Rodney awoke to the bright morning sun shining on his furry face through the window hole above his nest bed.  He tried to cover his head and drift back to sleep but it was useless. No matter how he tried he knew it was time to be up and hunting for food.
He shook his brown body from the top of his head down to the tip of his stripped tail.

He stretched really high and then down low. He patted his little empty tummy and strolled out onto the branch by his nest.

“Wahoo!” he thought. “Humans are here today!” To Rodney that meant food and strange tastes. They always dropped pieces of sandwiches, fruit, and things he had no idea what they were. He knew a new adventure waited.

He scurried down the oak and into the tall grass at the bottom. He checked to be sure it was safe. A chipmunk could not be too careful. As he parted the last blades of grass he spotted his best friend Roger’s dark fur with golden stripes over by the fountain in the center of the park. He hurried to catch up with him.

”Hey Rog! What ya doing?” asked Rodney.
”Well,” said Roger. “I am trying to decide if I want to hide behind that bench over there and wait for a small human to drop something or to sit over by the big eating spot where they spread out all the big goodies.”
Rodney puffed out his cheeks and smiled. “Let’s go over to the big area. They always leave more to choose from.”

”OK, Buddy. But I’ll beat you there!” Cried Roger and he was off in a flash.

Rodney hated to loose so he jumped and ran as fast as his short little legs would go, huffing and puffing and swinging his front paws to make him move even faster.

Both chipmunks reached the first table at the same time, chattering and rolling over the lump of sand by a leg. “Ouch!” cried Roger. “I just hit my head on that thing!”
Rodney walked over to see what it was. They both were staring wide eyed at a lovely pink colored square. When the stiffed it, it smelled really good.
”My friend,” Said Rodney. “I think we have just found our special treat of the day.” “Let’s drag it over to the flower bed and share it.”

The two chipmunks strained and huffed and dragged the pink lump deep into the flower bed where they were well hidden and began to gnaw away at it. “Gee Rodney” Said Roger. “This sure takes an awful long time to chew. I can’t stuff my cheeks and chew at the same time! Guess we will be here for a while. It sure is good.” Rodney shook his head and mumbled a reply but continued to chew the sweet sticky treat.

Hours later their bellies full and the sun just right behind a fluffy cloud the two friends settled down for a nap in the bottom of a nearby tree that was hollowed out. A loud cry awoke the pals with a start. It was an infant crying in a four wheel thing just a few feet away. Rodney jumped up and lightly kicked Roger. “Come on buddy. Rodney said. “We better get out of here” Just then Rodney hiccupped and to his surprise a large pink bubble drifted from his mouth and floated skyward.

Roger giggled and pointed at Rodney.

 “What was that?” He tried to laugh at the look on Rodney’s face but an even bigger bubble formed in front of his own eyes. He stared cross eyed at the bubble and then clamped his mouth shut. Pop! The sound made him jump and the bubble disappeared leaving a pink sticky mess all around his mouth and down the front of his little furry body.

Rodney looked over at Roger with big eyes and whispered between clenched teeth,” Pal, I think we just found what that sweet pink stuff is. Humans sure do eat strange stuff.”

Roger moaned and rolled around in the grass to rub his fur clean but when he got up all Rodney saw was  his friend with the greenest beard he had ever seen. In fact it was the only green beard he had ever seen.  He felt his entire body shake and rumble as he fought back laughter. It was useless.  He opened his mouth and roared . Bending over he slapped a rock and then straightening up he took in a deep breath and opened his mouth to laugh again but a huge bubble exploded from him. So big that it lifted him up and away from Roger. Away from the flower bed, tree and over the fountain. Over the park and toward the duck pond.

Roger ran under Rodney jumping up every few minutes to try to grasp him and pull him back down. After several attempts he finally grabbed one back paw but instead of pulling Rodney down it spun them both around in circles and then floated back toward the park. Roger could not hold on and plopped down into a duck nest. Rodney flung his arms around from side to side and kicked his hind legs. The more he moved the more he twisted and turned. So dizzy, he closed his eyes and thought to himself,” I’m gonna float out away from the park and never get home. Oh what will become of me?”

Just then Rodney felt his body bump into something and heard a loud pop . He had stopped moving! He opened his eyes to see the most enormous crow starting back at him.  When he opened his mouth to gasp, he fell down into the soft flower bed where it all started.  Rodney didn’t wait too see what the huge crow was going to do. He jumped to his feet and ran as fast as he could to the hallow hole where they had taken their nap. He pushed himself as far back as he could and sank down breathing very heavy.

 He jumped again when Roger came into the hole and was chattering to himself. “Oh my goodness Rodney!” He cried. “That was the neatest, scarcest thing I ever saw! I thought you were a goner!”

Rodney could not say a word. He was still thinking over what had just happened.
”Rodney,” continued Roger. “You should see Old grampy crow. He has pink all over his beak!”
Rodney thought about Grampy crow and began to laugh a loud roaring laugh. “Hey Rod” cried Roger. “No more bubbles!”
Rodney stopped laughing and smiled a tired smile. “Your right. No more bubbles. And I am so tired I am going home and take a long nap.”

                        And that is just what he did.