Eric and Pete by Kalai Selvi Arivalagan (best ereader for epub .TXT) 📖

It’s a day in the month of March. Eric, the little dragonfly stood standstill on a dry twig of a plant eagerly waiting for his friend, Dolly, the humming bird, who migrated to the south for the winter. Eric does not feel the chillness of winter as his mother tucked him warm inside their cute little home built at a nook of the bike shed near Pete’s house.

Pete is also a small boy like him. At times, curious little eyes of Pete would peep in and look into their home.

In the beginning, Eric was afraid of Pete. As days went on both of them became familiar to each other. Though they don’t talk or play together, they knew each other.

Eric always finds Pete chasing butterflies in the garden or swinging in the branches of trees that lined the backyard. Pete’s favorite job is to fill the bird feeder that is kept at the center of their little garden.

Numerous birds come there to peck the grains or drink water from the fountain near the bird-feeder.

One day Pete’s mother kept a bird feeder which looked different and special. Pete was asking his mother too many questions about the special bird feeder.

Pete’s mother replied to him that the special bird feeder is for the humming birds who are returning after migration.

Every morning Pete will clean the bird feeder and fill it with water mixed with honey.  One day, Eric flew to the bird feeder and tasted the water. It tasted so sweet; he went on sucking the water.

“Hello, can you give me space?” Eric heard a shrill voice behind him. His numerous eyes glistened in the sunlight and looked at the tiny bird.

The bird looked restless and her wings fluttered continuously. Eric flew away from the bird feeder and hopped on the nearby twig. “Hi, I am Eric” Eric called her.

“I am Dolly,” the humming bird replied to him. From the day on wards, Eric always met Dolly in the forenoon. After greetings, they will fly around the garden for a while. The humming bird always seems to be in a hurry and never spent more than fifteen minutes with Eric.

Now, Eric felt lonely without Dolly. Some of his dragonfly friends called him to join them and play hide and seek. Without much interest, he joined them.

Eric searched for a place to go and hide himself. He flew to the open window of the kitchen and sat on the hinges. The half opened window helped him to hide from his friends.

Pete at the same time walked into the kitchen to drink water.

Looking at the dragon fly on the hinges of the half-open door, Pete moved near to the window.

Stealthily, he stretched his right arm and caught Eric. With his two fingers, he caught Eric by the wings and looked into his rotating multiple eyes.

Pete let him sit on his left arm. The long hairy legs of Eric tickled his skin and he started to giggle loudly.

Though Eric is familiar with Pete, he had never played with him like that. He made Eric to tickle him like that for a while.

“Pete, let him fly” Pete’s mother frowned. “If the wings are torn, he could not fly.”

With beating heart, Eric waited for Pete to let him fly. Pete examined his transparent wings, the long and thin abdomen.

“Come again, little one.” With a cheerful laugh, Pete let Eric fly into the air.

Publication Date: 03-10-2013

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
Transparent wings of the dragonfly!