WORDS TO USE:  pianist – chili – bird – echo – flower – accountant – cheese – deer – gasp – weed (July)

Ellie Robin sat in her favorite maple tree enjoying the early summer morning. She glanced down at the grass that needed mowing, spotting a fresh crop of dandelion weeds. A bee buzzed in the nearby flower garden, and she followed his path from a bright yellow butterfly bush to a red daisy.

Usually, a bird that happily sang most of the time, she remained quiet. From an open window on a neighbor’s house, she listened to a pianist playing. Each beautiful note echoing out to her.

The breeze fluttered over her, and she shifted her gaze to the patio’s table close by her tree. A bowl of something smelled oddly but enticing. Her stomach rumbled in anticipation of an unexpected treat.

She darted to the table and inched close to the bowl. When no one came out of the house to stop her, she dabbed her beak into the bowl. An instant later, she gasped and scampered back. She tried her best to spit whatever the awful thing was out of her mouth.

Before she could catch her breath and fly away, the sliding door to the patio opened. A tall man with slightly tousled red hair peered out at her. Her neighborhood friend, Daisy the deer, had once told her he was an accountant. How Daisy knew that Ellie didn’t know. She didn’t even know what an accountant was.

The man smiled gently at her without even shooing her away. His deep voice sounded amused as he teased, “I take it you didn’t like my chili.”

Ellie coughed, still trying to get the nasty taste out of her mouth.

He chuckled and came outside with a bowl of something yellow. Tossing a few bits into the bowl, he said, “Maybe you’d like it better with some cheese.”

She shook her head before flying off toward her favorite tree again. His hearty laugh carried to her as she settled into the depths of the tree.