Chitter

By Jacqui Ainsworth

Madeline's bat companion, Chitter, leads her to an injured dragon in the woods. It is up to them to rescue the dragon and help it continue its quest.

This book is written for older elementary kids and has a 5.4 reading level.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jacqui Ainsworth
• Release date: Jun 27, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476033136

Jacqui Ainsworth

Jacqui Ainsworth lives in Austin with her husband,4 children, 2 dogs, and parrot. She has always had a love for animals, earning her B.S. in Zoology, specializing in mammals. Her greatest interest in the real world is bats but that's a close tie with her fantasy interest in dragons. She has been a docent at the Congress Avenue bat bridge in downtown Austin as well as being a wildlife rehabilitator. She has been writing her whole life, taking the Writing for Children and Teenagers course in early high school and as many language arts courses as she could squeeze in amongst the required science classes in college.

Book preview

Chitter

by Jacqui Ainsworth

Copyright 2012 Jacqui Ainsworth

All Rights Reserved

Cover Art by Alissa Ainsworth

Smashwords Edition July 2012

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, trademarked products, events, and locations are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual events or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Chapter 1: Chitter

Madeline finished helping her mother hang the clothes out to dry. Her mother did laundry for the castle and needed help in these later days of her pregnancy. It was her second and everyone had long given up hope that Madeline would ever have a sibling. The pregnancy was a pleasant surprise. It was a hard one though and Madeline was doing everything she could to ease her mother's workload. Her father was in charge of the stables and was having to get used to doing without her help. She would much rather be immersed in the smell of horses and hay than a tub of harsh-smelling laundry water!

Sounds of protest came from her apron pocket as she reached down for another tunic. She rested her hand gently on her pocket and the chattering subsided. She glanced at the sky and realized that twilight would soon be upon them. Madeline quickly finished her job and brought the basket back to her mother. Her mother had fallen asleep on the chair by the fire while doing some mending. Her womb was so swollen and looked so cumbersome. As much as Madeline wanted a sibling for her mother's sake, she worried about the outcome. Other than the pregnancy, her mother was still a lovely woman. Her long hair was the same chestnut color as Madeline's but her eyes were a brilliant blue rather than the deep brown that Madeline sported.

Madeline quickly went into her room and settled down in a corner. She reached into her apron pocket and pulled out the brown ball of fluff. She rested it gently on her hand and fondly watched as it adjusted its wings and raised its head to look at her. His sweet little kittenish face melted her heart. She pet him softly as he made a chittering sound in greeting. She had named him Chitter for just this sound. Chitter was a big brown bat that she had found last summer. Upon finding him in the woods, she had left him there and rushed to get her father. He had quickly put on the thick leather gloves that he always seemed to have with him then carefully picked it up and brought it to the stable. After determining that the baby bat had