Once upon a time, there was a bird named Lee.

He was small and light brown with white and

dark brown flecks. He liked to fly and eat bugs and do average bird things. He had a wife and
four little chicks, all of whom he loved dearly. The chicks names were Alfred, John, Laura, and
Lewis.
When the chicks were getting old enough, they had to learn to fly. Lee took the chicks out so
that he could teach them. John and Laura mastered this skill pretty quickly, making their parents
very proud. Lewis was on the right track and his parents werent too worried about him.
However Alfred
Poor Alfred, he was as stupid as his name. He couldn't tell the difference between his tail
feathers and a tree branch. He was definitely the slow one. Lee still had faith in his little chick.
Cmon Alfie, your turn, his mother said encouragingly to him. They were practicing again,
if Alfred didnt learn how to fly soon, nobody knew what they would do. He wouldnt be able to
leave the nest with his siblings.
Alfred waddled over to his mother. She took flight once again and demonstrated the proper
flying technique. His sister pointed out the way their mothers wings moved in the hopes that he
would finally catch on.
Their mother landed next to Alfred and gave him a little push. He extended his wings, ready
to take off. He was confident in himself this time. He had flown for a few brief moments, but he
he didnt notice the cat below him.
Poor Alfred froze when he looked down. He froze at the sight of the cat beneath him and
forgot to flap his wings. The dumb bird fell straight down and landed on top of the cat. Without
hesitation, the cat killed Alfred and took him away.

Lee and his wife covered the chicks eyes. They tried to shield them from the devastating
event taking place. John still managed to see, and he watched in horror as his brother was eaten.
Caught up in his emotions, John attempted to take flight and save Alfred. His mother knew it was
too late and too dangerous and stopped him.
Lee didnt eat for a few days after Alfreds death. He thought that maybe his little Alfie had a
chance. He was wrong though, but like all things in life, optimism doesnt guarantee a good
outcome. Alfred was dead.
Most of chicks managed to move on quickly from the event. Maybe their young little
brains had found a way to rationalize Alfreds death. Except John, he was like his father. He
didnt eat for a few days after Alfreds death. Lewis and Laura managed to follow their external
mothers behavior though
Alfreds mother, however, never recovered. She loved all of her children dearly. She
never mentioned Alfred or his death despite Lees efforts to comfort her. On the outside, she set
an example for her children, but inside, Lee knew she was broken. She simply continued to teach
her remaining babies how to hunt and survive without her. She needed to be sure they were
safe. . They all steered clear of the cat, though, and the cat stayed away from the nest.
A week after Alfreds death, all of the chicks moved out of the nest. Their mother was
sad, but she had faith in her children. They were all strong and capable. All of them were
promising mates and would have little chicks just as a amazing as them.
As time passed, Alfred was pushed out of their memories. Except for Lee. Lee was bitter
about the cat. If it wasnt for the cat, he would still have Alfie.

When he and his wife had another nest of chicks learning to fly, the cat returned. Lee
attacked the cat and gouged out one of its eyes. The cat swung and successfully knocked Lee out
of the air. Lee fell to the cat, and just like Alfie, he would never fly again.