One Foggy Day

by Ed Pomnitz

One day bright and early, Zach woke up to his alarm and the chatter of three fuzzy little birds.  They were perched right outside Zach's bedroom window.  Zach woke Nibblet his pet rabbit up and asked, "What is all the fuss about outside Nibblet"?  Nibblet got out of bed and put on his shoes, even though they didn't fit very well on his big feet.  Then he went over to the window.  Nibblet could see the birds as they were sitting right on the window's sill.  He couldn't see much more as there was a terribly thick fog on the ground.

Just then Zach's Dad came in and said, "Zach, I've got to go to the gas station to fill this gas can for the lawnmower.  We're all out of gas. I'll be back just as fast as I can."  "OK Dad", said Zach.  "Bye, I love you"!  Just then Zach heard the strangest sound.  It was something like a "GR-R-R-UNT".  Whatever it was its voice was very deep.  Zach could tell that Nibblet heard it too as his ears stood straight up.

"Let's go outside to see if we can see what's going on Nibblet", said Zach.  Zach got up and at last turned off his alarm clock.  Then Nibblet and Zach went down the stairs and went outside to the backyard.  They couldn't see much better, the fog seemed as if it was as thick as pea soup.  Then they heard it again.  Its voice deeper still, "GR-R-R-UNT GR-R-R-UNT".  Nibblet was quite startled.  Then Zach saw two big shiny eyes right in front of them.

It was Nibblet who first realized who was making the "GR-R-R-UNT".  It was Porkman the pig.  What was Porkman doing in Zach's backyard?  They soon got their answer when Porkman said, "Boy am I lost, I can't see anything in this terrible fog".

Zach and Nibblet both greeted Porkman with a relieved sigh and then they both said "Hi Porkman".  Porkman was the nicest pig they ever knew even though he liked to hog the converstation.  Before Porkman could reply, they all heard a strange swishing sound.  It sounded like a fin swishing the water that was in the birdbath, "SW-I-S-H!".  They all drew around the birdbath.  They heard it again!  What or who would make a sound like a fin swishing water?

The fog was so thick that Porkman had to move closer to the birdbath to see.  Just then a fin broke the surface of the water.  "SW-I-S-H!  SW-I-S-H!"  Why the fin was Finley's.  It was Finley the friendly fish.  Relieved, they all said, "Hi Finley."

Zo-o-o-m, something darted right past Zach, Niblet, Porkman and Finley towards the little hill in the backyard where whatever it was seemed to stop.  The fog was so terribly thick that they just could not see. "Wow", said Finley.  "Something just went past us awfully fast".  "Let's go see", said Porkman.  "I'll wait here", said Finley.  "Let me know what or who could go so fast".  They all went over by the little hill while Finley waited in the birdbath.

The fog was just too thick to see anything.  "I wonder if this fog will ever leave", said Nibblet.  Just then they heard a voice, "Hi fellows".  Why it was Garth the goat.  Garth was nice to talk to, but he liked to butt in a lot.  They all said, "Hi Garth".  As Garth sat down on the hill, Zach asked, "Do you mind if we all sit here on the hill with you"?  "Not at all", said Garth.  They all sat down, which made it a bit crowded on the little hill.  Garth moved over a little bit more so they could all fit more comfortably.

"Hey!  Someone better let Finley know it was only Garth", said Zach. "I will", said Porkman".  Porkman walked back over to the birdbath, but Finley was gone. Porkman called out, "Finley".  There was no answer.  Porkman pondered, "I wonder where he went to"?

Zach, Nibblet and Garth chatted a while until Zach said, "Where's Porkman?  He should have been back by now".  Garth said, "I'll take a look" and walked off.

When Garth arrived at the birdbath, he saw neither Porkman nor Finley.  Garth called out in his deepest loudest voice, "Porkman!  Finley"!  But there was no answer.  Garth pondered, "I wonder where Porkman and Finley went to"?

After what seemed to be a terribly long time, Zach said, "Now where is Garth"?  "I'll take a look", said Nibblet and walked off.

