Henry the Red Tailed Hawk & Stevie the Grey Haired Squirrel by James Fillmore - HTML preview

Chapter Four – “Stevie Gets Henry Home”

Finally the leaves are gone and Stevie can see Henry.  Stevie quickly moves in close and spits out the worms!  Yuck claims Stevie!  Henry sees the worms, and even though worms are not in the normal diet of a hawk they look and taste good to Henry.  As soon as Henry finishes eating Stevie asks him how he is feeling and can he move his wing easier after a good night’s rest.  Henry replies that it seems better but he will not be able to tell until he gets out of the base of the tree and tries to fly. 

Henry crawls out into the open and tries to move his wings one at a time first the left one (his good one), no trouble there.  Now the moment of truth, his right wing unfolds and slowly, very slowly, Henry moves it up and down.  Well it is stiff and a wee bit sore but everything works!!  Hurray says Stevie and Henry.

But now how does Stevie get his new friend home and where is his home!  Just about this time one of Stevie’s friends comes along and says that the mighty old Oak tree has a nest of red Tail Hawks in it and they are all in a tizzy about something.  The little bunny says he could not get too close because he is very much afraid of the red tail hawk family.  Now Stevie knows just where the mighty old oak tree is because he has collected acorns in that area before the hawks moved in to the neighborhood. 

Stevie takes a big swallow and tells Henry his plan to get him home! 

Can you fly at all do you think?  Henry tries to get up off the ground but not much success.  So Stevie tells Henry that they will walk to the mighty old oak tree.

Around lunch time they arrive near the base of the mighty old oak tree and they can hear Walter and Anna calling and calling for Henry.  Henry is too weak to call back so it is up to Stevie the grey squirrel to let Walter and Anna and the rest of the family know where little Henry is!

Now you must remember that squirrels and hawks are not good buddies, they are really never in each other ones neighborhood.  But Stevie knows that Henry needs his parents very much and it is all up to him.  Stevie picks out an oak tree next to the one the hawk family has their nest in and he begins to go up the tree.  Henry’s family is so busy that they do not notice Stevie so he keeps climbing until he is at a branch that he can jump on to and very quickly get to the nest!  This is more scary stuff for our Good Samaritan but he has no choice remember how Stevie asked God to help him, to help his new friend, well Stevie says another prayer a asks for Gods help that the hawks listen to him and not eat him!  But he knows that whatever happens it is the will of God, because He knows best.  So with the prayer on his lips Stevie the grey squirrel leaps over to the mighty old oak tree and he very quickly scampers to the nest!

“Stop Don’t Eat Me I Bring Little Henry to you!”  “Please I am here to help!” Walter and Anna are so happy to have news of their Henry that munching on Stevie is their last thought. Stevie tells them that Henry is at the base of the mighty old oak tree.  Now he no sooner gets the words out of his mouth and down to the base the whole family flies to see Henry. 

Well as you can imagine the hawk family have a big reunion with questions laughter and even a few happy tears. Now Dad asks Henry if he can fly.  Henry begins to answer his Dad’s question.  Well that is what got me into this fix, I was so sure that I could fly that I took off from our nest and I did, I really did, fly for a little bitty bit, but then the wind picked me up and sort carried me to this big pile of leaves where my friend Stevie found me and helped me!

Meanwhile, Stevie is scampering down the mighty old oak tree to join the hawk family.  When he gets there all of the hawks turn and face this grey squirrel that has saved Henry.  Stevie looks around and he can’t tell if they are going to beat him up or have him for lunch or just what they could be thinking when all of a sudden Walter, Henry’s Dad says that they all need to say a prayer. To thank the Lord for looking out for Henry and keeping him safe and also for the Good Samaritan, this little grey squirrel, who not only found him but nursed him and brought Henry back to them Amen.

Now the question on everyone’s mind is how can they get Henry back up to the nest?

Do you the reader have any ideas?  Those are all good ideas but for one reason or another they won’t work!  Sorry but good try!

As the group is discussing and popping out ideas a friend of Stevie’s stops by and tells Stevie that it is the last of the season for the Great Blue Heron and the last bunch are out in the farmer’s corn field just munching away before they head south for the winter feeding grounds.  That news gives Stevie a great idea.  He tells the hawk family what he plans to do and asks them to approve the plan after all Henry is their baby.  They say give it a try, they will leave their next youngest with Henry and they will all go up to the nest!  Stevie takes off as fast as his little legs will carry him. 

When he gets to the corn field he has a problem.  That’s right he cannot see over the corn stalks.  What should he do?  Stevie figures that he cannot let this stop him and his plan, so he starts into the corn field and every third stalk that he passes he uses his right front claw to mark them.

Dear reader do you know why?  That’s right so that Stevie can find his way back out of the tall corn field!

As he enters the field he can hear the great blue heron munching on the corn.  He tells himself that he just has to find them!

As Stevie gets closer and closer he has to find a way to get their attention without spooking them and having them fly away!  Well sir he decides that a song would be the best plan. Now what song should he sing?  Do you dear reader have any ideas?  Now remember it has to be a happy song and one that everyone knows.  Well what do you think?  I’ll tell you that if you choose ‘Yes Jesus Loves Me” you are right, good job everyone because I’m sure you all had a great song in mind for Stevie to sing.

         “Yes Jesus loves me”

As Stevie gets closer to the heron they stop munching and are listening to the music coming from Stevie, pretty soon they join in and sing along!  Stevie steps out into a small clearing where 5 Great Blue Heron stand looking at this little squirrel.  Stevie stops singing and no sooner has he stopped then one says “What do you want with us?”

Stevie tells the heron his problem and his plan then he asks if one or two of them are willing to help get this little hawk back to its nest.   They all respond at the same time, saying yes of course we will do what we can! Stevie explains that the nest is in Walnut Grove forest and it is in the mighty old oak tree. He tells them that he will run back and meet them there. 

All of a sudden the biggest of the bunch tell him that he will hear of no such thing!  Did Stevie think that he could climb up on his back and hang on tight?  Stevie says absolutely so up he climbs and he wraps his front legs around the big heron’s neck and the whole flock takes off and flies into the woods.  The group of heron with Stevie still hanging on land at the base of the mighty old oak tree and that is where they find Henry.  Stevie jumps off and thanks the mighty bird for the ride of his life. 

Now comes the tricky part, how do they get Henry up on the back of the big blue heron without hurting either one of them.  Henry’s older brother comes up with an idea!  Why can’t the Big Blue Heron sit down on the ground and lay his head on the ground and then Henry could with some help just walk up the ramp made from his neck, get on his back the turn around and face forward.

When they get up to the nest if Mr. Heron could again lay his head on the edge of the nest Henry could again walk down into his nest.

With a few attempts Henry got back into his nest and everyone said a prayer of thanks to our Lord for his mercy and help in seeing that Henry got back to his nest.  Within a couple of weeks Henry was fling and getting pointers from his Mom & Dad on how to use the wind and just about everything that a young hawk needs to know.  Stevie and Henry became very good friends and all worked out just as God planned it!  Well my friends that is the story of Henry the Red Tail Hawk and Stevie the Grey Squirrel.

                                        God Bless you All!