tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84147877851237217072024-02-07T11:30:40.979-08:00SNICKERTALES™Children's Stories by Valerie L. EgarAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01930307597896662877noreply@blogger.comBlogger184125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-41006503334559268962021-05-03T08:37:00.002-07:002021-05-03T08:38:23.691-07:00Mother Fox and her Kits<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndr5mdrdZZzI_wq6iEFqre9eE234XKiC5P3C5YlI_T3c53lu_wVBDAkBkdBueAQc9w5UIP71zlNKEGR3mTnjuo1eIUCvFBBL3gI1Man8yv-5LairyYHv8sdkWlwuIpugD-fa9NJ3KGVs/s640/fox-1883658_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndr5mdrdZZzI_wq6iEFqre9eE234XKiC5P3C5YlI_T3c53lu_wVBDAkBkdBueAQc9w5UIP71zlNKEGR3mTnjuo1eIUCvFBBL3gI1Man8yv-5LairyYHv8sdkWlwuIpugD-fa9NJ3KGVs/w400-h268/fox-1883658_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Mother Fox and her Kits</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> By Valerie L. Egar<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Mother Fox lived in a den at the edge of a meadow with her four kits. They were handsome children with glossy red fur and white-tipped tails. Mother Fox taught them every clever fox trick she knew -- walking in a stream of water, so predators couldn’t track them, doubling back on their own tracks to confuse predators.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">As the kits grew, they frolicked in the meadow, playing games. Hide and seek was a favorite. Tag was fun, too. Sometimes they played hunting games and tried to find a mole or mouse. At night, they slept cuddled next to Mother Fox in the warm den.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">One day when the little foxes and their mother roamed the woods, they saw two kits hiding in a briar patch. Their fur was rumpled and they looked skinny. They hid when Mother Fox called them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Where’s your mother?” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The larger one poked his face out from under the briars and took one step forward. “She went for food and didn’t come back.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Mother Fox sighed. She didn’t want to think what might have happened, but she knew the two kits weren’t old enough to take care of themselves. They </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">looked</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">two or three weeks younger than her kits and needed food and a good cleaning up. “You’re hungry,” she said. “Come with us, I’ll feed you.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Mom!” growled her oldest. She cuffed him lightly.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The new kits hadn’t eaten in days, and gobbled all the food Mother Fox gave them. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“I’m hungry,” said Mother Fox's second oldest. “I need more food.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Mother Fox shook her head. “You’ve had your share.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">After dinner, Mother Fox gave each of the kits a bath, licking each kit’s fur until it was shiny. The new kits took longer because they hadn’t been cleaned in days. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Mommy, you spent more time with them than me!” said her youngest. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“They needed more time today,” said Mother Fox.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Her youngest ran to a mud puddle and jumped in. “Now I need more time.” Mother Fox shook her head and cleaned him off for the second time.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Getting settled to go to sleep that night took forever. None of Mother Fox’s children wanted the new kits to sleep close to their mother. Pushing and shoving, they finally tired themselves out and fell asleep.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The next day, Mother Fox noticed that when the kits played, the older ones were rough with the two younger kits. The little ones didn’t run as fast or jump as high, and she heard the older ones laugh at them. Mother Fox scolded her children. “Huh,” said the oldest. “You love them better than us.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">That night, Mother Fox gathered the kits around her so each one had a perfect cuddle spot. She stretched out as far as her long body would go with her tail straight out and the six kits lined up along her body with her tail and legs hugging all of them.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Do you think we could count all the rocks in the stream?” she asked.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“What! That would take a long time,” said her youngest. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“It would,” she said. “But, after we counted them, there wouldn’t be any more, right?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“I suppose,” said the oldest. “But I hope that’s not what we’re doing tomorrow!”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Mother Fox laughed. “Don’t worry, we’re not. But when I love you, and you, and you, and you, and you, and you,” she said hugging each in turn, “it doesn’t mean I don’t have any love left for anyone else. Love isn’t like rocks in the stream.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The kits thought about it. When Mother Fox divided sandwiches picnickers left behind, they each had a smaller portion because there were six of them, but maybe love wasn’t like that. If it were, it would soon be gone!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“With love, there’s always more to give,” said Mother Fox. “It’s not like food, or stones in the creek or even stars in the sky. There’s always more, and the more you give away, the more you have.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“And mommies have a lot of love to give,” said her youngest. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“That’s right,” said Mother Fox. “They always do.”