On the outskirts of the town stood a scattering of small farmhouses. Plotted fields of emerging corn stood side by side in steps, planted by patient farmers; farmers who longed to see a giant wall of dark green husks cover the fertile earth. It was only June, early June. Too early for the promise of the milky, golden kernels that would eventually burst forth, stretching upwards to tempt the hungry belly of the voracious sun.
It was the kind of hot, sleepy afternoon in June where the air smelled of dry dust and warm asphalt, and the only sound was the gentle swaying of the juvenile corn stems as they whispered childlike temptations to the occasional light breeze. For now, like the hungry sun, the farmers would have to wait.
Far behind the emerging emerald corn rows and the occasional dotted, weathered brown, crooked farmhouses sat the Rocky Mountains, rising up like angry, jagged fossils ripped from the ground in some long-forgotten, ancient conflict, their snowy peaks gleaming against a sky so blue that it looked like wet paint. Along the edges of the small, sectioned fields stood a tree line of box elder maple and quaking aspen that gave dappled shade to the winding roads that stretched far into the distance. At the horizon line, where the road seemed to melt away, sat a single cottonwood tree, its heavy branches shaking out clouds of fluffy white seed. Seeds that drifted slowly through the haze, signaling that another magical day in the valley had begun. The signs of life were all around and unstoppable.
Nothing moved in a hurry; even the occasional wisps of disinterested cirrus clouds, left behind like the frayed remnants of spun cotton, took their time to fade from view.
It was on the outskirts of town where B-Jay, the magnificent Beetle car, lived. His owner kept a small farm, which he leased out to some of the bigger farming contractors, while he worked as a foreman at the refinery. On weekdays he drove his company truck to work, leaving his pride and joy, a magnificent, bright red Beetle car, safely stored in the garage.
B-Jay looked out of the garage window. Everywhere he looked seemed wonderful, but he was feeling far from wonderful. It was summer and he was stuck in a gloomy, dingy garage while his owner was in some far-off land enjoying his annual summer vacation. B-Jay stared out of the grimy, cobwebbed window to the hills and trees that stretched far off into the distance, wishing he could be out there. He longed to be driving around the landscape with his roof back, enjoying the breeze and the feel of the hot sun on his leather.
All of a sudden, B-Jay had a thought. He couldn’t actually remember his owner locking the garage door before he had left. "I wonder," he mused to himself, his headlights glowing softly in the dark garage. "Maybe if I give the door a nudge, it might open."
And so it did.
Well, before you could say, "Thank you very much," B-Jay had escaped the confines of the garage, negotiated the driveway, and was accelerating quickly along the road in a state of sheer delirium.
"Whoooooooosh!" he hollered as he raced up the first hill. "Wheeeeeeeeeeee!" he screamed, flying very quickly down the other side. Now he was feeling wonderful, speeding along with his roof back, flashing his lights and honking his horn. His wipers whipped across the windshield at full speed; such was his joy.
"Vrooooooom!" he shouted as the road turned to the left. "Vroooooooom!" he shouted again as the road turned to the right. Faster and faster he drove, honking and flashing, flashing and honking, leaving a small trail of hot exhaust fumes behind him.
As the woods got closer, the road started to twist and turn more sharply, from the left to the right, from the right to the left, but B-Jay did not slow down. He was far too excited. He just swerved this way then that way until it looked like he might never stop, as the trees rushed past, trying to keep out of his way.
Suddenly, and most unexpectedly, as he turned out of a blind bend, he hit a log in the road. He was going so fast that there was not enough time to avoid it. There was a bump and a thump and a bit of a jump, as one of his wheels broke loose, bouncing along the road ahead of him. He screeched to a sudden halt, watching the dislodged wheel as it disappeared from view.
"Oh no!" shrieked B-Jay, his front bumper rattling as he came to a stop. "Now what am I going to do?" B-Jay started to cry, his windshield wipers giving a small, pathetic twitch of despair. Once again, he was feeling far from wonderful. The situation seemed grim as he sat there with his engine sobbing.
Just then, a tiny voice called out from the grass verge at the side of the road. "Does it hurt?"
"Does what hurt?" questioned B-Jay, with a rhythmic, sniveling wheeze of his exhaust. "Who are you?"
"Your leg," replied Zippo, a tiny ant. "I am an ant and my name is Zippo." As he said his name, he spun his baseball hat round and round and with much animation, struck a pose to suggest that he held the status of a well-known celebrity.
"Well, it is not a leg; it is a wheel. And no, it doesn’t hurt. I just cannot go anywhere without it," snapped B-Jay as his mood deepened into utter despair.
"Oh dear, you are stuck then," concluded Zippo, pacing a tiny, dramatic circle around a small, flat stone, thinking. "Maybe I can help," he suggested optimistically, waving a finger at B-Jay. "Everyone knows that for their size, ants are far stronger than anyone else. In fact, I think we might well be the strongest animals in the entire universe." He spun his baseball hat around again as if to amplify his statement, before striking another pose, this time flexing his muscles like the strongman in a circus.
