Copyright 1999 -- Robert Baer Jr. 

PROLOGUE

What if the whole world had "gone to the birds."  IT HAS, in BirdWorld!  
This is the continuing story of Robin Mallory, devoted wife, loving mother
and working female bird.   What has she and her 'friends' been up to
lately?   Let's ask her father, "Chipper" Birdwell, I'll bet he knows!

BirdWorld - "A Night on the Town"

As we look up toward Chipper's tree, we can hear him calling us from the
ground!    "Hey!  I'm over here!" Chipper screams.   We find the old bird
on his back near the base of the tree.   "I know what you're thinking, how
can a bird fall out of a tree when they're supposed to fly, right?   
Well, I just did it!   Don't worry, I'm ok, the only part of me that's
hurt is my pride!   Hey, sometimes in life, things don't always happan the
we want them to!   Take what took place a few days ago at Robin's office. 
 That pretty young receptionist of their's Babs Finchly, had been walking
on air for months since she started seeing her new boyfriend, Phillip.  
She was always bragging about the wonderful times they'd had together all
the time!    Then one day, that all came to an abrupt end.

It all started after lunch, Robin was in the booth doing her radio show,
Thrush Limbird and Meadowlark Gremmon were standing in the hallway agruing
over sports, Edward R Sparrow was typing his news report and Howard Yates
was sitting out in the lobby watching the front desk while Babs was out to
lunch.   Wild Bill Bluejay and Carla Delmar were in the control room
rewiring some of the auxillary studio's equipment.   Howard was standing
up and beginning to pace the floor.  "Babs is over a half hour late, where
is she?" he grumbled as he paced.  

"Where's who?" Wild Bill asked as he and Carla emerged from the auxillary
control room.

"Babs, she should have been back by now!"  Howard grunted.

"Hey, where's Babs?"  Thrush asked as he walked into the studio,"I was
wondering if I had any messages."

"Where's Babs?" Edward R Sparrow said coldly,"she was supposed to contact
a few news sources for me this afternoon."

"She's STILL not back from lunch,"  Howard muttered in frustration,"and
she hasn't called in either."

As the office staff continued to converse among themselves, Babs slowly
walked through the office door.   She wasn't very cheerful at that moment,
in fact she looked rather sad and listless as she hung up her coat.

"Where have you been, Babs?"  Howard asked with a hint of anger in his
voice.   This caused Babs to sit down in the lobby and start crying very
loudly.

"Oh Babs!"  Howard said softly,"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you
like that, I'm really sorry...."

"No," Babs said through her tears,"it wasn't your fault, Howard"  With
that said, she began to cry uncontrollably.  Wild Bill grabbed a piece of
cardboard and scribbled a short message and pressed it against the studio
window so Robin could read it, it said, 'BABS IS IN TROUBLE, HELP!'   
Robin quickly put on a commercial and ran out of the booth and into the
lobby.  

"Carla, will you cover for me while I deal with this?" Robin asked as she
saw Babs crying her eyes out on the lobby couch.   

"Sure, Robin, I've been listening to your show, take care of Babs, I'll
keep your show going."  Carla said as she wheeled herself into the studio
booth.   The others in the lobby were all staring at Babs, afraid to ask
her what had happened.   Robin broke the silence.

"Babs," she asked,"what's wrong?"

"Well," Babs began,"I met Phillip for lunch today like we always do, but
this time he was different.    He told me that we both needed to start
seeing other birds, and that we could still be friends.   I couldn't
believe what I was hearing!  Phillip was dumping me!"

"I'm so sorry," Robin said sadly.

"But it gets worse, Robin!   As Phillip was giving me his 'speech,' his
new girlfriend walked up to me and said, 'Enough of this mushy crap
Phillip, darling!   Babs, he's mine now!   He's been seeing me behind your
back for over a month now!   You're just not good enough for MY Phillip,
so why don't you just fly away and find a stray warbler somewhere?'   I
was so shocked, I did fly away, and just kept flying around all over the
countryside for the past hour.    I loved Phillip, and now I feel so bad!"

"That creep!" Wild Bill yelled in a rage,"he needs to be tarred and
de-feathered!"

