Pudgy prepares for winter

Pudgy Prepares For the Harsh Winter
Pudgy scurries up the base of the maple tree, which is trimmed in vibrant yellow and red leaves. He gracefully springs off a maple branch and lands on the school roof. He positions his plump body on the gutter’s edge on the roof. He stares into the distance watching the sun sink behind the tree line.” Winter is on its way the days are getting shorter and the leaves have turned to the color of fire.” Pudgy thinks to himself. “I will go and warn all of the other rodents tomorrow.” Pudgy mumbled under his breath to himself. Pudgy scampered up the roof and into the vent, then down into the attic of the school. Pudgy races to the corner of the attic where a pile of insulation is stacked. He hops on top of the pile and begins to paw and scratch at it. He turns around and around in circles until he has found the perfect spot and then beds down for the night. The next morning Pudgy awoke to the nagging sound of his mother’s voice. “Get your fuzzy butt up.” Prudence Ugiene Gilly Yodeler your burning day light son.” His mother nagged. Prudence Ugiene Gilly Yodeler was Pudgy’s real name, but only his mom calls him that. She went on nagging him, as she chewed and shredded the insulation to make her bed softer and warmer for the winter weather. Pudgy lifted his head and cracked open his eyes “Mom must you wake me up?” “Cant I sleep a little longer?” Pudgy pleaded. “No Prudence.” “Winter is on its way and we have to get the word out to all the other rodents today.” His mother replied, her voice muffled from the ball of insulation she was chewing on. Pudgy let out a sigh and crawled slowly out of bed. He made his way over to the table, which was a Big Mac box that Pudgy had found in the garbage while playing hide and go seek with his rodent friends. He plopped down on a rafter next to the cardboard table, then flipped open the box and grabbed a few acorns. He saw several pecans in the box but he new those were only for special occasions, and were his mom’s favorite. He new better than to eat those, but they were tempting to him. He pushed the lid back down and held the nuts in his little furry fingers, spinning them around gnawing the hulls off the acorns. Once hulled he put the fleshy, meaty center to his nose and sniffed it. He began to drool; it smelled so good he could already taste it. He could not stand it any longer he shoved the acorn centers into his mouth and devoured them. He starts across the rafters to go outside. “Prudence did you clean up your breakfast hulls?” His mom asked. Pudgy yells over his shoulder “Yes mom.” Pudgy runs through the dark attic pouncing from one rafter to the other, till he comes to the vent that he must navigate through to get out side. He aligns himself just right for the precise jump he must make to exit the attic through the vent. He squats down twitching his little butt and paws the ground, then without a second thought he leaps into the air. He grasps the edge of the vent and struggles to pull his over weight little squirrel body up the vent and out onto the roof. When Pudgy hits the roof he begins to skid down the side of it, he digs in his back feet and claws into the roof and stops sliding. The wind begins to blow and fluffs up Pudgy’s fur, he shivers with a chill. Pudgy makes his way over to the Maple tree limb that he uses to exit off the roof. Pudgy jumps off the roof and glides through the air landing on the limb, his grip slippes from the limb and he finds himself up side down on the limb. He is now clinging to the limb so tight that he can not even feel his little paws. Shifting his body weight from side to side, he manages to flip himself right side up and continues across the limb and down the tree. Once on the ground, he remembers he must go warn all the other rodents that winter is on its way. Not all of the rodents are as prepared or lucky as Pudgy and his mom. They do not have the privilege of living in the warm attic. Pudgy decides to warn the little birds first. He runs across the campus courtyard stopping occasionally when he finds a exceptionally juicy nut to feast on it, then he moves right along. He finds the birds at the picnic table scavenging for crumbs. “Hey my winged little friends, winter is coming and you should get ready.” Pudgy warns. One of the younger birds hops out from behind the bench. “What are you talking about?” Pudgy has been through two winters and is wise to being prepared for them. He and his mother have gathered nuts all summer and made a warm home in the attic, so he cannot believe what he is hearing from his flying friend. “You don’t know about winter?” Pudgy replied. All the other birds cackled with laughter. The eldest of the birds spoke up “Pudgy she was just born in the spring she has not went through winter yet, but we will fill her in.” Pudgy cracked a big smile and said “ok”. The birds thanked Pudgy for the news as he bounced away. The next place he wanted to go was to the chipmunk’s burrows, but on his way there, he was stopped by Marlin the Mouse. “Hey Pudgy do you have those six pecans you owe me?” asked Marlin. This irritated Pudgy, because he did not owe Marlin six pecans he only owed him five. “Well you crazy I don’t owe you six pecans.” Barked Pudgy. Marlin had a sneaky smirk on his face “Ok five”. “You better pay up fuzzy fingers or I am going to tell your mom you have been playing poker and gambling again.” Marlin threatened. “I will have them to you today; I have to sneak them out of the house because they are my mom’s favorite.” “I will have them for you today, by night fall I will put them at the base of the Maple tree leading to the roof.” Pudgy promised. “I’m spreading the word that winter is coming you better get ready Marlin,” Pudgy said in a sarcastic tone. “I will be ready when I get my pecans from you.” Marlin snarled. “Ok ok” Pudgy muttered