"That may be so," answered a voice high up in the cottonwood tree next to them, the branch shaking gently as he spoke; the words broken up by the occasional clicking sound. "I fear that despite your strength, you are far too tiny to carry such a large wheel."
"Who are you?" questioned B-Jay and Zippo together, looking up at the green canopy to where the voice had come from.
"My name is Aruna, and I am a Great Horned Owl," stated the reply, calmly, as a rather large bird appeared, flying towards them before settling on a lower branch. He gripped the bark tightly with his talons and rotated his head in a slow, silent circle. He flicked his head sideways before settling, his talons gripping the branch with ease.
"Are you a wise owl?" questioned Zippo, craning his neck so far back that his tiny baseball cap nearly fell off. "Only I have heard that owls are wise, which means you could help B-Jay get his wheel back. Your brains and my brawn would surely solve this dilemma."
"Yes," replied Aruna, flapping his wings wide to reveal a rather large and extremely impressive wingspan. "We owls have many qualities and wisdom is one of them. And I may just be able to help both of you."
B-Jay and Zippo found it very hard to disagree. Aruna was a rather impressive owl and he could certainly carry it with his rather awesome-looking talons.
Suddenly, the hedgerow erupted with the sounds of chuckled amusement, the bush rustling to their left. "You might be magnificent and you might even be able to carry B-Jay's wheel," mused the voice, still chuckling, "but who has ever heard the story of the owl that rescued a wheel? That would be a tale to be told and not one that I have ever heard."
"And who might you be?" asked B-Jay, Zippo, and Aruna, who puffed out his chest feathers, clearly not amused at such a rebuttal, as his talons gripped tighter.
"My name is Maxwell," came the reply as a rather large St. Bernard dog sauntered towards them, wagging his thick, bushy tail as he did so. He paused to give his long ears a vigorous shake, making a loud flap-flap-flap sound. "I can help you. Everyone knows that St. Bernards are famous for rescuing people in their time of need. Our exploits have been very well documented. I could carry it on my back once I have tracked it with my superior sense of smell."
As he said this, Maxwell continued to snort, sniffing the ground around them as if he had suddenly sensed something important, his heavy jowls swaying with every movement. That is true, they all thought to themselves. It is said that dogs do have an amazing sense of smell and Maxwell was a rather large dog. Surely he could carry it on his back. Maybe he was the answer to their prayers.
"Oh, please!" said another voice from the hedgerow. Its tone was sassy and seemingly condescending. "You may have an incredible sense of smell, and you may be a rather large dog, but everyone knows what will happen the second you smell food. Everyone knows what dogs are like. If you could just forget about food for five minutes, maybe... but I doubt it."
"Who are you?" they all echoed in chorus.
"I am Cressida," proclaimed a rather proud black cat, slinking out from the shadows like a film star on a catwalk. She stepped deliberately into their line of sight before stopping to lick a single paw, smoothing the fur on her chest. When satisfied that the fur was back in its correct position, she continued her statement. "What you need is a great hunter! Oh, wait," she exclaimed, craning her neck and narrowing her golden eyes while looking straight at Maxwell. "That would be me. There is no better hunter known to man or beast than a cat. If you are a wise old owl,” she said turning towards Aruna, “you should certainly know this. Maybe you could enlighten everyone to this fact." After placing an emphasis on the word ‘fact’ she turned away nonchalantly, attending to more serious matters again.
"But that still doesn’t solve the problem of how we can get the wheel back here," reasoned yet another voice, this time with a slight, deep echo, coming from a hole in the ground, near the tree from where the owl had flown down.
Once again, they all asked in unison, looking downwards, "And who are you?"
"I am Bo, the tumbling badger," chuckled the badger, tumbling over and over towards them. "Digger Bo!" He popped up onto his hind legs, brushing a clump of dirt from his nose with his tiny clawed paw. "I could even carry it on my wibbly-wobbly tummy." And with that he demonstrated his point by tumbling, over and over all around them. "I could grab the wheel, hold it tightly and tumble it all the way back here." He then broke into a song... "Tumble, tumble, tumble, tumble….all day long!"
"You still need my help to find it," disagreed Cressida, interrupting his song with a hiss, her tail giving a sharp, annoyed flick at being disturbed from her grooming, having considered that she had already resolved the situation. "Everyone knows that a badger's eyes are only good at night. And for the love of all things holy, will you please keep still? You are making me dizzy with all that tumbling."
They all carried on arguing about who would be the one to best help B-Jay. After what seemed like an eternity of hopelessness, B-Jay started to cry again, his windshield wipers wiping away his tears. It was no good. He would be stuck there forever until they could solve the problem of which of them it might be that could best save him.
"Well, that settles it then," proclaimed Aruna wisely, after an hour of listening to them squabble. He clicked his beak sharply to silence the group. "We shall all go together."
