Night Landing

The Ants had been gliding for hours.  The hotdog was gone and all the ants were full and sleepy.  They were spread out all over the wings resting and enjoying the Silent Flight.  The plane was flying while and rocking just ever so slightly.  The twilight sun felt good, warming them and casting long shadows from their short bodies.  Their peace and quiet was abruptly disturbed as a high speed owl buzzed the PPP-1 and pulled up into a vertical climb out that seemed to go forever.  The PPP-1 shook from the wake turbulence caused by the owl.  The ants were again holding on for dear life and staring straight up at the little speck that was the owl.  Penee was the first to notice that the owl seemed to be getting bigger and bigger.  "Hold on he's coming back!"  Screamed Penee.  The ants scrambled for cover while Penee stood transfixed by the dive bombing owl.  The owl was getting closer and closer.  Penee could hear the whistle of wind coming from the Owls wings and impact seemed imminent.  Penee braced and watched the owl pull up into a perfect loop then fly alongside the PPP-1 matching the speed of the paper airplane exactly.  Penee and the owl were now wing tip to wing tip, face to face and eye to eye high above the ground in the darkening sky.  "Whooooooo...  Whooooooo...  Who are you?"  The owl rhymed, his hooked beak seemingly smiling.  Penee was stunned and was only able to stare at the flying poet.  All the other ants were slowly starting to come out of hiding to stand behind Penee; they couldn't believe what they were seeing.  Penee was coming out of shock and his bravery started to take over.  He answered in his most confident tone, "we are the world famous flying ants, we've been on national television!"  The Owls eyes opened even bigger than they already were and said sarcastically, "ohhhh, I seeeee, national TV, I am pleezed to meet you!"  The PPP-1 and the owl buffeted slightly in some mild turbulance and the owl's facial expression took on a serious look, "you guys know how to fly?"  "Of course!"  Bragged Penee.  All the other ants whispered amongst themselves trying to convince each other that,YES, they did know how to fly.  Wise ant came forward and walked right out to the wing tip and asked, "Mr. Owl Sir, why do you ask if we know how to fly when it's so obvious that since we are up here, Flying, that we must know something about flight."  "Good point Mr. ant!"  The Owl spoke slowly and continued, "the reason I ask is that we are way up here flying in the extended twlight, while its now dark down on the ground.  By the way that's where your going, notice we're getting closer?"  The ants hadn't been paying attention to where they were going and were shocked at what they heard.  They all ran to the wing tip and peered down into the darkness causing the PPP-1 to enter a steep diving spiral, straight at the darkening Earth.  "Center up!  Center up!  Center up!"  Wise ant was yelling as loud as he could to be heard over the deafening roar of the high speed wind.  The ants could barely see each other now as they huddled at the center of gravity.  The PPP-1 now level but low, was going to be landing soon, like it or not!  The owl fell into formation again and this time he spoke quickly and seriously, "brace yourselves inside the wing, I'll land you safely but hold on!"  The ants scrambled for cover just as the owl's clawed feet gently attached themselves to the PPP-1.  Within seconds the owl banked sharply loading the ants to 5 g's and then abruptly stopped depositing the PPP-1 on the barn roof.  30 pairs of wobbly legs brought the ants off the plane unto the barn roof.  They had been in the air so long they'd lost their land legs and were having trouble adjusted, the last 5 G. turn didn't help much either.  The owl was perched patiently nearby and waited for them all to gather.  Mr. Owl then addressed the group, "welcome to Farmer Johns barn.  Find something to eat, get some sleep then in the morning we'll talk flying and get you on your way again."  The ants were relieved to be where they were and started to relax.  Mr. Owl silently flew into the darkness leaving the ants to spend the night on the barn roof.  One by one the ants climbed back on board the PPP-1 and drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Nine