Rosie's Umbrella - a lyttlejoe Tale

Chapter 5

Rosie gathered herself together and made up her mind she wouldn't cry anymore. She was a big girl and she would find her way home somehow.

"Thank you so much Blue. You've been very kind, and so have you Gil," she said, patting the seagull fondly on the head, "I'm ready to go now." She took a deep breath and began sliding down through Blue's gentle arms, dropping from branch to branch until she was standing on the forest floor. After a moment Gil swooped down and landed beside her.

"Well you made it Rosie. You're back on the ground. Now all you have to do is find this Bert fella and ask him to show you the way out of the forest. Of course I could show you, but I would be way up in the sky and you wouldn't be able to follow me."

Rosie sat down and leaned against Blue's leg. "I thought you would leave now that I am back on the ground."

Gil strutted around shaking his head. "How could I leave my new friend not knowing she was safely on her way home?"

Rosie smiled thankfully at the big gull, patting him on the wing fondly and began wondering where she would find Bert Butterfly. Blue said he was always around at this time so she decided to just sit and wait.

It wasn't long before she and Gil heard a strange sound just above them in the branches and when they stood up and looked they saw a large, beautiful butterfly hopping from limb to limb. "Doo, doo dee, doo, good morning Miss Blue. I'm doing fine thanks, how about you?"

"Good morning Bert," Blue's voice sifted down through the forest, "there is a little friend by my feet I would like you to help if you wouldn't mind."

Bert fluttered down to hover in front of Gil and Rosie, looking them over carefully. "Dum, dum dee, dee, no trouble to me. Tell me your problem and then we'll see." Rosie explained her situation to the huge butterfly and pleaded with him to help her find her way home.

"Well," said Bert, "you say the river runs by your house so, dumm dee, dee, it seems to me, if you follow the river you'll be home for tea. Dee dee, dee dong, just follow along. We'll find the river and you can't go wrong." With that, Bert fluttered his large wings and zig-zagged off with a loud 'boo bop bee boff.'

"You'd better hurry," said Gil as he lifted up into the air and began soaring after Bert, he probably doesn't know you can't fly."

Rosie grasped her umbrella and ran off after Bert who seemed to be darting all over the place, "Wait up Mr. Butterfly, you're going too fast." and away she ran through the forest, with a final goodbye wave to Blue. After what seemed a very long time to Rosie, they came to the edge of the trees and just in front, and down a small hill, was the river.

"Bupbuppa doo I told you. I'd show you the river and that was true." Bert settledon an old stump and spread his wings, a smug look on his face. "So, here it is.All you have to do is follow it down the valley until you come to your house."