The War Of The Mile Long Pier
Chapter 1 : Canada Geese Bobby was fishing for white bass for his tabby cat friend Calawdalonzo right at the base of the mile long pier at the mouth of the Huron River. It was the end of a beautiful day on the shores of his lake, and he had already caught more than both he and “Claws” could possibly eat for dinner that night. He decided to take a break in the shadows of a willow while he waited for Claws to join him. The little old couple who lived in the house up the block would be letting Claws out soon for his late afternoon romp, and soon his furry friend would be scampering down the pier to join Bobby for dinner. Bobby was admiring the wild flowers that grew next to the beach by the pier when he noticed something he had never seen before. Two Canada Geese were apparently fishing for minnows in the shallows. They didn’t see Bobby on the shore, as he was hidden by the willow tree. “Geese don’t eat fish!” thought Bobby. What on earth was going on! He knew that the Geese only ate vegetation, either from the bottom of the lakes or rivers where it was shallow enough to reach with their long necks, or spilled grains in the nearby fields, like corn or soybeans. Fish-eating Geese were a very unnatural thing, and would not be accepted by the other fish eating birds. If the Gulls and Turns found out about this, there was going to be trouble for sure. Bobby didn’t know how the Cormorants would react. They were rather new to the area, and weren’t around during the last war. He didn’t imagine that they would take kindly to fish-eating Geese either. Bobby didn’t want to think about what might happen if the local Gull population found out and then told the Turns, or Mother Nature forbid, the Egrets. It could cause an all out war. He remembered his Father telling him the tale of the Great War of the Estuary back before Bobby was hatched, and before he lost his parents in the storm. It was a terrible thing, lasting for many years, and many Heron and Egrets lost their lives or were injured until a truce was finally called by the Cardinals. Territorial fishing rights was a big deal in the fish eating bird world, and had it not been for the truce negotiated by his Father, the war could still be going on. Luckily he had convinced the chief of the Egrets that there was plenty of fish to go around, and that these two largest of the wading/fishing birds could live in peaceful co-existence. After all, the only thing different about Herons and Egrets was basically plumage and coloration. Granted, the Egrets were more graceful and considered more beautiful by some, but that’s what got them into trouble back in the old days when they were hunted by men for their fancy white tail feathers to be used to adorn the female of the human species’ hats. Thank goodness few women wanted a Blue Heron’s feathers on their hats! Why, Bobby didn’t know, because he thought Heron feathers to be much more colorful and interesting than any old plain white Egret’s. But then, there was no accounting for taste, or sanity for that matter when it came to the humans. He knew this because he had secretly spent some nights in the old couple’s home, thanks to Claws, his cat friend who shared stories and cat food with Bobby, in return for fresh fish that Bobby caught. They would often listen in on the old couples’ conversations and it was obvious that humans had conflicts, just like birds. The old couple were obviously “birds of a feather” so their conflicts were never violent, just funny to listen to. A conflict between a flock of gulls and a goose would be quite different, and Bobby knew he had to do something before things got out of hand. When birds of different feathers had conflicts, thing could get ugly. Bobby stepped out from the shadows of the willow and surprised the two geese that were swimming close by, searching for minnows. “Excuse me, but are you two fishing?” Bobby asked them point blank.One of the geese, with a minnow’s tail hanging out of the corner of his bill said, “Wha, who uth, fithing?” “Don’t talk with your mouth full!” Bobby replied. “Just what do you two “flat bills” think you’re doing?” “Having a little thnack, thath all; gulp” The goose said, trying to swallow the minnow. “Well all I can tell you two is it’s lucky for you that I caught you eating fish, and not some Egret or a flock of Gulls. Do you have any idea that you are breaking a Cardinal rule?” “ Rules schmools” replied the other Goose. “We don’t follow any stinking Gull rules. If we feel like eating something different than bottom grasses and spilled corn than the Gulls can just mind their own business. Besides, stinking Gulls eat just about anything! I saw one the other day eating a half a bag of French fries that some people threw out of their car window. I don’t see them following any rules!” Oh great, thought Bobby, a Goose with an attitude. Nothing worse, except maybe a blue jay with no sense of humor. “Did any of the other birds see you eating fish?” Bobby demanded. “Some Turn flew over a while ago, but I don’t know if he saw us.” said the other Goose that seemed a little more sheepish about their trespass. “Well, you two have done it now!” exclaimed Bobby. “If you know what’s good for you, you both had better fly out of here pronto and get back to your flock to lose yourselves in before the Gulls come!” “ Lithe up Long Legth” said the mouthy Goose, still munching on the minnow, “How about if we bring our flock back here and we’ll thee who tellth who what to do and what to eat!” They both started to come towards Bobby, honking loudly and threateningly, flapping their big wings as they approached. They were big birds, and Bobby was afraid he might have to defend himself. Just as the bigger of the two Geese got right in Bobby’s face, something dropped onto it’s back from the willow branches above. “Back Off Honker!” snarled Claws, digging his claws into the back of the Goose. The other Goose turned tail and started half paddling and half flying in the other direction, towards open water, honking up a storm. Claws bit into the neck of the Goose, just enough to let him know he had fangs too, and with that, the Goose, with Claws clinging to his back for dear life, started honking, paddling and flapping, faster and faster towards open water, and then became airborne. Bobby looked up in disbelief at a Canada Goose flying by with his best friend, Clawdalonzo the Tabby Cat, riding on it’s back. Bobby took off in hot pursuit. “Hang on Claws, hang on!” cried Bobby.
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Welcome to your first Gather glitch.