"That’s brilliant," thought B-Jay, suddenly filled with hope. "You truly are a wise old owl. Surely if everyone works together using their own unique talents, as you suggest, then I really could get my wheel back."
"We will never get anywhere by arguing," continued Aruna, adjusting his wings with an authoritative rustle, "but if we work together, then we may be able to find and bring back B-Jay’s wheel." The owl made the statement in such a composed way that they all found it very hard to disagree. Even Cressida could manage nothing more than a cold shrug of her shoulders and a slow blink of her eyes.
So they all set off: the ant, the owl, the dog, the cat, and the badger (who was still tumbling) all in search of the missing wheel. B-Jay tried to remain optimistic while he waited, thankful that so many had come to his rescue, and dreamed of that moment when he might feel wonderful again. He reasoned that with so many impressive abilities, between them all, he had every reason to believe that there would be a positive outcome, if they could just work together. "Teamwork makes the dreamwork," he whispered to himself, hoping it was true; trying to keep his spirits up.
Despite his situation, B-Jay realized that his misfortune seemed to have an upside. He had never been in a position before to have friends. He had never seen a badger, a cat, a dog, or an ant, and even though he had seen birds flying around the farm, he had never met an owl up close. They intrigued him and he pondered over how different they not only looked, but how different they acted. Their mannerisms and the way they spoke were all so distinctive and each one seemed special in their own unique way.
While he waited, B-Jay distracted himself by looking around his surroundings. He surveyed the fields and the hills that undulated smoothly towards the wooded area to his left, far off in the distance. Above them he observed what looked to be a very large bird, riding the air currents, effortlessly; he surmised it might be an eagle looking for something to eat. Its wingspan was incredibly wide and B-Jay watched as it soared and swerved, turning in the air with just a subtle twist of its body. It covered a large amount of airspace with such ease, and as it gracefully faded into the background, getting smaller and smaller, he pondered on the freedom it had and dreamed for a second at how wonderful it must feel to be able to fly. It was something he might be able to ask Aruna at some point.
Moments later a red squirrel came hurtling out of the bushes, causing B-Jay to start and without thinking his horn gave a slight squeal. The squirrel stopped abruptly, looked at him with its beady eyes, flicking its big, bushy tail twice, then hurtled up the side of a tree to his left. It hung for a second, still observing him as it chattered its displeasure, then, when it was satisfied that B-Jay posed no threat, it leapt off with a single bound, disappearing quickly into the bushes and out of sight.
After what seemed like an eternity, B-Jay’s focus returned back to the road ahead and his spirits were suddenly lifted, seeing his friends approaching in the distance, carrying the missing wheel. He tooted his horn and gave a quick flash of his lights, but tried to remain calm as possible, reminding himself that it was his excitement that had led him to this unfortunate situation.
Once they reached him they began the task of attaching the wheel. Maxwell held the wheel in place, while Digger Bo tumbled, turning the wheel nuts as he did so. B-Jay could not help but express his gratitude to each of his new friends over and over and over again. It felt so good to feel wonderful again.
B-Jay did not know how he could ever repay them, but he did have one idea that could reward them for their friendship; for rescuing him in his hour of need. He could return at another time. On another sunny day, he could take them all on an adventure. He wasn’t sure what kind of adventure, but he was sure that if they were capable of finding a missing wheel, then, together, they could surely think of the greatest adventure ever.
Zippo responded first saying, “I love adventures, although I haven't ever actually had one. But I am sure I would." He adjusted his tiny baseball hat to a jaunty side-angle and, feeling a surge of joy, began a rapid series of breakdancing spins on B-Jay's bumper.
“I think that is a wonderful idea,” replied Aruna, the wise owl, blinking his large yellow eyes slowly. “It would give us all another chance to get to know each other better."
“Will there be food or do we need to bring snacks?" asked Maxwell, letting out a long sigh that made his heavy lips flutter.
“And can it be a tumbling adventure?” inquired Digger Bo, doing a quick somersault in place.
“I am sure it will be wonderful,” said B-Jay, his engine humming with a happy, warm vibration. “What about you, Cressida, does it sound like fun? Will you join us?"
Cressida shrugged her shoulders, licked her paw and managed to reply with, “I guess so,” before using a claw to flick a speck of dust from her velvet-black shoulder.
Once his wheel was fully attached and had been inspected by Aruna, B-Jay became eager to return to the safety of his home; he felt worn out from all the drama and the worry. Before he left, he made his promise to each of them to return. Then, much slower than before, he headed back, just as the sun was sinking into the horizon. He couldn’t resist one final glance into his rearview mirror, and as he did so, he caught a glance of Digger Bo still tumbling in the hedgerow behind him.
He smiled to himself at how clever they all were and at how wonderful it felt to have his wheel back. How wonderful it felt to have new friends. He flashed his lights and honked his horn. Once could not hurt.
Then, he closed the garage door behind him, grateful to be home.