"Vinky? Vinky? VINKY???!!!!"


"Wh . . . Wha . . . . WHAT!!??"


"Uh . . . do we have any Ovaltine?"


"Ovaltine? You woke me up from the best dream ever to ask me if we have any Ovaltine? Are you out of your ever-lovin' mind?"


"Uh, yeah . . . I mean no . . . I mean yes . . . I mean . . . Oh! Why do you always try to confuse me??? I just asked a simple question. Do we have any Ovaltine?"


"Vobble, no question with you is simple. They always leads to complications and troubles and . . . Oh, never mind. Why do you want Ovaltine?"


"I don't want to miss it."


"Okay, I'll bite. Don't want to miss WHAT?"


"I don't want to miss celebrating Ovaltine's Day. It's coming up this week, ya' know. And we can't celebrate Ovaltine's Day without Ovaltine, can we?"


"Okay, Vobbs, now I'm certain. You ARE out of your ever-lovin' mind! And you're driving me out of mine! Go talk to someone else about this nonsense. I'm going to try to get that dream back!"


Vobbs was crestfallen. He headed over to the Dude's house to see Zorro. When he got there, Zorro was sitting down to a big platter of cheese and a glass of . . . . OVALTINE!! Zorro looked up and said . . .


"Hey Vobble! How are things in the avian world?" Vobble looked puzzled. "Evian? I don't have any bottled water . . ."


Now it was Zorro's turn to look puzzled. "Uh, I mean . . ., oh never mind. What can I do you for?" Vobble spilled it out: "I was wondering if you had any extra Ovaltine." Zorro replied, "well, I think the Dude has an extra jar. What do you need it for?"


"Why, for St. Ovaltine's Day of course!" Vobble couldn't believe that Zorro didn't know about St. Ovaltine Day, especially since he was drinkin some.


"I have to make a big batch of it for the holiday," Vobble continued.


"Well I don't think Vaca would mind if you "borrowed" it. answered Zorro, knowing that the Dude would not be happy about it because . . .


he liked his Ovaltine in the morning.


Vobble said, "Are you going to celebrate Ovaltine's Day?


Zorro laughed and said, "Are you nuts?? I wouldn't miss it! All that free chocolate everywhere you go? I'm heading to CC's to see what chocolate she has on the menu."


Vobble and Zorro started to plan how they could get their hands on the Dude's Ovaltine.


They decided to sneak into the kitchen, but as they did so, it was dark in the kitchen and they kept bumping into things and making a lot of noise.


They were fumbling around for the light switch and just as they found it, someone yelled "Hey, who's there?" They screamed and hit the ceiling with fright and in walked Dude. Argh, they were caught. They confessed that they were looking for some Ovaltine so they could celebrate ovaltine day and dude, with his puzzled face, asked "What the heck is Ovaltine's Day?"


Well, we heard it's a celebration of love in February and everyone celebrates with ovaltine? Dude burst into tears of laughter and


Vobble's lower beak began to tremble. There was nothing he disliked more than people laughing at him.


"Well," wimpered Vobble, "that's what I heard, and I don't know what's so funny about that!" Vobble got more bold as he spoke!


"Yeah! zorro chimed in... what's so funny about that?"


Dude managed to stifle his laughter and with a little smile admitted, "There is nothing at all funny, guyz. Sorry for laughing. But," he continued, "we're fresh out of ovaltine here. I had the last of it a few days ago. Do you want me to put it on the grocery list?"


Vobs and Zorro muttered, "No, thanks. We'll get it ourselves," and left the Dude to chuckle to himself.


As they left, Vobble asked Zorro, "Do you have any money?" Zorro said "Only 7 cents. Do you have any?"


"No, Vinky has all our money. She says I spend it on silly stuff," Vobble said gloomily.


"Well, who do you know that that we might borrow some from then?" asked Zorro.


After long thought, Vobble said" Wait a minute! There's Woodrow, the woodrat! Wood rats are also called pack rats, and he's got all kinds of stuff!"


"Hooray! Lead the way!" said Zorro. Ant off they went to Woodrow's burrow.


When they arrived at the burrow, they found Woodrow on the porch polishing an antique brass oil lamp. "Hello, Woodrow!" they cried out.


"Why, I haven't seen you critters in a month of Sundays," replied the rodent.


