Perri Page #2

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and dines upon its flesh.

From the bare, bleak skeleton

that remains,

he fashions and maintains his dam.

All through the day, in Wildwood Heart,

the search for food

continues everywhere.

The sapsucker feeds her young

on grubs and worms,

and in her daily round,

she demonstrates how life or death

will sometimes turn

upon the merest quirk of fate.

Her busy rapping

wakes a flying squirrel.

If not disturbed,

he never flies except by night,

but now, by day,

the goshawk waits with swifter wings

to end this brief untimely flight.

A time of hunting.

And then a time of peace.

Now, with fall of night,

nature brings the precious gift of sleep.

Now to sleep

Now to rest

While the soft night descending

Covers all

Great and small

Till a new day is born

Deep in the shadow

Dreaming away

Soon you'll forget all the cares

Of the day

So to sleep

Slumber deep

Let the soft night enfold you

Mother's near

Never fear

She will keep you from harm

Lulled by the night wind

Close to her breast

Now, peacefully, lovingly

Tenderly rest

Lulled by the night wind

Close to her breast

Now, peacefully, lovingly

Tenderly rest

(CRlCKETS CHIRPING)

(HOOTING)

(CHIRPING)

NARRATOR:
In Wildwood Heart,

the medley of the birds

ushers in another day in spring,

and with it, comes the time of learning.

For Perri, lesson number one

is purely elementary.

She will simply learn

to walk along the branches of a tree.

Mother, with a tasty tidbit, is the lure.

Bravely, Perri starts,

and then she's not so sure.

She didn't know she'd have to cross

the unknown world of far below.

(CHIRPING)

Still, hunger is a strong incentive,

and so, despite what seems to be

a warning from her brother,

Perri once again sets out

for food and Mother.

(CHIRPING)

(SQUEALS)

(SQUEALING)

(CHIRPS)

Mother's coaxing

starts another scholar on his way,

but he'll never reach

the head of the class.

(SQUEALING)

He'll be lucky to even pass.

(SQUEALING)

Well, it's a rather shaky start,

but if she puts her heart in it,

keeps up the fight,

she'll get the hang of it, all right.

(SQUEALS)

All this, the young raccoons

have watched with awe.

But they must get their tree legs, too.

And so, as Perri takes her turn

upon the judgment seat,

one stout heart sets out headlong

to duplicate her feat.

(TWITTERING)

Brother would like

to lend a helping hand,

but in this kind of test,

you're on your own.

(SQUEALS)

You just dig in, hang on

and try to do your best,

and if, alas,

you just haven't got the answers,

there's only one thing left to do.

Drop out of class.

(SQUEALING)

This mishap could become a tragedy,

for predators are always near.

But so is Mother.

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