24. Off the Ground

Scuttle was sleeping in a yard. Sometimes, he said to himself, ''It's so hard to be a useful seagull. One does need to keep going, ya' know! Eeeeek! Hello, seagull!'' said Marina. Oh! said Scuttle angrily. ''Marina is so insulting! How dare she talk to me that way? I never, ever crash! Is hurting your leg an accident?'' Melody asked. ''Of course not! Carelessness is always the key to disaster! But if you crash off the ground like what happened to Marina! Is that OK? Is it fun?'' Then, Marina had to take the wagons. Scuttle was watching her. ''Careful, Marina! You are not taking The Big Load now! I want you not to crash!'' Marina went away, while Scuttle went back to sleep. Get up, Scuttle! said his worker. We have to take a special load! Is it wagons or carts? Carts. replied the worker. Carts! said Scuttle. Yuck! Scuttle was a little slow to start, so Ray-Ray pushed him to a turntrack. I'm not going! said Scuttle. Stop complainig! said Ray-Ray. Scuttle was on the turntrack. They shook his foodbox, and he was healthy and had lots of energy. Scuttle was angry, and did not care. He waited until the turntrack was almost around. I'll show 'em who's boss. he said. He went off the turntrack, but he wasn't looking where he was going! And he ran into some mud! Oh, no! said Scuttle. Help me, help me! No! said his worker and driver. You're stuck, you stupid seagull! Do you understand? They called King Triton. So, Scuttle refused to take his load, and fell into some mud? ''What did you say? The load is waiting? Get Ray-Ray to collect it!''

''And Scuttle? Leave him like how he is. We have time for him.'' Some children were talking. Doesn't he look stupid? He'll never get out. They started singing, ''Silly Scuttle, silly Scuttle. Silly Scuttle fell in some mud. Silly Scuttle, silly Scuttle. Silly Scuttle fell in some mud.'' Scuttle spent the rest of the day in the mud. Oh, my! he said. How am I going to get out? But that night, they rescued Scuttle, and put some things under his feet, so he

couldn't get stuck anymore. Ropes were attached to his back feathers, and Flounder and Marina brought him onto

solid ground. Scuttle went into bed, a smarter seagull.

by Julian Ayele Cumberbatch