Copyright 1998 -- Robert Baer Jr

PROLOGUE

Ever wonder what would happen if the world when "to the birds?"  It has,
in BirdWorld!   This is the story of Robin Mallory, working mother and
radio personality.  How is she handling all these responibilities?   We'll
ask "Chipper" Birdwell, Robin's father.

BirdWorld -- "Thrush's Flight"

As we arrive at Chipper's birdhouse, he is outside frantically searching
for something.  He is jumping from place to place looking around and then
he spots us.   "Well, well, hi again!   I'm looking for my tool chest, I
know it's bound to be here somewhere, it's red with a white handle, do you
see it?   Oh well, it'll turn up sooner or later, I think I'll sit down
for a while.   Funny, this reminds me of what happened in Robin's office a
few days ago.   

It was around 9 o'clock in the morning, and Mr. Biszop, the owner of WBIRD
radio, called a staff meeting.   As the meeting got underway, Robin
noticed that someone was missing.   "Where's Thrush?" she asked outloud. 
"Oh, that Thrush Limbird always wants to make a grand enterance,"  Mr
Biszop answered,"let's start the meeting, I'm sure he'll come in later."  
When Babs Finchly came in the meeting room with a coffee urn, Robin asked
her about Thrush.  "Oh yeah," Babs replied,"Thrush flew out of the office
a few minutes ago."

"Babs, why did he do that?" asked Howard Yates.

"He was upset,"  Babs began to explain,"he opened his fan mail a few
minutes ago, but most of the letters asked about Robin and that 'Dinosaur'
that was her friend.  He screamed something about 'I'll show them all,
I'll go to the outside world and bring a big friend back with me!' so I
guess maybe....."

"Oh no!"  Robin shrieked,"we have to stop him, he'll get lost!'

"That's right!"  Mr. Biszop agreed,"you and your husband are the only two
citizens of BirdWorld who have ever been to the outside world, if that
fool goes through the portal...."

"I'll call Joe at home," Robin said calmly,"he and I will wear these radio
packs and go into the portal after Thrush, I only hope we can find him
before something aweful happens to him!"

"Ok, Robin, go!"  Mr Biszop shouted.  

With that Robin called Joe who quickly flew to the station.  With their
radio backpack sets on, they flew quickly through the portal.

"Joe," Robin radioed to her husband,"you fly due south, I'll go north,
stay in radio contact,  let's hope one of us can find Thrush."

"Will do, Robin!"  Joe answered back.   Robin was searching all around,
hoping to see that dark feathered rascal somewhere.  He could be anywhere,
Robin thought.  As she flew over a dozen city blocks, she noticed a
commution near a white picket fence.  As she flew closer, she saw three
young boys throwing rocks in the direction of a small, brown creature.  It
was Thrush!   He was moving slowly and appeared to be favoring his left
wing, almost dragging it around as he was deseparately dodging rocks.  

"This is fun!" one of the boys shouted.  "We'll hit that dumb bird again!"
 shouted another.   Robin knew she had to act fast and do something to get
those humans to leave Thrush alone.  As she flew around, a few blocks away
she spotted an ice cream truck, parked in a driveway.   Robin flew quickly
into an open window in the truck and pecked the ON button on it's sound
system.   The familiar music of the ice cream truck blarred out in all
directions as Robin quickly flew back above the white picket fence.   Her
idea worked!   The boys dropped their rocks and ran toward the sound of
the ice cream truck.  Robin took advantage of this and landed near Thrush
and helped him slowly walk around to the other side of the fence.

"Robin!" Thrush said with great relief,"what in the world are you doing
here?"

"Arriving just in time!"  Robin chirped angerly,"what happened to you?"

"One of those stupid humans winged me with a rock," Thrush grumbled,"I
don't know if it's broken, but I can't fly with it, that's for sure."  
Robin radioed Joe about the situation and within a minute he had arrived
on the scene.

"What can we do, honey?"  Robin asked,"we have to get Thrush to the
portal, but walking there will take days, and what if those kids return?"

"We have to think of something,"  Joe said calmly,"we're not just going to
leave Thrush here at the mercy of the outside world."

Now all three could hear the children returning.   "Hey, where's that
stupid bird?"  one asked.   Robin and Joe tried to move Thrush to a nearby
bush, but it was too late.  The boys looked around to the other side of
the fence.  

"There he is!" one screamed,"and there's two other birds with it!"

