The bluebird family home was a flurry of activity. Their home was a cosy opening inside the trunk of an old pine tree at the edge of the northern mountains in D’Land.

“Mama, Bobby and I are getting late for school. Please, give us our lunch quickly,” Belinda the little bluebird cheeped in her sing-song voice.

“Yes, Mama. We have a test today and we need to be in school on time,” quipped Bobby, flapping his azure wings rapidly.

“Yes, yes, my dears. Wait a minute. Here are your berries,” their Mama replied.

Just as they flew out of the tree trunk Belinda let out a yelp, “Oh dear! Look!” she squealed, flapping her wings frantically.

Bobby looked down in concern at the base of the pine tree, “What happened, Belinda?”

“Snakes! Snakes!” she cried.

Mama peeped out of their tree trunk home to see what the commotion was. She flew out when she spotted the snake curled at the bottom of the pine tree trunk.

“Hurry back into the tree,” she screamed to her children. Belinda and Bobby flew back into the hole in the tree trunk and huddled together.

“It…it was a rattle s..s..snake, Mama,” Belinda stammered.

Mama was panting in fright, “It wasn’t just one snake. It was a whole family.”

“Where’s Papa?” asked Bobby in a tremulous voice.

“He should be home any minute,” Mama replied agitated. “This snake family was not here last evening, I’m sure of it.”

“We need to get to school, Mama,” Bobby whispered, his eyes filling with tears.

“My dear, let Papa come. He will sort this out,” Mama consoled them and hugged her two little ones close.

Home in their little pine tree had always been a safe place but today they felt insecure. There was a flutter of wings when Papa Bluebird flew through the hole into the hollow trunk. “Hello kids. Aren’t you supposed to be off to school?”

“Papa, papa,” the two siblings rushed to their father. “There’s a snake family living in our tree.”

Papa smiled calmly, “Yes, they moved in last night. I welcomed them myself.”

“What?” cried Mama. “How can you allow such dangerous creatures to be our neighbours?”

“Why do you think they are dangerous, my dear? And this forest is not just ours, it belongs to all the creatures of D’Land,” answered Papa Bluebird with his signature smile.

“T…they are ‘snakes’,” Mama sputtered. “So you think they are dangerous simply because of what you have heard about snakes,” Papa said.

“Papa, we need to get to school before it’s too late. We have a test today,” Belinda interrupted her parents’ argument.

“Yes, first things first,” Papa replied promptly. “Come along. I will accompany you to school myself.”

So the brother and sister left their tree trunk home closely following their father. “Hello Snape,” Papa Bluebird greeted one of the snakes as they were about to take flight. “Hope you have settled in well.”

The snake looked up at the trio of bluebirds and hissed, “Yesssss, thanksssss.”

Belinda and Bobby shuddered and nudged their father, “Come on, Papa.”

“Thank goodness we are in time for the assembly,” sighed Belinda in relief as they reached the Aviary School for Birds. “Papa, will you come to pick us up from school?”

“Why, my dear? You both always come home from school by yourselves,” Papa Bluebird asked. “If it’s the snake family you are worried about, don’t be. I feel they are nice creatures. Sometimes some creatures have a bad reputation. You shouldn’t be quick to judge them.”

With those words, Papa Bluebird bid his children farewell. When Belinda and Bobby entered their class, Dazel waddled up to them. “Hi guys, Are you prepared for the science test?” Both of them nodded mutely.

“What’s the matter with the two of you? You are usually so enthusiastic about science,” Dazel asked.

Not one to hold back anything Belinda blurted out, “We have a family of rattlesnakes as neighbours.”

“Oh,” gasped Candy the canary who had been listening to this exchange. “Snakes are such bad-tempered creatures. Always ready to strike with their poisonous fangs.”

“Yes, I have heard that those snakes that are not poisonous can kill by the wound of their teeth as well as by coiling themselves around their victim and suffocating them,” Swain the swan said joining the conversation.

Bobby began to cry softly. “I’m afraid of going home,” he wept. Just then Wiz Rooster entered the class. He was teaching them science this year. When he spotted Bobby crying he was concerned. “What’s wrong, dear?”

Sniffing, Bobby and Belinda unburdened their souls to their teacher. The rooster listened carefully and then smiled. “It’s not right to assume the worst and that too without any proof,” he stated. The two bluebirds nodded.

“Give the snake family a chance,” the rooster advised. “But if there is a problem or you sense danger, tell me at once.” That afternoon when the bluebirds returned home the snake family was nowhere to be seen. Relieved, they entered the opening in their tree trunk.

“Mama, where are the snakes?” asked Bobby as their mother served them lunch. “They left their home at midday today,” Mama replied. “Thank goodness!” she muttered under her breath. “But they might be back any time I presume.”

“Wiz Rooster said that we must not assume the worst. Papa also says we must not jump to conclusions,” shared Belinda. “I’m afraid of the snakes but I want to give them a chance. Maybe they are not going to harm us?”

“Well, what if they ‘are’ going to harm us? Shall we wait for them to attack us?” Mama said bitterly. “I don’t understand why your father doesn’t understand?”

That night when Papa Bluebird returned home he greeted everyone cheerily as was his habit. Sensing the tension in the air he asked, “Hope the snakes haven’t been a problem?”

“No, not yet,” Mama admitted ruefully. Later, when their father came to bid them goodnight, Belinda said, “I’m not comfortable with the snakes being our neighbours, Papa.”

Papa Bluebird nodded, “I understand. But remember, if we are nice to them they have no reason to be nasty with us.”

Belinda nodded but that night she tossed and turned in her sleep as she dreamt of snakes.

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