Scarlett Red

By Shirley Dowling

After a failed attempt to fly, a fledgling female cardinal is saved from the jaws of a cat and brought into the home of a family living on Florida's coast. Raised with an eyedropper and a great deal of loving care, the tiny bird encounters many adventures in her young life, including a three-day ordeal outdoors during an intense winter storm, during which she nearly dies before the family finds her and brings her indoors again. Later when she answers the mating call of a male redbird on the other side of the patio's screen, the family attempts to lure her to his side outdoors, but instead the male chooses to come inside the patio to live with her there. She builds a nest, and together the pair rides out a hurricane, as she hunkers lower on her three tiny speckled eggs while her mate stands by on the branch above the nest. Her name is Scarlett, his name is Red, and the story reaches a happy ending with the arrival of the pair's first-hatched baby bird.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Mar 30, 2012
• ISBN: 9781468562552

Shirley Dowling

Shirley Dowling is a writer whose 25-year career was spent working for an in-house advertising agency which represented a large chain of Florida retail stores. There she wrote newspaper advertising copy, television and radio commercials and company publicity releases. During that time she was also published in several Florida magazines, chiefly authoring personality biographies, plus occasional longer assignments. Shirley is also a published author (Avon Books, NYNY), a mainstream romance novel LOVE NEEDS NO REASON, which enjoyed 9 royalties. She also authored and published a children’s e-book, SCARLETT RED, a selection on Kindle. Since her retirement she has continued to sell articles to Florida magazines. In 2019 Shirley, anticipating the 40th anniversary of two major maritime tragedies which occurred in the Tampa Bay area in 1980, has written a new novel, SKYWAY DOWN, with both accidents woven into the tapestry of the story Shirley lives and works in the Tampa, Florida area.

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© 2012 Shirley Dowling. All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 03/14/2012

ISBN:  978-1-4685-6255-2 (e)

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A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

This story is true. It began in our home on the west coast of central Florida in the spring of the year. Spring – especially the month of April – is very important to our family,. Not only because of the beauty and renewal of the season, but because our birthdays happen then. It was made even more so when Scarlett, our own Florida redbird, dropped in on our lives on one wonderful April day, right in the heart of birthday week. This precious female cardinal was very much a reality, not only to us, but to all of the outsiders who came to see her. Scarlett was her real name and she lived to be eight-and-one-half years old.

The only changes I have made from a peoples'-eye-view are the family's names. The narrative from a cardinal's-eye-view was created with absolute imagination, but all of the incidents and happenings truly did take place.

To the many Scarlett-watchers who have, over the years, urged me to write her story, especially my two daughters, this book is for you.

Contents

Chapter 1

THE ADOPTION

Chapter 2

THE NEW FAMILY

Chapter 3

THE SCREEN ROOM

Chapter 4

THE ADVENTURE

Chapter 5

RED

Chapter 6

THE NEST

Chapter 7

THE HURRICANE

Chapter 8

REDDY BOY

Chapter 1

THE ADOPTION

Scat! Get out of here, the man shooed the huge black cat, swatting his backside with a broom.

Dad! What’s going on? a woman’s voice called out. Are you all right?

It’s okay, Sue, he answered. I’ve got it covered. Don’t be late for work. The girls are already in your car.

Crouching in terror in the tall spring grass, Scarlett could hear an indignant, growling meow as her enemy scampered out of sight in a black blur. Suddenly she found herself scooped up into two enormous, gentle hands. She heard the screened door slam and everything became dark. Then nothing happened for a very long time.

First a crack of light warmed her, then she heard a gentle voice, the man’s voice, telling her not to be afraid. The fledgling bird felt great relief. At least she was not completely forsaken in this cold, dark world. The minutes that had passed since she’d accidentally fallen from the nest seemed forever. Now, she found herself crouched, alone and petrified, in a large cooking pot, a terrible place. It was so dark in here! Suddenly the lid came off and she found her prison to be only a well of shiny metal. And the two faces that peered down on her seemed friendly indeed. The man, whose voice she had heard calling out to the woman, was talking to someone, another man. Go see if you can spot the mother bird while I keep an eye on him, he said. There’s a nest in the Brazilian pepper tree near the back door. Look in the low branches. Cardinals love to nest low. I'm sure I can put this little guy safely back.

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Now she found herself crouched, alone and petrified, in a large cooking pot, a terrible place.

How do you know he’s a cardinal?

I don’t. I’m guessing. This gray runt could be just about anything.

Back went the lid and it was dark again. A door slammed. Crouched in the cool darkness, Scarlett had time again to regret her boldness. How many times had Mama warned her never to hop to the edge of the nest until she was there to teach her to fly? How many times?

This time it seemed longer than before. Finally she welcomed another shaft of warm sunlight as the lid was eased to one side. The man, the second one, plopped some moss alongside her crouching body and said, I think Lucifer tore down the nest. It’s on the ground, empty. And two little unhatched speckled eggs are alongside it. Scarlett listened, frozen in terror, even though her tiny body was warmed by the morning sunlight which streamed across a yellow checkered tablecloth. Poor little guy, The second man added sympathetically, how can he live?

It’ll be okay, Henry, the first man said in a way that sounded hopeful. If the mother is alive she’ll come back for him.

The baby bird, shivering in the lonesome pot, uttered chirpy sobs deep down in her throat.

Would the mother take off like that? asked the one named Henry. Just abandon this little guy?

If she got back and found her nest destroyed how could she know we have her baby safe inside this kitchen? She’s probably fled to the most secure place she knows. She'll come back. We'll reunite this baby with his mom. In the meantime, I’ll raise him. I raised a baby bird once.

"Do you mean now? I thought I was invited to a birthday party at this house tonight."

You are. Ice cream and cake for my three birthday girls. You’re invited for dinner too, of course. Fried chicken, pole beans, corn bread, the works. You’re our most important guest, Henry. Six-thirty sharp.

Who’s doin’ the cookin’?

Me. Who else? Sue’s got a full plate, raising those youngsters on her own and going to work full time. She doesn’t even get home from the bank until six.

Who bakes the cake?