Bushman's Pride
Children's Story
Bushman was busy grooming his bushy, luxuriant tail. His tail was his best feature, and the envy of all the other squirrels. But Bushman wished he was good at something else too. His friend Cobbler was the best collector of nuts the squirrels had ever seen, and his other friend Tricky had a brilliant brain and could always work out the best way of reaching those nuts which always seemed to remain tantalisingly out of range.
" I wish I was like you, Cobbler," moaned Bushman. "Or like you, Tricky. You two get all the nuts. All I can do is flash my tail around, and that's no use to anyone."
The other two tried to cheer him up. "But all the girls love you, Bushman. Think of all the children you'll have one day. While we're scrabbling around still working to find nuts, you'll be able to sit back and let your children do all the work."
"But it's not the same," grumbled Bushman. "I really do want to be a good nutter just like you."
His opportunity came a day or two later. The three of them were high up a walnut tree. Between them they'd stripped all the lower branches, but there were still some delicious walnuts tucked away between fragile branches. Tricky was thinking hard.
"If you squeeze between that fork in the branches over there," he said to Bushman, "you'll gather a great hoard of nuts."
Bushman looked, and could see immediately what his friend meant. He really wanted those nuts, but he could also see that it would be really difficult to squeeze between the fork with a tail as bushy as his. He was afraid. He wanted the nuts, but he didn't want to damage his tail.
He dithered for a long time, then he turned to Cobbler. "You get them, Cobbler," he said. "You're a much better nutter than I am." And sadly, he scampered back down the tree.
It was always the same. Whenever there was any risk, Bushman left it to the other two. He kept his beautiful tail, but he became more and more unhappy because he just couldn't learn how to be good at nutting.
Bushman never became any good at anything except preening his tail, because he daren't risk losing even one hair from his tail. He continued to claim that he wanted to learn to be an excellent nutter, but eventually his friends ceased to listen to him.
As Tricky sighed to Cobbler, "He just doesn't want it enough, so no-one can help him."
Poor Bushman. Because he was no good at collecting nuts, none of the female squirrels wanted to know him. He grew into a sad, old squirrel who did nothing but sit and moan. And when his tail grew old along with him, he became a bitter, old squirrel, for he had nothing left.
" I wish I was like you, Cobbler," moaned Bushman. "Or like you, Tricky. You two get all the nuts. All I can do is flash my tail around, and that's no use to anyone."
The other two tried to cheer him up. "But all the girls love you, Bushman. Think of all the children you'll have one day. While we're scrabbling around still working to find nuts, you'll be able to sit back and let your children do all the work."
"But it's not the same," grumbled Bushman. "I really do want to be a good nutter just like you."
His opportunity came a day or two later. The three of them were high up a walnut tree. Between them they'd stripped all the lower branches, but there were still some delicious walnuts tucked away between fragile branches. Tricky was thinking hard.
"If you squeeze between that fork in the branches over there," he said to Bushman, "you'll gather a great hoard of nuts."
Bushman looked, and could see immediately what his friend meant. He really wanted those nuts, but he could also see that it would be really difficult to squeeze between the fork with a tail as bushy as his. He was afraid. He wanted the nuts, but he didn't want to damage his tail.
He dithered for a long time, then he turned to Cobbler. "You get them, Cobbler," he said. "You're a much better nutter than I am." And sadly, he scampered back down the tree.
It was always the same. Whenever there was any risk, Bushman left it to the other two. He kept his beautiful tail, but he became more and more unhappy because he just couldn't learn how to be good at nutting.
Bushman never became any good at anything except preening his tail, because he daren't risk losing even one hair from his tail. He continued to claim that he wanted to learn to be an excellent nutter, but eventually his friends ceased to listen to him.
As Tricky sighed to Cobbler, "He just doesn't want it enough, so no-one can help him."
Poor Bushman. Because he was no good at collecting nuts, none of the female squirrels wanted to know him. He grew into a sad, old squirrel who did nothing but sit and moan. And when his tail grew old along with him, he became a bitter, old squirrel, for he had nothing left.
