151ibis46

==The Ibis==

The cicada crept along the Nile, and out onto a small land bridge. The only house he could see was a tiny box with red curtains. He didn’t see how a flock of birds could fit into such a small box. He reached up, and pulled just a corner of the curtain to the side. He was astonished at what he found.

Fifteen pairs of eyes all blinked and glared at him. They were crammed in, one on top of another. That can’t be comfortable, he thought to himself. He had been hoping they had an enormous house, where a little cicada wouldn’t be noticed much sharing the space.

“Hi there!”, he said, as cheerfully as he could. Immediately squacks came back to greet him.

“Close the door!!”

“Someone will SEE us!”

“Ack! Someone is here!”

The cicada squeezed inside, which was no easy feat, even for someone as tiny as a bug. He let the curtain fall back down behind him.

Squaaak “No room for you, little one! Its already tight in here!” said the Ibis whose foot he had climbed up on.

“Sorry, I just...bring a message from the Otter.” More squacking followed. All the cicada could make out was “crazy” and “don’t tell me”.

He continued. “He wants to throw a party for the gazelle tomorrow night. I’m supposed to get you all to join him.” More squacking again, but this time he thought it sounded like laughing.

The Ibis he was standing on made an attempt to talk over the others. “Oh, that crazy otter. He’ll forget by morning what he wanted to do. You best stay away from him, if you want to stay sane.”

Sanity. Interesting concept for a pack of birds stuffed into a little box, thought the cicada.

“Well, I was looking to live there with him, but I think you are right. I need to find a home elsewhere.”

“No room here!”

“Not with us!”

Again the calmer Ibis replied, “Well, as you can tell, we are a bit short on space here. Besides, you wouldn’t want to attract the humans would you? That chirping of yours is quite noticeable.”

The cicada, trying to not sound rude, had to ask. “But...don't they notice and entire pack of Ibis cramped into this little box?”

More cackling followed. “Oh, no. They never come into these houses. They have them all over, but we have no idea why you see. But its the perfect spot to be left alone in. That's why we Ibis tend to spend our nights sleeping in them.”

“Ahh.” The cicada certainly couldn’t argue with that.

“During the day, though, we have to travel far away. We look for nice spots to lounge, but sometimes those humans find us anyway! And they all come, and pluck out our feathers!” Much ruffling and squacking followed this.

“That sounds dreadful,” said the cicada. “Well, I don’t want to make it worse for you then. But ... well I’m really running out of ideas.”

“Oh, if you are looking for a specific place, you must see the Falcon,” said the friendly Ibis. “He soars the sky, and sees all of Egypt like no one else can! He is wise, and I know he will help you.”

The cicada felt a glimmer of hope upon hearing this. He was getting weary of this journey, but he didn’t want to give up. He knew the perfect place for him was waiting, he just needed to find it.

“Where can I find the Falcon?” he asked.

“The noises!”

“Around and around!”

“Up up he lives up!”

“He lives not far from here. Up the Great Mountain that Buzzes. You will like it there, it makes noises at the peak, just like you do. That is where the Falcon nests. Where he can look down upon all of Egypt.” He stuck a wing out the western curtain. “Can you see it there, on the horizon?”

“Oh, yes I can!,” replied the cicada, over the noise of the other ibis as they readjusted to the friendly Ibis trying to fit his wing back inside the house. “I will head there now. Thank you for your help!”

He popped back outside, and could hear the birds sigh with relief as they reclaimed a bit more space. He turned and headed off to what he hopped would be his final stop.

Head to his next stop to continue his tale...