Batty admired his reflection in a dewdrop, turning his head from side to side to show off the striped sock still perched on his left ear. "This is not just a sock," Batty announced to the silent forest, "It is a Crown of Warmth! I am the king of cozy."
He glanced over at Professor Hoot, who was snoozing on a nearby branch with his feathers fluffed up against the chilly breeze. Batty felt a surge of generosity. "A king must look after his subjects," he whispered. "The Professor needs a hat, too!"
Batty zoomed down to the forest floor to hunt for supplies. He found a shiny red candy wrapper and a large, bowl-shaped acorn cap. "Too crinkly," he muttered, tossing the wrapper aside, before spotting a perfectly curled, dried maple leaf.
Flying as silently as a shadow (or so he thought), Batty hovered directly over the sleeping owl. He carefully lowered the crunchy leaf toward Professor Hoot’s head. *Crr-runch!* The leaf made a loud sound as it touched the owl's ears.
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through the tree! It didn't wake the owl, but it blew the striped sock right off Batty's head. "My crown!" Batty shrieked, abandoning the leaf to chase his precious treasure as it fluttered away into the dark.
The sock drifted down, down, down, until it landed softly on the tail of a baby opossum hanging from a lower branch. The baby opossum squeaked in surprise, then wiggled backward until the sock covered him like a warm, colorful sleeping bag.
Batty landed next to the opossum and sighed, seeing how happy the little creature looked. He adjusted his goggles and smiled. "Keep it, citizen," Batty said heroically. "Being a hero is better than being a king, anyway."