When Nibblet arrived at the birdbath, he saw neither Garth, nor Porkman, nor Finley.  Nibblet squeaked out, "Garth!  Porkman!  Finley"!  Nibblet pondered, "I wonder where Garth, Porkman and Finley went to"?

Zach had been sitting alone for a while now and decided to go see what was taking Nibblet so awfully long.  When Zach arrived at the birdbath, he saw neither Nibblet, nor Garth, nor Porkman, nor Finley.  Even the water was gone out of the birdbath.  "I'll have to fill it again for the little birds", thought Zach.  Zach bellowed out as loud as he could, "Nibblet!  Garth!  Porkman!  Finley"!  Zach pondered, "I wonder where Nibblet, Garth, Porkman and Finley went to"?

Sadly, Zach walked back into the house.  He wondered why his friends had just left him all alone.  Just as Zach was about to sit down on his favorite chair, his Dad walked in.  "Hi Zach", he said.  "I went to the gas station to fill the gas can just as I planned to.  On the way home I saw the strangest thing.  It looked like a rabbit was chasing a goat and the goat was chasing a pig and the pig was chasing a fish and the fish was chasing some birds.  I almost ran over them, as the fog was so terribly thick.  Strangest thing I ever did see".

Zach's eyes popped open.  "Why that sounds like my friends Garth, Porkman, Finley and Nibblet.  And I wonder if those were the birds outside my window", said Zach.  "And I wonder why they were all chasing one another"?

Just then there came a loud knock at the door.  Zach opened it.  It was Gertrude the goose.  "Can you help me find my babies; Gary, Gordon and Gunther", she sobbed.  "The fog was so terribly thick, I left them to wait on your window sill while I went alone to look for some food.  I hope nothing bad has happened to them".  "Then those weren't birds on my window sill", said Zach.  "They were baby geese".

Gertrude, Zach's Dad and Zach were just about to leave to go try and find them when there was another knock at the door.  Zach opened it.  Why it was Nibblet, Finley, Porkman, Garth and Gertrude's babies, Gary, Gordon and Gunther.  "What happened", Zach asked?  "Why did you all run off and why were you chasing each other and Gertrude's babies"?

"We weren't chasing anybody", said Nibblet.  "The fog was so terribly thick that Mr. Posty the postman walked into the birdbath and knocked it over.  Gary, Gordon and Gunther flew down to help Finley get up.  Mr. Posty had dropped a letter and Gary, Gordon and Gunther found it.  We were just trying to chase down Mr. Posty to return the letter".

"Yes, said Porkman, when I got to the birdbath I couldn't find Finley.  So I left the yard to see if I could find him and I did right by the big tree in the front yard along with Gary, Gordon and Gunther.  We couldn't see Mr. Posty any longer in the thick fog and we didn't know what to do".

"Yes, said Garth, when I got to the birdbath I couldn't find Porkman.  So I left the yard to see if I could find him and I did; right by the big tree in the front yard along with Finley, Gary, Gordon and Gunther.  We couldn't see Mr. Posty any longer in the thick fog and we didn't know what to do".

"Yes, said Nibblet, when I got to the birdbath I couldn't find Garth.  So I left the yard to see if I could find him and I did; right by the big tree in the front yard along with Garth, Finley, Gary, Gordon and Gunther.  We couldn't see Mr. Posty any longer in the thick fog and we didn't know what to do".  He has so many houses to deliver to that I figured he must have gone on with his rounds down the street.  So we all went off to find him.  And we did!  He was happy we found the letter".

Gertrude was so happy her babies were all right.  She scolded, "Didn't I tell you to wait for me?  You might have gotten lost in such a terribly thick fog".  And then she hugged each and every one of them including Finley, Porkman, Garth, Nibblet, Zach and Zach's Dad.

Then Nibblet said, "Mr. Posty gave us back the letter".  "Why", said Zach?  Nibblet smiled and said, "It was for you all along"!  It was a letter from Zach's Grandma!  They all laughed out loud.  And Zach said, "That fog sure made for an interesting day"!

- The End -