Clumsy Apple Picker Brings Entertainment and Joy

It was such a beautiful day, the autumn air was crisp, and it carried the delicious scent of ripe apples to Sherbert as he zoomed through the orchard, his colourful gigantic wings sparkling a flurry of rainbow colours in the sunlight. The little rainbow spitfire Stelciar had been very excited about apple picking season for weeks, and now that the day had arrived, he could hardly keep his paws on the ground. Quite literally.

“Sherbert, slow down! You’re going to knock over the baskets!” Granny Rosette called out, watching with a mix of fondness and exasperation as Sherbert zigzagged through the orchard like an overexcited firefly.

"I’m just practicing my aerial apple picking skills!" Sherbert replied, flapping his wings erratically like a bumble bee, to hover near the trees. His voice was filled with glee, though his movements were more clumsy than graceful.

He swooped toward a branch that was full of apples, reaching out with his tiny paws. Just as his claws grazed the reddest, shiniest apple on the branch, his wings gave an extra flap, too strong this time, and sent him spinning.

WHUMP! He landed back first in a soft pile of hay, the apple still clutched triumphantly in his paw.

“Got it!” Sherbert screamed, holding it up like a trophy. Then, without thinking, he brought it to his mouth and took a big bite.

Granny Rosette waddled over, shaking her head with a chuckle. “Sherbert, those apples are for harvesting, not snacking!”

Sherbert’s cheeks puffed out as he chewed, his eyes going wide. “Oh! Right! Uh, this one’s quality control!” he said around a mouthful of apple, his wings fluttering sheepishly.

Deciding it was better to keep him supervised, Granny Rosette handed Sherbert a smaller basket and gestured to a lower tree. “How about you try picking the apples over here? And no flying inside the branches this time, you're scaring the birds.”

Sherbert saluted with the apple core. “Yes, ma’am!”

He buzzed over to the tree, this time managing to hover just above the ground, taking great care as he picked the apples one by one. Or at least, he tried. Each time he reached for one, his wings gave a nervous little twitch, which either sent the apple tumbling to the ground or made him drop it into his basket so hard it bounced right back out.

“Oops! Oops again! Double oops!” Sherbert muttered, scrambling to catch each runaway apple.

As the day went on, Sherbert improved, well….sort of. He figured out that if he perched lightly on the branches instead of hovering, he could balance long enough to grab the best apples. However, his clumsiness made the whole thing an adventure. Once, while reaching for an apple at the very tip of a branch, the branch bent under his weight. He yelped as he teetered dangerously before the branch sprang back, catapulting him into the air with a startled squeak!

Thankfully, his wings carried him into a soft tumble, and he landed in yet another pile of hay. He poked his head out, holding an apple between his teeth like a proud kitten.

“Still got it!” he declared, his voice muffled by the apple.

The other Stelciars that were helping out with collecting apples burst into laughter, their spirits lifted by his silly antics.

By sunset, Sherbert’s basket was mostly full, though it was clear a few of the apples had mysteriously disappeared during his “quality control checks.” He stood beside Granny Rosette, his fur puffed out all proudly , his wings stretched wide and vibrating with happiness and excitement.

“You’ve certainly made this harvest memorable,” Granny Rosette said, handing him a caramel apple as a thank you treat. “I think you ate as many as you picked!”

Sherbert wagged his tail and took a big, sticky bite. “It’s all part of the Sherbert Experience!” he said with a grin, his words barely decipherable through the caramel.

As the sun begand to fade away, giving the sky a beautiful pink and orange colour, Sherbert lay on his back in the hay to relax after a “hard” day of apple picking, munching his caramel apple and watching the leaves fall around him. His clumsiness may have slowed things down a little, but his joy and silliness had made the day brighter for everyone. And as he drifted off to a well earned nap, his rainbow wings tucked around him like a blanket, Granny Rosette whispered with a small chuckle, “Harvesting apples has never been this much fun.”