Crowning Sol-See the Squirrel Girl

By Charna Ainsworth

Eight-year-old Maria has been feeling different lately. She started having dreams and visions about the future. Sometimes, she can even hear what her Paw-paw's cats are thinking. Trying to figure out the weird things happening to her only makes her feel like she's in another dream. But when Godmother Ozz freezes her family so she can become Sol-See the Squirrel Girl, she understands why so many strange things have been happening. Sent into parallel worlds, one animal and one human, the girl and the squirrel must bravely face the unknown. Each in a world she barely understands, fighting together against the vile Prince Rapscallion and the exciled Prince Talowah. It seems very unlikely Sol-See could one day wear the crown in order for both worlds to live in peace. Will she be able to defeat the two evil princes by using her supernatural powers and win the crown?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Charna Ainsworth
• Release date: May 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215839225

Charna Ainsworth

Charna Ainsworth was born and raised in Mississippi. She inherited her father's talent for writing and began to write poetry and short stories at a young age. The Letter, is the first novel in a trilogy which she wrote over a period of six weeks. It was followed by two collections of poetry, two novellas and the second novel of the trilogy, Shades of Persuasion. Charna is an avid reader and on Sundays you can usually find her attending church. She resides in the country, in Mississippi with her family.

Book preview

Chapter One

Not far from the banks of the Mississippi River, near the river bottom, is a mysterious place known as the swamps. Living on the edge of this swamp land is a family of Fox Squirrels. Father squirrel named Fi-Jo, mother squirrel whose name is Che-Cho, and three young squirrels, two girls, one boy. The boy’s name is O-We, the girls’ names are Vir-Vee and Sol-See.

This family of five Fox Squirrels live a good life in an incredibly old, giant red oak tree. Because Fi-Jo claimed the large hollow in the oak for his family, there was rarely concern for predators. Most days the squirrels roamed about freely, eating, and gathering delicious acorns in peace.

One early fall morning O-We, Vir-Vee and, Sol-See were chasing each other up and down the branches, seeing who could run the fastest. O-We won the race to the top of the tree but both sisters were right on his tail. Then they would chase each other up and down, and round and round. When they were out of breath, they climbed down to their favorite branch to rest.

Suddenly a gust of wind blew the fur of their bushy tails, and the sky grew dark. Without warning, lightning lit up the darkened sky as thunder shook the earth. Rain crashed down through the leaves, past the branches, onto the squirrels. They ran for the hollow as large hail stones began to fall, tearing through the canopy of leaves.

O-We, Vir-Vee and Sol-See climbed, jumping from branch to branch of the giant oak tree. O-We moved faster than his sisters and was soon inside, safe from the storm. A few seconds later, Vir-Vee came in, shaking the water off her coat onto O-We.

Are you okay? Fi-Jo asked.

Vir-Vee was shaking, her teeth chattering as O-We explained, We were just sitting on a branch when suddenly lightning streaked across the sky. It thundered loud, louder than I’ve ever heard. Then hail from the size of acorns to apples...

Where’s Sol-See? Che-Cho asked.

Both brother and sister shrugged their shoulders as Fi-jo stuck his head out the hollow’s door. A big piece of hail hit nearby, sending pieces of ice inside the squirrel’s home. Che-Cho grabbed her husband, pulling him back inside.

Fi-Jo turned to see his wife with big squirrel tears welling up in her eyes. Sol-See is probably hiding under a big limb, safe as can be. Any second now she’ll come running in telling us about the storm.

Even as Fi-Jo was comforting Che-Cho he was afraid. He knew if there was any way Sol-See could, she would have been the first of the three baby squirrels to come home. He motioned for brother and sister to come closer, for a family hug.

As the storm began to pass, Fi-Jo began to give directions. Mother, stay here in case she comes back. I will look on the ground, O-We and Vir-Vee… search the tree. The signal for anyone who finds Sol-See is four loud kuks.

Che-Cho objected, I don’t want to just sit here and wait.

O-We asked, Why can’t we help you search on the ground?

