Luca organized a rock concert featuring our very own band The Friends Our stage is kind of how can I put this shaky and rickety Dahlia built it out of random pieces of wood she found down by the stream and it’s pretty wobbly because there aren’t any nails in it While Dahlia was busy building the stage the rest of us built audience members out of spare pieces of wood because nobody else really lives here on the island and it would be really boring to play in front of an empty space Sure Gale lives here but she’s been acting so weird lately that I wouldn’t really want to invite her to anything The pigs are a big crowd and then there are the funny critters but they don’t know anything about music After we’d set everything up it was time to go on stage This is one creaky squeaky stage I told Dahlia as we climbed up to play our very first gig 8
Yeah I hope it doesn’t collapse I did my best but I couldn’t find a single nail on the whole island Dahlia said in a sorry voice Oh well this isn’t too bad well it is but it’s not your fault That’s right it’s not said Dahlia theatrically It’s not said Luca mimicking Dahlia All right folks it’s time to turn those frowns upside down Game on At that point I had no idea how unusual the gig would turn out to be Game on I shouted once more I was already on stage when I noticed that Poppy who was nervous about the gig was teasing Willow Poppy’s a good friend and probably the funniest bird in the world but she can be a pain in the tail feathers when she’s feeling nervous That’s when she stops being fun in fact she can sometimes be a little mean I’m sure she thinks she’s still being funny And of course the whole thing turned into a joke because of Poppy What 9
happened was that just before we all went on stage Poppy whispered to Willow Hey Willow why don’t you take off that silly hat Huh Willow asked in surprise from under her knitted hat The audience thinks you look like a teapot with that thing on Poppy laughed That’s not funny Poppy Willow snapped Poppy was nervous though and this meant she didn’t know when to stop What Is the teakettle whistling Poppy giggled With her feelings hurt Willow went over to mope under a tree Where’d that teapot go Is it time for tea Poppy continued Shut your beak Poppy I snapped then went over to Willow I’m always the one who solves other people’s arguments 10
I’m not gonna play Besides Poppy looks like an egg Willow said in a miserable voice pulling her hat down so low you couldn’t see any of her This is all I need I said angrily Come on let’s go Dahlia shouted to us but Willow wouldn’t budge She just kept moping under her hat Apologize Poppy or else I’ll shove you inside your horn I ordered I glared so fiercely at Poppy my eyes could have scorched her feathers I roared Apologize NOW like you mean it or I’ll catapult you right into the pigs Everyone stared at Poppy Sorry she blurted out as she saw I was about to get really mad Sometimes I get so sick of these childish arguments that I always have to solve Sometimes Willow is too sensitive and sometimes Poppy is too goofy Even Dahlia gets her feelings hurt because of the dumb things Poppy says They’re still my best friends 11
