

“Bruce…” Betty said, shaking her head.

“I just thought it was worth a try.” Bruce replied.

Just as Eva was about to answer Bruce’s question, Charles Horse arrived on the scene, with Stanley and Mootilda close behind.

“Hello.” Charles said, very formal-like. Charles was always formal when it came to meeting new creatures. Some said he was a bit stuffy—like Eva’s nose at the moment.

“Good morning.” Eva responded.

Stanley looked back and forth at Charles and Eva several times, then said. “It’s uncanny…”

Mootilda asked, “What is, Stanley?”

“Never mind.” He replied. “I’m still working on turning over a new leaf. I’m trying not to be naughty and talk about others in a negative way, like pointing out how both Charles and Eva have giant front teeth—oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to say that out loud. I’m still working on not being naughty. That leaf is not turning over as easily as I thought it would.”

“Hello, Eva, I’m Mootilda, and this is Stanley—who should remain quiet for the rest of the day—it’s very nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you too. I’m not worried about the comment, these teeth have served me well. I can build a whole house with them. Can you build a house, Stanley?”

“I’m being quiet right now…” Stanley replied.

“That’s a good idea.” Charles Horse told him.

“Eva was just telling us her house down by the river was destroyed this morning. She’s checking on some new building materials in the area. Bruce and I were just about to let her know that we would be willing to help and support her in any way we can, and that we have some very supportive friends that would be more than willing to help too.”

“Like who?” Stanley asked.

“Like you! And me, and Charles. That’s who!” Mootilda replied.

“Oh, okay. Hey, I’m good at rolling barrels…I’ve had plenty of practice.” Stanley said, matter-of-factly.

“Barrel rolling?! What on Earth?!” Charles exclaimed.

“Actually, that could come in handy.” Betty said.

“It can?!” Bruce asked.

“Oh, I see, we can put the building materials in the barrel and Stanley can roll it down to the river. It’ll save some time and energy. Good thinking, Stanley. Work smart, not hard, is a good motto.” Mootilda said.

“Thank you…I can come up with helpful ideas every now and then, you know.” Stanley replied.

“Absolutely. Well done, Stanley. Bruce is pretty strong, and Charles too, for transporting the bigger branches. I can supervise because I’m small-ish, but I’m pretty good at problem solving.” Betty said.

“And I can recruit some more help for the project.” Mootilda added.

“Well, it sounds like we have a plan, and the work-force.” Betty told the group.

“We have one task before we start though. A very important task.” Bruce said.

“What’s that?” Charles asked.

“We need to fuel up. Get energized. Fill the tummy tank.”

“You mean eat…” Mootilda said.

“Exactly!” Bruce responded.

Before the big project was to begin, the farm friends took Bruce’s advice and had a quick break to get the energy needed for the hard work to come. As they huddled around an assortment of snacks, Charles Horse took Betty aside to ask her a question while the others were distracted.

“What was all the ruckus in the big barn about this morning, Betty?”

“Bruce was having a dream. A very lively dream.” She responded.

“I gathered that. It woke me up out of a sound sleep, scared the whinnies out of me!”

“I’m sorry about that, but you know how Bruce can be when he’s having fun, even in a dream.”

“Ah yes. Animated. What was the dream about?”

“He was skateboarding, if you can believe that.”

“With Bruce, yes, I can believe it. Now I see why he was so excited. A skateboarding moose…now I’ve heard everything.” Charles said, shaking his head. Charles excused himself and told the gang he’d catch up with them a bit later. He had something to do.

It was late afternoon and the gang had worked and toiled and even struggled to build a new home for Eva Beaver. It was a dam like no other because it had been constructed by the friends working together, using their brains and claws and hooves and paws (and teeth!) with caring and honest hard work, and those were the best kind of jobs. Everybody was there to watch Eva Beaver put the last branch into place.

“Now it’s a home! I want to thank you all for your help. I haven’t felt so good today, so all your hard work is appreciated.”