</span><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Like the story? Share with your friends or comment. </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Copyright 2017 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be reproduced, published or distributed without permission from the author. </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Snickertales is a trademarked name and may not be used without permission. </b></span></p>Snickertaleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04635287315436577764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-87137131519922360002020-06-10T12:43:00.003-07:002020-06-10T12:43:48.308-07:00The Secret Cat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWs-JdrbMhSeS-HNbT_1UIzJvUdvudmBBwtwVbhZBHH4ltmJ_-KSNmVwOJyjqlX3w3g-7qZAzGzLPWZIlsaRxAapyJU_R9PW6sKvq3GXXby1e-_O5Zt7tREfi_9XqM5NEJS2wldCPMiE/s1600/cat-2010254_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWs-JdrbMhSeS-HNbT_1UIzJvUdvudmBBwtwVbhZBHH4ltmJ_-KSNmVwOJyjqlX3w3g-7qZAzGzLPWZIlsaRxAapyJU_R9PW6sKvq3GXXby1e-_O5Zt7tREfi_9XqM5NEJS2wldCPMiE/s400/cat-2010254_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The Secret Cat<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span></b>by<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Valerie L. Egar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">When Uncle Tasher said
he was bringing Julie a cat he’d found in Egypt, she wondered how he managed to
bring it home on the airplane. Then, she wondered how he persuaded her parents
to allow a cat in the house. She’d asked for a kitten over and over and they
always said, “No!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Julie couldn’t wait to see it, but when Uncle
Tasher arrived, all he carried with him was a small painting of a ruddy colored
kitten with large green eyes. Julie thought she might cry. It wasn’t what she
was expecting at all. She wanted a real cat, not a picture of one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“Let me hang the
picture for you,” said Uncle Tasher. Julie pointed to a place on the wall in
her bedroom. While he hammered the hook into the sheetrock, he explained that
he bought the painting from a mysterious man in crowded bazaar. “He assured me
it’s magic, “ Uncle Tasher said. “Just wait until tonight.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Julie rolled her
eyes. Uncle Tasher was always making jokes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That
night, when the moon shone on the picture, the cat’s eyes seemed to glow. Julie
thought she saw its head move, but maybe it was a shadow from the tree outside
her window. She stared at the painting and watched, fascinated, as the kitten
stood and stretched. Then, with a great leap he jumped onto her bed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">“Oh my!” Julia
said. She scratched him under the chin and he purred happily.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Do
you need something to eat?” she whispered. She wasn’t sure whether magical cats
needed food and water. She sneaked into the kitchen and got a tiny cup of water
and a piece of cheese, but he didn’t want any.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, he explored the room, rolled a few pencils off her desk and
batted at the cord hanging from the blinds. Then he settled on the windowsill,
bathing in the moonlight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You
need a name,” said Julie. She tried to remember some of the Egyptian names Uncle
Tasher mentioned. He’d talked about kings, queens and ancient gods and
goddesses, but Julie couldn’t remember any of them. She loved his description
of a boat ride on a river called the Nile, and that’s what she decided to call
the kitten. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When
Julie woke up, Nile was gone. Julie glanced at the painting. There he was,
still and quiet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Never
had Julie been so anxious to get to bed as she was that night. She didn’t ask
for a second bedtime story. She didn’t say she was thirsty. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When
she put the light out, she stared and stared at the picture. At first it seemed
like nothing was going to happen. Then, Nile’s tail curled and he yawned. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A great leap and he was on the bed, purring
and rubbing his head on Julie’s face.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">Julie wiggled her
toes and Nile pounced on them. Julie giggled.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">She fell asleep with Nile curled beside her on the pillow. When she
woke, Nile was gone, back inside the painting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Every night Julie
and Nile played and enjoyed each other’s company. Every morning, Nile was
back inside the picture frame, silent and still.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">One day as Mom vacuumed
the bedroom carpet as Julie dusted. Mom noticed what seemed to be cat hair on
the deep blue rug. She was puzzled. “Can’t be,” she said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Julie looked at
the picture on the wall and the mysterious little cat winked. Julie winked back
at her special, secret cat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Like the story? Share with your FB friends, 'like' and comment.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Copyright 2016 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be copied, reproduced or distributed without permission from the author.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Published May 8, 2016, </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Biddeford Journal Tribune</i><b> (Biddeford, ME).</b></span></div>
