Beaumont, a wee black house cat who loved wearing bowties, pranced through the tall meadow grass that led out into the forest behind Miss Sally, his human companion’s house. He followed the foot track that cut through the grass, smelling the late summer wildflowers scattered among the meadow as he went. Sigmund, a small spider, Beaumont’s best friend, rode on Beaumont’s cheerful yellow bowtie. A gentle breeze blew, bringing in a delightful coolness that rustled through the grass and through Beaumont’s dark fur. The air was sweet from the scent of the meadow flowers, and the sun was warm and bright.
“It’s so exciting that Delia is moving to a new place,” Beaumont said to Sigmund. “Moving can be scary, but it’s also so exhilarating. She’ll have all her own space and can do so many new things now that she’s leaving her parent’s nest.”
“I’m glads she be askin’ us to be helpin’ her decorate her shiny new nest,” Sigmund replied. “I do like me some decoratin’, so I do.”
The pair arrived at the pond that sat at the heart of the forest. There, the tail end of a small duck stuck up straight out of the water. The duck then popped back upright, a lilypad in her bill.
“Oh, hello, Beaumont, Sigmund,” Delia quacked, her voice muffled by the stem of the pad. “Thank you for coming. I’m relocating some of these lilypads to the side of the pond my new nest is on.”
“That’s a great idea; I love water lilies!” Beaumont chimed, hopping onto a log that had fallen into the water.
“My parents said I could take as many as I wanted from their garden so I could have a piece of home with me,” Delia then said.
“We’ll helps ya move them,” said Sigmund.
“You dig them up from the bottom of the pond, and we’ll carry them over to your new nest,” Beaumont added.
“Sounds excellent,” Delia said, handing over the lilypad she was holding in her bill to Beaumont. She then instructed, “My nest is by the old standing stones on the North side of the pond.”
She picked another one, handing it to Sigmund, who hung from the tree branches above. The pond, which Beaumont had heard Miss Sally calling ‘Great Oaks Pond,’ was named for the grand forest of oak trees in which it sat. Sigmund swung from branch to branch, carrying the lilypad with care. Beaumont held it in his mouth, following his eight-legged friend.
Between the three of them, the task of relocating the lilypads was done by mid-day. Delia came up to them, waddling up onto the bank of the pond. She rustled her tail feathers excitedly as she observed their work.
“Oh, it looks so beautiful! And now I can spend the rest of the day relaxing in my new home and looking at the pretty lilies,” she quacked excitedly. Just then, a squirrel, wearing a yellow bandana, which was a color not dissimilar to the bowtie Beaumont wore around his neck, came jumping down from a nearby tree.
“Elliot!” Beaumont said. “Nice to see you drop in.”
“Hi there, I’m Elliot,” the small red squirrel said, flicking his tail. “I heard you were moving in. I’m your neighbor; it’s nice to meet you. Well, me and my family. We live up in the trees.”
“Lovely to meet you too, Elliot,” Delia said. “Thank you for coming to introduce yourself. Are you a friend of Beaumont’s, too?”
“I am indeed. He’s a really great pal to have,” Elliot replied. “Hey, why don’t you come around for supper sometime? My Ma’s really good at making acorn stew, acorn pie, acorn tea, acorn, well, everything!”
“It’s a little frightening, being out on my own for the first time. It’s relieving to know that I have such a nice neighbor. I would love to join you sometime.”
“And Beaumont, you and Sigmund should come too,” Elliot said to Beaumont and Sigmund, who had landed to sit on Beaumont’s head. He smiled as he turned back to Delia. “And you know, Delia, Sigmund, and Beaumont really helped me through facing my own fears when I was unsure and afraid of participating in a race we squirrels do at family reunions. It’s alright to feel afraid of the unknown, but it’s also good to have friends who can be there for you and help you.”
“Thank you, Elliot,” said Delia. “And thank you again, Sigmund and Beaumont. You all make this transition so much easier. It really is good to have friends and make new ones, too!”
