Percy's Surprises

6-7 min read
11 pages
6+

Percy the pigeon loves to hide in the bushes and startle people in the park, until one evening he sees that nobody walks down his path anymore. Feeling sad and a little ashamed, he finds a sweet new way to make people smile again. A playful story about noticing when you've upset someone and doing something kind to make it better.

In the middle of a little town was a big green park. Kids ran along its twisty paths. Flowers nodded, tall trees swayed, and birds sang. But the biggest trickster in the whole park was a gray pigeon named Percy.

Percy's favorite game went like this. He hid in the bushes beside a path where people strolled along. He sat still, still, still, until someone came close… FLAP-FLAP-FLAP! Up they jumped! Percy thought it was the funniest game ever.

One sunny day, Percy sat high on a branch. Who could he surprise next? Two people strolled down the path, holding hands. Quick as a wink, Percy slipped into the bushes nearby. Closer… closer… FLAP-FLAP-FLAP! “COO-ROO-COO!” The two of them jumped, then laughed and looked all around for the noise. “Got them!” thought Percy, and he giggled softly.

After that, Percy thought up new tricks, each one sneakier than the last. He loved it when people jumped and squeaked “Oh!” But after a while, folks got tired of jumping. Some got scared of the strange rustling in the bushes. So they walked the long way around Percy's path.

One evening, the sun sank low and the park turned gold. Percy looked at his path. It was so quiet. Not one person had walked by. Not all day! His tricks had scared everyone away. Percy's feathers drooped. He felt sad and a little ashamed. He wanted to make people happy again.

The next morning, Percy got up with the sun. He found smooth, shiny pebbles and feathers of every color. He found tiny flowers that had dropped onto the grass, too. Would people like them?

Then Percy flew to his old hiding spot. He set his gifts along the path, one by one, just so.

It was a sunny day, so a few people walked Percy's path. They stopped. What was on the path? Kids picked up bright feathers and giggled. Grown-ups held shiny pebbles up to the sun. Someone found a tiny flower and sniffed it. Word of the treasures spread, and more and more people came!

Percy sat on a branch that leaned over the path. He looked down at the crowded park. He heard children laughing. He saw grown-ups smiling. Percy puffed out his chest. He had done that! He had made them happy.

One morning, a boy saw Percy drop a feather on the path. So Percy was the one! Now people looked for Percy in the trees and waved hello. They left him birdseed to say thank you. Percy never scared anyone again. His surprises were his new trick—and they made everyone smile.

Now everyone in the park knew Percy. One day, a little girl found a pink feather. She smiled a great big smile. And up on his branch, Percy cooed.

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