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Snickertaleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04635287315436577764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-75269414111199078952020-05-30T09:52:00.001-07:002020-05-30T09:52:53.030-07:00The Old Woman and The Fire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhviFUkP9hDqB6YIVxV50agQv2VBNQ-BFXiYRnSYhgWX1i56uFgx_NOGQP0TTqbf7xgIQdl_x2tAwGEXEt3vpVbjek-9J3u4I6FeDlA9iMoVLF_nm38kJ_A8k1FX0wI9iJNm75mKrxaf9s/s1600/dependent-100343_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhviFUkP9hDqB6YIVxV50agQv2VBNQ-BFXiYRnSYhgWX1i56uFgx_NOGQP0TTqbf7xgIQdl_x2tAwGEXEt3vpVbjek-9J3u4I6FeDlA9iMoVLF_nm38kJ_A8k1FX0wI9iJNm75mKrxaf9s/s400/dependent-100343_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> The Old Woman and the
Fire<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>By
Valerie L. Egar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">A very long time
ago, when everyone spoke the same language and the rocks, trees and animals spoke
as clearly as any human, an old woman left the place where she’d been born. She’d
been widowed for many years and her children were grown and far away. During a
war, foreign soldiers ravaged her farm and left no food for her to eat. Her
neighbors had their own struggles and could not help. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The woman pulled
on her worn boots, cut a walking stick from an alder tree in the front yard,
glanced at the house where she had raised her family and began to walk. She was
heavy with sorrow, sad to leave her home and worried how she would fend for
herself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her sorrow and worries weighed upon
her like a heavy sack of potatoes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">She soon came to a
rushing river. It was clear and sparkled in the morning light. The old woman sat
by the river to rest and had an idea. “River, river, will you take my sorrow
and my worries? They are too much for me to carry, but you are strong and flow
swiftly. Surely you can take them away.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“No,” replied the
river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Do not leave them with me. They are
heavy and will sink like a stone and be mine forever. I cannot take them.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">The woman walked
on, observing everything around her. A gentle breeze kissed her face and cooled
her. “Wind,” the old woman said.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">“You
are so kind to refresh me. Will you take my worries? </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">Blow away my sorrow?</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">I am old and growing tired of carrying them.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The wind huffed
and huffed. “No, I cannot,” it replied. They are heavy and will not move no
matter how hard I blow.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Once again, the
old woman travelled on. She was weary and hungry. Her worries grew as she
walked and her back ached under the terrible weight of her sorrow. On a rocky
path over a mountain, the woman asked, “Earth beneath my feet, may I give you my
worries? May I bury my sorrow in you?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">A deep voice
replied. “If you bury them, they will live in me forever. I do not want them. I
cannot.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">That night the
woman sat alone at the edge of a great forest. She built a small fire, boiled
water for tea and roasted a small potato. The fire warmed her and she looked
into the flames. “Fire, will you take my worries and my sorrow?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The flames crackled
as the fire answered. “Yes, give them to me and I will change them into something
else. I will turn your worries into ash, lighter than feathers and the wind
will whisk them away. I will shine light through your tears and make rainbows. I
will burn away what has no use and leave pure gold. I will take your burdens
and transform them.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">The woman
understood and looked through her small rucksack for things to feed the fire. A
small pebble from her village.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">Living
there was behind her, </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">she had no need for it. An old dress she’d worn during hard times. Her empty coin purse.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">A sad letter from her daughter. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">To say thank you, she added a pinch of
lavender from the garden she’d left behind. Smoke rose and she danced in it,
singing for the first time in many years.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">A much younger
woman awakened in the morning, refreshed and bright, excitement for new
adventures burning in her heart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Like the story? Share with your FACEBOOK friends, comment, and 'like.'</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Copyright 2018 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be copied, reproduced or distributed without permission from the author. </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Published August 12, 2018 <i>Biddeford Journal Tribune </i>(Biddeford, ME).</b></span></div>
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Snickertaleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04635287315436577764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-21735386783669723362020-05-10T16:30:00.000-07:002020-05-10T16:38:21.516-07:00Orissa, Queen of the Forest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3_TFTFMNseZt536-U-EhyphenhyphenQdV76cTVUtFQ9gkBpaDfJgLHdqb_GeHOMNTPvJe7aTcDndMsCTy4xirsu6rxE2hkGb3LIuitKUTGOeTerj15hzmqA3lparUOtJvjqLic8rJ7nWw4npDSXc/s1600/girl-785310_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3_TFTFMNseZt536-U-EhyphenhyphenQdV76cTVUtFQ9gkBpaDfJgLHdqb_GeHOMNTPvJe7aTcDndMsCTy4xirsu6rxE2hkGb3LIuitKUTGOeTerj15hzmqA3lparUOtJvjqLic8rJ7nWw4npDSXc/s400/girl-785310_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> <b>Orissa, Queen of the Forest</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>By
