ms. gecko goes to the market

One day Ms. Gecko found herself in a hissing match with a sparrow perched above the path outside the market. The bird shouted for something to do so the gecko dropped a tale and ran. Feeling clever and confident she looked back to see that she had left a recipe for a rainstorm. Quickly she darted through drops making a rush for the nest. The winds began to swell and a sudden crash of thunder sent lightning to the earth beside her! The little lizard cartwheeled through the air dropping her tote to grab hold where she could and scurried up the tree to the kitchen ceiling.

The dinner bell rang and all the forest friends assembled to eat. Talk around the table started at the weather, then moved to the surveyor who'd been spotted in the woods that morning, to the stash of acorns found in the rabbit hole, and to the pile of dishes in the sink. Wherever they turned, Ms. Gecko's unblinking eyes focused on the conflict while the decay of dead arguments attracted flies all around her.

Hunger set in until finally she spit out her tongue! A critical miss. She hit a chain above the table, now the light hanging from it is swinging around the room casting shadows. She's nervous we saw her, but she's in it! She tries again, the cabinet this time! Buzz, the fly won't sit still long. Buzz, buzz! burying itself behind curtains and cushions. She takes a breath and refocuses her sight. It looks like an avalanche from there, slow but unstoppable. From here it's a flash, the fly is gone! She got it, she ate! The frogs ribbit their pride, but not so loudly or we'll need the broom to get her down. Let's leave the fruit and flowers here and get back to the story.

The crowd was fading and service was coming to an end. The ants and crickets sang their jolly farewells to the day, and one by one all had left. The lights went out, and Ms. Gecko let go of the ceiling. She splash landed into a soup of orange slices and hibiscus petals, stopped for a snack, and got back on her way home.