Ozette's Destiny Read online

  Pants On Fire Press, Winter Garden 34787

  Text copyright © 2013 by Judy Pierce

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form by any means without written permission from the publisher, Pants On Fire Press. For information contact Pants On Fire Press.

  All names, places, incidents, and characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Illustrations and art copyright © 2013 by Pants On Fire Press

  Art by Natalia Nesterova

  Book design by David M. F. Powers

  The publisher is not responsible for recipes or websites (or their content).

  First edition: 2013

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file.

  Visit us at www.PantsOnFirePress.com

  eBook ISBN: 978-0-9860373-0-6

  Softcover ISBN: 978-0-9827271-9-5

  This book is dedicated to The Divine Miss Piddlewinks, the squirrel who started me on this amazing journey.

  "Judy Pierce’s wonderful white squirrel, Ozette, represents white squirrels everywhere but more than that, she lives in a magical world inhabited by fairies, elves, animals who talk, and sheer enchantment. This book appeals to children of all ages, including those who haven’t seen a real child in decades. Come and lose yourself in Pierce’s Farlandia. You’ll relish the trip."

  Darlene Arden

  Certified Animal Behavior Consultant

  Author, The Complete Cat’s Meow, Small Dogs, Big Hearts, Rover Get Off Her Leg!

  This book would not exist without the encouragement and support of the many friends who loved reading the Ozette stories online. You are the best! Thanks to my children, especially my daughter, Gail, who insisted that I write the book and to my grandson, Madison, who sat in the back seat of our Subaru while I read the manuscript all the way from Tennessee to North Carolina. Thanks to Author Darlene Arden for her encouragement and for loaning me her fairy friend, Ariel, the impish fairy in this book. Many thanks to friend and editor DanaRae Pomeroy who offered wonderful counsel as I fleshed out the story. Big thanks to fellow author Julie Casey who designed my web page. My thanks to the wildlife rehabilitators who taught me so much about the bond between humans and squirrels. I am grateful to the squirrels and Bichons who have shared our lives, teaching and enriching us, especially one very special white squirrel named Ozette. Thanks to the wonderful folks at Pants on Fire Press who made me feel such a part of their team – Becca, my editor, Cris, from marketing, Natalia, who designed the beautiful artwork and David, my publisher. You are great! A huge thank you to my wonderful husband, Jim, who encouraged my “overactive imagination” and who supported me every step of the way.

  Dedication

  Forward

  Chapter 1 - A Scruffy Nest Guest

  Chapter 2 - What Goes Up, Must Come Down

  Chapter 3 - Flying High – Maxwell to the Rescue

  Chapter 4 - An Unexpected Reward

  Chapter 5 - The Gift of the Acorn

  Chapter 6 - The Word is Out

  Chapter 7 - Up the Creek with a Paddle

  Chapter 8 - Skydiving, Minus the Parachute

  Chapter 9 - Skydiving Squirrels

  Chapter 10 - The Metamorphosis of Oliver

  Chapter 11 - A Delicious Opportunity?

  Chapter 12 - A Sticky Situation

  Chapter 13 - Oliver’s Misadventure

  Chapter 14 - A Pink Blob Indeed!

  Chapter 15 - The Floured Apron Caper

  Chapter 16 - Where, Oh Where, Have Oliver’s Boxers Gone?

  Chapter 17 - Hail Queen Ozette!

  Chapter 18 - The Secret of the Acorn

  Recipes

  About the Author

  If you’re lucky enough to slip through the thin veil that separates Earth World from the magical kingdoms, you might encounter Farland, a vast territory of lakes, babbling streams, rolling meadows, mountains and gentle forests ruled by Queen Beatrix. It’s an enchanting land filled with fairies, elves, a wise and kind princess and animals living extraordinary lives. It’s also a land of unexplored adventures and magical moments.

  And if you venture to the far western corner of Farland, you’ll find the most exquisite jewel in the territory: an old-growth forest called Farlandia, a lush woodland rich with giant hardwoods, evergreens, fern groves and flowing streams lined with lush moss banks.

