This is a children’s story I wrote for a quarantine project with Vertigo theatre. Originally it was quite sad, and I’m glad I was given a reason to revisit it and make something hopeful.
–
Once there was a little bird who lived in a quiet wood.
And that was just how she liked it.
She’d built her nest in the highest branches of the tallest tree, because what she wanted most in the world was to be left alone.
But one morning she heard a woodpecker pecking below her on her tree.
His rrt-t-t-t-t was the most annoying sound the bird had ever heard.
So, she dropped twigs from her nest on the woodpecker.
“What’s the matter?” asked the woodpecker.
“Go away!” said the bird, “leave me alone!”
And so, he did.
A short time later, a squirrel climbed onto the same branch her nest sat upon.
Her scrit-scrat was the most annoying sound the bird had ever heard.
So, she shook the branch viciously.
“Hey!” said the squirrel.
“Go away!” said the bird, “leave me alone!”
And so, she did.
A while later, a bear wandered by and clawed at the bottom of her tree.
The great vrrrp-vrrrp of his scratching was the most annoying sound she had ever heard.
So, she pecked lose all the tree’s apples to fall on his head.
“What’s wrong?” asked the bear.
“Go away!” said the bird, “leave me alone!”
And so, he did.
Eventually, everything was quiet again.
Very, very quiet.
Sometimes the bird wished there was another creature to talk to.
But then she’d remember those annoying sounds, and decide it was better being alone.
One day, a man came to the tree.
He was pleased to see there were no creatures around he might bother, and no fruit on the tree he might spoil.
He did not notice the bird’s nest hidden away on the highest branch.
He turned on his machine, and went to work.
The sound that the bird woke to wasn’t annoying.
It was terrifying.
Suddenly, her tree was falling around her.
She tried to hold her nest together, but she became tangled up and stuck.
When the tree hit the ground, it was quiet again.
The man, happy with his work, dragged off the ruined tree, leaving only a small pile of useless branches and twigs.
For a time, the only sound was the bird’s helpless song as she lay trapped beneath the pieces of her nest.
Then, there came a rustling sound.
The branches were lifted away, and the bird felt herself being pulled free.
When she rubbed her eyes, who did she see?
Why it was the woodpecker!
And the squirrel!
And the bear!
“We heard a scary noise” said the bear, “and we came to make sure you were alright.”
“We’re know we weren’t supposed to come back” said the squirrel.
“We promise we’ll leave you alone again,” said the woodpecker.
“Oh no” said the bird, “I’m so glad you’re here.”
Working together, they rebuilt the bird’s nest in a new tree.
And the bear would claw at the bark with a vrrrp-vrrrp.
And the squirrel would climb the branches with a scrit-scrat.
And the woodpecker would peck the tree with a rrt-t-t-t-t.
Once, there was a little bird, who lived in a very noisy wood.
And that was just how she liked it.
Autumn Eternal Fiction 