I am concerned.

My hen, Ed Stakrispie (Extra Crispy) is under the weather today.  I do not know what to do to make her feel better.

I am concerned.

For those of you who have been following my blog for a long time, you will recall that I have 6 short stories that evolve around Ed:  Ed Stakrispie, Detective Hen and the mystery of __________.

Ed’s little detective side kick, Ginger, was caught by a raccoon this past Summer.  I was sad.  I was Upset!  I was ANGRY!  I called the D.O.W. (Department of Wildlife) because I could not catch the raccoon.  That animal ate three of my hens in the course of a week!  I still get upset just thinking about it!

In honor of Ed and Ginger, I am going to post my favorite Ed Stakrispie story.  Ed Stakrispie:  Ed Escapes!  This story is intended for very young readers so it has simple sentence structure, etc.  Hope you enjoy the read!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ed Stakrispie, Detective Hen, had been enjoying her morning treat of homemade bread.  Every morning Farmer Suzie brought out homemade bread, grit, oyster shell (to make strong egg shells), pellets and just a tiny bit of cracked corn for the nine little hens.  The hens always watched for Farmer Suzie because that meant that they were going to get bread and all the other treats.  It also meant they got to go out and play in the sunshine.  What fun!

Ed Stakrispie had noticed something different.  There were little birds coming into her yard.  These little birds were taking pieces of their homemade bread and trying to fly away with them! This would never do.  For one thing, the bread was for Ed and the other hens. Second, the little birds were taking pieces so large that they could hardly fly away.  Ed wanted, no, Ed needed to know why these little birds were taking her breakfast.

The next morning was bright and sunny.  Out came Farmer Suzie.  Farmer Suzie called to the hens, “Cluck, cluck, cluck!  I have treats for my favorite chickens!”

Out ran Ed Stakrispie and all the other hens.  They were so excited to see Farmer Suzie they were pushed each other out of the way to get the very first piece of homemade bread.  Everyone except for Ed.  She stayed out of the way because she had a plan.  Ed had decided that today she was going to escape.  Today she was going to find out where those little birds were going with the homemade bread.

As soon as Farmer Suzie left, the little birds came.  They all grabbed a piece of bread and went flitter, flutter, flitter, flutter and flew away from the chicken yard.

Ed tried to flitter and flutter but being a hen; she was too big for that.  Ed finally had to go, “Flap, flap, flap”.  She made it up and over the fence of the chicken yard.

The little birds did not fly very far.  They flew to some trees near the chicken yard.  Ed followed then on foot.  Hens do not fly very well.  When she reached the trees she turned her head one way and then the next.  She was listening very hard.

Ed thought she heard a very tiny sound.  It sounded like, “peep, peep, peep”.

Ed scratched the ground and listened some more.  This time she was sure of the sound, “peep, peep, peep”.

“Why, that sounds like baby birds!” thought Ed.  “Those little birds are taking our breakfast and feeding it to their little baby birds, then the baby birds can grow up to be big and strong.”

Ed was happy about the baby birds.  She was so happy that she did a chicken dance right there in the middle of Farmer Suzie’s yard.  After she was done with her dance, she started back to the chicken yard.  She could hardly wait to tell Ginger all about how she had solved the mystery of the little birds taking their bread.  She thought for sure that Ginger would be proud of her.  Ginger was a very good friend.

What Ed Stakrispie did not know was that during her chicken dance, she caught the attention of Kali, the cat.  Uh-oh.

Kali, the cat was a black and caramel colored calico kitty.  She loved Farmer Suzie and liked to bring Farmer Suzie presents of things she had caught.  “Wow!” thought Kali, “Farmer Suzie would really be proud of me for catching something as fancy as that big, black bird that was dancing.”

Kali decided to catch Ed.

She got down low in the grass and crawled through the yard trying to get closer and closer to Ed.

Ed was still so pleased with solving her mystery that she did not notice Kali.

Ginger, however, had been very upset with Ed for leaving the chicken yard.  She had been walking back and forth along the fence watching for Ed.  Every now and then she would call out, “Ed!  Ed Stakrispie”!  But Ed did not answer.

