Canku Ota - August 9, 2003 - Thunderhawk – The Impact of the Legend of the Robin Redbeast

In the days following Brogan’s telling of the legend of the Robin Redbeast Paden and Paddy told many of their friends and family about the story. It scared the little ones and even scared Paden and Paddy but their sense of adventure was always strong and they wanted to know even more! They had tried to get some adult mice to accompany them up to Cades Cove to look for the eggs of the vicious beast. Unfortunately there was no real interest in that idea.

Then Paden and Paddy tried to advance the idea of a summer vacation. After all there had been no vacation that summer and with all that the community had been through over the past several months the vacation idea sounded good to them! However, the adults really had too much to do after the flood and it would take months to really get the homeground back to normal. Paddy and Paden were very disappointed but their minds continued to dwell on the incredible tale of the terrible beasts of long ago.

Paden and Paddy had now replaced their favorite game of cowrate with a game about the Robin Redbeasts. Every day they played and played and played their new game. As they played they vividly imagined the huge creatures and how they had terrorized Happy Valley for so long before the Great Creator had put an end to their reign of terror.

One morning while they were playing they saw Michayla and Baby Shannon coming in their direction. They looked at each other and smiled broadly. Each knew instantly what the other was thinking. Paddy said, “Hey bro’! Let’s jump out from behind a couple of trees and scare the dooky out of them!” Paden said, “Cool! Let’s do it!”

They crept silently to a point ahead of the two little female mice and each hid behind a different tree to await their approach. As Michayla and Baby Shannon passed the tree where Paden was hiding he suddenly jumped out from it and shouted, “CHIRRRRRRRP!” as loud as he could. The two little female mice jumped high in the air and screamed, “AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!” Then Michayla said, “Paden! You are an idiot! You scared us to death!” Then just as suddenly Paddy jumped out from behind another tree just behind the other mice and also screamed, “CHIRRRRRRPPP!” Again. Michayla and Baby Shannon jumped high in the air and screamed, “AAAAAAHHHHHH!” Paden and Paddy rolled on the ground in laughter. Michayla screamed at them saying, “You idiots! You two are going to get in really big trouble! That’s not funny at all. You scared us to death and I’m telling on you!” Paden and Paddy stopped laughing. They knew that Papa O’Malley and Pat Pilgrim would be very angry about them scaring their sisters like that!

Paddy said, “Oh come on Michayla! We were just fooling around.” Baby Shannon was crying hysterically because she had been scared so bad. Michayla hugged Baby Shannon and tried to comfort her but it was no use. She was really scared. Michayla angrily pushed her brother and said, “Paden! You think that making Baby Shannon cry like that is funny?” Paden knew that he was going to be in big trouble but when Michayla pushed him it made him angry. He said, “You keep your nasty mitts to yourself and don’t you EVER push me again.” He looked like he might hit his sister. Paddy said, “Paden! Cut it out!” Then Paddy grabbed Paden and pulled him away from Michayla. As he pulled Paden away Paden was talking junk to his sister and Michayla was shouting back at him. As Paddy pulled Paden farther and farther away they could still hear Michayla yelling at them. Then they heard another voice and it brought Paden back from his anger immediately. It was Penny! They could hear Michayla and Baby Shannon crying and telling Penny what had happened and that Paden had pushed her.

Paden hadn’t pushed her, although he certainly would have if it weren’t for Paddy pulling him away in time. Now as he listened to the story telling in the distance he KNEW that he really was in BIG trouble. Then he heard Penny calling for him, “Paden! Paden where are you? You come here right this instant!” Paden gulped loudly and said, “What do we do Paddy? We’re dead!” Paddy said, “Whoah bro’! Unless you’ve got some miniature mouse in your pocket I’m not following that “we” part. I didn’t hear my name being mentioned.” Paden’s mouth dropped wide open. He said, “Et tu brute?”

Paddy shook his head back and forth as he said, “Look bro’…we’ve been through a lot together but I had nothing to do with this stuff!” Paden said, “You’re a liar! You were the one that said for us to jump out and scare them and that’s how all this junk got started!” Paddy smiled and said, “Maybe I’m confused and you can correct me if I’m wrong but I didn’t hear your sister saying anything about me did she?”

