Rodee and the Empty Birdhouse
An Adventure of the Flyers
Morning was Rodee's favorite time to fly.
He climbed into Look-See, pulled down his goggles, and started the engine.
Put-put-put-put...
The propeller spun faster.
“Let's go see what's going on.”
Look-See bounced across the grass, lifted over the fence, and climbed into the morning sky.
Rodee banked around the old oak and headed toward the far end of the yard.
WHOOSH!
A gust of wind caught Look-See under one wing.
The little plane tipped hard to the side.
“Hang on!”
Rodee pulled back, kicked the rudder, and Look-See straightened out.
A few leaves went spinning past the cockpit.
Rodee grinned.
“Good morning to you, too.”
From up there, Rodee could see the whole yard waking up.
A robin hunted through the grass.
A squirrel raced along the fence.
Two birds flew past with pieces of dry grass dangling from their beaks.
“Morning!” Rodee called.
“Morning, Rodee!”
Then something below caught his eye.
The little cedar birdhouse.
Still empty.
Rodee had been watching that house for days.
Other birdhouses had visitors.
Birds landed nearby. They peeked inside. Sometimes they came back.
But not this one.
Rodee pulled Look-See into a turn.
“Let's have another look.”
He flew lower this time.
And that's when he spotted a wren sitting on the fence.
Rodee throttled back and circled overhead.
“Hey! Have you seen anybody around that birdhouse?”
The wren looked up.
“Sure.”
Rodee nearly missed his turn.
“You have?”
“Yesterday. Two birds flew over. One even landed on the roof.”
“What happened?”
The wren shrugged.
“They left.”
“Why?”
“How should I know? Ask them.”
And off she went.
Rodee shook his head.
“Wrens.”
Rodee continued his rounds.
Over the garden. Along the fence. Around the old oak.
Then he spotted another chickadee on a branch.
Rodee brought Look-See around.
“Did you look at that empty birdhouse yesterday?” Rodee asked.
“Maybe,” said the chickadee.
“Did you land on the roof?”
“Maybe.”
Rodee waited.
“Well?”
The chickadee looked toward the birdhouse.
“Nice house.”
“But?” Rodee asked.
The chickadee looked at the trees. Then the shrubs. Then back at the lonely birdhouse.
“Just wasn't for me.”
WHOOSH!
He was gone.
Rodee stared after him.
“What does THAT mean?”
Rodee decided there was only one way to find out.
He turned Look-See toward the birdhouse and dropped lower.
The grass rushed beneath the wheels.
BUMP! BUMP!
Look-See touched down.
Rodee climbed out and flew up to inspect the birdhouse.
The roof was fine.
The entrance was clear.
Nothing was loose. Nothing was broken.
Rodee looked at the little house.
“So what's wrong with you?”
The birdhouse didn't answer.
Rodee walked around the house again.
He was almost ready to give up when he remembered the chickadee.
The trees.
The shrubs.
Rodee slowly looked around.
The little house stood by itself, away from the wooded edge where he'd seen the other birds.
Rodee looked at the house.
Then toward the trees.
Then back at the house.
His eyes widened.
“Maybe there's nothing wrong with you at all.”
Rodee ran toward Look-See.
Rodee jumped into the cockpit.
PUT-PUT-PUT-ROOOAR!
Look-See raced across the grass and climbed.
Over the fence.
Around the oak.
Down across the yard.
A low branch appeared ahead.
“YIKES!”
Rodee ducked as leaves scattered across the windshield.
He looked back.
“Probably should've gone around that.”
But there was no time for that now.
He had to get to Mission Control.
Mission Control heard Look-See coming.
Rodee landed, climbed out, and told him everything.
The empty house.
The wren.
The chickadee.
The trees and shrubs.
Mission Control looked toward the birdhouse.
Then toward the wooded edge.
“You think the house is in the wrong place?”
Rodee nodded.
“I think it's worth a try.”
So they moved it to a quieter spot nearer the wooded edge, with a clear way for birds to reach the entrance.
Mission Control stepped back.
“Now what?”
“Now we wait.”
Rodee frowned.
He wasn't very good at waiting.
The next morning Rodee flew past.
Nothing.
He checked again that afternoon.
Still nothing.
The following morning...
Nothing again.
Rodee circled the house once.
Then twice.
Maybe he'd been wrong.
He sighed and turned Look-See toward home.
Then—
WAIT.
Something moved below.
Rodee swung Look-See around.
There, at the entrance, sat a little bird.
It looked left.
It looked right.
Then it leaned forward...
and peeked inside.
Rodee held his breath.
The little bird disappeared through the opening.
Rodee smiled.
He didn't know if it would stay.
He didn't know if it would come back tomorrow.
But it was looking.
And Rodee understood that better than anybody.
He tipped Look-See's wing and headed for home.
Then he thought about it.
Rodee grinned and pulled the little plane into one more turn.
After all...
one more look couldn't hurt.
The End
Another Adventure of the Flyers