Winston – In His Own Words

(This story is copyrighted and planned for a future children’s book.  We are looking for an illustrator to collaborate with.  Contact us if you are interested.  Meanwhile, don’t you dare infringe on Winston’s rights or your anus will burst into flame right before your own hand mysteriously reaches into your mouth and jerks you inside out.  … seriously…)

Winston, In His Own Words

Hi. My name is Winston. I’m a Mockingbird and this is how I wound up here…

It’s not easy growing up. Initially, your mom takes care of everything and then one day she boots you out of the nest and then everything changes.

And one day that’s exactly what happened. Mom thinks it’s time I learn to fly and gives me the heave-ho. I tumble unceremoniously to terra firma (I know… big words for a little bird, but mom is big on education) and, dazed by the fall, scurry aimlessly in every direction, flapping my little useless wings, looking for shelter.

I spot this big black blob with some room underneath, plenty big enough for me and dart inside.

Whew! That’s a lot better. Out in the open I’m pretty vulnerable, even though mom says she’s looking out for me (easy for her to say – she can FLY).
So I’m just hanging out in the shade of this big blob (mom says it’s a Smart Car – doesn’t seem very smart to me – it just sits there – doesn’t even flinch when I run under it) when big feet come walking up to me. Then I hear a lot of noises I can’t make sense of – and this Smart whatever-it-is starts to rumble and shake. This is scary enough, but then it LEAVES.

And I’m out in the Open again!

Geez. Now what do I do?

I’m trying to figure out my options, which is really difficult with mom flapping all around the roof and yelling at me to “Run, Winston, Run!” when some even bigger feet come up really CLOSE to me and a BIG head comes even closer. This Giant, seems really interested in me. Not particularly menacing, but mom is yelling even louder that it’s dangerous and I need to Run!
Then the Giant leaves. Whew! That was close.

Before I can figure out which way to run, the Giant is back.
Drat!
And it’s got some kind of machine or something pointed right at me. It keeps clicking and the giant peeks around it every now and then, and clicks the machine some more. Meanwhile mom is really freaking out. I can’t even think with all this racket going on, so I just stare menacingly at this big Giant, hoping it will go away.

And it does. Seems it’s lost interest in me. Or it’s going to go get a net and have me for dinner! Either way, I’m out in the open and mom is about to have a stroke.

So I run. Mom is flapping and hollering and shooing me across the street and into the park. Then across another street and into a yard, where I find some nice big bushes to hide in. And then mom takes a break from shrieking at me.

And I can catch my breath.

Wow.

It seems the Giant was not so bad after all. It came back out to look for me again and saw me dart for cover at the last minute. It didn’t come after me and seemed kind of protective in a way.

So mom and I set up housekeeping in the Giant’s yard. I found lots of good bugs to eat on the Giant’s windowsill and he’d talk to me while I foraged for breakfast. Summer was really HOT, but at least we had some rain. Then it started to get cold. Mom said we needed to fly south.

We spent the winter in Mexico, which was pretty cool – and came back to find the Giant still there. I sing for him and he talks to me every time I come by. I’ve hopped into his workshop a few times. It’s a scary place, but the Giant is always friendly and tells me I’m famous. I’m not sure what that means, but it sounds like a good thing.

I think he loves me.

Winston in his own words