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PUFF My First Winter on the Prairie

by John Cayden

PUFF My First Winter on the Prairie Copyright 2022 By John Cayden All rights reserved www johncayden com No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews This book may be purchased for educational business or sales promotional use For information please write to johncaydenbooks gmail com First edition published 2022 Written Illustrated and Designed by John Cayden Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Is available upon request if applicable ISBN 979 8 9859029 5 2

for little protectors of earth in the making This is a work of fiction Animals trees rocks plants locales and incidents are either the products of the author s weird imagination or used in a fictitious manner Any resemblance to actual prairie animals living or dead or actual places with grass or grassy memories or events involving grass or touching grass or eating grass is purely coincidental For more information on other books for children by John Cayden visit www johncayden com

we will conserve only what we love We will love only what we know We know only what we are taught Baba Dioum

Note from the Author Grasslands are areas or ecosystems on our planet where not enough rain falls for trees to grow in large numbers Smaller plants grow low to the ground with deep roots that can withstand fire and the munching by animals passing through the wide open land Grasslands have different names depending upon where you are In North America we call them prairies in Africa we call them savannahs in Asia they are steppes Australia downs or rangelands and pampas cerrado or llano if you are South of the United States The few remaining grasslands provide natural habitat to a wide variety of animals Grazers which usually move in large groups eat the grasses and herbs The carnivores or hunters like the big cats and large prey birds eat the grazers Scraps they leave behind are eaten by scavengers like the hyena or coyote or dingo Decomposers like insects fungus and bacteria eat what s left over and help to put good stuff back into the soil which in turn helps the grasses and herbs grow A full circle of life This story is about one of the remaining grasslands in North America and the animals that make up that incredible circle of life You can explore more about the grasslands in distinct parts of the world and see how unique the animals are in each part or ecosystem These areas are in danger of disappearing as much of them have been removed for buildings homes and farms for people The more you learn about how these fragile systems work the more you might be able help them survive and thrive for years to come when you get older Places like the World Wildlife Organization are a good place to start exploring especially if you enjoy leaning about the beautiful and amazing diversity of life For more illustrated books on different ecosystems on visit www johncayden com

With the first day of winter I saw the sun was getting smaller and the days were getting shorter and the grasses grew no taller The air was getting cooler and the moon s rings were gold and this would be my first time with a season long and cold

I m not sure what is coming and not sure what to do But maybe watching others I might learn a thing or two There are many critters here each different and unique each fit within a niche and have the know how that I seek

Like take this little guy So green and fast and strong They lay their eggs on plants to sleep through winter long In the spring when I was born I saw hopper eggs that just had hatched When the ground began to warm as did the plants where they attached

Laying eggs is his survival This wind critter I ve named Anor He lived long and full and fat but soon he ll be no more His body is amazing with pegs on legs and beautiful wings He grew big into his age and learned that rubbing made wings sing

While Anor s babes all sleep under protection from the leaves with the second day of winter I learned from Zephyr in the breeze Zephyr is a yellow jacket who lives with his family in a hole They moved in there in March driving out a little vole

Zephyr s working with his colony to fatten a foundress they call queen who will sleep throughout the season with new eggs to hatch in spring They are healthy happy eaters getting power from fish and meats but prefer the last fall sugars from fruit flowers sap and trees

With the third day of winter I watched a weasel named Haizea She was filling her small tunnel which gave me one idea She was storing up some food to feed six hungry brood and packing it in good from what I saw from where I stood

Haizea s fur was changing color from summer brown to winter white Only half of her had changed Makin her quite a pretty site I could hear her kits below Yelping for their mom While lying on the furs of what they once dined on

With the fourth day of winter frost sparkled all around covering each leaf and drying blade that had grown from the ground Enlil danced and tried to gobble as he scratched along the dirt in the distance I could see him His beard and feathers say alert

Enil has a beard and wattle that few girl turkeys do His added fat and feathers makes for a beatiful view He ll be heading for some deer trails where food s not too hard to find and he says he ll climb a tree to escape deep snow sometimes

Speaking of the deer trails as great spaces to view life Amihan is out today She s a venomous three foot wife She s what is called a rattler with warning rattle on her tail She has eleven children left One was injured by a quail

She probably looking for a meal Perhaps her last before the cold On this clear fifth day of winter with sun out warm and bold

She ll use her last food wisely as she goes deep underground to winter with her babies born with patterns rich with brown