Rosie looked to Gil, "The Twinkle family. Are they the stars?"

Gil scoffed, "The only stars up here are the Gull family. Why heck, the Twinkles just hang there blinking on and off. They don't soar or dive or fly upside down . . ."

"Phooooph," interrupted Cotton, "enough boasting Gil, I don't have much time so you'd better get a move on." Threads of white cloud swirled around, drifting apart and together again, changing shape as they danced around the darkening sky.

"C'mon," squawked Gil, grabbing Rosie's umbrella again, "Cotton will show up again somewhere else. Meanwhile, we'd better hurry on to see Mr. Gusty."

Rosie waved at what was left of Cotton as they climbed, through the ragged bits of cloud, sending them scattering in crazy patterns. Finally Gil stopped climbing and floated in place, his beak still tight on the top of the umbrella. The sky was as blue as Rosie had ever seen and the air was fresh and still.

"Where are we Gil?" Rosie asked, looking about. "I don't see anything but sky. I can't even see the ground anymore."

"Whoooohhooooshh!" Came a long loud noise that buffeted Gil and Rosie around and around. "Whhaaat are yooou dooing up here Gilmorrre?"

Gil flapped his wings and struggled to talk while hanging on to the umbrella. "Could you please blow up a little air to hold us here while we talk Mr. Gusty?"

There was another whoooosh and Rosie felt something pushing lightly against her feet although she could see nothing.

"Thanks." Said Gil, wiping his beak with his wing. "This little girl is Rosie and you blew under her wing and lifted her up from the ground where she lives, way up into the sky. She wants to go home but can't get back down."

"Hoooshooooshh! I can't help everyone who is silly enough to lift their wings up when I'm blowing. I've got a job to do and it doesn't include taking time to satisfying little girls."

Rosie sniffled and looked into the angry face of Mr. Gusty. "You're not a very nice person Mr. Gusty. Somebody as big as you should be more careful with smaller people like me. Why, I watched while you even blew poor Mr. Batty all apart."

"Swoooerssshh! Cotton Batty wouldn't go anywhere if it wasn't for me. Mr. Hottenbright is always after me to send him here and send him there; Cotton Batty would just lie around getting in Mr. Hottenbright's way if it wasn't for me." Mr. Gusty pursed his lips and blew another huge wind across the sky sending what was left of Cotton scudding away in a thousand pieces. "Hmph. There. He'll find another spot to sit around and get fat again."

Rosie sighed and tried asking Mr. Gusty once again, "Please, won't you help me get home?"

Mr. Gusty frowned and thought for a moment, "Look, you seem like a nice sort, maybe a bit rude, but as Gil's friend I'll do what I can. Hold your wing out and I'll give you a push. Gil can go with you and if you are lucky you'll get back down to the ground. That's all I can do. I am very busy. I have to clean the sky up now that Mr. Hottenbright is going to bed." And with that he puffed his cheeks and blew a gentle breeze into Rosie's umbrella sending her spinning off across the sky with Gil flapping frantically after her.