Fidget of Fiddlewood: Stories for Bedtime

By Patricia Lear and Sandi Lear

"Fidget of Fiddlewood" is a series of little episodes or vignettes centred around our family dog, Fidget, describing our rural wildlife as seen through his eyes.

Fidget was once an energetic fellow, but the years are catching up with him and "having a nap" is now a frequent necessity. He still loves to sit and survey his domain and watch the activity around him, including all the native birds and animals of the area. Although he is a very curious fellow, he never attempts to get too close to his new-found friends.

This little man started life on the street, hanging around with a gang of other dogs, and life was not very kind to him. He was a very frightened pooch when he found his new "family", but soon accepted that this was the very best place to be.



My husband and I retired to this idyllic area on the Atherton Tablelands, in Far North Queensland, after years of moving around Australia. We live on three acres of ex-farmland, and have planted hundreds of rain forest trees to encourage the local wildlife. I am also a volunteer with a dedicated group of people committed to rain forest restoration on the Tablelands.

The aim of the stories was to give our Grandchildren and other little ones an idea of life in this beautiful countryside. It is intended for Parents to read to children, say between 5 and 11 years of age, as bedtime stories, to introduce the young to our rich language and encourage them to read for themselves as they grow up.

By taking part in Fidget's activities I have learnt so much about the wonderful rain forest and its inhabitants.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Jun 26, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483658834

Patricia Lear

My husband and I retired to this idyllic area on the Atherton Tablelands, in Far North Queensland, after years of moving around Australia. We live on three acres of ex-farmland, and have planted hundreds of rain forest trees to encourage the local wildlife. I am also a volunteer with a dedicated group of people committed to rain forest restoration on the Tablelands. The aim of the stories was to give our Grandchildren and other little ones an idea of life in this beautiful countryside. It is intended for Parents to read to children, say between 5 and 11 years of age, as bedtime stories, to introduce the young to our rich language and encourage them to read for themselves as they grow up. By taking part in Fidget's activities I have learnt so much about the wonderful rain forest and its inhabitants.

Book preview

Copyright © 2013 by Patricia Lear. 503963-LEAR

ISBN: Softcover 978-1-4836-5882-7

Ebook 978-1-4836-5883-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Rev. date: 06/21/2013

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-800-455-039

www.xlibris.com.au

[e-mail]

Contents

Fidget comes to Fiddlewood

The Little People of the Valley

A Bin Full of Bobbins

Water, Water Everywhere

Distant Friends

It’s Spring in the Valley

Tails of the Wet

Fiddlewood Frolics

Friends, And More Friends

Little Miracles

After the Big Blow

New Acquaintances

for Elisabeth and Madeline

and all who love Nature’s little people

FIDGET AND FRIENDS

Fidget - Old Pomeranian Dog crossed with something bigger

Fidget’s Feathered Friends

The Bobbins - Red-Tailed Finches

The Army -Forward Scouts - Peaceful Doves

Troops - Bar Shouldered Doves

Generals - Crested Pigeons, Wilhelm and Wilhelmina

Sky Patrol - Bubble, Squeak and family

Irish Contingent - Emerald Doves, Patrick and Colleen

The Royal Prots - King Parrots

The Masked Marauders - Rainbow Lorikeets

The Gang - Pied Currawongs

The Butchies - Pied Butcherbirds, Basil and Barbra

Harry and Harriet - Lewins Yellow-spotted Honeyeaters

Jason - Noisy Friarbird

The Rowdies - Bush Stone Curlews - the Montagues and the Capulets

Little One - Buff-banded Rail

Charles and Amy - Welcome Swallows

The Prince - Peacock

The Pumpkins - Guinea Fowl

Willy - Willy Wagtail

Timothy - Australian Bush Turkey

Flip and Flop - Purple Swamp Hens

Fidget’s Furry Friends

Wilma - The Rock Wallaby

The Horses - Auntie, Mother, the Brat and Horse

The Cows - Big Bull Boss and all the girls

Bandy - Bandicoot

Lily-Rose - Lumholtz Tree Kangaroo

Pedita - Possum

Lucky - Paddymelon

Prickles - Echidna

Fidget comes to Fiddlewood

High up in the Tablelands of Far North Queensland stands a little pink house on a hill overlooking a green, green valley. On the far side of the valley is a patch of rainforest that is home to all kinds of little people that fly, crawl, hop and walk, and the shyest of them all is the Tree Kangaroo.

The beautiful trees of the forest stand tall and sturdy like grand old men, who have seen many cold winters and hot, stormy summers as they spread their branches to the sky. For it is the trees that are the guardians of this lovely world, providing fruit and nuts for the little creatures, protection from storms and the hot sun, and a haven from the dangers that all the creatures face at some time. The trees are also the lungs of the earth, breathing life into the air and hope into the hearts of every living thing.

It is to this peaceful valley that Fidget, the elderly Pomeranian-crossed-with-something-bigger dog comes to live. Fidget has seen many moves in his thirteen years, as his owners search for their piece of heaven, but he knows that here in the little pink house on the hill, overlooking the green, green valley, is the end of the search.

There are many new friends to make, but first Fidget must learn that the birds and animals of the forest and valley made their homes here a long time ago, and, provided that he is willing to accept them in peace and harmony, they are happy to welcome him.

Now, to an elderly Pomeranian-crossed-with-something-bigger pooch, this can prove to be a bit of a challenge. For Fidget is used to complaining in excited yaps, barks and yips whenever he hears or sees a noisy, energetic creature telling the world about its presence, or when a shy little wallaby comes by to sample the fresh new roots and grasses. However the first thing he wants to do is to explore his surroundings, the whole three-and-a-bit acres of it. Because he is an elderly fellow, this can take some time; no wild gallop round the fence line for our man, but a sedate stroll with a sniff here and there, and of course leaving his very own scent trail to mark his boundaries. It is also rather exhausting, and needs to be undertaken in short doses, with a nap in