Ginger lost sight of Ed.  She could not see Ed at all anymore but she could see Kali the cat.  Oh No!

“ED!!  ED STAKRISPIE!”  Shouted Ginger with all her might.

“Oh Dear, Oh Dear, Oh Dear!” thought Ginger.  “What is to become of Ed?  I think Kali the cat has seen Ed and is trying to catch my friend.  Whatever can I do?”

What Ginger did not know and what Ed did not know and what Kali the cat definitely did not know was that Farmer Suzie had seen Ed Stakripsie fly over the fence of the chicken yard earlier in the day.  She had been watching to make sure that Ed did not get herself into trouble.  Farmer Suzie knew that Ed was a great detective and was always trying to solve mysteries, so she let Ed wander around the yard a little bit.

Farmer Suzie had seen Ed’s chicken dance.  Farmer Suzie had also noticed Kali, the cat.

Farmer Suzie knew what a great hunter Kali was but did not want Kali to catch Ed.  Farmer Suzie liked Ed.  Ed would lay an egg every day for Farmer Suzie. She decided to watch Kali.  Farmer Suzie watched Kali get down on her tummy and creep through the grass.  She watched Kali get closer and closer to Ed. Finally Farmer Suzie decided that she was going to have to stop Kali.

Farmer Suzie stopped to get a jacket, a sun bonnet and rubber garden boots. It had rained yesterday and the yard was wet.  Then she went outdoors.  Kali did not notice Farmer Suzie because she was too busy watching Ed Stakrispie.  Ed did not notice Kali or Farmer Suzie because she was trying to decide how to tell her story to Ginger the hen.

All of a sudden, Ed heard Ginger.

“ED!  ED STAKRIPSIE!”

Ginger!  Ginger sounded upset!  What was the matter?

 

Ed ran for the chicken yard.  Ginger was in trouble.  Ed must be there to help Ginger.  Ed wondered if Sarge, the hen, was picking on Ginger again.  Ed ran and ran and ran.  She even flapped her wings to help her go faster.  It seemed like it was taking forever to get to the chicken yard.  That was when she heard Ginger again.

“Run, Ed, Run!” cried Ginger.  “Kali, the cat is right behind you!  She wants to catch you!”

“Oh No!”  thought Ed.  She ran and flapped even faster.

Kali the cat jumped up and ran after Ed just as Farmer Suzie was coming out the door of the house.

“Kali!”  called Farmer Suzie.  “You leave Ed alone!  Leave Ed alone.”

Kali was a naughty kitty. She did not to obey Farmer Suzie.  Kali kept running after Ed.

Ed knew that she had been a naughty hen.  She was not supposed to leave the chicken yard.  Now she was in real trouble with Farmer Suzie and with Kali, the cat.

Flap, flap, flap, went Ed Stakrispie.  Run, run, run.

Now all the hens were watching.  They were afraid for Ed.  All the hens were afraid of Kali, the cat.

Ed was just about at the chicken yard when Kali jumped for Ed.  Kali missed!  Ed was so relieved!

Kali the cat sat down and began to give herself a kitty bath. She said to Ed, “I meant to miss you.”  Ed was not so sure she believed Kali but was very happy that Kali had missed.

Just then Farmer Suzie, who had been watching all of this, reached the chicken yard.

“Ed Stakrispie.  What am I going to do with you?” she asked.

Farmer Suzie opened the gate to the chicken yard and Ed quietly walked in.  Ginger rushed up to meet her friend and to make sure that Ed was truly allright.  All the other hens congratulated Ed on her narrow escape.

Farmer Suzie brought down an extra special treat of cracked corn for all the hens.  After they had eaten their cracked corn, Farmer Suzie announced that it was “Bedtime for Birdies”.  All the hens went into the chicken tracker, hopped up onto a roosting bar and went to sleep.  It had been a very exciting day to be a chicken.  Yes, it really was bedtime for birdies.  Goodnight Ed.  Goodnight Ginger.

What will happen next month?