UUFFI TAKES A BATH by Florence W. Deems Copyright 2005, All Rights Reserved "Uuffi! Are you awake yet?" Uuffi drew his head from under his feathers, saw Traci coming toward him, and shook himself all over, causing one of his old feathers to drift down to the floor. A-a and human chick watched it and when it gently landed, the delighted little chick picked it up. "Oh, look! Now I have a pretty feather to play with!" she jumped up and down, waving the orange-rimmed crimson body feather at Uuffi. "Squawk! Feather old--old--feather no good--no good--why Traci want feather--why--why--why--squawk!" "Of course it's good, silly Uuffi! It's so pretty! I'm gonna put it in my hair after Mommy brushes it." Uuffi stretched his body and neck as upright as an a-a can stretch and raised his crest. "Traci silly--Traci silly--Uuffi not silly--not silly--not use old feather--old feather--squawk!" Then he bobbed up and down to emphasize his point. He watched the silly human chick hold the feather in her hair as she looked in the mirror. "See, there! I'll look almost as pretty as you when Mommy puts this in my hair, Uuffi." Uuffi recognized the compliment. "Uuffi thank Traci--thank Traci--Uuffi very pretty--very pretty--more pretty than Traci--more pretty--squawk!" And he bobbed even faster. The chick laughed and approached him. He put his head down and waited for her to scritch him. The delighted chick obliged, cooing at him while she gently rubbed between his feathers. A knock and then the door opened. "Well, Traci, I see you and Uuffi are up," Pollyn laughed. "Uuffi, did you sleep well last night?" "Uuffi sleep--sleep--like Traci--like Traci," he gurgled softly, head still down as the chick continued to scritch him. "Traci, your bath water's ready. Let's hop in the tub quickly, and then I'll help you dress." Bath? Uuffi's head shot up quickly. "Uuffi take bath--take bath--squawk--squawk!" The excited a-a bobbed up and down very fast. "Oh, Mommy, can he take a bath with me, please?" "Traci, he might drown." Uuffi let out a laughing shriek that caused both humans to cover their ears. "Uuffi take bath--take bath--Jozlyn give Uuffi bath--bath--Uuffi want bath--want bath--squawk!" "Well, Uuffi, how does Jozlyn give you a bath? Does she put you in a tub?" "No tub--no tub--spray Uuffi--spray Uuffi--run through spray--through spray--Uuffi get wet--wet--shake water--water--fun--fun--fun--squawk!" Wings spread and crest up, the colorful a-a swayed from side to side while bobbing a little dance on the rack. "Oh, Uuffi, we don't have a spray here," Pollyn sighed. "I don't know what we can use for a spray, either." "Uuffi, go get your spray from Jozlyn's room," Traci suggested. "Uuffi get spray--get spray--bring here--bring here--squawk!" And he leaped off the rack and soared out the door. He had an uneventful flight up the many steps to Jozlyn's room. Even though Jozlyn had warded the room, Uuffi and the tabbin could walk right into and out of it. The wards were to keep noxious and untrustworthy humans out, and also small children who might be too inquisitive for their own good while the mage was away. The a-a flapped into the room and landed on the counter by the sink. The spray thing wasn't in the sink! Uuffi really didn't know where Jozlyn kept the spray thing, as he'd always flown up to the sunny window to spread himself out in the sun after having a bath. He looked around on the counter top--not there, either. Muttering softly, he broadened the scope of his search, first to her work table, then her desk and then the top of her herb cabinet with its many drawers. No spray thing! Where on Luciheptal did she put the thing? He flopped from the cabinet top to the floor and waddled over to look under the table and desk. Not there, either! ~ 1 ~ 2 ~ 3 ~ 4 ~ Uuffi's Tails Critters Tracks