“Well, I think I speak for all of us when I say, it was our pleasure, and we hope you’ll be very happy here. And get well soon!” Mootilda said.

“And just so you know Eva, you’re invited to our scavenger hunt tomorrow, if you’re feeling well enough that is. We’ll have lots of little prizes and one really special prize.” Charles added.

“Okay, I’ll try, but I can’t promise anything.” Eva said between three sniffs and one big cough, before she waddled off into the river, not wanting to be a head cold giver.

“I think that beaver has a fever!” Stanley sputtered.

It was the next morning and some of the farm friends were already gathered in the pasture eagerly waiting for the others to show up to start the scavenger hunt. Charles Horse had been up most of the night hiding little treasures and trinkets, and other assorted items around the farm for the others to find, including one special prize that he didn’t tell anybody about. It was a hush-hush, mum’s the word, type of secret that only horses were good at keeping. As the time passed more and more

of the farm friends joined the group, but there were two missing. Bruce and Cindy Sue were very much overdue.

“Well, where could they be?” Maurice Mule asked.

“Beats me…” Poke Pig answered.

“It is rather concerning. Bruce wasn’t in his stall this morning, and I haven’t seen him anywhere.” Betty said, with ruffled feathers on her head.

“We’ll have to send a search party soon if they don’t show up.” Ramona Hen remarked.

“Search party, ma’am. Soon.” Willie repeated.

Just when there was a pause in the conversation, the ducks passed by. Mootilda shouted out, “Have any of you seen Bruce or Cindy Sue?!” The ducks kept moving along without a single quack. The ducks never seem to want to get involved; they don’t seem to give any never minds. That’s when the group decided to take the sheep by the horns and start asking questions. So, they asked the sheep, who were huddled in a heap, but they didn’t have any answers. They moved on and asked the two swans named Juan if they had seen Bruce and Cindy Sue. They shook their heads, in a graceful and elegant way of course. They asked the turtles, who are hard to communicate with, because getting them to pop their heads out of their shells is kind of a hurdle. They hadn’t seen the two missing friends. They asked an old owl who just gave them a scowl. They asked the geese, who just wanted to be left in peace. They asked the rabbits and the one hare, but they didn’t seem to care. They even asked the frogs, the snakes, and the slugs, but they just gave a quick ribbit, hiss, and shrug. Slugs shrugged?! They don’t even have shoulders!. Who could ever imagine such a thing?!

“I have a comment…more of an observation, actually, that I think is relevant to this situation.” Stanley said.

“What’s that?” Charles asked, understanding that he’d probably regret asking Stanley what his thoughts were.

“You called this a scavenger hunt…are we actually looking for scavengers? Like vultures? Or something else? I’m not comfortable with vultures, for the record. I just wanted some clarification on that.”

Everybody in the group gave the same response. Some loud groans, but mostly they just shouted, “Stanley!”

At this point, the group of friends were concerned about the missing moose and the little frail quail, who was definitely not in her pail. They checked. And checked again. The group was perplexed. All sorts of thoughts went through their heads. The only thing they knew for sure was that they had to find Bruce and Cindy Sue. They had to start by finding a clue, but how? Then it hit them. Well, it hit Dolly Llama specifically, right between the eyes. It was an acorn, thrown by Gideon Rat, the thirty-third.

“Oops. That was meant for Stanley. Sorry Dolly.” Gideon said.

“Have you seen Bruce and Cindy Sue, Gideon?” Poke asked.

“Yeah, they left early this morning, while it was still dark, before anybody was awake. Except for me of course. I have things going on all night, but I don’t want to talk about that.”

“Do you know where they went, or which way they headed?” Betty asked.

“They didn’t say where they were going, Bruce was mumbling something about finding some roots, and the old frail quail was just tagging along. I’m not sure what they were up to, but they were heading toward the back corner of the farm. I’m going to go out on a limb and say, those two are up to something. I’m just saying.”