as he scampered off. When he reached the chipmunk’s home, he did not see any of them. He poked his head in chip the chipmunks burrow and yelled “anyone home?” his voice echoed in the deep, dark burrow. He listened closely so he could hear a reply. All he could hear was scrambling of little feet on the burrow floor. He pulled his head out of the den hole and waited for the critters to emerge from the hole. Chip was the first chipmunk out of the hole, all of chip’s brothers followed behind him Chuck, Champ and Charles. The chipmunk brothers sat around the burrow hole like little Indians around a campfire, with their little tails twitching with excitement. “You want to play hind and go seek?” asked Chip. “No I can’t play now.” “I have come to warn you that winter is on its way.” Pudgy said. Chip spoke up “Hey Pudgy I almost forgot Marlin the mouse came by earlier” Pudgy interrupted “Yeah, yeah he found me.” “He wants his pecans, and I promised I would get them to him today.” “I have to be on my way now” Pudgy told Chip and his brothers. Pudgy walked to the court yard and climbed up on top of the ashtray made of pebbles next to the bench. He sat there thinking of a way to get the pecans out of his mother’s winter stash, so he could pay Marlin. He thought and thought but the only thing he could think of was to tell his mom the truth. “She is going to kill me” Pudgy thought. He made up his mind “I will tell her the truth and take the consequences.” Pudgy hopped down and went over to the Maple tree; he climbed slowly up the tree and across the limb. He leaped on to the roof and climbed down the vent. He made his way through the attic to his living quarters, where he found his mom humming a tune and dusting the cob webs from the corners. She swished her tail back and forth in beat with her humming. When her tail became covered in dust and cob webs she would pound her tail against one of the rafters to clean it off. Pudgy laid his ears back and hung his head as he walked toward her. “Prudence.” “Did you warn all of the rodents?” his mother asked. “Yes mom” Pudgy said. “What’s wrong?” His mother asked with a concerned look on her face. “I have something to tell you” Pudgy mumbled. He could feel a lump rise in his throat, his heart was pounding and his temperature began to rise. “You know Marlin?” Pudgy’s voice cracked as he went on. “The mouse.” “He is no good Prudence” his mother blurted out. “You haven’t been running around with that no good rat have you?” asked his mom looking for a reassuring answer from Pudgy. Pudgy’s heart felt like it fell to the pit of his stomach. The lump in his throat felt like it was swelling and getting larger, he swallowed with a big gulp. His little paws were saturated with sweat. He continued to stare at the floor as he spoke to his mother. “I didn’t mean to but I lost five pecans to Marlin in a poker game.” “PRUDENCE” his mother shouted as she shook her head. “Mom I’m sorry.” Pudgy whinnied. “Pudgy you have done it this time.” What are we suppose to do for food this winter now?” His mom asked “You get those five pecans and you take them to Marlin and you come straight back.” His mother ordered. Pudgy stuffed three pecans in his mouth and one under each arm and ran through the attic up the vent on the roof. Once on the roof he took each pecan and rolled them off the roof one at a time. Each pecan barreled down the roof and made a thud when they plummeted to the ground. Pudgy backed up and got a running start then sprung off the roof on to the Maple tree limb and shimmied down the tree. He gathered up the pecans and placed them in a pile at the base of the tree. Marlin was passing through the court yard and caught a glimpse of Pudgy, so he decided to go over and harass him. “Hey fuzzy fingers,” Marlin said with a chuckle. Pudgy was startled, he didn’t know Marlin was standing behind him. “What do YOU want?” Pudgy said “My pecans,” “Are those mine,” Marline said. “Yes and I don’t ever want to play poker again.” I am in so much trouble.” Pudgy exclaimed “Your mom found out huh?” Marlin said. “Yes she did” Pudgy sighed. “To bad I like playing poker with suckers, I mean I like playing poker with you” Marlin said as he gathered up his pecans. Pudgy made his way up the tree but was stopped by Marlin who was half way across the court yard yelling for Pudgy to come back. When Pudgy made it to the bottom of the tree Marlin and his father were standing there waiting on him. Marlin began to explain that his father had found out about the poker game and Marlin taking Pudgy’s winter food. “My dad said I have to give your food back.” “I am in trouble I have to go, here are your pecans. Pudgy is filled with excitement he grabs up the pecans and shoves them in his mouth and starts home. Once he gets home he find his mom still dusting. He runs up to her he is so excited that he begins to talk with the pecans still in his mouth. “Prudence slow down.” “Take those pecans out of your mouth before you choke.” His mother nagged. Pudgy removes the pecans from his mouth and begins to explain to his mother about how Marlins dad found out about the pecans and the poker game and Marlin gave the pecans back. Pudgy looks at his mother she stands and gazes at him in silence. He breaks the silence “Isn’t that great?” as if Pudgy was looking for praise or kind words from his mom. She said “Pudgy that is great but you are still in so much trouble.” “Put those Pecans back up and you start shredding insulation.” His mother barked. “I am going to keep you so busy that you want have time for poker and gambling.” Pudgy hung his head and did as he was told. Pudgy and his mother made it through the long harsh winter in their cozy attic space. As time went on Pudgy realized how irresponsible it was of him to gamble away the winter food. Pudgy never played poker again. Marlin still plays poker ever chance he can get.