It had been a long winter in the neighborhood and this was the first warm morning that Pepper-Jack could remember in a long time. “Just the perfect day to find Waldo so I can play with him today,” Pepper-Jack told himself, flying to look for his good friend. 

His bird friends were loudly singing their songs and splashing in birdbaths, wherever he looked. All the animals, even the bunnies, were frolicking in the sun-warmed grass having a great time. Waldo was not out playing so Pepper-Jack headed for the hollowed-out log Waldo and Wendy called home. 

He heard the little humans before he saw them. They were singing loudly and hurting Pepper-Jack's ears. He swooped down to a nearby pine branch to see what was going on. 

There was a large pole in the ground with beautiful colors streaming in all directions from it. Each human held a different color as they pranced and danced around the pole. 

“I wonder what the crazy humans are up to now,” sighed Pepper-Jack. “I'd better find Waldo to see if he knows what this is all about.” 

“Young Pepper-Jack,” cranked his crabby turtle friend, Waldo. “It's too nice of a day for you to wake me up so early, yes indeedy, it is.” 

“Um, sorry, Waldo. I just can't figure out what the humans are doing. I thought I'd ask you to help me investigate this strange thing.” 

“Well then, young bird, show me where the humans are and let's see what we can find out,” said Waldo, lumbering through the neighborhood in the direction Pepper-Jack had seen the little humans. 

Along the way, a beautiful black crow landed in front of Waldo. The crow pointed his wing towards Pepper-Jack and then told him to land. 

The crow was new to the neighborhood and nobody knew much about him except his voice was as awful as Pepper-Jack's blue jay screech. 

“Squawk, squawk, caw, caw,” the crow sputtered. “Um, MAYDAY MAYDAY! Hear all about it! MAYDAY! MAYDAY!” 

“What are you talking about, yes indeedy, what?” asked Waldo. He and Pepper-Jack waited to find out what the crow felt was so important to tell them. 

“You heard me . . . MAYDAY! MAYDAY! Don't you two know anything? MAYDAY is a distress signal.” 

“A WHAT KIND OF SIGNAL?” screeched Pepper-Jack so loudly that Waldo and the crow had to hold their ears. 

“A distress signal,” said the crow again. “Humans say MAYDAY when they are in trouble. Like when a boat is sinking and they are in danger, or a plane is about to crash in the sky . . .” 

“Eh gads,” said Waldo, “I've lived to a ripe old turtle age and I've never heard of such a thing as a distress call. Or the words MAYDAY, yes indeedy, I haven't.” 

“Well, it's the truth,” cawed the crow. “Come with me and you will see how much distress the little humans are in. Can you hear them shouting MAYDAY?” 

“Why . . . yes, indeedy, Crow! I can hear them saying that distressing word,” said Waldo, clearly puzzled. 

Pepper-Jack could hear them, too. “Gee, that's funny, Waldo. When I flew over them before, they were singing and dancing and looked pretty happy. Let's get over there and see if they are in trouble!”

“Oh no,” screeched Pepper-Jack, seeing a little human get tangled up in the ribbon. He flew straight up like a helicopter. Then charged forward in rapid flight; right at the pole. But Pepper-Jack only made it worse. On his way to rescue the little human, he flapped his wings too close to the ribbons and got caught in them . . . upside down. 

“Help!” he squawked. Clearing his throat and in his loudest blue jay voice, he hollered, “MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY!” 

The little humans stopped their dancing, looked up, and saw the upside-down, trapped blue jay. 

“We've got to help free that blue jay,” said one of them.  

Pepper-Jack Ray kept squawking, “MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY! The humans are gonna get me today. HELP!” 

Finally, huffing and puffing, Waldo and a suddenly quiet crow arrived at the Maypole to see if they could help Pepper-Jack escape. 

“Look everyone,” said a human, “there's a crow and a turtle.” Pepper-Jack heard the human, but was too scared to wait for help. He thrashed about, making the ribbons even tighter. 

Crow tried, but he just couldn't untangle the ribbons. Waldo was sure he could help if only he could get up high. He butted a human’s shoe until the human looked down at him. 

“Young human, I know you don't understand me,” said Waldo. “But we must free my friend, yes indeedy, we must!” He stared intently at the human. The human stared back. Waldo glanced up at the blue jay. And finally, the human understood, gently picking up Waldo and lifting him up high to where Pepper-Jack was trapped. 

Waldo carefully chewed through a ribbon while Crow put it in his beak and moved it away from Pepper-Jack. When Waldo had chewed through the very last ribbon, and Crow had moved it aside, Pepper-Jack landed with a thud into the hands of another human trying to help. 

Pepper-Jack lay there, catching his breath. The human held perfectly still. The other human placed Waldo gently back on the ground. Crow flew down from the top of the Maypole and snagged Pepper-Jack by the back of his neck, gently lowering him to the ground onto Waldo's back. Slowly the turtle lumbered away from the humans, taking his best friend to safety. Crow followed behind Waldo, glancing back at the humans, glaring at them so they wouldn't follow. 

Waldo made it to his home and gently urged Pepper-Jack to sit down in the living room. He had Wendy bring his best friend a cool glass of water. Crow was nowhere to be found. 

Pepper-Jack dried his tears and thanked Waldo for saving him. The two friends hugged. Suddenly there was a tap on the Waldo's door.  

Wendy opened it and found a beautiful basket full of goodies. There was a note in it. "Happy May Day from your friend, Crow" it read. They all heard Crow's cawing voice  in the distance singing: "MAYDAY, MAYDAY! It's Pepper-Jack Ray's Lucky Day!”

~The End~