The group was practically speechless. The whole situation was such a mystery, and like all good mysteries or times of chaos and disorder, a hero needed to step forward to save the day. Like a chicken?! A chicken leader?! Luckily, Ramona Hen was on the case, and as usual, she took control of the situation. “Okay friends, it’s search party time!”

“Are we supposed to leave? I don’t think we’re supposed to leave the farm.” Dolly said.

“No choice.” Ramona responded.

“No choice.” Willie echoed.

“I agree with Ramona, we have to search for them. Bruce and Cindy Sue are an important part of us, so we can’t just leave it to chance. We need to find them.”

“We can break into groups and cover more ground. When we head out, stay with your group! Do not, I repeat, do not venture out on your own! We’ll have team leaders, and they will give you instructions. Mootilda, you take Dolly, Poke, and Frederick Alpaca with you. Betty and Stanley, you go with Charles. I’ll take Willie, Maurice, June Loon, and the two Juans. We need a scout though, a flyer that can keep us informed about what’s happening on the ground from high above—”

“I guess that leaves out the turkey’s and the chickens and the quails. They’re all grounded at the moment.” Stanley said, laughing at his own joke. There were more groans and eye-rolling. He added, “Oh come on, that was a good joke. Nobody else could do better than that, especially in this egg-citing situation…okay that one needs some work, but—”

“Stephen Stuffing Pigeon!” Willie shouted, interrupting Stanley.

“Yes, Willie. Find our recruit!” Willie immediately scurried away.

“What about me?” Gideon asked.

“You stay here in case Bruce and Cindy Sue come back.” Ramona answered.

“Well, that doesn’t sound very exciting…or helpful.” Gideon shot back.

“I’ll leave you with a generous pile of seeds and nuts.”

“I’ll stay in case they come back.” Gideon said, changing his mind quickly when offered something in exchange for his cooperation.

“Hey Frederick, are you going to alpaca light for this outing?” Stanley said, laughing at his own joke (again) There was another round of oof’s and groans from the group.

“Okay gang, we’ve got our teams, now let’s head to the back corner and into the unknown parts to find our friends!” Betty shouted, trying to keep everyone focused.

“I’ll wait here with the two Juans, June, and Maurice until Willie comes back, then we’ll head out. When we get on the other side of the fence, Charles and his group will go right, Mootilda and her group will go left, and my team will go straight into the woods. We’ll meet up in two hours on the other side of Shiverburr Lake for an update, okay?” Ramona Hen was good at being in charge. She had a way about her, her personality was large, and that was the main reason others put her in charge.

The two groups headed out in search of a giant moose and one small frail quail. The third group waited for Willie to come back, then quickly made their way to the far corner of the farm and out into the woods. Stephen Stuffing, with his little yellow backpack strapped on, took to the sky to keep a sharp eye out for anything in the woods that moved, or anything clawed, pawed, sure-footed or hooved.

Well, time went by. And more time went by. And then even more time went by, until the first two hours went bye-bye. There was no luck, but there was a lot of thirst, so the farm friends took a break to refresh and recharge themselves at the shore of Shiverburr Lake. The two Juans went for a quick dip in the cool water because swans love a good dip now and then. They made the dip extra quick, being under the watchful eye of Ramona Hen. The rest of the group filled up their tummy tanks with water and were ready to continue the search. Stephen Stuffing came in for a landing just to let them know that he saw many acres of woods, but no wayward moose and quail. Their mission would continue, they weren’t about to give up, the gang didn’t know the meaning of the word, fail.

“Okay everybody, let’s head back to the farm and do another sweep of the area. They couldn’t have gone far; Bruce would never put Cindy Sue in any danger, and he knows she tires easily.” Betty told them.

“Copy that ma’am.” Willie responded.

They parted company and started their journey back to Three Ponds Sanctuary. Each group hoped this time they would find Bruce and Cindy Sue. And it wasn’t very long before one of the groups found some luck by you-know-who. Stanley, of all creatures, was on to something. He found some tracks. “Hey, I found some tracks…and there’s some half-eaten snacks! Wait a minute, these tracks aren’t from a goose, they’re from a giant, apple-eating moose! I need a second set of eyes! Hey Chuck, bring your extra-long face, with your extra-long teeth over here and take a look.” And that’s all it took for Stanley to declare, “tell me I haven’t found the find of the century!”

