How The Ermine Learned to Fish
Long ago, even before you or I
were here, an ermine family walked through a beautiful forest. Their names were
Momma, Alister, and Dad. Alister was the youngest of the forest. Now, Alister
didn't really listen all the time. He never experienced a punishment for his
behaviors because no one ever knew. But enough about Alister. This beautiful
wood they were walking in was greener than any other forest. Clear waters ran
through while spring flowers dropped from the trees. A flower landed on the
little one’s head.
Momma blew it off. A deer family lazed next to a salamander family
basking in the sun. The waters sometimes droops down into small waterfalls. A
hemlock tree waved slowly to them in greeting. “Momma, what are those shiny
things in the water?”the little one asked, “Are they nummey? Nummey in my
tummy? We should get some! And eat them! Num num num!”“Oh sweetie, You just had
a mouthful of mouse! You shouldn't eat one thing after another!”Momma answered,
“Plus, none of us can catch those! We all know what happened to uncle.”Momma
bowed her head in grief. Alister put on a pouty face. “ Son, let us go home
now,”Dad nudged him away from the water. As they walked home they saw Jack and
Sally.
Jack was a white tailed deer. He hadn't grown antlers yet, but he did
have little nubs and he was excited to have antlers. Sally was a salamander. A
blue spotted salamander to be exact. She was blue and had lighter blue spots.
They were Alister’s best friends. They said their hellos and goodbyes. When
they got home, Dad told him,” Go outside and play. Go find Jack and Sally.” “OK!
I’ll Do that! That sounds so fun! I'll go find Jack and Sally!” Alister agreed.
“DO NOT GO FAR,”He called after him. As he walked through the beautiful forest,
he couldn't find Jack nor Sally.
So, he kept walking. And walking. Until he stumbled upon a weird, giant thing.
It had another tall thing going all the way around it. I think Momma and Daddy
call this a far-um. Farm? Farmee? Fare-m? Fare-m, Alister thought, I'll go
check it out! He walked in and saw a mouse. “ I know Momma told me not to eat
any more buuuuutttt” He started to chase after it. The farmer who lives on the
farm saw the little ermine and started to scold him, “GIT! GIT! SCRAM!! Git
outta here! And never come back!”Alister scampered away back home. When he got
home Momma asked him, “ How was your time with your friends?”“ Oh! Uh.. It was,
uh.. great! We uh.. We.. uh.. made a mud.. pie?”Alister lied. “Well that's nice,”
momma exclaimed, “ Why don't we go to sleep now.”
In the morning Alister told his mother that he was going to find Jack and
Sally again. “Ok sweetie but remember, don't go far and come home before dark.
Don't eat anymore you already had breakfast, Momma reminded him. “OH! AND HAVE FUN!
“she yelled after him. Alister decided to go back to the fare-m. So, he kept
walking. And walking. Until he stumbled upon it again. He crawled under the
tall thing that went around the fare-m. I think it’s called a.. fence. He saw
that same mouse again. “ I know Momma told me not to eat any more buuuuutttt”He
started to chase after it. “ I’ll get youuuuuu!!!!!!”he yelled after the mouse.
The farmer who lives on the farm saw the little ermine and started to scold
him, “GIT! GIT! SCRAM!! Git outta here! And never come back!”Aliter scampered
away back home. When he got home Momma asked him, “ How was your time with your
friends? Did you have fun?”“ Oh! Uh.. It was uh great! We uh we uh made a mud..
cake? “Alister lied once again. ‘Well that's nice,” momma exclaimed, “ Why
don't we go to sleep now. “
The next morning, Alister told his mother that he was going to find Jack
and Sally again. “Ok sweetie but remember, don't go far and come home before
dark. Don't eat anymore you already had breakfast, Momma reminded him. “OH! AND
HAVE FUN!” she yelled after him. Alister decided to go back to the fare-m. So,
he kept walking. And walking. Until he stumbled upon it once again. Alister
crawled under fence. He saw that same mouse again. “ I know Mommy told me not
to eat any more buuuuutttt.” He started to chase after it.
The farmer who lives on the farm saw the little ermine. “GIT! GIT!
