well, well, well

Don’t worry!

I think I really have got over the Virus at last.

Only a few little symptoms still lingering, and I’m sure those will soon have gone.

But I am exhausted.

First, there were a lot of thank-you letters to write, after all my friends had been so very kind when I was ill.

And an exciting letter to answer, from my cousin Peter.

I haven’t seen much of him since we were cubs.

What a very nice suggestion. I’ve told him that I would love to do that. But we’d better wait till I’m a bit stronger.

But apart from writing letters, there have been other demands on my limited energy.

You remember that my sister Jenny tried to make a paper stork.

She felt that she hadn’t been very successful, but apparently it was good enough.

In spite of being imperfectly folded, it seems to have flown off to find the real Stork.

The real Stork doesn’t speak English, but the two of them must have had a common language.

The real Stork very kindly agreed to come back here for a quick visit before his winter migration.

I’ve been getting up rather late recently, but luckily I had just got dressed when the Stork arrived.

He used to find his way in and out without knocking.

But for some reason he now feels he should tap at the window to let me know that he’s arrived.

Last time I didn’t hear him, because we were having a party.

What with talking, and singing, and Shamus playing his fiddle, there was just too much noise.

Disappointed, the Stork went away again.

When I realised he’d been and gone, I was afraid I’d never see him again. So I was delighted when he arrived this time.

Jenny has been clearing out my cupboards for me.

She happens to have washed my best tea set, which was just the thing for an honoured guest.

We had a very civilised cup of tea, with real sugar lumps, and biscuits that someone had kindly brought me when I was ill.

I fetched some paper and pencils, to aid communication.

The Stork explained everything that had happened since he flew away, taking Um and the Baby with him.

I tried to ask how Um and the Baby are getting on.

Are they happy? Are they going to be allowed to stay in the country? Has Um made any friends? Is the Baby getting a suitable education? (He’s a bright little thing. I spotted that very early on.)

But I’m not very good at drawing. I wasn’t sure that the Stork had understood my questions.

However, when he’d had a few biscuits, and finished his third cup of tea, he stood up and bent over backwards.

I thought he was choking on a biscuit crumb. But no, he was getting ready to clap his beak.

He seemed very pleased about something.

And then he went out to the garden and fetched in Um and the Baby.

You could have knocked me down with a feather.

In fact the Baby did knock me down. The little scallywag.

All in friendly fun, of course.

Um had taken the Baby for a run around after their long journey, to reduce his boisterousness.

But I love him for his boister.

And after we’d got over the first excitement of our reunion, he came and sat with me to eat some biscuits.

There were two more surprises in store for me.

It didn’t seem polite to say that I was surprised that she was speaking English.

Or speaking at all. I’d never heard her say anything before.

The Baby also had never spoken a word. And here he was, making an appropriate statement with a noun and a possessive adjective. I think.

I’m not sure it will be good for him to eat all of those biscuits.

Um isn’t completely fluent in English yet.

But I was able to gather that they have a nice place to live, and that life is good.

Earlier in the year, the Baby caught The Virus at his nursery, but neither of them had it badly.

What a relief it all is.

I’ve been so worried about them.

The Stork is off shortly to somewhere with a warmer climate, but Um has promised to come back and visit me again.

She says that she can come by train.

But there wasn’t time. The Stork had to drop Um and the Baby back home before setting off for Mali.

So they’ve gone. And I’m now resting.

I’m quite overwhelmed.

Of course I shall still miss them.

But the main thing is that they’re safe and well. And they haven’t forgotten me.

As long as they keep in touch, I’ll be happy.

I wonder if Um’s new friends could help her to Zoom?

To be honest, I am getting a bit old for having a lively youngster around the place all the time.

Now, how am I going to get all these crumbs out of my fur?