"Let's pound them all good!" another yelled as he picked up a handful of
rocks.  At that precise moment, a loud BOOM!!!
shook the area, and there appeared, as if from nowhere, standing between
the birds and the children was a very large German Shepard who growled and
barked at the boys!

"Nice doggie, good doggie," the frightened boys quietly spoke as they
stood shaking.

"Good Doggie?" the German Shapard said,"you three are not good humans! 
Throwing rocks at innocent birds, what the matter with you?"

"A talking dog?" one of the boys said with fear in his voice.

"I don't have time for this, fellows!" the dog growled,"this will make you
go away for a while..."

With that, the German Shepard in a split second, flashed a blue ray out of
his eyes on all three of the children.  The kids started yelling and
screaming as they all slowly floated upwards.

"How do you guys like my anti-gravity ray?" the angry canine barked,"you
won't go far, but at least you'll be away from us!"

"Otto!"  Joe and Robin exclaimed.

"You know this furry creature?" a bewildered Thrush Limbird asked.

"Know him?" Robin answered,"Joe and I attended his wedding!"

"Yes," Joe added,"he's a dog of many talents, thanks to the advanced
computerized inplants that saved his life last year!"

"That's correct!" Otto replied,"it's a good thing I was recalabrating my
audio receptors and picked up your radio transmissions.   You three got
yourselves into a dangerous situation here."

"We still are in a bad fix,"  Thrush said sadly,"we gotta get back to
BirdWorld, and I can't fly."

"No problem!"  Otto said with a smile on his face,"I can transport all of
you back home."

"That's right!" Robin said,"he can use his transporter circuitry to send
us back!"

"OK," Otto said,"but I have no grid of BirdWorld to reference, we'll all
have to go to the portal first."

"Alright," Robin said,"hurry, there may be more of those mean human kids
around here."

As Robin spoke, there was a loud BOOM, and all four of them were on the
other side of the portal.  

"Now I can scan the area and send all three of you directly to a medical
facility," Otto said calmly,"better for me to do this from a distance, the
Computer Dinosaur told me about the panic he caused when he approached
your city limits."

A stunned Thrush Limbird was speechless, he'd never seen a dog before, let
alone a dog that could perform such 'feats of magic' as transporting birds
from place to place.

"Ok, I have the coordinates,"  Otto said,"better send you there quickly,
the thrush seems to be in a lot of pain."

"Thank you, dear friend!"  Robin chirped.

"Yes, thank you Otto,"  Joe chirped.

"You saved my life, you big furry creature!"  Thrush spoke,"thank you!"

"You're all welcome, goodbye!"  Otto said as a loud BOOM thundered in the
meadow, before they could blink Robin, Joe and Thrush were inside the
BirdWorld City Hospital's emergency room!   Though very surprised, the
staff immediately took Thrush into a patient care room.   Robin phoned the
office and Mr Biszop, Howard and Meadowlark all flew down, everyone sat in
the waiting room.   An hour later Thrush emerged with a cast on his left
wing, a white dove came out of the room and began to speak to us.

"I'm Doctor Dovington, and your friend is quite lucky!  He has a bruised
wing, but it will heal in a few days, no broken bones."

"Thank God!"  Robin chirped.   

"Thrush, when you return to work next week, you and I are going to have a
long talk!"  Mr. Biszop said,"but until then, let me say I glad you're
back with us!"

"Me too!"  Meadowlark chirped.

"Can you tell us what happened?"  Howard asked.

"It's a long story!"  Joe said,"we better just see Thrush home."

"I'll see you all back at the office later!"  Robin said as the others
walked out and flew away.

As Joe and Robin were walking with Thrush, the old bird said
gently,"Robin, one thing I don't understand."

"What's that, Thrush?"

"Why did you risk your life to find me?   I haven't been very nice to you
lately, and....."

"Thrush, you're my friend, and ..."

"You consider ME a friend, even after all the things I've said about you
and ...."

"Yes, Thrush, even in spite of all that."

Thrush started crying,"I thank you, Robin and Joe ...."  he said as the
tears fell.

You  know, I think that maybe Mr Limbird learned something out of his
ill-fated journey after all!   Perhaps he now understands the value of
friendship and loyalty, as well as having learned NEVER to venture out
into unknown territory alone.    Look, up on that branch, there's my
toolchest!   Now I remember, I hung it there when I went inside for lunch!
  Well, I guess I'm getting old, and forgetful!   Oh well, at least I
found it, that's the important part.   Well, now I'm going to put these
tools to good use!   Please, do come back, I have hundreds of stories to
tell!   

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