  And if you look high up to the top of the tallest ancient maple tree, you will find a unique squirrel named Ozette. When she first arrived, no one in the forest had ever seen a squirrel like her, for her coat was a bright white, except for a small splash of gray on her forehead and a hint of pale gray down the center of her back.

  Ozette had appeared in Farlandia three full-moon cycles ago during the mild winter and claimed the stately maple tree for her home. Although shy at first, she quickly became a favorite among the fairies, elves and other woodland creatures because of her kindness, loyalty and fun-loving nature.

  She was a gracious and generous hostess, and it wasn’t unusual to see friends gathering under her tree to sip tea and chat before their afternoon naps. Though most of the time she chattered away happily and fussed over her friends, she sometimes had a sad, faraway look in her dark eyes when she thought no one was looking. But her friends were reluctant to pry into Ozette’s past, thinking it may be impolite, so they never asked too many questions.

  Milligan Mouse, who could never keep his mouth shut, once asked Ozette if she was born in some exotic tree that bore glistening white nuts.

  “Could that be why you’re a white squirrel?” he asked, his dark eyes bright with curiosity.

  Ozette had simply smiled and passed around a plate of walnut-encrusted jumbledberry scones.

  Once, a fairy mistakenly referred to her coloration as albino and Ozette gently shook her head. She related to all creatures that were different, and she certainly admired the beauty of the unusual albino foxes, bears and other albino creatures. But she also didn’t want, or need, to pretend to be someone she was not.

  One spring afternoon, when the ice had disappeared from the forest ponds and succulent buds were swelling on the trees, Ozette lay stretched out full-length on her tree limb. Her back legs dangled down either side of the limb and her chin rested on her front paws. She was just dozing off after playing a rousing game of “kick the acorn” with her fairy friends when she heard a soft whine. She first ignored the sound, thinking she was dreaming. When she heard it again, louder this time, she peered sleepily over the side of the branch. Her eyes sprang wide open when she saw a scruffy white creature sitting under her tree, looking forlorn and confused. She crept cautiously down her tree to get a better look.

  The creature looked a little like the beautiful dog Cassady who often accompanied the queen’s sister, Princess Abrianna. Like Cassady, this creature had four legs, two ears and a tail…but was much, much smaller. And much, much dirtier. While the princess’ dog was a silky, shiny golden retriever, this little creature was small and white – well, mostly white.

  There were several dirty places on its rump, where it had apparently sat in some mud. It had a very black nose, dark button eyes, long floppy ears and a snowy plumed tail that curled over its back, similar to Ozette’s own majestic tail.

  “Excuse me,” Ozette said timidly as she poked her head around the tree trunk, ready to make a hasty retreat if the creature proved hostile. “Who are you?”

  The creature looked startled and craned its neck to see who was speaking.

  “Oh hello,” it said, walking over to the tree. Noting Ozette’s hesitancy, it assured her. “Don’t worry. I won’t chase you. Chasing little animals
is how I got myself into this mess in the first place.”

  “Um, exactly what kind of animal are you?” Ozette asked.

  The creature drew itself up to its full height, which wasn’t more than ten inches, but still well over twice as tall as Ozette.

  “I am a royal canine. In fact, I’m Queen Beatrix’s beloved companion. My name is Duchess Zorina Muffaroonie, but my queen calls me Duchess Zorina,” she said proudly. “I am a Bichon Frise, a dog of royalty.”

  Then the little dog’s bravado failed and her head dropped low. Looking plaintively at Ozette, she whimpered, “and I’m lost, very lost.”

  Lost? How could anyone get lost in these woods? You just had to follow your animal instincts, Ozette thought, but didn’t say out loud because she didn’t want to hurt the little dog’s feelings.

  “My name is Ozette and I live here,” she introduced herself. “How ever did you end up in the forest?”

  The dog sat at the base of the tree and looked up at Ozette.

  “I’m never allowed outside the palace alone. I’m a house pet, you see, but I’ve always wanted to see the outside world. When the cook left the back door open for a minute, I saw my chance and ran out into the backyard. Then I saw a rabbit bounding down the lawn and I couldn’t stop myself from running after it.”