SCRAM!! GIT OUTTA HERE!! AND NEVER COME BACK! OR YOU’ll BE SORRY! “scolded the farmer. He raised his foot to stomp on
little Alister. Alister closed his eyes and dropped to the ground covering his
face. The farmer stomped so hard next to Alister, that the whole ground shook.
The farmer's crops almost came loose from the ground. The barn jumped from the
ground so high, that the floor of it was left behind and you could see all the
animals in the barn. The fence jumped high enough that a giraffe could probably
walk right under it without bending its knees or lowering its head. All that
was happening was enough to scare him away for good. Alister got up and ran and
ran. His stomach growled. He still had the fare-m and the fence in his sight
when a snowy owl swooped down grabbed him by the scruff planting him in her
nest. “Hey, I just saw what happened to you at the.. Fare-m? ”The snowy owl
said, “ Pretty scary stuff, eh? That's why I RARELY go there. By the way! The
name’s Zoey. What’s yours?”“Uhh, Alister,”Alister replied shyly. “I was just
hungry was all. I've been trying to catch that one same mouse for about 3 days.
I didn't listen to my momma when she said not to go far. I lied about where I
went. I told her that I was playing with my friends.”“Hmmm. You should tell her
the truth when you go home. It's never good to lie to your parents. And Ya’know
I can show you a quicker way to catch some grub. Food. I call food, grub, “Zoey
offered. “ Nah, it was clear. And that would be amazing,”Alister agreed. Zoey
grabbed him by the scruff again and set him on the ground. “
Here! I'll show you the perfect place! I come fish here every time,”Zoey
said. They traveled to a little calm spot in the brook. “ Hey! I walk by this
place all the time! How have I not seen you?”Alister wondered. “Oh, hey Sally!”
Sally slithered up from under a rock nearby. “Well, I’m mostly awake during the
night. It’s called being ‘Nocturnal’, “Zoey replied. “Hello! How ya been Sally?
Long time no see,” She greeted Sally. “Wait you two know each other?”Alister
asked, amazed, I had no idea! How long have you two been friends? “Yep,”Zoey
and Sally replied as one. “We’ve been friends ever since Jack introduced us!”Which
was.. What 3 years ago? Wow that’s a long time! “Zoey added. Jack came down a
small hill to be with them. “What, no greeting? “he questioned after a while. “
Oh, sorry Jack! I was caught up with trying to catch a fish, I didn't even hear
you! NmmmYA,”
Alister swiped at a fish. “ Speak of the devil! We were just talking
about how you introduced us!” Sally gestured to herself and Zoey. “I DID IT!!!!”Alister
yelped in happiness. “ Yayyyy! Jack exclaimed, “ GAH! Hey! You splashed me!
HEHEHEHEHE!”This comment made a chain reaction of a splash fight everyone
participated in.
When Alister got home, he stammered, “ Momma? I've been bad. I did go far
and I never made mud pies and cakes with Jack and Sally. I went to the farm,” He
decided not to tell Momma about the whole situation with the farmer, “I PROMISE
I’ll never lie again and I will always listen to you. I made a new friend
though! Her name is Zoey! She's a snowy owl and she taught me how to fish! It's
actually really easy! Can you believe I actually caught one? Isn't it great,”
Alister set down the fish he had been holding. Momma sat petrified, mouth
wide open in shock. “ Do you know how DANGEROUS fishing is? That’s what Uncle
did! He never came back after his first try! That's why we don't teach any ermine
how to fish! But I forgive you for not listening to me and I’m holding you to
your promise,” Momma exclaimed. “Momma, I can do it! Trust me! And I hope
you'll let me show you how,” Alister offered. “Hmm. Ok, can you show me now?” Momma
asked, but please, please, please, be careful!”“ I will, I will, just follow
me!” Alister answered.
So Alister and Momma walked to the little calm spot in the brook where
Zoey taught him to fish. Alister showed Momma, demonstrating as he talked. All
the animals in the forest came to watch Momma try again and again until she
caught one. She beamed a huge smile and shouted, “ I'M NOT DEAD!”A few other
ermines came to the brook and Zoey came from her nest to help Alister teach
them. And from that day on, every ermine is taught how to fish, and everyone in
the forest learned from Alister that it is important to listen to their
parents.
THE END
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