Fi-Jo, being the proud father, stopped, stood up on his hind legs and with a firm voice said, Mother you stay home. Son, you search the north side of the tree. Daughter, you search the south side of the tree. Let’s go, there’s no time to waste. We must find Sol-See.

As Fi-jo, Vir-Vee, and O-we left the tree hollow to search for Sol-See, big squirrel tears filled Che-Cho’s eyes. Then she kuked out to her daughter in hopes the young squirrel would hear her voice.

Fi-Jo ran down the trunk then made a circle around the base of the tree. He extended his search, going around the tree a second time. He stood up on his hind legs looking on the ground under the massive red oak tree limbs. He spotted something that looked strange about twenty feet past the tree’s roots. He looked up and listened for his son or daughter to kuk. When he didn’t hear anything, he went to investigate.

As he approached, it became clear what was lying underneath the broken limb. He wanted to believe she was lying there to catch her breath but as Fi-Jo moved closer, he saw blood on the leaves by her head. He touched her still body then his paws began to tremble. He softly called his daughter’s name, but Sol-See did not respond. He gently moved her head from where it lay in rainwater, to look at her face. He saw the wound on her head, behind her left ear. When his lips touched her cheek, he heard shallow breathing.

Fi-Jo’s mind raced with hope, then worry. How bad was she hurt? Should he pick her up to carry her home? No. He must call for help. He must call her mother, sister, and brother.

Fi-Jo began to bark the signal that would alert his family. One kuk, urgent and loud, two kuks, hopeful and strong, three kuks, desperate and determined, four kuks full of love… to bring the family to Sol-See’s side.

Grampy Jack, a swamp rabbit, heard the squirrel’s barking in the distance. He knew it was none of his business; but there was something in the last kuk he could not ignore. He raced up the rabbit trail, his cane barely touching the earth, as quick as he could.

When Che-Cho saw her baby lying on the ground she began to cry, My baby, my baby, my Sol-See!

Che-Cho fainted, falling to the ground as Vir-Vee and O-We stood silently staring at their mother and sister. Fi-Jo looked down at his daughter, then his wife, slowly shaking his head from side to side as tears fell to the ground.

Grampy Jack knew he would have to do something fast, or the baby squirrel wouldn’t live. He scooted around Vir-Vee to get a little closer. He put his paw over the wound, pressing down to stop the bleeding. With one paw on Sol-See Grampy Jack shook Fi-Jo with the other, telling him, Squirrel, you got to get back to reality. Your baby is hurt, and your wife fainted. They need your help.

As Fi-Jo began to understand what Grampy Jack was saying, he answered, "Yes, yes; Yes, you’re right. I’m back, I’m okay."

Grampy Jack placed Fi-Jo’s paw on the wound. Then he moved Che-Cho closer to Sol-See, telling Fi-Jo, Gather around your wife and daughter, keep them safe and warm until I get back.

Only a few minutes passed before Grampy Jack was back with a whole clan of swamp rabbits. The biggest and strongest of the lot was his grandson, Eter. All the rabbits in the swamp called him ‘Big Eter.’ But when he was a young rabbit, everyone called him ‘Cotton Tail’ for his tail was white as snow.

Fi-Jo was mumbling, making no sense. Grampy Jack jumped toward him, slapping his big feet on the ground. Listen up, Squirrel. There’s foxes, wolves, and coyotes that could be here any minute. If that happens, we are gonna have one heck of a fight on our hands. Right now, you need to pay attention because I’ve got a plan.

Fi-Jo began nodding his head, asking, What’s your plan?

Che-Cho, coming back to her senses, cried out, Is my baby alive?

Yes, but we need to hurry, Grampy Jack replied.

Tell us what we need to do! Fi-Jo exclaimed.

"Your baby needs an animal doctor. The only one I know lives farther up past the swamps, on the Mississippi River. Her name is Nightingale Hide. She married Little Red Riding Hide Medicine Man of the Choctaw Indian Nation. Together they built a houseboat and hung up a sign saying, ‘Nurse