Charles trotted over with Betty on his back to take a gander for himself. “Am I right? Or am I right?” Stanley continued.

“I believe you’re right, Stanley!” Betty said.

“Okay, okay, you may be on to something.” Charles reluctantly agreed.

“Let’s see where they go, follow me!” Stanley shouted.

The three crept slowly and carefully, following the clues—some of them unmistakably Cindy Sue’s. “Feathers!” Stanley exclaimed. “Quail feathers! For once I’m glad the old bird sheds!”

“I guess it does come in handy sometimes.” Charles remarked.

“We need to get Stephen Stuffing’s attention. He can point us in the right direction.” Betty told them.

“Oh, you don’t need that little yellow flying backpack! You’ve got me! I’m Stanley Goat, the capable, incomparable, hilarious, finder of all things moose…and quail…and otherwise. Just follow me! You’ll see!”

Charles and Betty shrugged. They silently agreed that Stanley was now in charge. They knew him to be goofy and silly, but Stanley did seem to be on to something very large. And something small and frail. It wasn’t very long until the three came to a clearing in the middle of the woods and found what they were looking for. The biggest prize in any scavenger hunt, anywhere, some would say. Nothing could have made Betty happier that day.

Ramona Hen, (and her team) and Mootilda Cow, (and her team) were waiting in the pasture when the last team wandered back on to the farm. And what a sight it was. There was the new leader of team three, in all his glory—triumphant and victorious and silly and sputtering. The capable, incomparable, and somewhat hilarious, Stanley Goat, hitching a ride on the back of Bruce, looking like a furry general atop his stallion, returning home with his troops. And hitching a ride on Stanley’s back was one frail quail, sort of confused, somewhat worse for wear, and a tad bit pale. Cindy Sue just wanted to be back safe and sound in her home, sweet home, pail.

“Well, there’s a sight for sore eyes.” Frederick said, smiling really big, but at the same time, shaking his head.

“We thought you ran away, or got lost, or something even worse. You know how I worry too much; it’s always been my curse.” Poke commented.

“I’m sorry everybody, but I went to find my roots.” Bruce said.

“Oh, I thought you went to eat roots. That’s what the rat said.” Dolly Llama replied.

“So, I misheard…finding his roots…eating some roots, I’m not perfect. I never claimed that. You can’t prove otherwise!” Gideon said, sounding defensive while scratching his head.

“Well, we’re just glad you’re back, you two.” Mootilda told Bruce and Cindy Sue.

“What do you mean when you say, finding your roots?” Maurice asked.

“I just thought if I could find the place I was born, it would help me to remember my past—where I come from, that’s all.” Bruce responded.

“And did you? Did you remember?” Charles asked.

“Well, I think I found the place I was born—I’m sure of it. It was a clearing in the woods. We stayed there briefly after I was born, but I don’t remember much after that, we moved around a lot—that I do remember. I guess my outing wasn’t as important as I thought it was going to be. It didn’t make me remember.” Bruce looked a bit sad, then continued, “I think I’m going to go to the big barn for a while, see you all later.”

Bruce wandered off, leaving the group very quiet, until Stanley decided to shout out some breaking news. “Did you hear about that fantastic goat who found the lost moose and quail?! He tracked them down without a compass, or a map—not even a hammer and a nail?”

“Hammer and nail?! Well, that doesn’t even make sense!” Poke said.

“I’m a silly goat, it doesn’t have to make sense!”

The friends decided to go their separate ways to do what farm animals usually do. Mootilda made sure Cindy Sue got back to her pail safely, then headed for her favorite patch in the high pasture. Stephen Stuffing finally came in for a landing…with his little yellow backpack. He bounced around a bit, then took off again to go do pigeon things.

Charles took Betty to the big barn and dropped her off. “Have a good one, Betty.”

