there was an old gator he was king of the swamp, did what he wanted and ate what he caught

he was the menace of the island to be avoided at all costs, mean and surly on a good day and on a bad day he just stalked

but time has a way of breaking each of us down

when we think we are going up, soon we will be headed down

as the months were passing he began to loose his teeth and wasn’t long before he was without a single one in his head

he had but one friend,” Rudy” a sparrow that ate bugs that burrowed in his back

he called to him one morning and this is what he said,” I have been a terror and don’t have any friends, the only reason you hang around is we both benefit from the service that you give. I have lost my teeth and will probably starve and die. I wonder Rudy if you could think of a plan that will enable me to survive.”

Rudy thought for a minute and replied, ”Al you have been a pain doing what gators do. King of the food chain and here you made the rules. i think i have an idea that may work for everyone but you will have to convince our neighbors you no longer mean them harm. i can see you providing a ferry service for the old and young. They have places to go and it’s to far for them to swim. So you could shuttle them to and fro and they can pay you with some food. May not be what you are used to but change might do you good.

Rudy came back the next day and found Al dejected and lying in the sun. ”Al i have taken the matter to the council and it was voted on. You will be on probation until we see how it goes. So you start tomorrow morning taking widow Beasley to the shore, that old beaver woman can cook and she said would make her best ”swamp pie” for you as payment

took a bit of a adjustment for everyone and Al too, now he is a part of the community and enjoys a life he never knew.

You have to be flexible