The large, white flowers in the dome popped open to shine a spotlight on Curt and Tan. They pulled back, and the light revealed six porcupines standing in a row at center stage. An upbeat, gypsy jazz tune played from the orchestra pit.
The porcupines began shouting out their names in a wave of introductions that rolled from left to right.
“I’m Quilliam!”
“I’m Quillary!”
“I’m Jacquillan!”
“I’m Quillian!”
“I’m Shaquill!”
“I’m Pokahantas!”
In unison, they let out a spirited cheer, “We are Porcupine Pyramid Power!”
Quillary, Jacquillan and Quillian stayed in place while the others tucked their quills in tightly, formed into balls, and rolled off in either direction. Shaquill and Pokahantas went to the right. Quilliam went to the left. The spotlight swung to the right and followed Shaquill rolling back in as the three already on stage banded together. As Shaquill collided with them, they flared their quills and launched him straight up into the air. As he descended, the three adjusted their position. “We got you! Trust us!” they called up to him as he landed on the heads of Quillian and Jacquillan.
The spotlight repositioned once more and followed from stage left as Quilliam rolled onto stage. He too was launched into the air and landed securely atop Quillary and Jacquillan. The entire formation slid to the left as the first tier of porcupines adjusted to the new weight. As they grew comfortable, they inched back toward center stage.
Only one porcupine remained to complete the pyramid. All of the porcupines were going to have to work together and trust one another to make it happen. Pokahantas trotted out onto the stage enveloped in a spotlight. She stood in front of the existing formation for a moment and looked to gain reassurance from the others before turning to face the audience. She showed the crowd a bright red blindfold and then tied it tightly over her eyes. Jacquillian cupped her paws together and whispered, “Ready when you are.” Pokahantas, tightly blindfolded, stepped backward and placed one heel in Jacquillan’s cupped paws and then pushed herself upward. Pokahantas raised both arms above her head, and the second-tier porcupines reached down to lift her. She now stood precariously on the head of Jacquillan. One more tier to go. The precision of her movements was vital to the safety of all. Pokahantas tucked her quills in as tightly as she could and then – POP! She expanded with all her might and shot herself upward. As her momentum subsided and she started to fall headfirst toward the stage, she reached out and landed blindly in a pawstand on the upstretched arms of Quilliam and Shaquill. It was a spectacular act of trust. The audience erupted in applause. All six porcupines puffed out their quills with excitement. The pyramid resembled a squatty pine tree.
The owlets perked up in their chair. Owlbert climbed to the top of the backrest in front of him to get a better look. Overwhelmed with a longing for his own squatty pine, he spontaneously jumped. Gravity took hold, and he felt himself falling. He tumbled toward the occupant of the chair in front of him, a fluffy, brown rabbit with long ears raised in surprise. Owlbert came down on one ear, and the rabbit reflexively flicked him off. This catapulted Owlbert toward the stage. He extended his wings, gave them a few flaps, and he was flying! He made a controlled turn and then landed on the feet of Pokahantas. Beaming with accomplishment, he gave an inviting wave to the other three owls to join him.
Owlester and Whoolio brimmed with confidence after seeing Owlbert’s flight. They jumped off the chair at the same time. The entire audience turned to watch. A dome flower popped open to shine a spotlight on the two owls falling back toward the crowd. Owlester and Whoolio spread their wings and their falls slowed. “Flap!” shouted a Red-tailed Hawk sitting in the back, and the two owls started flapping their wings. It worked! As they approached the stage, they had gained enough control to dip and circle around the pyramid before landing on the heads of Quilliam and Shaquill. Excitement erupted in the audience.
Hootdini fidgeted in his chair. He very much wanted to join his brothers. He climbed up the backrest and examined the vast distance to the stage. The rabbit in front of him turned around and said, “You can do it.”
“All right. Here I go!” Hootdini announced as he launched from the chair. He spread his wings and caught some air. He glided just above the audience, but when he began to flap, he didn’t get any lift. “Sorry!” he apologized as his foot kicked the antlers of a deer. “Whoops! So sorry!” His wing smacked the cheek of a chipmunk. As he careened toward the stage, it looked like a painful collision with the orchestra pit was inevitable. Hootdini closed his eyes and braced for the impact.
All of a sudden, he found himself gaining altitude. He opened his eyes to discover that he was on the back of a large BaldEagle. “Hang on, mate. I got you,” the eagle instructed. They ascended higher, the force of the eagle’s wings giving them great speed. As they approached the porcupines, the eagle gave new instructions to Hootdini. “Okay, you’ll need to slide off and use your wings to steer. Are you ready?”
Hootdini looked down at his brothers. Owlbert called up to him, “Trust me, I’ll catch you!” With that reassurance, Hootdini slid from the eagle’s back and corkscrewed down to the open wings of Owlbert who caught him in a tight embrace. The crowd went wild and Curt and Tan slowly swung themselves closed.
