Reader tells a quail of a story

Dear Editor:

There was five inches of fresh snow in our yard this morning. When I went outside to shovel off the driveway, I noticed a couple dozen California quail walking up from the garden. Their bellies were pushing through the snow like little boats on a white-water ocean. Their feet must have been madly churning away under the snow, but I could not see any part of their legs. It sure looked like exhausting work for them.

While I was clearing snow off the driveway, I noticed the quail had gathered together under our yew bush. They would look at me and then mutter to each other and then look back at me. Whenever they were muttering, the feather tuffs on their heads would bob back and forth. I stopped shovelling and watched them intently. I could hear their muttering, but had no idea what they were discussing, although I knew it had something to do with me.

After they had an extra long discussion, which was accompanied by much head bobbing and head shaking, the smallest quail was pushed out of the group and it hesitantly head in my direction. I watched in awe as it slowly approached. When it got very close, it extended its left wing and wrote in the snow: “Snowshoes you make us.”

I was astonished, not to mention speechless. The little quail just stood at my feet with its head cocked to one side looking up at me.

Finally I regained my composure and said, “You want me to make you snowshoes?”

The little quail nodded vigorously and its head feathers bounced back and forth wildly. The little quail then looked over at the group under the yew bush and nodded a few times. They were all watching us very carefully. Then the little quail extended its left wing again and wrote in the snow: “Need 31 pair.”

I was dumbfounded. The little quail just stood there, with its head cocked, looking up at me.

I said, “That”s a lot of work. It will take a long time.”

The little quail extended its left wing once more and wrote: “We wait.” Lloyd Atkins, Vernon