THE ANGEL AND A FRIEND story

A white dot gets larger as it comes closer to the earth. Down and down it falls. Could it be a piece of cheese broken away from the moon? NO.

Is it a flying saucer? NO.

Instead, it’s a very beautiful young angel. Here? An angel?
Her name is Esther. And she is lost.

She lands on the highest part of a spruce tree. One wing is bent back, stuck between two large branches. If only someone came by, then she could continue her journey.

"Help me," is her cry that travels across the valley. Everywhere she looks, trees rise and fall across hills.

"HEELLP MEEE!!" is a loud answering echo.

At first it seems no one is around. But, croaking sounds rise from a little pond below. “Who is this stranger in our forest?” frogs ask.

The strange creature looks like a human with wings. Is it human or bird?

"Please, help me get loose," the angel calls down.

"But…But, frogs can't climb trees," croaky voices answer.

A hawk listens from his perch. He thought about chasing this strange visitor before she landed in the tree. Now his dinner is overdue.

The angel twisted high above. One branch broke suddenly and she dropped to a lower resting place. Nothing broken. Yet.

Esther is on a mission from her Master. She had been so careful to follow her directions. ‘Around the moon, left at Newfoundland, then land beside Cobequid Bay near Truro, Nova Scotia.

She was supposed to settle on a nearby pasture. Not on top of the highest tree in the forest.

"Is there anyone else around," Esther whispered.

Three mallard ducks were busy feeding on vegetation and insects. "Quack! Quack!" they called. "Are you in trouble?" the oldest one asked.

"Yes, please help me," the angel's voice pleaded.

“Not me,” said the oldest duck. “Those branches might ruin my colorful feathers.” The others agreed.

"Let me try," one duck said. He paddled furiously across the water and leaped into space. All he did was get a closer look at the problem.

His wings brushed against several limbs. And caused Esther to fall two branches lower.

The noise alarmed a red squirrel that rushed around the trunk.

A sweet smiling face looked down.

"It's a little child!" bushy red chattered. "With red cheeks and wings like a bird!"

An eagle flew lower to help. However, his wings were too wide.

A young Cygnet swam slowly into view. He wasn't very big and everyone knew he was an orphan. In fact no one in the pond knew what kind of bird or duck he really was.

He peered through trembling leaves. "I can help you," he said. His cheerful words drifted slowly upwards.

"How?" the angel answered.“

"Just let go of the branches," the Cygnet said.

"Let go?" Esther answered fearfully. "But I'll fall." She wrapped her wings even tighter around a large branch.

"I'll catch you," the Cygnet said.

"But you're so little," the angel said.

"If you let go of the branch, you can plunk on top of my back," answered the Cygnet.

"Are you sure it will work?" the angel asked.

"Have faith," the young Cygnet replied.

And Esther did have faith. After all, she was an angel.

Letting go of the branch, she dropped once again. This time she fell in a straight line, between leaves and branches.

It was as if a perfect trail had been prepared, just for her.

Down and down she went. She flew past the watchful eye of the hawk. And disappeared from sight of the sharp-eyed eagle.

Then rushing past bushy red.

Esther made a perfect landing right on top of a feathery back. The shock scared a raccoon leaning on a nearby limb. He quickly dropped to the ground and went searching for a quieter part of the forest.

"Thanks and more thanks," were words barely heard above the angel's thumping heart. She flapped her wings slowly. Then back and forth until she rose into the air.

She flew around testing each movement of her wings. Everything seemed to work properly.

The Cygnet’s eyes opened wide at the beautiful sight before him. He was so pleased his plan had worked. Whew.

Now a glowing surrounded the angel, almost like Christmas lights. And her eyes were brilliant as the morning sun.

It brought warmth to the Cygnet’s young feathers. "I wish I could be as beautiful as you," he said.

"You will," the angel smiled. "One day every creature in the forest will stare at your beauty."

"Oh sure," the little Cygnet said. "Compared to all these colorful ducks, I look awful."

Esther, the angel didn’t say a word as she flapped her wings. Her reddish cheeks were full of understanding.

The little Cygnet heard her voice come whispering like the wind. "Have faith. One day, you will grow into the most beautiful bird in the forest,” Esther said.

“Every creature in the forest will call you SWAN.”

Then Angel disappeared like a rocket in the sky.

* * *

© Richard L. Provencher 2004

Richard & Esther Provencher invite you to read their first of three novels ‘FOOTPRINTS” now available from www.synergebooks.com. “Someone’s
Son” and “Into The Fire” will also be available soon by the same company. These books were written during the first several years while Richard was recovering from his stroke, which felled him in 1999. He is still recovering.

The link to “FOOTPRINTS” is as follows: http://www.synergebooks.com/ebook_footprints.html