  Seeing the sudden look of horror on the squirrel’s face, Duchess Zorina quickly added, “but it was just for fun. I would never ever hurt a rabbit, or any other creature.”

  “Then what happened?” Ozette asked.

  The dog whimpered again. “I fell into a river and the strong current carried me far away from my queen. When the water finally calmed down, I was able to scramble onto shore. I’ve spent three nights in these woods,” she said, shivering. “I’m cold and hungry, and I want to go home. If I ever get back to the royal castle, I’ll never leave my queen’s lap again.”

  Ozette thought for a minute and took pity on the miserable little creature. “It’s supposed to be drizzly and cold this evening. You’ll need warm shelter and food. There’s room in my nesting hole for both of us. I don’t suppose you can climb a tree?” she asked hopefully.

  “I’m a dog, not a monkey!” Duchess Zorina squeaked. “I’m accustomed to sleeping on a lavender satin pillow, not scrambling up tree trunks. Oh, what am I to do?” the little dog asked anxiously as she paced beneath the tree.

  “How to get you up the tree…hmm...” Ozette pondered, tapping her paw on her chin. Her brain may have only been the size of a walnut, but it was fast and creative. Suddenly she motioned for the dog to stay there and scampered up her tree.

  “GWACK! GWACK! GWACK!” she shouted, her tail flagging wildly as she explained her dilemma to whatever forest friends were listening.

  Duchess Zorina put her paws over her ears at the shrill sound.

  Within seconds, there came an answering “GWACK! GWACK!” After several more “GWACK GWACKS” and a couple of “TWARK TWARKS,” five husky gray squirrels came bounding through the treetops to Ozette’s tree.

  They stopped short when they saw the little white dog.

  “This is what you need our help with…a dog?!” Guido, the biggest gray, asked, as he glared suspiciously. “It won’t chase us, will it?”

  “I’m not an it,” Duchess Zorina said. “I’m a she, and a royal she at that. I don’t chase squirrels,” she said, then muttered under her breath, “unless they call me names, of course.”

  “You know who could help?” said another muscular male named Rowdy. “Princess Abrianna. We could take the mutt over to her cottage. She’s the queen’s sister and will know what to do, especially since it thinks it’s royalty.”

  “Mutt! Did you call me a mutt?” Duchess Zorina squeaked indignantly.

  “Mutt, dog, whatever,” Guido said shrugging and turning back to the group. “I saw Princess Abrianna yesterday, camping near Moonlight Creek. But I don’t know when she’ll return to her cottage in Farlandia.”

  The other males were quiet, assessing the situation.

  “Come on, guys. Have some sympathy for our poor guest,” Ozette pleaded. “She’s cold, hungry, tired and needs our help. We need to hoist her up into my nest so she can have something to eat and sleep here tonight. Then I’ll need you to come back tomorrow morning to help carry her down the tree. And then I’ll try to get her home. Someway. Somehow. One problem at a time.”

  “Well, Ozette, our first problem is that nesting hole of yours isn’t big enough for her to fit through,” said Rowdy, eying the plump dog compared to the little round nesting hole.

  Ozette hurried up her tree and, using her razor-sharp teeth, enlarged the hole until it was just big enough for the little dog to fit through, she hoped. She could repair it later.

  “Done!” she said efficiently.

  The squirrels gathered around the dog, Grady and Rowdy pulling from the front and the other squirrels, Grayson, Dooley and Guido, pushing from the back. Slowly, they began tugging the white dog up the tall maple tree.

  “How can such a little puffball weigh so much?” Rowdy said, tugging at the dog.

  “I am not overweight, I am just really fluffy,” Duchess Zorina protested, her dark eyes filling with tears.

  Ozette put her paws on her ample hips. “That was very unkind, Rowdy. I expect better from my squirrel friends.”

  Rowdy hung his head and mumbled a contrite, “Sorry.”

  “Look, guys. She’s been outside on her own for three nights. Quit with the insults and just help me.”