"Calm down, Wild Bill, you're not helping,"  Robin scolded.

"Gee, we're all sorry about that Babs,"  Meadowlark said.

"Maybe you should go home now," Robin suggested,"take some time to think
and unwind."

"No, I'll be alright," Babs said sadly,"just need something to get my mind
off that jerk!"

"Hey, why don't we all take you out to dinner tonight, right after work?" 
Robin said with a smile.

"Count me in!"  Meadowlark cheered,"my wife is over at her sister's nest
tonight!"

"Me too!"  Wild Bill said,"always glad to help young damsels in distress!"

"I can't make it."  Edward said glumly,"tonight is the night I update my
stamp collection."

"Hmmmm, Thrush will be working and Carla is taking her family to a concert
tonight, how about you, Howard?"  Robin asked.

"Sorry, I have a dinner meeting with a prospective client tonight," 
Howard said.

"Well then Babs," Robin said cheerfully,"looks like it'll be just me,
Meadowlark, Wild Bill and you tonight, what do you say?  We'll go to the
Lucky Leaf, Joe is on duty this evening, OK?"

"Well, alright,"  Babs said,"thank you all for being there for me!"

Later after work, Babs, Robin, Meadowlark and Wild Bill flew to the Lucky
Leaf.   Joe came out to the table and greeted them, and urged them all to
try the split pea soup.   Everyone was having a good time, enjoying their
meal when Babs suddenly gasped and hid herself under the table.

"What's wrong?" Robin asked Babs.

"Hey, I like hiding under tables!"  Wild Bill chirped as he quickly hid
down beside Babs.

"Wild Bill, I don't think this is what Babs had in mind," Meadowlark said.

"Phillip is here!"  Babs said sadly,"and SHE is with him!"

"Babs, you can't hide from them forever," Robin urged,"now c'mon, get up
and let's finish our dinner."

As Babs and Wild Bill returned to their seats, Phillip spotted Babs and
came timidly over to the table.

"Babs, I ......."  Phillip started to speak but stopped when his
girlfriend walked up behind him.

"Phillip, darling!" she said with a sarcastic lilt in her voice, "why are
you hanging around with THESE people, this is just the kind of hoolagins a
lady like Babs would be with."

Robin wanted to speak, but her and Meadowlark refused to stoop to their
level, as he watched Babs lower her head, Wild Bill sprang to his feet and
spoke."

"THAT'S ALL I CAN STAND OF YOU TWO BIRDBRAINS!"  he screamed,"can't you
see you're hurting Babs?   She loved you, Phillip!   She'd always tell us
about the wonderful times you guys had together, and ...."

"Shut up, you crazy bluebird!"  Phillip's girlfriend urged.

"One more word, you stuck-up huzzy and I'll peck your ugly face!"   Wild
Bill answered,"and as for you, Phil, you must have no brain in your skull!
  Babs is a wonderful lady, any young bird would be proud to have her!  If
I had a girlfriend like her, I'd treat her like a queen!   Speaking of
royalty, stand still so I can CROWN you!"

As Wild Bill reached for a potted plant, Phillip took his girlfriend by
the wing and they both ran out the front door!  "Stop that!" Meadowlark
yelled as he took the plant from Wild Bill,"now behave yourself, Wild
Bill!"

"Wild Bill, how could you?"  Robin scolded,"violence is never the answer."

"Look!   Babs is laughing!"  Wild Bill observed.

It was true!   For the first time all day, Babs was happy, she was
laughing so hard she nearly fell out of her seat!   
"Thank you, Wild Bill!" she chuckled,"you've really cheered me up!"

"It was my pleasure, ma'am!"  Wild Bill said as he bowed, "now, who's for
dessert?   I wonder if this place serves cottage cheese and ketchup?"

That was quite an interesting evening.   It'll take a long time for Babs
to forget her shattered dream, but with good friends surrounding and
supporting her, she'll do just fine!    Now, I think I'll fly back up to
my birdhouse before I'M late for dinner!   I hear James is serving 'Grubs
under glass' tonight, maybe I should wear a tie!   Oh well, see you real
soon!

--------------------------------------------------------------