Moth was warming in the morning sun –

snoozing on a log at the edge of the wood.

Butterfly settled on a petal and blinked.

“You look mizzy, moth. Tell me – what’s up?”

Moth looked at her with his soft black eyes.

“I’m just snoozing in the sun,” he whispered.

 

Butterfly fluttered her dazzling wings.

“No, no!” she squeaked.

“You look so dull and mizzy, moth.

I think you need cheering up! ”

“But I’m always like this on a sunny summer’s day.”

Butterfly wasn’t listening.

“I know what you need – some bright, flowery colours!”

Moth breathed a soft and downy sigh.

“I must tell everyone you’re mizzy.

I’m sure they’ll all want to make you better!”

Butterfly flitted towards a flurry of flowers.

She spotted stoat skulking in nettles.

“Moth is mizzy.

He needs cheering up.

I’m taking some colours.

What can you bring?”

Stoat skittered across a stony path.

“I expect he needs some food.

I’ll bring an egg from a nest in the reeds!”

 

 

 

Butterfly weaved through the warm, silky breeze.

She spotted woodpecker drumming on a tree.

“Moth is mizzy.

He needs cheering up.

I’m taking some colours and stoat is bringing an egg.

What can you bring?”

Woodpecker stopped drilling a hole in her tree.

“I expect he needs some music.

I’ll bring my mate and we’ll drum a duet!”

 

Butterfly frolicked above a sparkling stream.

She spotted water vole by his hole.

“Moth is mizzy.

He needs cheering up.

I’m taking some colours, stoat is bringing an egg,

and woodpecker is bringing her musical mate.

What can you bring?”

Water vole wiped weed from his whiskers.

“I expect he needs a drink on this very dry day.

I’ll dive into the stream and bring him cool water.”

 

Butterfly twirled through a swirl of seeds.

She spotted deer in the shadows.

“Moth is mizzy.

He needs cheering up.

I’m taking some colours, stoat is bringing an egg,

woodpecker is bringing her musical mate,

and water vole is bringing cool water.

What can you bring?”

Deer pawed the soft, leaf-fallen ground.

“I expect he needs some shade from the sun.

I’ll bring a great, green leaf to cover him!”

 

 

 

Soon all the creatures were gathered around –

where the sun and the shadows danced on the ground.

Moth was still warming in the morning sun

and snoozing on a log at the edge of the wood.

“Look,” they all cried, “moth looks mizzy!”

Moth looked up at them with his soft, startled eyes.

“But I’m always like this on a sunny summer’s day.”

No one was listening.

“We’ve come to cheer you up.”

Moth breathed a soft and downy sigh.

 

Butterfly called, “I’ve brought you some wild and wonderful colours!”

And she sprinkled them all over moth.

Stoat called, “I’ve brought you a warm, speckled egg from the reeds!”

And he broke it with his teeth over moth.

Woodpecker called, “I’ve brought you some music!”

And then to the sound of a drumming duet, woodchips tumbled over moth.

Water vole called, “I’ve brought you cool water!”

And he shook his drenched fur all over moth.

Deer called, “I’ve brought you a great, green leaf from the wood!”

And she carefully draped it over moth.

 

The dusty colours tickled his nose.

The runny egg stuck to his wings.

The drumming birds hurt his ears.

The river water stung his eyes.

The great green leaf made him cold.

 

 

 

Moth shivered,

Moth sniffed,

Moth spluttered,

Moth coughed,

And then moth gave an almighty sneeze – achoo !

 

And up flew – the leaf;

Up flew – the river water;

Up flew – the woodchips;

Up flew – the runny egg;

Up flew – the dusty colours;

Up, up – up in the air

and showered everyone who was there.

 

Moth looked up with his soft, smiling eyes.

“I’m not mizzy,” he whispered. “I’m just snoozing in the sun.”

 

© Charlie Wilson 2013