This sarcastic comment didn’t sit well with Paden who was already steaming mad from Michayla pushing him and lying to Penny about him supposedly pushing her. Paden glared at his best friend and his eyes began to turn red from the burning anger that was consuming him. Paddy glared back at his friend and then after a few minutes of glaring blurted out, “What are staring at you stupid turkey?” Paden’s mouth dropped open even wider. Then in an uncontrollable fit of rage he jumped on Paddy and screamed, “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

The two little mice began fighting like crazy. They were biting and scratching and kicking each other and screaming at the top of their lungs as they fought. Penny and Michayla could hear the noise and they both listened intently trying to figure out what the terrible sounds were that they were hearing.

As the noise reached its peak Pat and Papa O’Malley came upon Penny, Michayla and Baby Shannon. Baby Shannon was still sobbing and they wondered what was wrong with her but their keen ears picked up the terrible sounds coming from Paden and Paddy as they fought in the distance. Papa O’Malley said, “What in the world is that noise?” Penny just shrugged her shoulders in uncertainty. Michayla said, “It’ probably those two idiots!” Pat said, “What two idiots?” Michayla said, “Paden and Paddy. They’ve been acting like idiots ever since they heard that stupid story about the Robin Redbeasts!”

Pat and Papa O’Malley ran in the direction of the noise and quickly came upon the two little mice fighting with each other. Pat screamed, “Paden! Cut it out!” Papa O’Malley chimed in saying, “Paddy! Get off of Paden and get over here right now.” Paden and Paddy were very angry and did not stop fighting. Pat and Papa O’Malley rushed over and pulled them apart. The two larger mice had trouble over powering the two younger mice because of their rage.

As they finally got them separated Pat held Paden firmly by the shoulders and said, “Paden! What is wrong with you? Stop acting like this right now or I’m going to ground you and you won’t be playing Robin Redbeast anymore!” Paden yelled, “I don’t care! Everybody is against me! Everybody us being mean to me and lying about me! I don’t care what anybody does! I hate it here!”

Meanwhile Papa O’Malley was trying to calm Paddy down. Papa O’Malley said, “What’s the matter with you son?” What’s all of this about?” Paddy started crying and said, “It’s all Paden’s fault. He started this junk!” With that Paden started crying and screaming, “You see what I mean? LIARS! They’re LIARS! I didn’t start this!” Pat said, “Paden, then you tell me what happened.” Paden said, “Why? So you can lie about me too?” Pat warned him about being disrespectful and Paden started crying harder. Then he broke away from Pat and started running away from them. Pat yelled, “Paden! Stop! Wait a minute!”

It was too late. Paden quickly disappeared into the distance. Then Penny came on the scene and asked what was going on. Pat told her that Paden had been uncontrollable and ran away. Penny said, “Let’s get back to the homeground and try to get this straightened out. Paden will come back soon.”

As they made their way back to the home ground the younger mice wanted to talk. Penny told them to wait because they were going to have a meeting and get advice on how best to handle this situation.

When they got back to the homeground they immediately went to the meeting area and all got up on the little stools that the mice sit on while getting advice. The younger mice sat in the area for those who were in need of advice for their actions and Pat, Penny, Papa O’Malley and Virginia who had now joined the group sat in the section for mice getting advice on how to handle disciplinary situations.

Three elders appeared and sat at on the stools for the wise councilors who would pass judgment of the situation at hand. Pat began the discussion and explained what he had observed. Penny then explained what she had observed. Then the leading elder, Finnigan asked Michayla what had happened. She explained the story by highlighting Paden’s involvement and even said that he had pushed her. The adults all shook their heads in disgust. Then it was Paddy’s turn. He also lied about Paden and said that the whole thing was Paden’s idea and that Paden had pushed Michayla.

It was bad day in Happy Valley as the little mice all told lies about Paden. That was only the beginning of poor Paden’s problems because as he ran he got farther and farther away from his beloved homeground and darkness began to fall all around him. He suddenly realized that he was in great danger and he had no idea where he was.

He heard a menacing sound behind him and as he turned he saw a huge coyote snarling and drooling right in his face. In his anger and emotion he had forgotten the most important golden rule for a mouse…to always be alert for predators. It looked like there was no escape. Paden gulped and closed his eyes.

Geoff Hampton is an internationally known author, speaker, motivator and business consultant. Hampton is the Executive Director for St. Mary's Health and Fitness Center in Powell, TN and is also a regular columnist for the wellness/fitness Website www.fitcommerce.com and Canku Ota. He can be reached by E-mail at GEOFFLHAMPTON@aol.com. His national anti-obesity/diabetes campaign, The Wellness Wakeup Challenge can be reviewed at www.fitcommerce.com/wellness. Many of his health/wellness past features can be located at www.fitnessmanagement.com by looking in the Library of Articles section under Management Advice - Online Column and Management FAQ's - Online Column.