A long time ago, about last Thursday, there were two squirrels. One was an industrious, but greedy squirrel, and the other a peaceful, content, generous squirrel.
Greedy Squirrel spent all day zipping here or there, gathering all of the food he could, just in case… you never know! Generous Squirrel also spent a good part of her day looking for food, but she also made time to talk with her neighbors, hear how they were doing, swap stories and jokes.
Generous Squirrel never stole food. She thought that was just silly. Instead, she would gather whatever she could, as much as she needed for herself, and then a little more, just in case a neighbor needed some. She would take what she needed for herself and store it in her very special hole in the tree.Then she would take whatever was left over, and put it just outside her hole, for whoever needed it.
For quite a long time, Greedy Squirrel would come and take the leftover stash, rushing back to his hole to fill it to the brim.
Blue Jay noticed Greedy Squirrel’s habit. One day while Generous Squirrel was making her rounds, he asked her about it:
“Doesn’t it bother you that Greedy Squirrel keeps taking the food you leave out for others, even though he has a whole tree full?”
“MMM… yes,... and no” responded Generous Squirrel. “I wish he wouldn’t, but really, what happens with the food after I put it out there isn’t my business. I make the opportunity, and others do with it what they will.“
“Well I’m not okay with that!” squawked Blue Jay. “Just like I’m not okay with the way he also steals all of my best berries!”
Generous Squirrel smiled a small smile. “Sounds like you have a plan!”
And Blue Jay flew off.
That afternoon, as Generous Squirrel was laying out her surplus stash, Blue Jay perched himself in the tree, just out of site. As expected, Greedy Squirrel darted by, intent on taking the whole stash just as he had done every day.
As soon as he got close, a terrifying flash of blue and screech and claws and beak swooped down across Greedy Squirrel’s back so fast that Greedy Squirrel couldn’t even figure out what it was!
Clutching his heart with his paw to keep it from coming out of his chest, Greedy Squirrel regathered himself, and started off again for the feast on the branch. Once again a flash of screechy blue swished at him from above, scraping his back with his claws.
Now Greedy Squirrel knew exactly who it was. He yelled at Blue Jay: “You can’t have it! This food is MINE! MINE! MINE! Go away you greedy dirty bird!”
Blue Jay was not impressed. He perched himself on the branch in between the food and Greedy Squirrel, spreading his wings out to protect the stash the way he had seen his huge hawk cousins do.
“Go away, Greedy Squirrel! You have plenty of food!”
“So do you!” yelled Greedy Squirrel.
“That is not your concern,” replied Blue Jay cooly, wings still spread impressively wide. “Go bother somebody else today!”
Greedy Squirrel cursed, hissed and spat at Blue Jay, but Blue Jay was unmoved.
“Fine!” yelled Greedy Squirrel. I don’t want that nasty food anyway. I hope it poisons you!” screamed Greedy Squirrel as he darted off.
Just then, a very pregnant Mama Mouse scurried up the tree, She saw Blue Jay in front of the delicious food, and froze. Blue Jay saw her from the corner of his large round pitch black eye. He gently put his wings down, and flew off behind some leaves so that Mama Mouse would not be scared. Mama Mouse gathered the food she needed, stuffed some for later in cheeks, and made her way down the tree.
There was still some left, so Blue Jay kept watch, making sure anyone who needed it got their fill.
Generous Squirrel had watched all of this, tucked quietly in her hole in the tree. She smiled a huge smile, and made a note to bring something special for Blue Jay the next day as a thank you.
Meanwhile, Greedy Squirrel was in his hole in a nearby tree, gorging himself on stolen nuts and berries. He laughed maniacally, “Those fools! They think they can outsmart me?? Idiots! May they starve! They're just too stupid and too lazy to eat like me – like the KING that I am!!”
Greedy Squirrel ate so much that he fell asleep.
Two days later, a sound and a pang woke Greedy Squirrel up from his food coma. “Hmmmmm!” yawned Greedy Squirrel, stretching all four of his legs. Each leg bumped uncomfortably into the inside of the tree. “Ouch!” Said Greedy Squirrel as his empty stomach started to scream at him.
“Welp” he said, “I guess it’s time to get a new stash of food. I bet that nasty Blue Jay has some berries. I’m gonna have fun taking them for him today!!”
Greedy Squirrel started off toward the opening of his tree hole.
“OOOF!” said Greedy Squirrel as he tried to make his way out for the day. “OW!!” he yelled, as his body pinched uncomfortably on the sides of the hole.
Greedy Squirrel had eaten so much that he had become too fat to get out of the hole! He tried and tried, but it was no use. He was just going to have to sit here, starving, until his body got small enough to leave.
He positioned himself in his misery, looking out onto the forest. All day long he watched as Generous Squirrel, Blue Jay, Mama Mouse, some chipmunks and a bunch of sparrows chatted and played, sharing their food and a wonderful day.
And so it was, a long time ago, about last Thursday.