First Edward looked one way, and then he looked the other. He stretched his long, skinny neck as far as it would go, and then he looked both ways again. After that he spun around in a circle.

Mama, where are you? Sally, Susie, Joey, Tom, Alex, Horatia – where have you gone?

Edward didn’t know what to do. His whole family had disappeared and he had no idea where to find them.

He looked around one more time, and then he scuttled across the clearing. He paused when he reached the tall grass and called again.

Mama! Sisters! Bros! Where are you?

No one appeared. No one answered. Edward plunged into the high grass and vanished from sight.  Now only his scratchy little voice could still be heard.

Mama, where are you?

The turkey family had vanished.

Fortunately someone else heard Edward’s cry. Lily, the fairy who rescues squirrels and birds every winter, had caught the wail of the tiny turkey chick.     She flew to the meadow and circled above it. In the distance the fairy saw the mother turkey with six of her babies gathered at the foot of a giant oak tree. The mother turkey was frantically scurrying back and forth, searching for chick number seven.

Lily looked in the opposite direction and spotted little Edward far across the meadow. He was near the clearing where his family had foraged ever since the chicks were hatched. He was holding perfectly still except for the tears that slipped down his face and dripped off his tiny wattle.

The fairy flew over to join him.

“Edward,” she said as she landed beside him and gave him a hug. “Don’t cry. I’ll help you find your mother. But first tell me, how did you get so lost?”

It was the grub,” Edward replied, wiping his eyes with the tip of a tiny wing. “He was plump and juicy and looked delicious, so I tried and tried to catch him, but he kept getting away.”

“I see,” the fairy replied. “Well, my hungry little friend, I think perhaps you should leave the grubs to the grown up turkeys. I’m pretty sure you’d be better off with grass seeds. They won’t lead you astray.”