Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Clarksville's Chester the Chipmunk

When I was kid, I read everything I could get my hands on. The librarian knew me by name, and eventually let me in on helping her order books! Awesome! Once, I got to go to a book fair with her in Nashville to order some upcoming books! Oh that was a true treat! So, my dream to become a published author began.
It lay dormant for several years. I published some poems my senior year in a poetry book, but nothing since. I've got jounals with all sorts of partial ideas. I refer back to them, one day I hope to compile them into a book of sorts. Or maybe several books!
Last year I was graciously given the opportunity to write short stories for a local magazine, The Clarksville Family. This is where Chester began. I've been asked to post my Chester stories on here also, so folks out of town can read them. Thank you!
Okay here goes! :


Chester Takes A Chance

Chester the chipmunk was in a hurry. The weather was turning cooler and the leaves were falling which meant it was time to gather all the nuts and seeds he could find. The winter months weren't far away and he needed to have a good supply.
Chester was having a good morning. He had found lots of acorns. As he stuffed each nut into his cheeks they got bigger and bigger. When he couldn't hold another one he scurried over to his secret tunnel under the old oak tree.
Chester made his home deep underground. Using his paws he pushed his acorns out into a nest of leaves. Covering them up he scampered back out to look for more. He discovered some seeds and a few berries on the bushes near the edge of the forest. It didn't take him long to gather all the fruit from the inside.
He knew if he wanted more he would have to go to the other side of the bushes. The problem was that they were out in the open which meant he would risk being seen.
"Maybe if I was real quick I could get those big juicy ones." Chester said as he stuffed his latest goodies into his nest. Then he remembered his mother warning him to not go outside the safety of the forest.
Making his way back toward the bushes, Chester argued with himself. "Should I, or shouldn't I?" he thought.
Slowly he crept between the bushes. He sat very still. He saw a dog and a boy playing with a ball not to far away. Even closer he saw a few birds picking some berries for themselves.
If they weren't scared, then he wasn't either! First he stuck his nose out, whiskers twitching; then every so slowly he eased his little body out in front of the bush. The birds kept eating berries and the boy and dog didn't even see him.
Chester happily scampered about selecting the biggest and juiciest berries he saw. Every so often he would look over his shoulder to see if anyone was paying attention.
Soon his tummy and his cheeks were getting full. He should head back. But there it was... the biggest blackberry he had ever seen. He wondered how he had missed it before. It was on the bush closest to the boy and dog.
With his ears laid back, Chester ran as fast as he could toward the bush. Quick as a wink, he grabbed that blackberry, stuffed it in his cheeks and was heading back when he heard the barking. The dog must have seen him.
Chester didn't dare turn around he just ran and ran. He didn't stop as he dove down into his hole under the oak tree. As he emptied out his cheeks he could hear the dog barking near the tip of his hole.
A small amount of dirt slid down the inside of his hole. The dog was trying to dig down into his house. Chester crawled deep down into his nest of leaves and hid. He was glad his tunnels went deep into the earth. He would be safe, but he was still scared.
He listened to the dog until he heard a child's voice. After what seemed like forever, it was quiet again. Chester decided he had enough nuts and berries to last him all winter. He had learned his lesson. He would stay in his hole for awhile. Or.... would he?

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