THE MAGICAL WATERFALL

Once upon a time there were two grey squirrels that lived in a forest. They would spend most of their time looking for certain leaves and berries to eat. They would eat some of them and the rest they would store away for the winter. No matter how much they ate, they never seemed to get quite enough to fill that empty feeling in the pit of their stomach.

One day Chitter, one of the grey squirrels, overheard the brown squirrels talking. He heard them say something about a waterfall in the forest. It seemed that if you went through the waterfall, you would find all the food you could possibly ever want. It was a different kind of food but when you ate it, you never felt that empty feeling in your stomach anymore. This really interested Chitter so he wanted to know more. He went home and asked Natter, the other grey squirrel, if he knew anything about this. Natter said "Ya, I’ve heard about it, but I don’t really believe in it. They say it is just a myth. I think the brown squirrels just keep that story going so they can get all our leaves and berries for themselves." Chitter thought on this and concluded that Natter was probably right.

A few days later Chitter overheard the brown squirrels talking again. This time they were talking about the forest. They were saying that very soon some lumbermen were coming in and cutting down all the trees. All of the brown squirrels were going to be moved to a wonderful forest where there was never winter and food was in constant supply. The grey squirrels were going to be burned with the underbrush from the forest because it was believed that they carried a terrible disease.

This really scared Chitter. He ran home and told Natter what he had heard. Natter tried to reassure Chitter by telling him it was all nonsense. He said "Look, they’ve been telling us that same story for years and years and nothing has happened to us yet. Besides, don’t you think the lumbermen would check us first before burning us? They would see that we don’t have any terrible disease. Quit listening to these fables. They are just tales to keep the simple minded squirrels amused."

Chitter wasn’t really sure about what Natter said. Those brown squirrels didn’t seem like simple minded squirrels to him and they really seemed to believe in what they were saying. He decided he was going to find out more.

That evening he watched and waited for one of the brown squirrels to be alone. He slowly approached him and said "Excuse me, but the other day I overheard a group of brown squirrels talking about a waterfall and a great forest. Could you tell me more about this? "I would be most happy to." said the brown squirrel.

"A long time ago when squirrels first came to live in this forest, they were all brown in colour. Then one day The Evil Taker came along and put in tar pits all over the place. Soon all the squirrels were grey in colour and their eyes were darkened so they couldn’t see very well. Many of them tried washing their fur in the nearby streams but the tar just wouldn’t come off. Others tried licking their fur but that didn’t work either.
After years of trying to get the tar off on their own, Mr. Forestkeeper came to show the squirrels the only way to get the tar off. He showed them the way to the magic waterfall that takes off tar. Some of the squirrels listened to him and followed him. Some of them said "You are a fool, my way is the best way." Others said, "What is wrong with being a grey squirrel? All my friends are grey squirrels?" The others just mocked him and called him a liar.

While he was with them He told them stories about a great forest where there was never winter and food was in constant supply. He told about many things that would happen in the forest and how the lumbermen were going to come and cut down all the trees. Everything he said has come true. He had to go away but he told the squirrels that he would come back to get the brown squirrels and take them to the great forest.

Those of us that believed the Forestkeeper have gone to the waterfall and had our coats and eyes washed clean. Now that we can see better it is easier for us to avoid the tar pits. If we accidentally fall into a pit, we know where the waterfall is so we can get cleaned up again. Also now that we can see better, we have noticed that there are nuts to eat as well as the leaves and berries. The nuts get rid of that empty feeling in the pit of our stomach. We have tried to warn everyone about the coming dangers but they just wouldn’t listen."

Chitter believed what the brown squirrel told him and asked to be lead to the waterfall.

You make up the rest of the story.

Have a spotless day.