HELP! I'VE FALLEN AND I CAN'T GET UP!
                                                Monica Lawson  12/23/19
 "Well now, let me help you little one," Master Gardener said lifting the tiny bird into the nest in the tree. "Momma Bird is mighty concerned about you. See. Here she comes. Nothing seems to be broken. You will be fine now."

 Once Master Gardener was sure Baby Bird safely flew off into the trees with Momma Bird, she set off down the path to collect her Whimsical Friends in the garden. They will be stored  in a safe place before the winter snow and frost covers the landscape in its cold embrace.

"I'm here," called out White Rabbit. "I'm ready for a long winter's nap in a cozy dry den. The flowers around  my summer-home stump are  fading and covered with frost."
Master Gardener picked up White Rabbit and carried him to a
bench under the porch.





"Why is this broken brick beside me under the bench?" White Rabbit asked.

"You will see . . . you will see,"
said Master Gardener.

Once again, Master Gardener walked along the garden path until she met Straw Angel. She picked up Straw Angel, carried her out of the garden and set her down to greet guests beside the door to here tiny house.  She fixed Straw Angel's left wing that was missing pieces of straw.
"I'll be fine now. Thank you," Straw Angel said.

Master Gardener tipped her hat and said, "You are most welcome.                  

A double rainbow arched across the Juniper trees surrounding the garden.
"I better hurry and collect the rest of my Whimsical Friends from the garden before the rainbows give way to frost and snow," she said glancing up into the sky.

"Thomas," called Little Girl at the Gate near the edge of the garden. "Do you think Master Gardener has forgotten about me?" 
 "Neowwwww," Thomas assured Little Girl at the Gate. "See. She's meowwwwandering this way nowwwww."

"Thank you, Thomas," Master Gardener said, lifting Little Girl at the Gate up off the stump. "That was very kind of you to let her know she hasn't been forgotten. No one is forgotten in my garden. I have the perfect place where you can wait for winter to pass."
Little Girl at the gate was shy . . . so shy she couldn't tell Master Gardener that she was very lonely sitting on the stump by herself all summer with nobody noticing she was there.
"I hope my winter place has others nearby . . . that would be lovely," she said quietly so not to be heard.

Halo Angel had fallen asleep and was dreaming about her lovely pot of summer flowers. She was startled when Master Gardener pulled her out of the ceramic pot. The flowers in her dream had now faded from last weeks first sprinkling of  snow.

            "Where are you taking me?" Halo Angel asked.

"You shall see," Master Gardener said cheerily."But first I will paint your lovely metal  wings to be rid of the rust caused  by summer rain showers." 

Master Gardener painted her  wings, halo and frame  a bright and beautiful shade of ebony. She placed an empty flower pot in

 Halo Angel's hands in expectation of new flowers next spring. 

"I am indeed a fine looking angel now,"  said Halo Angel. "Thank you for restoring me to my original beauty."  

 Master Gardener placed her on the porch 

beside the front door of her tiny home.

Master Gardener glanced around the garden to see who was remaining, or in need of repairs.

Fred and Frieda Frog, the bell keepers,

croaked insistently, "Ribbit," said Fred. "Ribbit indeed," Frieda
echoed. "RRRReverberrrrations and rinnnnnnngggingggg! Our earrrrrs are tingling and rrrrruined!" they insisted in unison. 
"I'm frightfully sorry. Please forgive me," Master Gardener pleaded. "I did not imagine the bell would ring so loudly, or that Whimsical Garden frog's ears were so sensitive. I'll not place you there next spring. Perhaps in a quiet place for the winter your ears will be good as new."

"Hello," cried out Little Girl at the Gate when she saw Fred and Frieda sitting on the lovely garden bench beside her. 
"Ribbit . .  . ribbit," which in frog language can mean anything a frog wants it to mean. Little Girl at the Gate knew they would be wonderful friends, all safely protected on the porch from storms.
                         Birds In Hand  . . . oh my, it is so sad.

