"VINKY!!!! HELP!!!!" Vinky looked up from her fashion magazine. She heard Vobble's cry. But then it faded away. She went back to her magazine. Then the cry came again.

"VINKY!!! HELP!!! I NEED YOU!!!!" Vinky went to the door of the owl box and was almost sucked out by a huge wind. She watched as Vobble tumbled head over talons in the air, buffeted about by the strong wind.

"Vobble! Quit playing around and get back in this box where you belong!"

"I'm TRYING to! I can't get there. The wind won't let me. HELP ME!!!"

Vinky thought for a minute and …

realized the direction the wind was blowing and thought maybe if Vobble turned away from the wind, the wind would push him towards the box. He would then be able to use his wings to easily fly home.

Vobble turned around and, lo and behold, it worked! Vobble was back in the box next to Vinky. Vinky glared at Vobble and said…

"Well that wasn't so hard now was it… now for my magazine…" Vinky again reclined on the gagshag and began flipping pages with her wing.

But all of a sudden, the owl box began to sway. "Okay Vobble, cut it out. I'm going to get airsick up here if you don't stop this." She looked up only to see Vobble quivering, "It's not me Vinks. It's the wind!"

The box swayed to the left, and they slid to the right. The box swayed to the right, and they slid to the left. Then the box swayed to the back and they schrreeched a horrible screech and they slid right out of the box!

They tumbled and tumbled in the air. Then a big wind came and blew them up above the trees. Vinky screeched! Vobble was too scared to make a sound.

The wind blew them around and around. But then, the wind suddenly stopped and … THUMP … they landed on the owl box ledge.

Vinky and Vobble clung onto the box with their talons, trembling. "What do we do?" Vobble asked. "I don't want that to happen again!"

"Maybe we should get down to the ground," Vinky said. "If we're not up in the air and we keep our wings folded, we won't blow away."

They clicked their beaks and peered down at the ground and tried to figure out a way to get there without being swept away.

Just then, they heard a shout over the gusts of wind. "Owlbox ahoy!" It was Zorro! He had some rope and mouse-sized climbing equipment, and was scaling the owlbox pole.

When he got to the top, he said "Here, take this rope! The dude saw you were having trouble, and so he's tied it down. You can use it to climb down safely, and then come inside where it's not so windy."

Vinky and Vobble looked at each other kind of puzzled, cause they had never climbed up or down a rope before. But the winds were really getting strong and they were getting more and more scared, so they decided to try.

Vinky and Voble looked at each other, took a deep breath, and started down the rope. They got a few inches down and the wind got crazy wild and they got scared and scampered back up into the safety of the box. Whew, that was close! Zorro went to get Dude for some moral support, and while he was gone…

Kyle showed up. "Are you OK? Come with me and keep your wings tucked."

I have you a special emergency hole. Just jump or float down here.

Vobble said, "We are NO'T moving. It's too windy."

Kyle said, "Just get down here. I'll take care of you—you'll be safe. I have CC's lasagna hot and waiting."

Vobble was about to jump. Then Zorro said…

"Wait! Owlets can't fit in carrot holes! Besides, The Dude is coming out to help!"

"Well," said Kyle, "it was worth trying. The poor owlets are scared to death."

"Thanks, anyway, Kyle, but I think we will wait for the Dude!"

The Dude stepped outside on his porch and immediately was knocked to the ground by the wind. "Boy, this wind is fierce" said the Dude. "Hang on Vinky and Vobble! I'm coming…slowly, but surely!"

The Dude looked around for something to scoop up the owlets and bring them in safely. He looked around and…

saw a long-handled swimming pool net that he'd borrowed from the neighbors for a very good reason that he'd now forgotten.

He grabbed the handle and started to lift the net up to the box, but found it impossible to hold it still in the wind.

Mary (who was watching the proceedings through the window) ran out to help. The two of them just managed to raise the net up and hold it against the door of the owl box.

"Climb into the net and hold on really tight," yelled the Dude.

The two frightened owlets crept carefully into the net and grabbed hold with all talons, beaks and wingtips. All of a sudden…

the wind picked up again and pushed the net down towards the ground. Vaca and Mrs Vaca quickly grabbed the net with Vobble and Vinky in it and slowly moved towards the house. Vaca opened the door to let Mrs Vaca and the owlets inside the net inside.

"Phew," said Vaca and Mrs Vaca simultaneously. That's quite a strong wind."

Vaca said, "It would be best for Vobble and Vinky to stay inside for the night."

