A Sabrina & Scooter Holiday Adventure Story

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A Sabrina & Scooter “Look, Read, Learn, Laugh & Live” Story Series Web Book

Chapter 1 - The Arrival At Shadowtail Lodge

Sabrina and Scooter were squeaking and chortling very loudly after they had made the final, concluding and very last trip. After all, paddling canoe load after canoe load of mossycup acorns to Shadowtail Lodge for the winter’s food supply is a chore no flying squirrel looks forward to. But they’re nuts, so they do it anyway!

What would you do? Spend a cold winter inside a tree cavity with some rude flyers you don’t even know? Or head for the solace of the Lodge, and most importantly, its stone fireplace! The two best friends began unloading the canoe, cracking jokes and throwing the odd snowball. "Man, Scooter sure could throw a snowball" Raven croaked, who heard all the commotion, is now quietly watching from high above, hidden behind a cluster of spruce branches. Tall spruce trees surround Mossycup Lake, named for the shoreline which has been covered with the acorn’s shells “forever and a night” as Sabrina would tell young Scooter.

Chapter 2 - Scooter Fesses Up

"Beg your pardon, old buddy?" "Did you say...wait a minute...did I hear you say that you... LOST THE KEYS TO THE LODGE!!!???"

S C O O T E R !!!

Raven quietly chuckled to himself. “LIttle Scooter must drive Sabrina crazy sometimes”, he said to himself. But if anyone can help guide that tiny terror of the treetops, it’s Sabrina alright.

Chapter 3 - Scooter Puts The Flag Up His Very First Time

“Look”, said Sabrina, “we better be able to get into the Lodge before tomorrow morning. It’s beginning to get dark now, perhaps we’ll find it then. I’ll begin searching for it now, and you can attach the Santa Squirrel signal flag to the chimney. Then Santa Squirrel will know we’re here”. “Oh boy”, Scooter squealed with his typical boyish glee. “I really get to put up the Santa Squirrel flag?” he asked incredulously. “You bet, , Sabrina said. You’ve matured, uh, somewhat in the past year and I think it’s time now. Go on, get to it”. Sabrina said, grinning from whisker to whisker.

“And be careful Scooter, it’s very slippery up there. I hope you’ve been keeping your claws sharp”, Sabrina shouted. Scooter replied “No problem Sabrina, this is a breeze!”

Chapter 4 - Yes Scooter, A Real Breeze...

With Santa Squirrel flag proudly in paw, Scooter scrabbled up the roof, slipping and sliding here and there, but none the worse for wear. Sabrina busied herself by nosing about the snow, thinking that the key to Shadowtail Lodge may have dropped from Scooter’s tiny fingers, while he ran full tilt into the forest as soon as the canoe touched land. Why? He had to go really, really bad. Apparently, Scooter had drunk a lot of gooseberry tea before they left their summer tree cavity. Scooter always drinks a lot of gooseberry tea.

[Close-up of Scooter after “doing a header” into the snow"]

The lake was frozen so at least the key wasn’t at the bottom of Mossycup Lake. Then, the sound of scraping, then an “yiyiyyeeyeeyee”. Scooter had slipped and fallen head first off the roof and landed with his face buried deep in the snow. One “heave ho” from Sabrina, then a little “pop”, and Scooter’s head was free. Then they both rolled in the snow with laughter.

Chapter 5 - Searching Every Nook And Cranny

Once the two were exhausted from laughing so much, Sabrina resumed her search for the lost key. Scooter followed close behind. “Scooter, don’t push me! I’m feeing around under the eaves because I used to hide it there before.”

“But I want to help”, Scooter said in a huff. “After all, I’m the one who lost the key!”

“Scooter, how will you know exactly where I’ve looked already and how will I know where you have looked? “You have a point Sabrina. I’m going to go for a pee. Be back in a minute.” “Squirrelly Whirly”, said Sabrina to herself. “That boy pees so much, by the time Spring rolls around, he’’ll have killed every tree in Spruce Forest!”

Chapter 6 - The Watcher In Black

Suddenly, in an explosion of brilliant black feathers, Raven burst out from his hidden roost in the spruce, swooped high overhead, and croaked loudly “croaaaakkk nnnn nnaaaaa crrrrreeeeee”, “croaaaakkk nnnn nnaaaaa crrrrreeeeee”. And off Raven flew, to join his “storytelling” (which is a name for a group of ravens). And let there be no doubt there will be a story told by Raven tonight.

“What did Raven mean, I wonder”, Sabrina thought out loud. “That’s easy”, Scooter shouted from the forest. Raven said “look in the tree, look in the tree.” That’s all Raven said.” “How do you know that”, Sabrina yelled back. “I took Squirrel, English, French and Raven in high school”, Scooter hollered proudly. Sabrina quickly climbed the spruce trees and looked in every nook and cranny. In no time she cried “Yee haw, I found the key. Scooter, you’re a genius. Well, almost....

Chapter 7 - The Key Fits!

Sabrina opened the door to Shadowtail Lodge with the key Raven helped them find, and in she walked. In a few minutes, Sabrina declared “all’s well, Scooter.” Why don’t you start taking the rest of the mossycup oak acorns out of the canoe and stack them towards the front, closest to the door.”

“Hey, no problem, Sabrina. I’ve been pumping iron and my biceps are looking pretty good I would say.”

Sabrina had a “is that so” look on her face. Trying hard not to laugh, Sabrina said, “pumping iron, eh? So you want to be like Rocky Squirrel in the movies, running up the stairs, down the stairs and punching sides of beef? OK, let’s arm-wrestle then.”

“Well....OK”, said Scooter. “But first I have to go pee. Really, really, badly. It’s that gooseberry tea again. Back in a flash!” “He’s got personality, I’ll give him that much”, Sabrina mused.

Chapter 8 - Some Much Needed Meditation

Nightfall was quickly wrapping its cold mantle around Mossycup Lake. Up on the roof, Sabrina thought about it, and was pleased with the day’s events. The moon was exquisite, the stars were beginning to pop out of blackness, and the forest was slowly coming to life. She and Scooter made a good team, she thought. “Ahhhhhh....it’s sooooo lovely tonight”, she whispered aloud.

Although her blindness was progressing, Sabrina could still see well enough to get by on her own, although her gliding skills were fine, her landing talents were nowhere near “on target” as they were just a few months ago. But she wasn’t worried at all. She knew her hearing and sense of smell would be superior to that of the other flying squirrels, and that she would use these talents to help protect the flying squirrels in the forest. “Ahhhh”, she whispered again, “there will be an Acorn Moon tonight." Peace. Quiet. Paix. Tranquillité.Scooter! “Sabrina! Sabrina! I just made a fresh pot of Gooseberry Tea! Come quick, let’s celebrate our good fortune while it’s still hot!” Sabrina lets out a sigh, yet knows full well she would do anything for the little monkey. They were a great team. “I’m right with you, my good friend”, Sabrina shouts back, “and may all the forest’s creatures celebrate the season with goodwill towards each other and especially all the flying squirrels.”

The End.

S C O O T E R !!!

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