Copyright 1999 -- Robert Baer Jr. 

PROLOGUE

Ever stop and think what would happan if the whole world "went to the
birds?"   IT HAS!  In BirdWorld!   This is the continuing story of Robin
Mallory, radio personality and loving mother.   How is she doing these
days?   We'll ask "Chipper" Birdwell, her father, about this burning
question.

BirdWorld - "Weekend Getaway"

It always a long walk to Chipper's tree, but well worth the trip!   Today,
however, something is a little different.   There is a very familiar
looking bird at the bird-feeder out in the backyard, it's Chipper!   It
seems that today, instead of us coming to him, he came to us!   "Hello
there, you startled humans!    Bet you never thought I'd show up in YOUR
backyard for a chance, huh?    Well, the truth is I needed a break, a
chance to get away from it all.   This isn't the first time I've been in
the "real world," but don't tell anyone, OK?    Everyone needs to get away
from the daily routine now and then, take my daughter Robin for example.  
I told you last week how she got really shook up by a heckler who turned
out to be Kenneth Starling, right?   Mr Biszop agreed to let Robin take a
few days off to 'unwind and relax."   Her and her husband Joe decided to
go and visit an old friend.....

I gladly volunteered to watch the children while 'mommy and daddy' went
away for the weekend.   "Mom, Dad, why can't we go with you?" James asked
sadly.   

"Yeah," Chuck added,"we want to go with you!"

"Your father and I are going to the outside world to visit our college
friend, the Computer Dinosaur," Robin explained,"you children are too
young to be exploring in the outside world yet."

"Does that mean someday you'll let us go through the portal?" Zoe gleamed.

"What an opportunity for research!" Nancy added.

"Maybe later children, but not this time," Joe answered,"your mother is
right, not until your older, OK?"

"Now kids, listen to grandpa while we're away," Robin chirped," and dad,
remember, you can always reach us on that radio device Otto gave us if
there's an emergency, OK?"

"Don't either of you worry about a thing!"  I said proudly,"I'll take good
care of the ''flock' while you're away, now go and have a great time!"

After hugging the children and waving goodbye, Robin and Joe set out for
their trip to the Dinosaur's cave.   Flying through the portal they fly
off toward their destination.   

"There's the cave down below!" Joe shouted to his wife.

"Should we enter through the front entrance, or through a window?" Robin
shouted back.

"The window, we'll surprise the big guy!"  James shouted back with a
chuckle in his voice.

Quietly, the two birds land on an open windowsill.   Instead of surprising
their huge friend, it was they who were surprised!   They could see him,
sitting on his stone couch, his long neck stretched out to the floor with
a very worried look on his face.   "SURPRISE!" the two robins shouted and
nearly scared the Computer Dinosaur witless!    He sprang from the couch
and turned his head around toward the window.

"ROBIN, JOE!  YOU'RE HERE!" he shouted as he sprinted towards them.   The
sudden bounding shook the cave, causes several pictures to fall from the
walls.   "Oops," he said timidly,"I'm doing that all the time!    How was
your trip?  I hope you're hungry!   I have some very fine birdseed for
both of you!   I know this isn't the gourmet cooking that your used to
eating in BirdWorld, but my front feet are too big to prepare small meals
with, y'all...."

"No need to apologize, my big friend!"  Joe said with a smile,"it's nice
to eat something basic and simple for a change, I do enjoy cooking but
there's nothing like good old birdseed!   Right, hunny?"

"Right, darling!" Robin answered back,"we LOVE your birdseed, C.D., how
are things going for you?"

For a moment, there was another worried look on the Dinosaur's face, but
he quickly forced a smile and said,"well, just the same old routine!   My
life is so drab, tell me all about your big promotion, and all the news in
BirdWorld, and about your kids, and......"

"Dinosaur, what bothering you?"  Robin asked bluntly.

"Wha... what do you mean?"  he replied.

"Look big guy," Joe interrupted,"Robin and I have known you since college,
and we both can sense that something is troubling you, please tell us
about it, OK?"

"C'mon Dinosaur!" Robin pleaded,"you can tell us, we're friends, aren't
we?"

At that moment, the doorbell rang.   "I still don't know why that doorbell
rings when I haven't got a front door," the Dinosaur said with a
laugh,"COME IN!"

It was the Dinosaur's human friend, the Computer Counsellor!   She was
dressed in a turtle-necked sweater and bluejeans.   "Hello, Robin and
Joe!" she said happily,"the big guy told me that you'd be staying with him
for a few days, so I thought I'd drop by and say hello!"

"It's good to see you again!"  Joe chirped.

"Yes, we haven't seen you since the big wedding!"  Robin added.

"Hello, Counsellor!"  the Dinosaur shouted with joy,"it's always a
pleasure when you visit me!"

"Thanks everyone," the Counsellor replied,"and I see that your mood has
improved a lot since you got the news, big guy..."

"What news?" Robin asked.

"You haven't told Robin and Joe yet, have you?"  the Counsellor asked.

"No," the Dinosaur said sadly,"I didn't want it to ruin their weekend."

"Tell us what, big guy?"  Joe asked.

"The big guy has been really worried lately," the Counsellor
explained,"because the company he does those commercials for, Col.
Crispy's Snack Foods, Inc,  is being sold to another company, and...."

"and I don't know what to expect," the Dinosaur said glumly as he lowered
his big head to the floor,"they may fire me, or cut me out of their ads
altogether, or WORSE!    The new owner may not even like dinosaurs!    I'm
too frightened to tell my lady friend, Dree'el about it, she might not
want to be around me if I were unemployed, and ...."

"There you go again, C.D." the Counsellor interrupted,"you're getting
worked up over this!   Like I told you before, worrying and dwelling on
the matter will only serve to make you even more stressed out!"    The
Counsellor walked over and put her hand on the Dinosaur's front foot and
said,"everything will be alright, all of your friends are here to help you
through this, no matter what lies ahead!"

"She's right, big guy!" Joe chirped and flew over beside the couch.

"We'll do anything we can to help!"  Robin said as she flew over next to
her husband.

"Thanks, y'all!" the Dinosaur said as big tears swelled up in his
eyes,"that means a lot to me to hear y'all say that!"

"Now c'mon, big guy!"  Joe joyfully chirped,"you promised us a grand tour
of the tar pits near your cave!"

"Yes, I wanted to take some pictures to bring back to the kids!" Robin
added.

"That's a good idea!" the Dinosaur said with a smile, "Counsellor, will
you please join us?"

"I'd love to!" she said happily,"and when we're done, how about we go over
to my place for a while?   It's a warm day, we can have iced tea and
snacks on the patio!"

"ICED TEA!"  the Dinosaur shouted with glee,"Oh boy!   I can hardly wait!"

"Now THAT'S the Computer Dinosaur I KNOW talking!"  the Counsellor shouted.

So began the "min-vacation" for Robin and Joe.   They had a great time out
there, visited many other old friends, like Otto and his wife Samantha
Maddog, Nathan and Wanna Lovejoy, and even some other canines named Prarie
Mason and Ben Maddog!   Someday maybe they'll introduce me to all of their
interesting friends!   Oh well, say, do any of you know where a good
birdbath is located, perhaps one with a canopy and heated water in it?  
If I'm going to relax, I want to go all out!   Well, I'm going to see if I
can find any nice worms or grubs to snack on out there, see you later!

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