Bumps and His Buddies

by Marie Helene Gulbransen

All this time Patsy Ann had been standing just where Nursie had left her, staring into the forest. Hearing her name called, she turned to look for Nurse, but could see her nowhere. The cries of “Patsy Ann” grew louder, and seemed to be issuing from the very heart of the woods. “O what fun!” she thought, “Nursie has gone into the forest, and now I can follow her!”

A Queer Bird Flew Close to Patsy Ann

As she went up the path between the big trees the calls of “Patsy Ann” came nearer and nearer, and she was thinking that her nurse must be close by, when she came upon an enormous, brilliantly-colored parrot, and she burst into laughter as she realized that it was the big bird that had been calling her. “O Polly!” said Patsy Ann, “have you seen my nurse? I thought it was she who was calling me!”

The parrot had heard the calls of the nurse, and had been mimicking them, so he only blinked very wisely and told Patsy Ann that her nurse was searching for her, up and down the road, very much worried because she could not find her. He went on to say, “Of course, you must obey your nurse, but I know you love birds, and this forest is full of the strangest ones you ever saw. We can send a note to Nursie by the Carrier Pigeon, asking her please to wait while I show you Birdland.”

Patsy Ann was delighted with this idea, and she watched the parrot, fascinated, as he picked up a large, dry leaf and whistled for the Fountain Pen Bird. A little black bird with a shiny gold bill appeared instantly, and flew right into her hand. The parrot told her to hold him just like a fountain pen and write on the leaf with his bill. She thought this very funny, but did exactly as she was told, and sure enough, she was able to write with him just as if she was sitting at home at her own little desk. In a few minutes she was watching the Carrier Pigeon fly away to Nursie with the note wrapped around his leg.

Patsy Ann and the parrot then started off to see the sights. First they came to an enormous tree and the parrot asked Patsy Ann if she could see anything in it. When she answered, “No, Polly,” he handed her a pair of amber glasses to put on, and immediately the tree appeared full of Fluttering Kafouts, which, he explained, were quite colorless and invisible to the naked eye. Then they passed over a brook where a Submarine Bird was just about to submerge, but when he saw Patsy Ann he said, “I know what you’d like!” and dove ’way down into the clear water, coming up with a bright red balloon in his beak, which he gave to her.

Just then she heard someone calling, “Cream of Wheat! Cream of Wheat!” and wondered whatever it could be. Polly told her it was the Breakfast Bird, who would not only bring you Cream of Wheat, but eggs in every style. If you whistled once you got a soft-boiled egg, if you whistled twice you got a hard-boiled egg, and if you turned a somersault he knew you wanted them scrambled. Patsy Ann was feeling a bit hungry, so she whistled twice, just to see if what Polly said would really happen. Sure enough—a queer-looking bird flew close to her and dropped a nice hard-boiled egg right into her outspread apron.

While she was walking along eating it, the parrot stopped to call her attention to a ragged little fellow, which he told her was the famous Early Bird. It was wearing an old, tattered overcoat with dozens of pockets, and every pocket was overflowing with worms. He was always the first bird up in the morning, and that was why he was able to catch so many worms.

Most of these birds were perfect strangers to Patsy Ann, and she was wondering what funny thing would happen next. It happened to be the Fizzwikle, who flew about her and made her very thirsty indeed by sounding his fizzy note, which was just like the noise made by a soda water fountain.