It was a Sunday and the bluebird siblings, Belinda and Bobby, were sulking in their home inside the tree trunk.

“We want to go out and play,” Belinda complained.

“Well, what’s stopping you kids?” asked Father Bluebird.

“The snakes, that’s who!” retorted Bobby with a frown. “Ever since the snakes have come to live at the base of our pine tree, we have been too afraid to play outside. We usually played hide and seek with the other birds of the mountains but now our friends are also too scared to come here.”

Their father smiled as he completed his breakfast. “Why don’t I introduce you both to the young snake who has become our neighbour? His name is Slyme. How would you like that? I’m sure he would also like to make new friends.”

The brother and sister looked alarmed at the suggestion. “Father, are you serious?” a wide-eyed Belinda asked incredulously.

“Absolutely,” Father replied. “Come!” And with those words he led the two stunned bluebirds out of their tiny opening in the tree and flew down to the base of the tree.

From the underbrush which surrounded the pine tree floor, emerged three snakes. Their patterned skins gleamed in the morning sunlight and their tongues flicked in and out of their pursed mouths.

“Happy Sunday Snape, Mrs Snape, and Slyme,” greeted Father Bluebird. “These are my children, Belinda and Bobby. They wanted to welcome Slyme to the neighbourhood.”

“H…hello,” stammered Belinda and Bobby.

“Hi,” Slyme replied shyly.

“Want to play hide and seek?” asked Bobby bravely. He didn’t want anyone to see his fear.

“Sssssure,” Slyme agreed with a smile. The snake’s hisses seemed to make Belinda shudder involuntarily, yet, she forced herself to smile. “I’ll count to ten and you guys hide.”

Slyme and Bobby rushed off to hide in the surrounding bushes. The hour passed in haste when suddenly, the bluebirds heard the sound of their mother calling them home for lunch.

“We’ve got to go,” said Belinda, “but it was fun playing with you, Slyme.”

“Thankssss. I had a great time too,” Slyme admitted, reddening in pleasure.

At lunch-time Belinda and Bobby were bursting with news to share, “Slyme is nice. I mean he’s like our other friends,” Bobby said as he attacked the berry salad his mother had made, with relish. All that playtime had made him ravenous.

“And he’s very considerate too,” Belinda quipped in. “Whenever his long body hit any of us he apologised at once.”

Their mother did not react to this information but Father Bluebird smiled, “That’s wonderful! I hope you will introduce Slyme to your other friends as well.”

“Sure,” Bobby said, “let’s take him to play at the rocky crevice where all the other creatures come to play every Sunday.”

So Belinda and Bobby took Slyme with them that evening but his introduction to the other creatures wasn’t as favourable as they had expected. No one wanted to play with the snake and most of the other creatures including the rabbits and snails scurried off into their holes and burrows. The birds kept themselves at a safe distance from Slyme and soon things got so awkward that Slyme whispered to Belinda, “I think I’d better get home.” Belinda and Bobby watched Slyme slither off towards the pine grove.

Bobby turned to his friends, “Well, that wasn’t very welcoming of you all,” he addressed them angrily.

“How do you expect us to welcome someone as poisonous as a snake?” Davy the dove retorted.

“And why in the world is a snake living in the pine grove? Aren’t all snakes supposed to be living in the Dark Forest?” asked Candy the canary. “Until yesterday you both were also petrified of the snake and suddenly he’s your best friend?”

“That’s because we got to know him. He’s just a regular creature like you and me. We just want you all to give him a chance,” Belinda replied.

“How long have you known him? A day?” asked Candy. “Maybe he’s just trying to befriend us so that he can get us to let our guard down and then eat us.” The other creatures nodded, their eyes wide open in terror.

“Well, you’re just jumping to conclusions,” Bobby said but his voice lacked conviction. As night fell and all the creatures left for their homes, Belinda and Bobby flew home in silence. Slyme was waiting for them at the bottom of their pine tree home.

“Hello,” Slyme said. “Thanks for taking me to meet your friends but I don’t think they liked me very much.”

Belinda and Bobby blushed but could not bring themselves to deny the statement.

“It’s okay. I’m used to this reaction. I’m just very grateful to have you both as my friends and neighbours. I don’t want a whole lot of companions…just a few genuine pals is good for me,” Slyme said. “If you still want to be my friend, that is…,” his voice trailed off.

“Yes, of course we do,” Belinda responded quickly. Bobby nodded in agreement. That night as the two bluebirds lay in their nest, Bobby whispered, “Belinda, I do like Slyme. But what if we are wrong about him?”

“Even if we don’t trust our own judgment, we should trust Father’s. He would never let us play with someone he thought would be dangerous,” Belinda replied. “And I’m sure; in time the other creatures too will realise that Slyme is a nice chap.” Bobby smiled in agreement.

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