George and the Curly Catkins

George and the Curly Catkins

Catkins catkins hanging from a tree
Dancing in the wind...tra loo, tra lah, tra lee   

   It was late in the month of April on the shores of Silver Lake. All that week, it had been sprinkling and raining, but this time, George woke up to see a blanket of heavy, white snow on the branches of the lilacs and willow tree outside his window. "That snow is much too heavy for those soft, delicate branches" he said to himself."They might break. I must go outside and tap the snow free from them."
  
   George pulled on his shiny red boots and buttoned up his warm coat. He covered his head with his woolly cap and stepped outside. There, leaning against the wall by the front door, was his walking stick. It was strong and sturdy and was as long as he was tall. He had found it under the grandfather cottonwood tree after the early spring snow storm. He walked outside into the chilly, snowy wind with his lucky stick.
 
Smishy smashy, Smishy smashy...went his little red boots as he walked in the soft, black mud.
Drippety droppety, drippety droppety...fell big, fat drops of water from the branches above his head. The drops made pretty polka dot patterns in the mud below. "My, oh my" he cried. "Mother Earth is getting a good soak today.I am sure the tree roots are drinking up the water and the worms are happy too."

   George took his stick and gently tapped the snow off of the lilac branches. He reached up as high as he could to do the same for the willow tree. The branches bounced happily back up, being set free from all that heavy snow. He knew that he was helping the branches from breaking.

As George poked about here and there with his stick, he found curly green catkins all over the ground. They were everywhere! He crouched down to look at them more closely. He picked up one and held it in his hand. "Ooh" he said, "this is soft and furry. It looks just like a caterpillar." He petted it with gentle care. "Wouldn't these be nice to put inside a bird's nest? George thought about how much he loved his warm and cozy bed at home, with the blue and green quilt his grandmother had knitted for him. Then, he smiled as he thought of Mother Robin and her babies curled up cozy in their nest of furry, green catkins.

Just then, George had an idea. He skipped back home to the garden shed and found his new basket. It was round and was the size of his dinner plate. His mother had just woven it out of soft, young willow branches earlier that spring. He took the basket back to the great willow tree. He gathered the green fuzzy catkins and placed them in the basket. While he worked, he hummed a little tune:

Catkins catkins hanging from a tree
Dancing in the wind...Tra loo, tra lah, tra lee

When his basket was full, he walked along the path, looking for the perfect place to leave his gift for the birds. "It must be just right" he said to himself. "It must be safe from Brother Wind or they will all scatter and blow away." George was a slow but steady walker. Patiently he strolled, with his arms lovingly wrapped around the basket of green curly catkins. While he walked, he hummed his little tune.

Catkins catkins hanging from a tree
Dancing in the wind...tra loo, tra lah, tra lee.

He stopped to rest on a stump by the edge of the path. He listened. High above in the sky, he spotted a robin, with her round, red breast. She was brave and sturdy to be out in the spring time snow. She was flying high. Something was dangling from her yellow beak. George looked more closely. It was a catkin! "She must be building her nest!" he said to himself. George got up with his basket and followed the bird until she landed on the branch of the tall willow tree, the one just outside his bedroom window.

George knew just what to do. He crawled under the bushes that led to the roots of the great willow tree. He brushed aside the dry, brown leaves and carefully placed the basket of catkins at the bottom of the tree. George smiled and dipped his hand inside the soft, furry bundle one last time. Then, he looked up to Mother Robin and said "here is my spring time gift to you. May you and your babies be safe and warm in your new home."

George walked through the door of his own home, happy to see the pot of cinnamon tea steeping on the kitchen table. He placed his little red boots by the fire to dry. He poured himself a cup of tea and curled up on his bed, deep in the folds of his blue and green quilt. As he sipped his tea, he looked out the window and saw the long willow branches swaying in the wind, back and forth, with the green curly catkins dangling below. It was is if the tree were waving to George saying "thanks for taking such good care of me!" Then, George drifted off to sleep for his afternoon nap, gently humming the words to his little spring time tune...

Catkins catkins hanging from a tree
​Dancing in the wind...tra loo, tra lah, tra lee.

written by Christine Summerfield/March 2016