Valerie L. Egar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">A young girl named
Orissa lived at the edge of a great forest with her mother and father. She was eleven,
with braids long enough to neatly wrap around her head. In the spring and summer,
her mother wove flowers Orissa picked in the meadow into her braids. Daisies
and honeysuckle, red poppies and Queen Anne’s lace crowned Orissa. She loved
wearing flowers in her hair.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One
morning, Orissa’s mother gave her a metal pail and asked her to go into the forest
to gather berries. Orissa skipped down a dirt path into the forest singing,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Raspberries, blackberries, ripe and sweet,<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tonight we’ll have pie to eat!</i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">As much as Orissa liked flowers,
she liked her mother’s berry pie even more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Orissa slowed when
she entered the forest. She admired the mottled white bark on the birch trees and
took a deep breath to smell the clean scent of pine. She listened to the cuckoo’s
call and the shill cry of a hawk. Warm sun filtered through the leaves and made
lacy patterns on the forest floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Orissa
sat in the velvety moss underneath the trees to rest and listen to the birds
for just a moment. Soon she fell asleep.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">Orissa woke with a
start and found a bright blue eye staring into hers.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">A tall woman wrapped in a blue cape lifted
her to her feet. “At last! The Queen of the Forest!” The woman pointed to
Orissa’s flower crown.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Orissa shook her
head. “No,” she said. “I’m a little girl.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“Ha!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can’t fool me,” said the woman “I didn’t
fall off the turnip truck yesterday. You’re the Queen of the Forest.” The woman
smiled slyly. “Now that I’ve caught you, give me all the gold you’ve hidden.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Orissa frowned. “Only
leprechauns hide gold.” Orissa looked at her empty pail and how high the sun
was in the sky. She was anxious to pick berries or there would be no pie after
supper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Wait,
maybe I have my creatures mixed up,” the woman said. She scratched her head. “Pearls.
I want all your pearls!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Orissa rolled her
eyes. “I’m not sure, but I think mermaids have those.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“How about
diamonds? Rubies?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“Where would I
find those around here?” Orissa said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“This is the forest!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The woman’s eyes
narrowed and she looked at Orissa’s empty pail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Oh, you’re a clever one, trying to trick me. What’s the pail for?”<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> “Berries.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
woman laughed. “Magic berries! That’s why you look so young. Why I bet you’re
over a hundred years old and you don’t look a day over ten.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m
eleven,” Orissa said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">The woman cackled.
“And I’m only twenty-one. Ha! I can’t wait to eat some of those magic berries. ”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Orissa
shrugged. “If you help me fill my pail,” she said, “I’ll show you where the
berry patch is. You can have as many as you can eat today.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I
understand,” said the woman. “They’re only magic when the moon in full.
Tomorrow they won’t be magic anymore.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No,”
said Orissa. “I leave enough berries for the birds and the bears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They enjoy them, too and people shouldn’t be
greedy and take more than they can use.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Right,”
said the woman. “You’re the Queen of the Forest. I should have expected you’d
say that.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
woman quickly helped Orissa fill her bucket with sweet ripe berries and Orissa
sang her way home. A pie was soon baking in the oven.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
woman stayed in the berry patch and gobbled berries until her fingers and lips
were stained and her stomach was full. Since she expected the berries would make her
younger, she was careful not to eat so many that she turned back into a baby. She
thought being eighteen or nineteen again might be nice and that’s what she
hoped for. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">When she looked in
the mirror the next morning, she wasn’t even one day younger. For the rest of her days, she told anyone who would
listen how the Queen of the Forest tricked her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Like the story? Share with your Facebook friends, 'like' and share.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Copyright 2017 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be copied, reproduced or distributed without permission from the author.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Published October 8, 2017, <i>Biddeford Journal Tribune </i>(Biddeford, ME).</b></span></div>
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Snickertaleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04635287315436577764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-56774013605812665192020-04-30T17:50:00.001-07:002020-04-30T17:50:13.745-07:00The Magic Wishing Eggs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Magic Wishing Eggs</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>By Valerie L. Egar<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