So, after some adjusting to the recent happenings, all began to settle down. Vobble and Vinky began exploring the home—checking out different gadgets. Vinky said to Vobble, "I guess this is what is called a sleep over."

Vobs was so eggcited he horked on the carpet. Mary looked at the hork, then the owlets, then said to the Dude, "I think the birdies should sleep in your office with the rest of your vrends."

The Dude picked up the hork with one hand, (eeewwww), and the owlets in the other, and hurried into his office before any more damage was done.

"Wowza, it certainly is comfy cozy in here, I could get used to this!" Vobble hopped into the Dude's chair and Vinky sat on the microphone and gave it a couple of pecks with her beak. Just as they began to relax, there was a loud knock on the window. It was their uncle Great Horned Owl.

"You two youngsters get out here! You don't belong in a two-leggers house!"

"But Uncle, we can't fly in this wind, and our box isn't safe either," Vobble whimpered.

Just then a branch blew by, knocking Uncle off the window ledge. He was soon back at the window, hollering, "Let me in!!"

The Dude opened the window and Uncle joined them.

VacaDude left for a minute but soon returned wearing footie pajamas with owls on them. In his hand he had gifts for all of them. He said, "I made these for you a long time ago." They opened the gifts and found little footie pajamas with peoples on them.

They were so excited. They had never had anything so lovely as this before and they couldn't wait to put them on.

Vinky's were red with yellow peoples on them and Vobble's were blue with white characters. Oh, they looked so handsome, they could hardly believe it. "Oh. my! Thank you so much, Dude, these are the most gorgeousus presents we've ever gotten."

Dude said he really enjoyed making them and was so glad that they fit! "Now, it's getting late and if I'm going to get to work on time tomorrow I must get some sleep. I have made up a little spot for you in the ofice with some soft blankets and some water in case you get thirsty during the night."

The owlets snuggled in together in their nice, warm pj's and drifted off to sleep. All of a sudden, Vinky started to have a nightmare! She and Vobble were back in the owlbox and the wind was blowing so hard that it snapped the owlbox pole off and the box started flying and rolling through the air!

Vinky and Vobble were screeching for help! They tumbled and tumbled until the owlbox pole stuck deeply into a hill. "Oh, Vobble, I don't think we are in California any more! We must be in Kansas!"

They slowly peered out to see CC, Dot the TDB running to the rescue! "Daddy, call the Dude! The owlets need help!"

Vinky felt Vobble shaking her and shaking her. "Vinky, wake up! You are having a nightmare!"

"Wh… wh… what?" said Vinky. Just then…

everything really DID start to shake! All the furniture and even the room itself! It didn't last long, but it certainly seemed like forever

Vinky and Vobble started to cry, and VacaDude came running into the room, saying "There was just an earthquake! Are you all right?" There were a few things fallen on the floor, but no serious damage.

But Vinky and Vobbles had had way too much for one night. "Waaah!" they cried. "We're scared!"

VacaDude tried to calm them down, but it seemed that nothing would do except for…

allowing them to snuggle inside his footie pajamas. There they settled down all nice and cozy as the Dude tried to get comfortable in his office chair.

It was a long night. The winds finally died down and the Dude opened the window to let the owlets out to fly back to their box. He headed to bed for some much needed rest. He awakened to hear…

"Oh, John, dear," Mary was calling sweetly from the kitchen. "Can you come in here for a moment?"

VacaDude got up from the bed and made his way to the kitchen. "Yes, my love. What is it?"

"I'm working on dinner and I really need to ask you something, okay?"

"That's fine, dear. I'm open for whatever you feel like making."

"Oh, this has nothing to do with the menu. I just need to know something. WHAT THE HECK ARE THOSE THINGS IN THE OVEN???"

The Dude looked sheepish as he said, "Oh…THOSE. Well, uh, you see, it's like this. After the owlets went back to their box, I noticed a bunch of little horks on the floor and thought they would make a swell science project for the kids at the school but I thought they should be dry and sterile first so I put them in the oven to dry them and then I kinda forgot about them and … sorry."

"John," she said sweetly. "If you do not get those monstrosities out of my oven and thoroughly disinfect this whole kitchen NOW, I'm moving to a hotel!"

"Yes, dear."

John quickly collected the horks and sprayed disinfectant over everything in the kitchen, even Zorro who was busy inspecting the cheese drawer. John decided it might be best if he and Zorro vacated the kitchen for a long while.

As they walked back to the office, Zorro said, "Well, Dude. We've had quite the night, haven't we? So what do you have planned for tonight? Can we have another sleepover?

The End

The End