Ralphie’s BFF’s . . . Bird Friends Forever

Ralphie and his sister Charlotte love to play in the yard. But Ralphie does not like birds. Whenever a bird lands in his backyard, he barks and chases the bird away. “Ralphie,” Mommy says, “you should be nice to the birds!” “But I can’t be nice to birds. I’m a dog and everyone knows dogs aren’t supposed to like birds!” “Why not?” asks Charlotte. “Because…well, I don’t know why not, we’re just NOT, that’s all,” Ralphie announces. Later…after unexpectedly being forced into…of all things… “birdsitting” (Ack!) for two very special, adorable little birdies, Homer and Peep: Something interesting happens. Ralphie starts to notice that Homer and Peep are very pretty colors and they sing very pretty songs. “I never noticed those things about birds before,” he thinks. “I guess I was too busy chasing them”. The more Ralphie watches Homer and Peep, the more he learns about them. And before he knows it, Ralphie decides that he DOES like birds! Ralphie tells Charlotte, “They like to play with toys, just like us.” “Their favorite time of day is when it’s time to eat, just like us.” “They like to splash in puddles, just like us.” “Hmpf! Speak for yourself!” Charlotte protests. “They don’t like to get their cage cleaned,” Ralphie adds, “just like we don’t like to take a bath or get our fur brushed.” “But I LOVE to take a bath and get my fur brushed,” Charlotte says. “Well you’re weird!” Ralphie barks, while hiding from the dreaded grooming. “And they love getting special treats, just like us,” Ralphie points out. Charlotte admits, “Okay, I’ll give you that one.” Sometimes, as we get to know unexpected new friends, we realize we have more in common than we ever realized and our new best friends may turn out to surprise and delight us!