“You too, Charles. And thanks for all your help today.”

“Anytime…I guess we’ll call off the scavenger hunt for now. Nobody’s in the mood.” Charles walked away to parts unknown.

Betty hopped up to her perch and waited. Waited for a sign. Waited to see if Bruce wanted to talk about the events of the day. She wasn’t one to push or pry, she just wanted to be a good friend. Betty stayed quiet, except when she let out a big sigh.

“Betty?”

“Yes Bruce?”

“Nothing…”

It was the next morning, and when Betty woke up, Bruce was already gone. She quickly hopped down from her favorite beam and bounced along the ground and out the big barn door. Bruce hadn’t gone missing again, he was just enjoying the morning air. Betty was relieved. She made her way up to the top of a fence post.

“Good morning, Bruce.”

“Good morning, Betty.”

“How are you feeling today?” She asked.

“Better than yesterday.” Bruce said.

“Do you want to talk about anything?”

“Okay.” Bruce said, then went silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts. He continued, “I thought if I went to where it all started for me, I would feel differently. I thought all the answers I was looking for would suddenly be clear, but that didn’t happen. I thought I would remember everything, but I was wrong.”

“I’m sorry that you were disappointed, Bruce. And I’m sorry that it makes you feel sad that you didn’t get any answers. I know how it feels.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot. I was so busy feeling sorry for myself that I didn’t think about how almost all the creatures here know very little about where they came from because they were too young to remember, or they came from somewhere far away, that they’ve never been back to. I should have thought about the others feelings before I took off and made it all about me.”

“Nobody thinks you were feeling sorry for yourself. You just wanted to find some answers, there’s nothing wrong with that. Most of us search for answers our whole lives, but you went out to find them. I think it’s a good thing to be honest about that. You just need to ask for help too, that’s all I ask.”

“Okay, I’ll try harder to do that.” Bruce said.

“Good, I was worried about you—and Cindy Sue. But I understand why you did it. That’s all I’m saying.”

“So, you think I should keep wondering about everything?” Bruce asked.

“Definitely. Yes. Because it keeps us curious and makes us ask ourselves those hard to answer questions about life in general. Like, who am I, and what is my purpose, or what am I supposed to be doing. Life can be very confusing, but keep questioning. Just also be aware that sometimes we find out that we’ve spent so much time searching for answers that we don’t see some of them have been right in front of us because we haven’t been paying attention. Like our life here on the farm for instance. We’re kind of a family. We love each other and look out for each other, and yes, sometimes we argue and fight, but we always make up. That’s something important right in front of us that we don’t want to miss because it forces us to learn patience and acceptance and friendship and all sorts of other stuff. You just have to learn how to balance what answers you want or need from the past, and what you’re experiencing right now. I’d like to know more about where I came from, but I also try to be happy with the life I have here right now. I have some amazing friends, and I’m really grateful for that.”

“You’re right, Betty, I’ll try to appreciate what I have right now, and be happy with that. But I can still wonder about where I came from.”

“Exactly. Of course! It’s all about balance. And we can talk about it whenever you need to. And also, we can go out in the woods and wander all over from time to time and maybe you’ll remember something. I think that would be good for both of us.”

“We’ll stick together, like always.”

“Absolutely!” Betty agreed.

“I feel better already.” Bruce said, finally lifting his head up high.

“Did you know that Little Teddy Ready was adopted?” Betty asked.

“No, I didn’t know that. But he’s so happy all the time!”

“He’s happy because he has great, loving parents and a great life here, and he’s loved very much by all of us. That’s why he’s happy. Paul and Penny know that someday he’ll have questions and that’s normal and okay, but for now, what matters is that he’s loved and appreciated and that this place is the best place in the world for him.” Betty pointed all around the farm with her wings.

“He’s living each day, happily with friends and snacks.” Bruce said.

“Yeah, pretty much.” Betty responded.

“Speaking of snacks, Betty, I hear a little bit of the beginning of the start of a rumbling in my tummy. You know what that means. It’s time to fill the tummy tank.”