long time ago, a stranger drove his donkey cart into a small village on market
day. Bright red, decorated with painted yellow and blue flowers, the cart drew
everyone’s attention. The villagers thought the stranger, a tall man with a
neatly trimmed beard, looked like a scholar, though no one could say for sure,
since a scholar had never visited their town. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
stranger parked his cart near the market and passers-by noticed the back of the
cart was filled with coconuts. “How odd that someone so well-dressed would be
selling coconuts!” the villagers thought. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-lvMsy4j5WkUuQYF_aUZHTE4WsKiQ7e7efZ3FGTq1PaIG2twy1tc9WCbDI3HXiyJ3QJV3Hxy3WomTXASKma-swTvJDSsceJN0nW_i2rgrg0rUKN7-n0hcjDQTjP5fGCfbgNaiYGpN6oE/s1600/india-coconut-4141352_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-lvMsy4j5WkUuQYF_aUZHTE4WsKiQ7e7efZ3FGTq1PaIG2twy1tc9WCbDI3HXiyJ3QJV3Hxy3WomTXASKma-swTvJDSsceJN0nW_i2rgrg0rUKN7-n0hcjDQTjP5fGCfbgNaiYGpN6oE/s400/india-coconut-4141352_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After
almost everyone had seen the coconuts, the stranger took a large blue cloth
from under the cart seat and began covering the coconuts, carefully tucking the
cloth around them, so the villagers could no longer view what was in the
cart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Curiosity got the best of one
onlooker. “I was hoping to buy a coconut to make a cake,” she said. “Aren’t you
selling them?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
stranger gasped. “Madam,” he said, “these are NOT coconuts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They may look like coconuts. If you broke one
open it might taste like a coconut. But, I repeat, they are NOT coconuts.” He
said it in such a way, the woman was embarrassed by her ignorance and didn’t
want to ask what they really were. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">The man lowered
his voice and whispered, “These are magic wishing eggs. Handled properly, they
hatch whatever a person desires. I’m taking them across the river to sell.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
woman’s eyes widened. Magic wishing eggs! What could be better than that? “Sell
them here!” she demanded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
man shook his head. “I can’t. I promised<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>them to—” He pointed toward the river.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Dundershine?
“<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes,
that’s it,” he replied. “The mayor of Dundershine promised me the villagers
would pay the highest price for my magic wishing eggs.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Well,”
the woman huffed. “As far as I know you never asked us!” She set out to
complain to anyone who would listen. Soon, word spread that their small village
had been overlooked and that magic wishing eggs were headed to Dundershine. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
group of townspeople approached the stranger, who was sitting in his cart, reading
a book. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m
a lawyer,” a squat man announced. “I’ve brought some of our finest citizens
with me. “We would like the opportunity to purchase the magic eggs.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
stranger shook his head. “I am sorry they weren’t covered when I drove into
town. I promised them to Dundershine, every single one. Perhaps next year, if I
can find some more—” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We
want them now!” a man yelled. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">“We’ll pay
double,” said another.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m
not the kind to break a promise,” said the man.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We’ll
pay triple,” said the lawyer, “and you won’t have to cross the river or deal
with those foolish people in Dundershine. They aren’t very smart, you know.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
man sighed. “All of you are so kind. I wish I’d met you before I promised Dundershine
the magic wishing eggs. Whatever you desire would be at your fingertips. See my
beautiful cart? I have it because of the wishing eggs. My fat donkey, my
tailored clothes? All from the magic wishing eggs. I have a beautiful wife, a
fine house. I owe everything I have to the wonder of the magic eggs. But, I am
a man of my word and I cannot I break my promise to Dundershine.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We’ll
pay ten times more than Dundershine!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
small tear rolled down the man’s cheek. “Good people,” he cried. “You are
making it so hard. I would not, would never go back on my word, but I could
help my dear sister with so much money. She is widowed and alone with seven
small children—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
crowd began to clap.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“So,
I must say yes, yes, you may buy the magic wishing eggs.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
stranger unloaded the cart and took the money— a great sum for ordinary
coconuts— and hightailed it out of town.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Like the story? Share it with your FACEBOOK friends, 'like' and share.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Copyright 2018 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be copied, reproduced or distributed without permission from the author,</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Published June 3, 2018 <i>Biddeford Journal Tribune </i>(Biddeford, ME) </b></span></div>
