A Squirrel Named Larry

An enterprising squirrel and his family move into an apartment windowsill...

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Once upon a time, in a small city in the mountains of Europe, there was a tall old apartment building with elegant wrought iron grilles attached to the exterior of the windows. A little girl named Myra lived in one of the fifth floor apartments with her mom and dad. She couldn't explore as much as she would have liked, so she enjoyed sitting by the window, admiring the beautiful view and dreaming of other lands.

To Myra's sharp eyes, there was always something new to be seen from her window. There were bustling city streets full of shiny cars and bikes, people and dogs and birds, a mountain range in the distance that changed colors with the seasons, and in the winter everything became dusted with snow and crystallized with ice.

One morning Myra awakened to the warmth of pumpkin pie in the oven.
Autumn was drawing closer; it was time to prepare for cooler weather. She pulled her favorite chair up to the window as Piko the cat snuggled in her lap. Outside, the world still looked like summer, with bright geraniums in the flower boxes and green poplars and willows waving in the breeze.

Suddenly, Myra spotted a flicking tail. A squirrel had climbed up her brick apartment wall and was investigating the space between the iron grille and the glass. She let out a squeal of delight, leaning in close to watch him. The cat's ears perked up. He stretched a paw towards the squirrel. She tapped it down gently.

“Don't disturb him, Piko.”

The squirrel stared in at them, sniffing curiously, eyes sharp and alert for danger. He placed his tiny hands on the glass, feeling it over; then, having determined there was a solid obstacle between him and the little girl and the cat, he continued to move about along the windowsill.

Myra's mom stepped inside with a plate of pumpkin pie. She came close and saw the squirrel.

“Oh, how cute! How did he get all the way up here?”

“He climbed, Mummy. I saw.”

The squirrel darted away down the wall and disappeared, only to return later, holding a twig in its mouth. Myra's dad noticed him this time.

“Honey, I think he'll build his nest here. We should name him.”

“How about Larry?” Myra suggested.

“Larry Squirrel… Sounds good.”

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Over the next few days, Larry became quite industrious. He made hundreds of trips up and down the wall, bringing materials for his nest. First there were larger branches to establish a rough structure. Then he brought smaller sticks to fill in areas. Soft, flexible twigs completed it; then Larry brought up bits of moss, leaves, bark peelings and fluffy bits of cloth to squeeze into cozy nooks and crannies. He sat up on the railing, shredding things into smaller pieces with his teeth.

All this was visible from within Myra's bedroom, as Larry's nest was perfectly tucked into the space between the window and the decorative grille. One day, as a chill wind sent dry leaves scattering across the streets below, Larry scampered along the railing with something bulkier than usual. It was a young squirrel, looking a bit scruffy and disoriented after the climb.

“It looks like it just got old enough to leave their original nesting site,” Dad said. “Larry will be bringing another kit and the missus soon.”

Sure enough, Larry ran off, returning with a second baby squirrel in his mouth and a grownup female squirrel close behind. They chattered back and forth among themselves as they inspected their new home. Piko’s tail swished back and forth as he stared intensely at them, but he remained still, probably knowing by now it was useless to pounce on the glass.

“Wonderful!” Myra clapped her hands. “A whole squirrel family, right outside our window!”

Now that the home was built and occupied, Larry became even busier, running down the building only to return with armloads and cheeks-ful of nuts,
seeds and berries. He stuffed them into every possible hiding place in the web of sticks he'd made. Myra prayed the winter would be easy on her new squirrel family.

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As nights drew longer and days started to crisp over, Larry tucked his family in tighter and stuffed extra padding between the branches. Each night, Myra drew the curtains closed over her window so the squirrels wouldn't be disturbed by her reading lamp. Every morning at sunrise, she opened them again to see how they were doing. She observed the squirrels, taking notes about their behavior. Sometimes, Piko swatted at them. Once, he and Larry headbutted through the glass, as if challenging each other to an imaginary duel.

Myra named Larry's “wife” Lennie. They would snuggle together as the two youngsters explored. Once, the bigger, more adventurous one swung upside down off the railing by his hind feet. Lennie squeaked in dismay, bringing him back to safety.

One night, there was a heavy snowfall. When Myra pulled back the curtains that morning, Larry, Lennie and the kits were huddled in a corner, snow slipping into their nest, sharp icicles strung on everything.

“Oh dear! How can we help them?”

Mum brought her hair dryer, blowing warm air slowly up and down the glass to warm the space in front. It helped, gradually melting the snow away from the nest. The squirrels patted their tiny hands on the glass as if thanking them.

When winter finally faded away into spring, Larry and Lennie's two kits went off on their own as the willows waved green. The older squirrels remained. Soon they had new babies. Myra submitted her notes about them to school. Her unique “squirrel window” became the talk of the town.

“Can we see them, too?” her friends asked.

“Yes, if you're quiet like Piko.”

One by one, all her friends and relatives got to share in the miracle of Larry and Lennie, the squirrel family living alongside a human family.

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Words: 985.
Written for "The Writer's Cramp" 
Prompt: title must be “A Squirrel Named Larry.”
Inspired by a video seen on X.