In the meantime Mr .Theodore Toad and Mrs. Esmeralda Eagle chatted he telling her of his upcoming procedure and she with her mighty puffed out white chest and long long wings was telling him of her three new eaglet.

The span of the wings were so immense that when she became excited she spread them out they bent backwards.
Soon Mrs Sly Foxy returned with a beautiful silver tea set and a few cookies for them to enjoy as they discussed the reason for the visit.
“Now, said Mr Theodore Toad” croakkk croaak ahem, what do I owe the pleasure of two such fine-looking ladies visiting me today?”  “ahem, croak, croaak “. Both Mrs Sly Foxy and Mrs Esmeralda Eagle began to speak at once voices rising to a crescendo until “Croak Crooaak Croak Crack Crooooaaak, s, s, si, si, silence!” Croaked Mr.Theodore Toad. “I can hear but one of you at a time now settle down or you will both leave and I shall retire to my bed where I should be now!”  ”Oh Theodore , Mrs sly Foxy who liked to pretend she was on closer terms than she really was with people said“we are so sorry  I know you are ill but this is a matter of the utmost seriousness and we need you to help us.”

“Get on with it then  Mrs. Eagle, tell me what of this utmost serious matter”.  So she did, she explained that in hunting food for her new little ones, she could find her prey, follow it and just about the time she begins her descent she sees an animal she does not recognize launch itself and gone is the prey she had hunted to feed her young.

Mr Theodore Toad slowly turned to Mrs Foxy “and you ma’am?”  ”Theodore you have no idea what I have been through since my Mister was hit by that big truck” and she began to cry.  He and Mrs Eagle waited until Mrs Sly Foxy composed herself then she told her story of how she had watched from the ground  of course, and knew of what Mrs Esmeralda Eagle had spoken. For she had tried to catch this animal herself but to no avail. ‘That Theodore is why we are here , we need your help in finding out who this animal is and you as mayor must tell him of the laws of MYSTICAL FOREST!”

“Rest assured ladies as soon as I am physically able I will investigate personally and put a stop to this creature that is taking food from our young ones mouths” With that the ladies departed and Mr Toad returned to his bed he slept the rest of the day and through the night. The next day he left early to arrive on time for his procedure, his good friend Sheriff. Billy Badger  was oh so kind enough to transport him to and fro today and had set up someone to come and stay with him during his recovery period.

~ TO BE CONTINUED~

 ~PART # 4 

On the ride to the hospital, “MAJESTIC FOREST HOSPITAL AND ANIMAL CLINIC”, Mr Theodore Toad gave Sheriff Billy Badger  narrative of the complaint, by Mrs Foxy and Mrs Eagle. The sheriff promised to look into it while Theodore was ‘laid up’.  Arriving at the hospital Mr Theodore Toad was whisked into a room that was very cold, bright lights and a very narrow bed they expected him to lay on. He put on the funny gown with no closure in the backside  (this did not make him happy at all!) but he did as told. The hospital nurse  brought him his fly flavored sedative and within a minute he was asleep. Dr Ringo Raccoon came into  the procedure room dressed in an all blue paper pants and shirt and another mask with just his eyes sticking out, he looked so funny!

Mr. Theodore Toad woke to the voice of an angel, a beautiful group of Canaries, a Warbler or two and even the red~breasted Robin were singing to make sure he woke to his favorite sounds, those of the forest.  Dr. Raccoon came in and asked “ How are you feeling Mr Toad?”  ”actually quite peaceful and rested “  he said. “Oh, (dropping to barely a whisper) now it hurts but I am not croaking!”  Dr. explained the procedure again saying all went well and he was free to go home and he would have the nurse give him a prescription to have filled . Sheriff Billy Badger came to pick him up and going to the market they purchased the frozen blue and green Dragonflygurt.

On the third day of his recovery Mr. Theodore Toad woke and knew he was completely well. He went into the shower and as he washed he began to croak his favorite song

“ROW ROW ROW YOUR BOAT GENTLY DOWN THE STREAM,
MERRILY MERRILY MERRILY LIFE IS BUT A DREAM
CATCHING FLIES AND BRING THEM HOME
SERVE THEM WITH A LITTLE CREAM”

Ms JBird heard this and began to prepare his breakfast  a large bowl of  sweet fly flakes with a dried spider or two for extra nourishment.  Mr. Toad was so appreciative of all she had done for him while he was recovering he gave her a gift card to the market for dried worms. “Oh, Mr Toad it was my pleasure to care for you, you don’t have to do this but I am so glad you are “ and they both laughed.

Later that day Sheriff Billy Badger came by and he and Mr Theodore Toad spoke of the need to catch the food thief that was loose in the forest. “I have received many complaints in the last two days”, the Sheriff told him, ” and this thing seems  able to stalk from the ground and fly through the trees to capture someone else’s prey”

“You don’t say Sheriff, I believe I know what it is and if I am correct they are an endangered species,  have you heard of the Pine marten, sheriff?” “Of course ” replied the sheriff, “we will have a time catching him long enough to talk to.”

Ms. Jbird, Mrs. Esmeralda Eagle, Mrs. Sly Foxy, Ms. Sheila Slither,Mr. Bob Robin, Mrs. Twila Turtle and all the other  creatures of the forest came together to hear A Proclamation from the Mayor.

PROCLAMATION FROM THE MAJESTIC FOREST

BE IT KNOWN THIS DAY  OF SUMMER SOLTICE

JUNE 20, 2012

A  REWARD OF 500 FOREST CASH

WILL BE GIVEN TO THE  FIRST

FOREST CREATURE TO BRING
FORTH THE  MARAUDER KNOWN AS

PINE MARTEN

THIS PINE MARTEN IS AN ENDANGERED SPECIES

AND VERY QUICK

PLEASE PROVIDE ANY AND ALL INFORMATION TO SHERIFF BILLY BADGER .

Three days later  Penelope Porcupine brought to the Mayor the exact location of the Pine martens habitat and in so doing Mr. Theodore Toad and Sheriff Billy Badger,
paid a brief visit to the gentleman to caution him and make him welcome to the  ”MAJESTIC FOREST’ as long as he followed the rules. Once explained to Peter Pine marten, he was agreeable to follow and gave his word that he would do his own hunting and foraging from here on out.

The following week if you went to the door of  Mr Theodore Toad you would find  he had left a note saying  ” Greetings citizenry of “MAJESTIC FOREST” I have departed for a place known only to myself and a few close friends, I shall be gone for ten days without any way of communicating. All Mayoral business will be conducted  with Ms. Polly O’Possum at the tree four to the west of here and six trees to the south in the Jacaranda.
Sincerely, Mayor Theodore Toad.