8/31: Grief

Walcome,

Over the past weeks, Ah’ve come to enjoy Guard Duty. Although Ah’m not allowed to tell stories to myself when on guard, Ah sure do like watching the land and seeing all of its movement.

From the gentle waving of the ginger lilies in the wind to the sunshine glimmering off my white fur, this is fun!

But, the other day, it wasn’t fun because Ah cried. It was a beautiful sunny day outside in the outside and Ah saw a squirrel by the fence! Mr. Squirrel had a big bushy tail and was eating a yummy acorn.

Ah was so happy and Lé Toots happened to be checking the boundaries nearby so Ah called her over to gander at Mr. Squirrel’s tail. Toots immediately shushed me and then swung around the other side of Treebeard so that Mr. Squirrel couldn’t see her. Before Ah realized what was happening, it was already too late and Ah knew Ah had made a mistake.

Lé Toots swiftly pounced from behind ending Mr. Squirrel's last acorn lunch. Ah was so upset, but Red Beard and Mum allowed me to lead the funeral procession which was calming.

We dug a mighty hole for Mr. Squirrel and pronounced our old adage whenever we bury a victim of Le Toots'. “Return to the Earth.” Ah told him we could have been such good friends and that Ah was sorry. Ah told him he had a beautiful tail and that Ah would watch over his acorn stash.

Once Red Beard and Mum had packed the final scoop of dirt around Mr. Squirrel, Ah stayed behind to reflect on my decisions. Just as Ah was leaving to go take comfort from Bun Bun, Ah heard a voice. "He was my first squirrel." Ah turned to see Toots rolling upon Mr. Squirrel's grave.

"Squirrels are quick and therefore ze hardest to catch. It was his destiny." Lé Toots rolling upon a fresh grave is part of her ritual. Ah like to think it is her way of thanking her victims for keeping her skills sharp.

Ah still like Guard Duty but Ah’ve now learned. Toots considers all animals in Crawford territory to be enemies. But, Ah don't! So it is now my goal to help her distinguish between true enemies and potential friends. In the name of Mr. Squirrel.

Hae a guid day,

Beans