  Push. Grunt. Shove. It was slow work, but they finally pushed and pulled the exhausted dog up the tree and into Ozette’s nest.

  As the big gray squirrels stood huffing and puffing, Ozette thanked them kindly and said she’d see them in the morning when they came back to carry the dog down. All the squirrels groaned in unison.

  “I don’t know, Ozette,” Grayson, the smallest of the squirrels, said worriedly as they exited the nesting hole. “Getting her down will be much harder than hoisting her up. And what if we drop her? It’s a long way to the ground.”

  The little dog shuddered. Ozette patted her soft, fluffy head.

  “Don’t worry, Duchess Zorina. I’ll think of something. Remember, we’re solving one problem at a time.”

  After the gray squirrels left, Ozette began searching through her stash of food to find dinner for her unexpected guest.

  “Our cook usually fixes me a nice juicy steak,” Duchess Zorina suggested hopefully.

  Ozette shook her head in disbelief. Clearly she was not cooking a steak inside her nest. Instead she offered her guest some homemade pecan snookeroons and a jumbledberry scone. The little dog ate hungrily then curled up amidst the leaves, feathers and mosses that blanketed Ozette’s cozy nest.

  “Thank you for being so kind to me,” she said sleepily. “I don’t mean to be such a bother. It’s just that I’m not used to this outdoor woodsy stuff and I’m scared.”

  Ozette patted the dog gently on her back. “I’ll get you home. Somehow.”

  And then Ozette did something she never thought she would do, as it wasn’t every day that she had a dog sharing her nest. The two-pound squirrel cuddled up next to a ten-pound dog and fell sound asleep, only to be awakened several times by Duchess Zorina running in her sleep and yipping softly during a dog-dream. Ozette gently rested her paw on the dog’s nose to calm her, and the two fell back into quiet slumber.

  Ozette was awakened early by Duchess Zorina’s stirring. The little dog was looking anxiously out the hole down to the ground below.

  “Ozette, thank you for letting me sleep up here. I feel so safe with you, but I’m really scared to have those squirrels trying to get me down this tree. What if I fall? I don’t think they like me very much, anyway.”

  “They just don’t quite know what to make of you,” Ozette said. “But I may have an idea to get you down this tree that doesn’t involve pushing and pulling.”

  Ozette gave Duchess Zorina some leftover walnut banana bread an
d climbed out onto her limb. “BWACK! BWACK!” she called, this time for another group of special friends.

  A few minutes later, Ozette’s fairy friends Ariel, Sydney and Annika came flitting over, their gossamer wings shining in the morning sun. They were followed by Oliver, Ozette’s dearest elf friend, who flew close behind and performed a spectacular array of intricate flips and dips before landing on Ozette’s tree.

  After explaining her dilemma, Ozette told her winged pals her new plan to bring the dog back down to the ground.

  “Whoa,” Ariel exclaimed, her violet eyes wide. “That will take a whole flock of us.”

  Oliver cupped his chin in his hands. His pointed ears were twitching, a sure sign he was thinking.

  “I think we can do it,” he said confidently. “Just give me a few minutes to gather the forces.”

  Off he flew while the fairies flitted into Ozette’s nest to meet the new visitor. Duchess Zorina had never seen a fairy before, since most of them typically stayed in the far reaches of the woodlands, which were nowhere near the palace. Fascinated by the diminutive creatures, she sniffed Ariel’s glossy black curls and pointed ears. Annika offered the dog her delicate hand, and Duchess Zorina held up her own paw to shake. Sydney giggled as Duchess Zorina licked the fairy’s nut-brown face with an affectionate dog kiss.

  While the group dined on honeysuckle tea and nutty fruitinas, Ozette told Duchess Zorina her new plan and the dog’s mouth dropped wide open.

  “You think that will work?” she asked.

  Ozette nodded confidently. She didn’t want the dog to know that this was their only good option since the burley squirrels were so doubtful they could carry her safely down the tree.

  Suddenly they heard a loud whirring noise. Ozette stuck her head out of the tree and beheld the most awesome sight: Hundreds of fairies and elves were flying in a “V” formation toward her nest.