One day a young bird was learning to fly.
"Whee! This is fun!" he said, flapping his wings.
Suddenly another bird flew by.
"Wow! What kind of bird was that?" he wondered.
"How cool!"
He decided to follow the other bird.
On his way he met a squirrel.
"Hey, Squirrel," he said, "did you see a bird go by?"
The squirrel was confused.
"What bird?" he said.
"Just a moment ago, a bird flew by us.
Didn't you see it?" the bird asked again.
The squirrel smiled.
"Oh, that was not a bird. That was me!"
"You?" said the bird. "But you are a squirrel!
Squirrels cannot fly!"
"Well, I can," said the squirrel.
"I am a flying squirrel! Watch me!"
The squirrel jumped off the branch.
He stretched his arms and legs, and soared through the air.
"Oh, that was awesome!" the little bird said.
"But your wings do not look like my wings."
"No," explained the flying squirrel.
"I do not have wings.
I have flaps of skin on my sides.
I stretch these flaps and I can glide for a long time.
Now you know flying is not just for birds!"
Just then an insect flew by.
"Oh, my favorite kind of insect!" said the bird.
"Oh, that is my favorite too!" the squirrel agreed.
The squirrel and the bird followed the insect to the stream.
Suddenly a fish flew out of the water and glided by them.
"What was that? Did you see it?" asked the squirrel.
"I cannot believe what I saw!" said the bird.
"Fish cannot fly!"
The fish swam up to them.
"You are right!" the fish said.
"But I can. I am a flying fish.
I can glide through the air when a bigger fish tries to eat me.
I have to go now. Bye!"
And the fish swam away.
"Gee! I have never seen a fish fly before," said the bird.
"Well, Squirrel, you were right!
I guess flying really isn't just for birds."
"Good-bye, Bird," said the squirrel.
"I have to tell my family about the flying fish!"
He leaped into the air.
"Good-bye!" said the bird.
"I have to tell my mom about this.
You never know what might fly by!"