Sparrows and Spiders
This is a children's story written for @breezin's Love of Kids Competition, something I've never done before. Thanks for the push to try something new, @breezin.
Three sparrows were playing in a tree, hopping and flying from branch to branch when they heard a tiny voice.
“Can I play too?”
They looked around but couldn’t see where it had come from until the smallest one, Alice, felt a tap on her leg. She peered down and there was a spider, only as big as one of her claws.
“Can I play too?” he asked again.
The other birds, Bob and Cora, flew closer to see, but when they saw the tiny spider they both laughed.
“Why would we play with you?” asked Bob.
“Can you even fly?” added Cora.
“No,” the spider had to admit, “but I can swing from branch to branch.”
“That’s not the same at all,” said Cora. “I don’t think we can play with you.”
“We could try and eat him?” suggested Bob.
“No way!” said Alice.
She had stayed quiet because she didn’t want to argue with her friends, but trying to eat someone who only wanted to play was a terrible thing to do. She spread her wings out and flapped them up and down until Bob and Cora jumped back.
“I was only kidding,” said Bob.
“Yeah,” said Cora. “Let’s go where we won’t be bothered anymore.”
She flew away to another tree and Bob followed.
“I’m sorry my friends were so mean to you,” Alice said.
“It’s okay, lots of animals don’t like spiders,” he said, but his many eyes looked sad.
Alice felt bad, but her friends were calling out for her.
“I have to go, but maybe we can play later?”
“Okay,” he agreed.
The three sparrows kept up their fun, but every so often Alice would swoop down when she saw a strand of spider silk in the sunlight. She and the spider would race from branch to branch and sometimes the little spider would even win. Then she’d fly back to her friends.
Later that day they flew down to the ground to look for a snack. They were so busy looking for seeds that none of them noticed the cat stalking them until too late.
He pounced and caught Cora under his paws. She squawked and struggled but couldn’t get free.
Alice and Bob flew at the cat, trying to peck at him so he would let Cora go, but he didn’t care. They were so small compared to him. The cat only hissed at them and then licked his lips.
Suddenly the cat jumped upwards, releasing Cora. He shook one of his paws and the sparrows could see the spider on it. The tiny spider had frightened the cat.
Cora flew up into a tree to safety along with Alice and Bob. Soon the spider scampered up and joined them. Cora thanked him for saving her.
“Do you think he can play with us now?” asked Alice.
Her friends agreed this time and the four of them spent the rest of the day flying or swinging in the branches.
