Gord sighed, his breath forming a brief mist in the crisp autumn morning. The zoo was closed. No visitors that day. He wondered what he would do, for on days like this there was precious little to do. Not that Gord had to have others around all the time, but he didn’t always like to be alone.
His thoughts were interrupted when he glanced across the path in front of his home. The aviary long under construction appeared to finally be complete. Gord noticed that the homes for the larger birds were directly across from his. “I hope that doesn’t scare my friend Cherie the thrasher,” he said softly to himself. It didn’t appear anyone had yet moved in, though. Too bad.
Gord started to turn around and walk toward his little cave at the back of his home for a nap when he suddenly stopped, as he thought he heard something inside the aviary. As best he could look past the tree located just inside this section of the aviary’s front fence, put there with the thought being the birds would perch there so visitors could better see it, he tried to see what was happening. He saw a small door open at the back of the aviary. Then, a pair of hands holding something covered by a sack came into view. One of the hands reached on top of the sack and quickly pulled it away. Then both disappeared and the door clanged shut, leaving behind…
“Why, hello,” said Gord to the bald eagle who after a moment of shaking their head and looking over their surroundings had flown to the tree branch in the front of their space in the aviary.
“Hiya,” replied the eagle in an unmistakably female voice. She continued, “You must be Gord. Cherie told me about you. I’m Penny.”
“I’m very glad to meet you, Miss Penny,” Gord smiled. “It’s good to see someone finally move in over there. And might I add, I could not have hoped for a prettier neighbor.”
Penny laughed. “Cherie is right; you are a silly bear. But thank you. And this certainly a better home than what I had before. Still, it is strange to be moving here today.”
“Why is that?”
“Don’t you know what day this is?”
“Why, no. I was wondering why no one was here, though.”
“It’s Thanksgiving, Gord.”
Gord was puzzled. “Thanksgiving? Wasn’t that last month?”
Penny laughed again. “Not here. Today is the day when… well, when everyone gets together to have a meal and gives thanks for what they have.”
“I see. Why, we should celebrate it, then.”
Penny gave Gord a funny look. “You are more than silly. You’ve over there and I’m in here.”
“Why, we’ll have to change that.”
Much to Penny’s surprise, Gord walked to the back of his home and disappeared into what Penny figured was a small cave. To her even greater surprise, a few moments later she heard the door in her cage opening, followed by the sight of Gord’s head sticking out. He smiled and said, “Why, hello again.”
“But how… how did you get over here?” stammered Penny as she flew down to where Gord was.
“Why, I walked, of course.”
“But how did you get out of your home?”
Gord smiled again. “Follow me and I’ll show you.” With that Gord pulled his head back and reached out with his paw to hold the door open as Penny carefully walked through. Now behind the aviary, she followed Gord a few feet to what looked like a large rock. He pushed it aside, revealing a tunnel.
“The zookeepers have many of these to get around,” said Gord as he walked into the tunnel, Penny following behind. “Luckily, they’re big enough for me, and the zookeepers don’t know I know they’re here.” He chuckled a little as he added, “They also don’t know the door to one at the back of my little cave only looks like I can’t open it. And here we are.” Gord pushed open a door, and after walking through his cave both Gord and Penny were in Gord’s home.
“Over here.” Gord motioned to his untouched meal. “Why, I’m not certain what these red berries are, but I hear they’re very tasty. Please, try one.”
“But then what will you eat?”
Gord smiled. “Why, I was going to skip today. There’s a bit too much bear right now. Please, try one.”
While cranberries were hardly Penny’s dietary mainstay, for the sake of being polite she did try one. To her surprise, it was good. She looked up at Gord and smiled. “Thank you.”
“Why, you’re welcome.”
Penny dipped down to eat another cranberry. When she came back up, to her surprise she noticed a worried look on Gord’s face.
“You’re not afraid I’m going to eat them all, are you? I’m done now.”
“No, it’s not that. Why, you may have them all if you wish. It’s that… well… you’re not going to fly away, are you? Nothing is preventing you.”
Penny smiled. “Silly bear. I’m not going anywhere. I’d rather stay here.”
“Why, that’s wonderful… but wouldn’t you rather be outside?”
Penny’s smile faded as she replied, “No. But let’s not talk about it now. Some day, perhaps.” Her smile returned as she added, “Besides, I have my buddy Cherie here. And a silly bear, too.”
Gord smiled in relief. “Why, that is so kind of you, Penny.” With that the two headed back to Gord’s cave so Penny could return to her new home, from where she and Gord spent the day chatting and laughing across the path Penny now knew didn’t really separate her from her new friend.
