Quill
A conversation with an eagle5 total reviews
Comment from BeasPeas
Hi Cass. This is a wonderful story that stole my heart. I loved it. Wild creatures really are beautiful things. Your experience is amazing. Thank you for sharing as well as for the informative author's note. Marilyn
reply by the author on 05-Mar-2018
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Hi Cass. This is a wonderful story that stole my heart. I loved it. Wild creatures really are beautiful things. Your experience is amazing. Thank you for sharing as well as for the informative author's note. Marilyn
Comment Written 04-Mar-2018
reply by the author on 05-Mar-2018
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Dear Marilyn Thank you for your review on "Quill". I am sorry not to have anything later or more recent that appealed to you, but as my Muse hasn't been particularly co-operative lately, the cupboard is bare. The story is quite true, in fact there was more to it than was written but as there was a 300 word restriction on it, I had to pare it down. I not only touched his shoulder ,but stroked his head too. Even as I slid my hand in through the bars, I felt a thrill of danger, but nothing happened. All he did was close his golden eyes and trill in the back of his throat. I made similar noises to him and we had a magical moment together. Yes, it was wonderful in the truest sense of the word. It's one of those choice memories one keeps to bring out to enjoy at certain times, like a really nice pair of knickers you save for best .Cheers Cass
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Hi Cass. "Knickers we save for best!" I like that. The story was just amazing and as I was reading it, I wondered if it was true or not and when I realized it was--I just shook my head--WOW! What an experience. Marilyn
Comment from hvysmker
I can easily believe that experience, Cass. I once had a similar one with a large rat. At the time I lived in Honolulu. One night while drinking alone in a cheap apartment in a low-rent district I heard noises in my bathroom. Going in, I found a large Norwegian rat, maybe a four or five pounder, thrashing around in my toilet.
Half-drunk, I fished him out and dropped him in a tub next to the commode. I then splashed him with soap and water. After he settled down and dried a bit, I took him outside and let him loose, first making sure no cats were around.
A little background? I once lived in a small village in Japan, in a small grass hut with a thatched roof. Rats lived in the thatch. Sometimes they'd fight and one would drop onto the floor or bed, so I was used to seeing them. Another time, during the Vietnam war, I lived in half a large sewer pipe covered with layers of sandbags. There, I met numerous rats. I didn't bother them and they pretty much left me alone, though I didn't befriend any of them. So by the time I lived in Hawaii I was familiar with them.
Back to the toilet rattie. A week later, same thing, same rat, same result. I began putting a small bowl of water next to the toilet, which soon led to leftover food items, and the rat became a familiar sight.
He'd sleep on an old sweater I left under a table in the living room. Well fed and left alone, he'd spend a lot of time lying there and listening to my drunken babblings. I named him Oscar after a character named "Oscar Madison" on an old television show and we got along famously. Oscar never gave me trouble and stayed around for several months. He kept telling me how his wish was to join a ship's crew and sail around the world like his grandfather had. Well, one day he left. I like to think he got his wish and was not into an altercation with a ... cat.
Long after, when I was writing, I needed an alter ego and resurrected Oscar as a rat writer. So far I've posted around 200 stories here on Fanstory either under his name or at least mentioned him. That damned rat has sold more stories than I have.
Charlie
reply by the author on 09-May-2017
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I can easily believe that experience, Cass. I once had a similar one with a large rat. At the time I lived in Honolulu. One night while drinking alone in a cheap apartment in a low-rent district I heard noises in my bathroom. Going in, I found a large Norwegian rat, maybe a four or five pounder, thrashing around in my toilet.
Half-drunk, I fished him out and dropped him in a tub next to the commode. I then splashed him with soap and water. After he settled down and dried a bit, I took him outside and let him loose, first making sure no cats were around.
A little background? I once lived in a small village in Japan, in a small grass hut with a thatched roof. Rats lived in the thatch. Sometimes they'd fight and one would drop onto the floor or bed, so I was used to seeing them. Another time, during the Vietnam war, I lived in half a large sewer pipe covered with layers of sandbags. There, I met numerous rats. I didn't bother them and they pretty much left me alone, though I didn't befriend any of them. So by the time I lived in Hawaii I was familiar with them.
Back to the toilet rattie. A week later, same thing, same rat, same result. I began putting a small bowl of water next to the toilet, which soon led to leftover food items, and the rat became a familiar sight.
