Welcome! Today, Explora Natura delights you with a new story to share with the little ones at home. Enjoy this new reading brought to you by Explora Natura and ##stayhome.
Gajo the jay and Milla the squirrel
In early autumn, when the days grow shorter and cooler, a multitude of small animals prepare for winter. So that they won't be caught without food when the heavy snowfalls arrive, they gather the fruits the forest offers—acorns, hazelnuts, pine nuts, beechnuts—and, building up a large larder, they hide them underground.
Two of the busiest are Milla the squirrel, who digs in the leaf-covered ground with her paws and, after depositing the acorns, covers them so no one can take them. And Gajo the jay, who, like Milla, hides the acorns by burying them with his strong beak.
“Tock, tock, tock,…” the fruits of the oak tree are falling and they, without wasting a single moment, hurry to collect them and bury them.
Suddenly, something caught his attention. A loud "knock" sounded from under the oak tree by the river's source. If it sounded that loud, imagine how big it must have been!
Milla and Gajo ran and flew as fast as they could to get their hands on such a delicious treat. When they arrived, they gazed at the large acorn. Its skin gleamed, and it still had its characteristic cap. Without hesitation, they both pounced on it. That tasty morsel was a true treasure for the winter.
But, as sometimes happens, they both arrived at the same time and caught the acorn at the same time. Milla pulled on one side with her little hands, while Gajo pulled on the other with his beak.
"It's mine," shouted the squirrel.
Gajo, who could not speak because if he opened his beak he would drop the precious fruit, said no with his wings.
Pulling back and forth, they spent several hours arguing, neither of them willing to budge. How could they possibly lose such a delicacy!
Then, a small voice caught their attention.
"Gentlemen, please!" Ton the mouse said to them. "If you keep this up, winter will come and you'll still be dragging the acorn around. I think you could have a competition, and whoever wins gets to keep it.".
"Okay!" they both said, sounding a little tired.
As the competition proved interesting and close, more and more animals gradually gathered to watch. Mr. Mole, the cicadas, the woodpecker, mice, robins…
Well, to be fair, I think each of you should propose a test.
"I'll start!" said Milla the squirrel. "We can make two piles with twenty acorns each, and whoever buries them first wins!"
They got ready, and when the mouse gave the signal, they began burying them. The squirrel, aided by her little paws, was faster than her rival, who had to make the holes with her beak. Therefore, she was declared the winner of the test.
The mice, voles, and shrews applauded him enthusiastically.
Gajo, a little annoyed, proposed his challenge. –You have to pick an acorn and take it to the top of the holm oak tree across the river.
Ton the mouse gave the starting signal, and before Milla had taken ten steps, the jay flew to the treetop with the acorn in his beak. Now he was the winner. All the birds applauded their friend – “Bravo! You’re the best!”
"Well," said the mouse, "it seems you're tied. We'll have to find another solution. If you agree, we can declare the most beautiful animal the winner.".
The two, who thought they were the most handsome animals in the forest, happily accepted, confident of winning. Besides getting the acorn, they could show off to the other animals.
A cut tree trunk would serve as a stage, as suggested by Ton the mouse.
The first one to go up was Milla – Look at my red hair!
–Oooh! –exclaimed the voles.
–And my wide, curved tail. With it, I can almost fly from tree to tree.
–Aaah! –the dormice gasped.
–Have you noticed my ears? They look like paintbrushes. I think it's clear that I'm the most beautiful animal.
–Yes! –applauded the mice, the shrews and Mr. Mole.
Now it was Gajo's turn, the jay.
–Look at my beak, it's strong and big, and thanks to it, I'm a strong animal.
–Oooh! –The little birds that had gathered in the forest for the competition admired him.
–I have a big mustache, like the great lords.
–Aaah! –exclaimed the oriole, who was applauding from a nearby willow tree.
–And what about the feathers on my wings? They are white, black, and a deep blue.
"Bravo, bravo!" applauded all the birds. The warblers, dunnocks, chiffchaffs…
Suddenly, Milla, the squirrel, cried out –Where is the acorn? Who has dared to steal it?
A high-pitched laugh made them turn their heads towards where Ton, the mouse, was.
"Heh, heh, heh... while you two were competing to see who was the best, your vanity blinded you to how I've been slowly eating the acorn. The time you spent fighting over it could have been used to collect smaller acorns, and now you'd each have a huge pile.".
Milla the squirrel and Gajo the jay learned their lesson. Greed is no good thing. And from then on, they gathered acorns in the forest without bothering each other.
If you enjoyed this, don't forget that Explora Natura has more stories for you that will be published in the coming days. Don't miss out!
Antonio Pestana
Antonio Jesús Pestana Salido (Cabra, Córdoba, 1970) es ornitólogo y fotógrafo de naturaleza andaluz, especializado en aves y en la interpretación del paisaje mediterráneo. Desde niño ha estado vinculado al estudio y observación de la fauna, y lleva décadas recorriendo los espacios naturales de Andalucía, especialmente la Subbética cordobesa.
Es fotógrafo de naturaleza premiado a nivel nacional, ganador del primer premio del concurso de fotografía de naturaleza Carl Zeiss (IV edición) con una imagen de digiscoping de piquituerto común, además de otros reconocimientos en concursos especializados de fotografía de aves.
Como ornitólogo de campo ha participado en proyectos de seguimiento y conservación de aves, especialmente rapaces y aves esteparias, y ha sido coordinador provincial en Córdoba de los censos de aguilucho pálido y aguilucho cenizo. También es presidente de la asociación naturalista Abanto, dedicada a la divulgación y conservación del patrimonio natural.
Es autor de varios libros sobre fauna ibérica y cultura popular publicados por editoriales especializadas, entre ellos “Las aves ibéricas en la cultura popular” y “Las rapaces diurnas ibéricas en la cultura popular”, obras que recopilan refranes, creencias y tradiciones relacionadas con las aves en la cultura popular.
Además de su trabajo como autor y fotógrafo, desarrolla actividades de divulgación y educación ambiental, guiando salidas de naturaleza, impartiendo talleres de fotografía de aves y colaborando con centros educativos, asociaciones y proyectos de turismo de naturaleza.
She regularly works with schools, designing wildlife observation activities adapted for primary and secondary school students. She also collaborates with companies and associations on birdwatching tours, teaches nature photography courses, and participates in the design of natural areas.
