The hens were nowhere in sight as Rocket Blue Jay crept into the barn. The sweet smell of new-mowed hay drifted down from the loft and dust danced through the rays of sun that filtered through the windows. In fact, all the animals were gone on this afternoon, either in the pasture, or snoozing under shady trees away from the burning sun.

 Rocket Blue Jay scanned the floorboards looking for corn kernels that may have been missed by the hens. He was so intent on seeking kernels that may have been resting in between cracks in the boards that Fluffy Cat eased around the door unnoticed.

 "Got you now!" said Fluffy Cat, as he pounced on the blue jay. "You have no business being in this barn. That corn isn't your property."

 "I think you are a bit too serious about the whole thing," commented the bird in a muffled voice from under the cat. It was getting very hot covered in fur like that, but at least the cat was crouched and not sitting on him.

 "This hasn't been the best of days, but capturing you has made things look a lot better," said the cat.

 Rocket Blue Jay tried to stretch his wings the best he could seeing the cramped space he was in. Suddenly, the cat growled. The top of Rocket Blue Jay's wing had grazed by something sharp and Rocket Blue Jay peered upward to see what had made the scratch. Anchored into the soft flesh of the cat's belly was a brier that pierced the skin and made that area red and inflamed. Rocket Blue Jay ran his hand over it and once again the cat growled, not from anger, but from pain.

 "Stop that!" begged the cat. "That hurts! What are you doing?"

 "You have a brier stuck into your flesh," Rocket Blue Jay said to Fluffy Cat.

 "I got that chasing a mouse through the raspberry bushes this morning. It is getting very painful, don't touch it," cautioned the cat.

 "Would you like me to remove it?" asked Rocket Blue Jay.

 "Do you think you could?" asked Fluffy Cat standing up and looking at the bird and the brier on his belly. This was a perfect opportunity for the bird to escape, and he could have, but the cat could have done away with him at the very first, but he hadn't.

 "You will have to crouch again so I can reach it. It will hurt, but I'll be quick as I can."

 Instantly the cat crouched over the bird and Rocket Blue Jay put his beak around the brier and pulled. The cat jumped with a yelp. Seeing a first aid kit on the wall, Rocket Blue Jay rushed to it and nestled there was a Lion King Band-Aid for Fluffy Cat's boo boo. Carefully he put the bandage over the affected area and stood back to examine his work. If he thought that Fluffy Cat would attack him now, he should make his escape, but he saw there was no danger as Fluffy Cat flicked him a corn kernel from between the floorboards.

 Winner: Mason Freeman received a prize for sending in the answer to Storytime.

 Question about the story: What was stuck in the cat's belly?

 Send answer to Storytime, c/o Verna Dunlop, RR#1 Moser River, NS B0J 2K. A prize will be sent to those sending in the answer.

posted on 07/26/11