He'd sleep on an old sweater I left under a table in the living room. Well fed and left alone, he'd spend a lot of time lying there and listening to my drunken babblings. I named him Oscar after a character named "Oscar Madison" on an old television show and we got along famously. Oscar never gave me trouble and stayed around for several months. He kept telling me how his wish was to join a ship's crew and sail around the world like his grandfather had. Well, one day he left. I like to think he got his wish and was not into an altercation with a ... cat.
Long after, when I was writing, I needed an alter ego and resurrected Oscar as a rat writer. So far I've posted around 200 stories here on Fanstory either under his name or at least mentioned him. That damned rat has sold more stories than I have.
Charlie
Comment Written 09-May-2017
reply by the author on 09-May-2017
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Dear Fellow Animal Whisperer, Thank you so much for sharing this experience with me . Yes, I have read some of your Oscar stories and he and his companions are most entertaining and readable. It is a gift to be able to find a voice to speak the thoughts we have, and if it's a rat or a bird or anything else we dream up, so be it. I have imagined what Oscar looks like and have come up with a well fed, toothy individual with a habit of speaking out of the corner of his mouth, and a way of whisking his tail if he gets annoyed. He is a rogue, but somehow I feel a liking for him. Rat though he is. Thanks again cheers Cass
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Thanks. I think of Oscar as a cross between Phil Silvers and Ralph Cramdon on the old Jackie Gleason show.
Charlie
Comment from JDRBAR
Just goes to show you that animals and birds get lonely just as much as humans. I'm amazed that you were able to touch him. Their talons can be deadly. Good luck with this in the contest.
reply by the author on 04-May-2017
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Just goes to show you that animals and birds get lonely just as much as humans. I'm amazed that you were able to touch him. Their talons can be deadly. Good luck with this in the contest.
Comment Written 03-May-2017
reply by the author on 04-May-2017
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Thank you for your review and the five stars.It was a moment of such tender trust and warmth that when I reached a finger in he closed his lovely golden eyes and chirruped softly at my touch. A memory of rare beauty indeed. cheers Cass
Comment from oliver818
Nice story. I've had that kind of animal connection moment before too although mostly with cats. But I know birds can be friendly. Thanks for sharing and have a great day
reply by the author on 04-May-2017
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Nice story. I've had that kind of animal connection moment before too although mostly with cats. But I know birds can be friendly. Thanks for sharing and have a great day
Comment Written 03-May-2017
reply by the author on 04-May-2017
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Dear Oliver thank you for your review and the five stars. He was an unusual bird for his kind in that he had been brought in from the wild as a young chick rescued from a deserted nest, and reared by the keepers. He was a beautiful creature alright, one I'll never forget cheers Cass
Comment from PoemsOfDD
I really enjoyed reading this story. I could relate to the 'communication' between bird and man. I like to mimic and make animal noises whenever there is an animal close. I always get cats responding to my 'cat noises'. The story made me appreciate the connection between beings that is so very important in living a 'happy' life. The poor majestic bird was feeling somewhat cooped up, no doubt, and lonely as the keeper mentioned.
Just a tiny edit on the following sentence, if I may.
- although I could see the long,gnarled scythes clearly. (space required after comma before gnarled).
Thank you for sharing this delightful read and good luck in the competition. ~DD
reply by the author on 03-May-2017
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I really enjoyed reading this story. I could relate to the 'communication' between bird and man. I like to mimic and make animal noises whenever there is an animal close. I always get cats responding to my 'cat noises'. The story made me appreciate the connection between beings that is so very important in living a 'happy' life. The poor majestic bird was feeling somewhat cooped up, no doubt, and lonely as the keeper mentioned.
Just a tiny edit on the following sentence, if I may.
- although I could see the long,gnarled scythes clearly. (space required after comma before gnarled).
Thank you for sharing this delightful read and good luck in the competition. ~DD
Comment Written 03-May-2017
reply by the author on 03-May-2017
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Dear Friend, Thank you for your review and the five stars. Correction noted and fixed. Ta much.
Yes he was lonely as he had been exiled from the big aviary because he'd fought a territory war with another male and come off second best. His mate was sitting on eggs at the time and as they mate for life he was very protective of her. The keeper was on Quill's side though and told me he'd recommend him being restored to his mate's side before the eggs hatched. On a subsequent visit some months later I saw the young nestlings flying from one end of the aviary to the other. Great stuff cheers Cass
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I appreciate your comments. Thank you. That's happy news on the hatchlings' arrival. Was the lonely bird back in there too? ~DD