Master Gardener noticed the blue hands were no longer sitting on the rock. The Birds In Hand had fallen, or been pushed off the rock and both little blue bird's tails were broken off. The Hands had carefully held them through spring showers and summer rain.
Master Gardener carried them inside her little home to see if there was anything she could do to repair them. 
 "Hello Turtle," she said, placing Birds In Hand next to Turtle who herself was recuperating from injuries from a fall in the garden. 
"What do . . . we have . . . here?" Turtle asked. 
Master Gardener explained to Turtle about the mishap Birds In Hand had experienced while gluing and pressing and holding and waiting for the glue to set the tail feathers where they once were.

"Little Blue Bird on the left is waiting patiently while the glue holds his tail feathers. I think he will be fine."
 "Yes . . . I can . . . see the . . . crack in . . . his .  .  . tail. It now  seems to be . . . perfectly attached," said Turtle in his charming slow speaking voice.

"Little Blue Bird on the right . . ." Master Gardener shook her head and looked sad. "See how the end feather is drooping and the glue is not sticking? And one small piece still to attach. Tsk, tsk, tsk." She tapped her finger on her cheek.

"Chirp, chirp! Chirp,chirp. I will be fine,"
said Little Blue Bird on the right."I will not be flying away very soon. The feathers I have will do very nicely."
"You have put your trust in me . . . and I will see you through,"
Master Gardener promised. She asked Turtle to watch over Birds in Hand as they healed while she went out to the Garden to see if any Whimsical Garden Friend had been forgotten.

 

There, all alone in the Garden, sat Buster Brown and his dog Tige.

 Master Gardener walked the paths leading to Buster Brown and Tige, and heard Buster Brown say, "Do you remember the old garden far, far away where we sat at the edge of a lovely pond full of goldfish. Master Gardener moved us from place to place - from the little wooden bridge to the rocks beside the waterfall. It was a wonderful place. Do you remember?" 
 Tige had never spoken, not that Buster Brown could tell. They were best of friends and now lived with Master Gardener in her new garden with many other Whimsical Friends. Master Gardener stood back to listen to the lovely tale Buster Brown was telling his dog Tige.
"You remember how we came to live with Master Gardener, don't you?" Not expecting an answer, Buster Brown continued. "She found us one day in a garbage dump where our previous human had thrown us out with other broken things. My leg had broken off and laid almost buried in the trash beside us. 
The day went by and other humans saw us, but looked away, or piled more discards near us. Another human stood nearby. She reached down and picked us up. When she saw my leg had broken off I expected her to toss us aside, breaking off more from my already broken body. This human held us close and picked up my leg. We were placed in the back seat of her car and brought to her home."
Master Gardener came and stood over them. She picked them up and carried them the short distance from the Garden to inside her tiny home. As they entered the house tragedy struck! Buster Brown's reattached leg broke off once more and fell to the floor.
"I'm so sorry Buster Brown!" Master Gardener cried out. "It seems your leg is in need of repair again. I've gotten very skilled at repairing broken Garden Friends. I fixed you once, I will do it again." And she did. 

                 Come next spring, when you visit her garden,

                  and you stand very still in the middle of the 
           Daisies and Sweet William, Poppies and Snap Dragons 
  you may hear Buster Brown reminding Tige about all of  the              adventures they've had over the years in the 
                             Master Gardener's Gardens.
For certain she will introduce you to her Whimsical Garden Friends

 repaired and restored by her loving heart and skilled hands.

"I see now how useful that broken brick will be," said White Rabbit. "It will hold Buster Brown's repaired leg in place until it is completely healed.
 And if you visit Master Gardener this winter and listen with a quiet heart you might hear Whimsical Garden Friends whispering under the porch covering, protected from the snow and ice, visiting and sharing about their 2019 spring and summer adventures in The Garden.
                        Merry Christmas and a Happy 2020 New Year from The Master Gardener