On Mended Fences

Early the next morning, sunlight broke through the clouds in thin rays and streams, struggling to keep the rain away. Steam rose from the surface of Beaver Pond. The lily pads swayed with the gentle current stirred by both the Otters and Muskrats. Beyond that though, the pond was silent.
Some stayed and some went, but everyone who enjoyed Kit Fox's grilled cheesy-worm sandwiches and tomato soup ended up spending a good part of the night sleeping it off.
Booey and Gus had stayed at the Fox house for a sleepover. As usual, Booey was the first to wake up. He was also the first to venture outside the Fox house. The grove was covered in small pieces of tomato. It was a terrible mess that someone would have to clean up.
Booey looked around, picked up some tomatoes, then set them in a small pile. As he cleaned up the pieces of tomato from trees and plants and off the ground around him, he realized cleaning up the tomatoes was not a one-skunk-job. He went back to the Fox house and gently grabbed Kit by the paw.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"You'll see," she said.
He led her out in front of the house and down past the creek. Trees and bushes and vines were splattered with bits and pieces of red tomato.
"Oh dear, what a terrible mess," she said.
Booey began picking up more tomatoes, but Kit stopped him.
"You'll never do this all by yourself."
"We could do it together," he said.
"That is an excellent idea, Booey. We will do it together. Since everyone helped to make the mess, they can pitch in and clean it up."
"I think that is a good idea."
"Why thank you Booey, but it was your idea."
"I guess it was," said Booey.
Booey and Kit started by gathering volunteers at the Fox house.
"Good morning, good morning, good morning," Kit Fox announced to the living room as she opened the front door. Her voice was quite loud.
"Mornmuff schmurfalth," Gus mumbled in his sleep.
"You promised me, Gus. Now rise and shine and let us clean up the forest."
Gus rolled around and laid there for a few moments. Kit went over to Nate and poked him in the side. He also turned away from her. She moved in closer and touched her cold snout to his cheek.
"Mother! You're making me cold!" he cried out.
"It's time to get up," she said.
So Nate got up and bathed himself in the tide pool. The cold water sent a chill through him. Quickly, he was wide awake. He always loved the way a rinse in the stream would stir him to life.
Inside the Fox house however, Augustus Nottagator was busy doing everything in his power to get a few more minutes of warm and cozy sleep.
Nate returned from the stream and shook himself dry. That gave Kit Fox an idea. A devilish gleam crossed her face as she whispered the wake-up plan to the boys.
They all snuck out to the stream and got their fur good and wet. They returned and on the count of three, they all shook the excess water off their bodies. Water sprayed throughout the entire living room. The cold, cold water startled Gus from his slumber. He quickly rose to his feet and tried to escape his surprise shower. It was too late. He had been awakened.
"Good," said Kit, "Now that waking up Gus is taken care of we can eat some breakfast and round up some more volunteers to help with the clean up."
Kit fed the children a breakfast of blueberries and trout. The children gobbled up everything on their plates. Now they were almost ready to clean up the forest.
Kit led Gus and Booey and Nate on a hike to Albatross’ house. When they arrived at the Hickory tree where Albatross lived, Kit gently prodded Gus towards the front door. Gus knocked on the hollow trunk of Albatross' tree. A loud rustling of feathers and squawking noises came from high in the tree. Feet pounded down through the hollow trunk. Finally, Albatross' head popped out to greet them.
"What do you want?" he asked Gus.
"I just wanted to apologize."
"Thank you for apologizing, but you could have saved us both a great deal of time and trouble by not knocking at all."
"No, I was apologizing for messing up your garden."
"So it was you! I should have figured!"
"I am very sorry."
"Squawk! That’s all I ever hear! I'm sorry! I won't do it again! Squawk! Eventually you kids will have apologized for everything you've ever done and what will you have then?"
Gus stared blankly at Albatross.
"Nothing. You will be out of troubles to make. You will have made them all!"
"Albatross, please, He said he was sorry. We will clean it all up," said Kit Fox.
"I think he's done enough already."
"Please?" she asked again. Kit Fox always had a way of making sure Albatross’ temper did not get away from him.
"Alright, I accept your apology, Gus."
Gus nodded to Albatross and then stuck out a paw for Albatross to shake. Albatross stuck out a wing and they shook on it. Kit smiled and thanked Albatross again. Albatross closed his front door and settled back into his nest for a little nap.
"Okay boys, we have some work to do," said Kit.
"We need volunteers," said Booey.
"We do, and I know exactly where to start," said Kit. She led the boys through the woods to the Otter house at the far side of the pond. She barked a few times. One of the otters popped his head out, followed by several others.
"Rise and shine," she said. The otter pups simply stared at Kit Fox.
"It’s time to clean up after yourselves," said Kit. The curious otters looked at Kit and the others, but didn’t respond to her otherwise. Finally, the oldest otter came out and greeted Kit. She told him that something would have to be done with the mess in the grove. Otter led his pups to the grove and they began to clean up the mess they had made. As everyone else cleaned, Kit took Gus to fetch the Opossum twins. They were busy fighting over a tin can.
"Wouldja handit over tah me?" Opaula hissed. Opaul scampered into a tree with the tin can, where Opaula followed.
"Hello?" said Kit. The opossums quickly grabbed onto a branch with their tails and closed their eyes. In a split second, they died right before Kit and Gus’ eyes.
"I know you’re playing dead," said Kit. The twins remained motionless. Gus reached up and gently grabbed Opaul by his nose and gave it a pinch in his teeth.
"Whatcha tryin tah do tah me?" yipped Opaul. "Cantcha see I’m dead here?"
"You don’t look dead," said Gus.
"Well, I am."
"Me too. I’m dead," said Opaula. Her eyes remained closed as she swung back and forth from the tree branch.
"I’ve fixed quite a meal," said Kit. The opossums swung back and forth on the tree branch, still playing dead.
"Trout and frog leg chowder…rotten apple and lettuce salad…"
Opaul opened one eye and snuck a peek at Mother Fox.
"Butternut squash…walnuts…arrowroot soup…"
"I took all I could take, I can take it no more!" shouted Opaul.
He hopped down from the branch and hobbled off toward the tomato mess. Opaul and Opaula joined in and in no time at all, it was as if there had not been a single tomato thrown.
They had even gathered the tomatoes which had not been squashed and piled them in front of Albatross’ door. Kit knocked on Albatross’ door and when he opened it, he was happy to see some of his tomatoes still intact.
"Now there you go," said Kit.
"Why thank you all so very much."
Albatross smiled as he gathered up his fresh, unspoiled tomatoes."Thank you everyone," said Albatross as he wiped a single tear from his eye. It was the best gift he had ever received.