“I do know what that means. We’re off to the apple orchard, right?.”

“Correct! Hop on!”

Bruce and Betty had been in the orchard for a while, munching and pecking, when a group of farm friends appeared, walking toward them. Just about everybody was present. Even the orange cat, who always kept his distance, who was still off in the distance, but closer than usual.

“We came to cheer you up, buddy.” Poke Pig said.

“Yeah, I’ve got some new jokes!” Stanley sputtered.

“How are you today, Bruce?” Mootilda asked.

“I’m much better, thank you. I had a good talk with a great friend and realized how much I have here. I just need balance. Right, Betty?” Bruce answered.

“Right, Bruce.” She replied.

“Balance?! I know all about balance! Have you ever seen my skills on a barrel?!” Stanley shouted.

“It’s not about you today, Stanley.” Charles told him.

“Okay then, how about a joke?” Stanley asked.

“Sure, why not?” Bruce said.

“You’re going to love this…knock-knock.” Stanley said, already giggling.

“Who’s there?”

“Horse!”

“Stanley!” Mootilda said in a warning sort of way.

“No, really, it’s funny, I promise.” Stanley told her.

“Horse who?” Bruce asked.

“Horse radish!” Stanley answered, bursting out laughing.

Nobody laughed, but they did groan and roll their eyes.

“Oh, come on! It was funny!” Stanley exclaimed.

“That’s not even a joke. You just put two words together.” Frederick Alpaca commented.

“Oh, I love horseradish.” Dolly said, not really understanding what was going on, but making it clear for some reason that she had a taste for horseradish.

“I don’t mean to rain on this parade, but, we still have a scavenger hunt that we never got to.” Charles Horse reminded them.

“I think I won that yesterday when I tracked down a certain large moose. You really can’t find a bigger prize than that, correct?” Stanley said proudly.

“That really wasn’t a prize for the scavenger hunt, that was more like helping a friend in need. There is a difference.” Mootilda responded.

“I beg to differ.” Stanley argued.

“So, what are these prizes, and how can I get in on the action?” Gideon asked. The group had to look around to find out where his voice was coming from. They finally spotted him sitting on a rock, nibbling on an apple.

“You know, Gideon, you can inform us that you’re around instead of just suddenly speaking and startling us.” Charles said.

“Sorry, next time I’ll have my secretary announce my presence.” He answered.

“I believe there are all sorts of little prizes, from soup to nuts…” Betty said.

“Soup?! That doesn’t sound like a prize! Nuts, okay. I’m used to being around a lot of those! Ha!” Stanley shouted.

“It’s just an expression, Stanley. It means a wide range of things. A variety.” Betty explained.

“Okay, I’m in.” Gideon said.

“Horseradish isn’t a prize, is it?” Dolly Llama asked.

“No Dolly!” Everyone said at the same time.

“Alright everyone, let’s break and head out. Teams, partners, singles, your choice. Good luck!” Ramona announced.

“Are we still looking for the moose?” Cindy Sue asked.

“No Cindy Sue, he’s right in front of you. He’s okay. We found him…and you.” Maurice said.

“Oh, okay.” Cindy Sue replied. Cindy Sue was still a bit confused.

“C’mon Cindy Sue, you can go with me.” Mootilda told her.

The friends went their separate ways to seek their treasures. It wasn’t long before they started finding what they were looking for, or not looking for, in some cases. June Loon found half a clothes pin and a dirty old spoon. The two swans named Juan found two lost socks that didn’t match and thought that was just wrong. Dolly Llama dug and dug only to dig up a chipped coffee mug. Dolly didn’t even drink coffee! Maurice Mule found a spool of thread, it was red. He wasn’t impressed, he wanted to give it away, get rid of it, maybe to someone who was impeccably dressed.

