Growing Pains

Tod landed on the ground with a thump. His awkward legs sprawled out below him, failing to catch himself. This was the third time he had tried to grab the tasty looking flower dangling from the small tree above him, and he was starting to truly get angry at himself and the situation he found himself in. It looked so close, and so delicious, and all he wanted was to have a little snack before heading home. But now he had spent at least twenty minutes sizing up the flower and taking several leaps in an attempt to grab it. 

“If only my wings could grow a bit faster,” he growled quietly to himself. He was still young, and had quite a bit more growing to do before he would be able to even glide. He was impatient, and wanted to be fully grown and have all the independence that comes with that. 

He stopped for a moment and sat down. He knew he was getting heated over a simple flower, and it was probably not worth it in the slightest. But instead of dismissing the flower, he stepped back and looked at the whole situation. Maybe if he could think of a way to approach it differently, he would be able to reach the flower without needing to jump higher or be able to fly. He leapt up, and started searching the woods around him. After not too long, he came across what he was looking for: a medium sized log that was sturdy and without any rot. 

Tod dragged the log over, a slow and awkward process as it tumbled over the roots and dried leaves on the forest floor. When he reached the tree, he leaned the log up against a V-shaped split in the tree’s trunk. With a couple nimble steps up the slanted log, Tod was up in the tree. He immediately bit into the juicy flower, letting out a happy bleat in his well earned success.