"Sundaes?" exclaimed Vobble. "With chocolate syrup?!?"


Zorro ignored him and pressed on, "Actually, cousin—not chocolate syrup, but Ovaltine. We were wondering if you had some to spare?"

Woodrow scratched his chin and said "No, can't say as I do. However, I do have some . . . "


pots and pans, feather dusters and feather beds . . . oh wait a minute, you probably have enough feathery stuff at home . . . well I have some of this and that and the other, but no ovaltine.


"Have yourselves a lookabout, you might find something you didn't know you needed 'til you see it." Woodrow was trying to be helpful.


Zorro looked at Vobble, and Vobble looked at Zorro, and they knew just what to do. They headed right over to CC's cafe, she MUST have ovaltine!


Vobble and Zorro got to CC's and she was having a Valentine's tasting party. She had Dark Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes, Chocolate Covered Potato Chips, Chocolate Dipped Grapes, Chocolate Covered Candied Bacon, Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles, and a new dessert called Seven Layers of Heaven.


Zorro said, "Hey, CC. You spelled Ovaltine's Day wrong, but never mind. Can we taste some too?


CC said . . .


"Sure, let me get some plates and forks."


Everyone sat down at the counter and CC gave everyone a taste of all the chocolate desserts she had made. As everyone was busy enjoying everything they remembered that they were still looking for some Ovaltine.


They asked CC if she had any Ovaltine so they could celebrate Ovaltine's day?


She asked, "Don't you mean Valentine's day?"


"No," Zorro said, "we heard it was Ovaltine day."


"Well, I don't think so, but I do have some Ovaltine we could fix with our desserts. As she went back into the kitchen to mix up a pot of Ovaltine . . . "


Vobble was beginning to have doubts. "Could we possibly have gotten it wrong, Zorro? I was so sure it was 'Ovaltine Day,' but Vinky didn't seem to know what I was talking about, and now CC . . ."


Zorro replied "Well, I thought it was Ovaltine to, but let's question CC when she comes back."


When CC came back with steaming mugs of Ovaltine, Zorro asked cagily " Which day is 'Valentine's Day' on, CC?"


Why February 14th, of course—this Friday," CC replied.


"And what are your plans for that day?" asked Vobble.


"Well, I'll give everyone the Valentine cards I've made for them, and I'll have lots of red and pink treats made up for people to eat and buy to give as gifts," replied CC.


Vobble and Zorro looked at each other with chagrin. Those were the same things they thought were done on Ovaltine Day - and on the same day, too!


How could they have made such a blunder! And how to cover their tracks now?


Zorro thought quickly. He said, "Isn't it a wonderful coincidence that Valentine's Day and Ovaltine Day are on the same day? That way we can combine the celebrations and have even more fun."


They settled back down to the chocolate treats in front of them and continued eating. They ate and ate and ate until CC finally had to tell them they'd had enough. She asked if she should call a taxi for them.


Vobble and Zorro declined her offer and sorta' waddled back home, so stuffed they could hardly move. But they were happy! Zorro headed to the Dude's for a nap.


Vobble tried several times to fly up into the owl box, but just couldn't get any loft. He was about to cry from frustration when he had an idea.


He waddled over to Woodrow's burrow and asked, "Hey, Woodrow? You got an extension ladder in here somewhere?"


Woodrow poked his head out and said, "You're sure darn-tootin' I gots an extension ladder. You want a wooden one or alumimumnumm? I gots a 10 foot, a 12 foot and even a big ole' 22 foot ladder."


Vobble laughed and said, "I just need a boost into the owl box, Woodrow."


Woodrow shook his head and said, "Well, why didn't you say so. Hold on, I'll be right back." A couple of minutes later, Vobble heard a rumble and around from the back of the burrow came Woodrow driving a truck with a cherry-picker on it.


Woodrow said, "Climb in, kiddo and I'll have you snug in that box in no time."


Vobble climbed in and hung on for dear life as Woodrow transported him to the owl box. As he squeezed through the door—and it was a tight squeeze—Vinky looked up and said, "Where have you been?"


Vobble took a deep breath and said, "I've been celebrating. Even if it's really supposed to be Valentine's Day, I've decided that Ovaltine Day (or month) is a great idea, too. Next year, I'm celebrating BOTH!"


The End