Some of the friends were lucky. They found some pretty good finds. A homemade necklace for Poke, a juicy carrot for Charles, (who was in charge of the hunt, so it was easy to find) (he hid it in his own stall) Stanley found a book titled “How to be a Good Buddy” He immediately re-hid it and said to himself, “Blah! No need, I already know how!” he probably should have at least read the first page, at the very least! Mootilda found a brush, now she just needed to find a hand, a hoof, or a paw, or claw to put it in so she could get in some good scratching time. She wondered if a certain frail quail would be strong enough to do the job. Frederick Alpaca hit the jackpot. He found seven! gumballs, three more gumballs!, and a toothbrush. He thought about giving the toothbrush to Charles, but he didn’t want to insult him. Cindy Sue Butternut Squash-Pettigrew happened upon a beautiful, almost new hat with a big yellow bow. She instantly fell in love with it and walked away thinking she had struck gold. Unfortunately, she found it in June Loon’s closet. It wasn’t part of the scavenger hunt. That situation would have to be sorted out later.

After an hour or so, the group re-grouped in the orchard to show each other their prizes. It was pretty clear that each one thought they won the day, the way each of them carried on. Even though they were proud of their treasure finds, some of them did attempt to do some horse-trading. For instance, Stanley wanted to trade his slightly used tennis ball for…Charles Horse. He shouted, “Now that would be some horse-trading!” Stanley was a silly goat.

All in all, it was a good day. There were ups and downs, but it all balanced out in the end, and that was what life was all about. For most creatures, lots of things come and go. Lots of things seem important at the time, and they are, or they aren’t. Life is kind of like searching for prizes in a scavenger hunt. Sometimes you find the things you want, sometimes you find the things you need, and sometimes you discover what you already have. Like June Loon, who loved Cindy Sue’s new hat, only to discover she already had one (the one Cindy Sue was wearing!) That was a problem to be solved another time!

It was sunset and the farm was quiet. The whole gang was tired. It had been a long day and a lot had been experienced in a short time. Bruce and Betty were in the coral just outside the big barn enjoying the end of the day.

“What did you find today, Betty? You never said.”

“Several little shiny things. I like little shiny things. That’s the bird in me. What did you find?”

“Well, at first I was hoping to find a dozen big juicy apples. But what I actually found was the biggest prize of all.”

“Really? I didn’t see you walk away with anything.” Betty said, surprised.

“You couldn’t see it. My prize was that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. The best place for me. That was the best prize in my book.”

“Ah, I see. That is a great prize.” Betty responded.

“I think when I get older, I’ll seriously think about finding my roots. Find out where I come from. Hopefully I’ll get more answers, and understand things better.”

“I think that’s a good plan.”

“For now, I’ll just stick to eating roots.” Bruce chuckled.

“That’s funny, Bruce. You should teach Stanley some comedy. He really needs the help.”

“I know. He flubbed a knock-knock joke! How does someone do that?!”

“We’ll get him a book.” Betty said.

Bruce went quiet for a moment, then said. “Knock-knock…”

“Who’s there?”

“Betty…”

“Betty who?” Betty asked.

“Betty who’s…your best friend?” Bruce said.

“Oh, Bruce. We’ll get you a book too.”

“I was hoping you’d say that. I like books.” Bruce responded.

“You know Bruce, I almost forgot, before we left the group, Charles told me he hid something in your stall, did you do a thorough search?”

“No, I didn’t, I’ll go look now.” Bruce excitedly galloped into the big barn. There were some crashing sounds and some thrashing sounds and maybe even a few times of stumbling and falling down, then a big, “A-ha!” and a couple of, “Oh wow’s” and “Oh boy’s” then suddenly Bruce ran back out into the corral squealing, “Look what I just found, look at this!” He held up a brand-new skateboard. “This is a special treasure hunt find; how did he know?!”

Betty smiled, “I told him, I confess. How else are you going to get to Moose Jaw?! Taxi? Train? Boat? Oh no, I’m starting to sound like Stanley Goat…”

“Woo-hoo! Who has a new skateboard?! Me! Bruce Moose is headed to Moose Jaw! Wheeeeee!”