Chapter 5
Fred was green and long, like a rather thin piece of vine-a snake. George was wide, flat with dark green hexagons inscribed on his shell with beige borders-a turtle. From the time that they spent together, you might assume they were close friends. Yes, go on assuming that.
Today, Fred was feeling unappreciated. Even though he was a fully-grown snake, it never seemed like the other animals along the river bank noticed him as much as he liked. There were some, like Bernadette, the red racer who slithered from upriver, whom he would dearly like to impress.
What could a snake like Fred do? Well, he could ask his friends. Or rather, his friend. Or rather, George. He could depend on George. It was George, after all, who had remembered his birthday. It was George who was always nearby and who was rarely-well, never, really-angry with him.
He would like some more friends. Really, he would! But it never happened. They were polite, but you could not say that their relationship was warm. “Maybe they do not want to be friends because I am a snake.” wondered Fred to himself. “Yes, because I am cold-blooded! Well, that is sort of rude!. They assume that because I am a reptile that it means that I am unfriendly.”
He mused to himself, his tongue flickering thoughtfully in and out as he thought about his problem. “Why do people want to be friends anyway? George seems to have lots of friends. Bob and Chuck are always coming over to chomp on the greens and discuss-very slowly-the latest gossip. Why does he have so many friends and I have none.”
Then he had an idea. It was so simple really. “If I was famous or important, then people would want to be my friends so that, if I was famous, they would be kind of famous, too! So, how can I be famous? Well, what do famous people look like?”
He slithered down the bank, through the roots of the trees, along the rounded river stones that marked the river’s edge, to where George was sunning himself on a log.
‘George! George! I have a question.”
George’s eyes were both shut, but when Fred asked the question one of his eyes opened and then the other.
“George, wake up! I have a question.” Fred asked, his voice so excited by his thoughts.
“Yes, Fred, what is your question?”
“Well, I’ve been thinking. What do famous people do? I mean how do other people know that they are famous?” Fred asked.
George thought about it. In fact, he thought about it for so long that Fred thought maybe he had discovered a new talent for sleeping with his eyes open. But he knew George’s habits and was willing to wait a little bit longer. Finally, George blinked and then blinked again and then turned his head to look Fred in the eye. Finally, he spoke.
“Well, if a person is famous, he or she is in a parade.”
“A parade?” Fred asked. His brain was already full of ideas.
George stretched out one of his front legs, and then the other. “Yes, Fred. They get dressed up and they are carried through the people. The people clap their hands and cheer and they wave. That is what famous people do.”
“Excellent! Excellent!” exclaimed Fred. “We must have a parade.” And he slithered away to make his plans.
The next morning, when the leaves were changing color in the early sunlight, Fred positioned piece of wood so that it balanced on George’s back. Then he wriggled so that his head lifted the shiniest, glossiest leaf which he had made into a sort of pointy cap on his head. Then, raising his head above the ground he maneuvered himself, using only his tail, up on George’s back and then up onto the piece of wood.
“Hup!” he shouted to George. George knew that was his signal and started to walk along the river bank.
“Hello, friends.” Fred called out to a pair of chipmunks who rested on the bark of a fir tree. They nodded their heads at him and he nodded back.
“Ho, Bob and Chuck. See how I am riding on George’s back? Isn’t it amazing!” Bob and Chuck were so surprised by the sight of a snake riding on a turtle’s back that they could not never speak and their mouth hung open.
And so they continued down the path, passing animal after animal. Some greeted Fred and it made him smile. Others ignored him and he made rude remarks about them. A few made fun of him and he pretended that he did not hear them.
But then he saw Bernadette. She was the snake with most beautiful red stripes down her sides and her eyes were like pools of infinite depth. He wanted eager to impress her, so he pulled himself even straighter and checked that the leaf was sitting on his head correctly.
“Hello, Bernadette. How stunning you look today.”
“Why, hello yourself, Fred. I see that you convinced George to give you a ride. And what is that on your head.”
“It was George himself who told me that famous people often have parades.”
“And what is that on your head?” she asked, coming closer to inspect more carefully.
“Well, George told me that famous people often wear new things-things that other people don’t wear but later copy.”
“You really listened to George carefully. I have no doubt, my silly Fred, that everyone will remember what you did today.” she laughed. “They will talk about you and tell their children and their children’s children the story of Fred’s parade.”
It was at that moment that a fox scampered out from brush near the bend in the river. George seldom moved quickly, but he was so surprised that he jerked to the left and plunged into the cool depths of the river, carrying Fred with him. A few moments later, Fred came to the surface, spluttering, his tongue pushing drops of water away from his mouth. Fortunately, all the other animals had scattered and did not see him slither out of the shallow water on to the shore. They didn’t see his leafy hat all sideways and covering one eye.
“George! George!” he cried out. “Did you hear that? She said ‘my silly Fred’! I am so happy!” But George had swum away down the river.
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