The large, white flowers in the dome popped open to shine a spotlight on Curt and Tan. They pulled back, and the light revealed six porcupines standing in a row at center stage. An upbeat, gypsy jazz tune played from the orchestra pit.
The porcupines began shouting out their names in a wave of introductions that rolled from left to right.
“I’m Quilliam!”
“I’m Quillary!”
“I’m Jacquillan!”
“I’m Quillian!”
“I’m Shaquill!”
“I’m Pokahantas!”
In unison, they let out a spirited cheer, “We are Porcupine Pyramid Power!”
Quillary, Jacquillan and Quillian stayed in place while the others tucked their quills in tightly, formed into balls, and rolled off in either direction. Shaquill and Pokahantas went to the right. Quilliam went to the left. The spotlight swung to the right and followed Shaquill rolling back in as the three already on stage banded together. As Shaquill collided with them, they flared their quills and launched him straight up into the air. As he descended, the three adjusted their position. “We got you! Trust us!” they called up to him as he landed on the heads of Quillian and Jacquillan.
The spotlight repositioned once more and followed from stage left as Quilliam rolled onto stage. He too was launched into the air and landed securely atop Quillary and Jacquillan. The entire formation slid to the left as the first tier of porcupines adjusted to the new weight. As they grew comfortable, they inched back toward center stage.
Only one porcupine remained to complete the pyramid. All of the porcupines were going to have to work together and trust one another to make it happen. Pokahantas trotted out onto the stage enveloped in a spotlight. She stood in front of the existing formation for a moment and looked to gain reassurance from the others before turning to face the audience. She showed the crowd a bright red blindfold and then tied it tightly over her eyes. Jacquillian cupped her paws together and whispered, “Ready when you are.” Pokahantas, tightly blindfolded, stepped backward and placed one heel in Jacquillan’s cupped paws and then pushed herself upward. Pokahantas raised both arms above her head, and the second-tier porcupines reached down to lift her. She now stood precariously on the head of Jacquillan. One more tier to go. The precision of her movements was vital to the safety of all. Pokahantas tucked her quills in as tightly as she could and then – POP! She expanded with all her might and shot herself upward. As her momentum subsided and she started to fall headfirst toward the stage, she reached out and landed blindly in a pawstand on the upstretched arms of Quilliam and Shaquill. It was a spectacular act of trust. The audience erupted in applause. All six porcupines puffed out their quills with excitement. The pyramid resembled a squatty pine tree.
The owlets perked up in their chair. Owlbert climbed to the top of the backrest in front of him to get a better look. Overwhelmed with a longing for his own squatty pine, he spontaneously jumped. Gravity took hold, and he felt himself falling. He tumbled toward the occupant of the chair in front of him, a fluffy, brown rabbit with long ears raised in surprise. Owlbert came down on one ear, and the rabbit reflexively flicked him off. This catapulted Owlbert toward the stage. He extended his wings, gave them a few flaps, and he was flying! He made a controlled turn and then landed on the feet of Pokahantas. Beaming with accomplishment, he gave an inviting wave to the other three owls to join him.
Owlester and Whoolio brimmed with confidence after seeing Owlbert’s flight. They jumped off the chair at the same time. The entire audience turned to watch. A dome flower popped open to shine a spotlight on the two owls falling back toward the crowd. Owlester and Whoolio spread their wings and their falls slowed. “Flap!” shouted a Red-tailed Hawk sitting in the back, and the two owls started flapping their wings. It worked! As they approached the stage, they had gained enough control to dip and circle around the pyramid before landing on the heads of Quilliam and Shaquill. Excitement erupted in the audience.
Hootdini fidgeted in his chair. He very much wanted to join his brothers. He climbed up the backrest and examined the vast distance to the stage. The rabbit in front of him turned around and said, “You can do it.”
“All right. Here I go!” Hootdini announced as he launched from the chair. He spread his wings and caught some air. He glided just above the audience, but when he began to flap, he didn’t get any lift. “Sorry!” he apologized as his foot kicked the antlers of a deer. “Whoops! So sorry!” His wing smacked the cheek of a chipmunk. As he careened toward the stage, it looked like a painful collision with the orchestra pit was inevitable. Hootdini closed his eyes and braced for the impact.
All of a sudden, he found himself gaining altitude. He opened his eyes to discover that he was on the back of a large Bald Eagle. “Hang on, mate. I got you,” the eagle instructed. They ascended higher, the force of the eagle’s wings giving them great speed. As they approached the porcupines, the eagle gave new instructions to Hootdini. “Okay, you’ll need to slide off and use your wings to steer. Are you ready?”
Hootdini looked down at his brothers. Owlbert called up to him, “Trust me, I’ll catch you!” With that reassurance, Hootdini slid from the eagle’s back and corkscrewed down to the open wings of Owlbert who caught him in a tight embrace. The crowd went wild and Curt and Tan slowly swung themselves closed.