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Snickertaleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04635287315436577764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-24961068510387551912020-04-19T18:05:00.000-07:002020-04-19T18:05:27.162-07:00Rafaela The Bee Keeper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrU491DucPBI2_wkUyQmPeclGTPmi5Owc8cj-uHBFT3_pLuBwlCnInPLZ02KZmSAkqVn4kTPgZZDRJPy1UtuHKX0JHInIVYlPJsPwu8OR7Cybn7_gc8meBlKiw-6YtFKg9xqNPqzCW6_o/s1600/bee-1850116_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="640" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrU491DucPBI2_wkUyQmPeclGTPmi5Owc8cj-uHBFT3_pLuBwlCnInPLZ02KZmSAkqVn4kTPgZZDRJPy1UtuHKX0JHInIVYlPJsPwu8OR7Cybn7_gc8meBlKiw-6YtFKg9xqNPqzCW6_o/s400/bee-1850116_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b> Rafaella The Bee Keeper</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>By
Valerie L. Egar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Rafaella’s
tiny house was at the end of a dirt road. A hand-painted sign that said “Honey
4 Sale” with a crooked arrow pointed the way to her cottage. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Rafaella
had everything she needed to be happy— a good supply of firewood to keep her
warm in winter. A soft bed with a colorful quilt. Clean water and a kettle to
make tea, flour to make biscuits. Books to read, a journal to write in. A red
tabby cat that purred her to sleep every night. Best of all, she had five hives
of honey bees that made enough honey for her to sweeten her tea and to sell
when people found their way to her door.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Rafaella’s
hives sat at the edge of an ancient apple orchard that blossomed every spring
and the bees happily gathered nectar there. Wild roses growing in Rafaella’s
garden added spice to the bee’s honey. Best of all, the songs Rafaella sang to
the bees as she tended the hives added magic so that people eating the honey
received whatever they needed most. Rafaella never knew what that might be, but
she learned from experience that people seldom received what they thought they </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">needed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
businessman who was impatient to get his projects moving gulped the honey as
though it was a glass of water, thinking he needed employees who worked harder
and faster. Instead, he was gifted with laughter and a sense of fun. His
projects still got done and he was happier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
pilgrim who asked for a clear path received a map with squiggles all over
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I asked for a clear path,” she
complained. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Your
path is exploration and adventure,” said Rafaella. “It goes everywhere.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
man carrying a sack of heavy rocks took a spoonful of Rafaella’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>magic honey, wishing for a wagon to ease his
burden. Instead, the rocks disappeared.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You
needed your burden removed,” said Rafaella, “not a wagon to carry it around
with you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
man had never thought about it that way. Being without the sack of rocks
felt a little strange at first. After a while, he agreed he was happier rid of
them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Curious
people from all over started to show up at Rafaella’s door, hearing tales about
magic honey that would give them what they needed. Not everyone was happy when
they left. Even though Rafaella wrote on the labels, “What you need might not
be what you want,” most people thought that didn’t apply to them and were angry
when the unimaginable happened.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A circus lion tamer turned into a lion and
learned what it felt like to be in a cage and jump through rings of fire to make
people clap.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">A
bully turned into gum on the bottom of a shoe.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
famous actor became just another face in the crowd and learned humility.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Business
for Rafaella’s honey soon fell off. Though she continued to sweeten her tea
with it, and generously spread it on warm biscuits, only the bravest were
inclined to taste honey that would magically provide what they needed most. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> Would you taste it?</span><!--EndFragment-->
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Enjoy the story? Share with your FACEBOOK friends, like and comment.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Copyright 2018 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be published, distributed or reproduced without permission from the author. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Published January 28, 2018, <i>Biddeford Journal Tribune </i>(Biddeford, ME)</b></span>Snickertaleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04635287315436577764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-33400535876944835812020-04-11T08:46:00.000-07:002020-04-11T08:46:27.253-07:00The Clever Fox<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-7LZWR83arPR6euKkZfhjUx02dtJe37den1WaV965EozErZvVX5XNmohLufea08yLZqGQ5YaDG0bLn7ZMOt2FHaa2gvXn5jBp0HxXA3Gi5bj0Wf7KeKgwaBgk1LzSqmODkr4Yr5HrXY/s1600/fox-1883658_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-7LZWR83arPR6euKkZfhjUx02dtJe37den1WaV965EozErZvVX5XNmohLufea08yLZqGQ5YaDG0bLn7ZMOt2FHaa2gvXn5jBp0HxXA3Gi5bj0Wf7KeKgwaBgk1LzSqmODkr4Yr5HrXY/s400/fox-1883658_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>The
Clever Fox</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By Valerie L. Egar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
long time ago, a clever mother fox lived in a den with her husband and eight
children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though she and her husband
hunted every night, keeping eight mouths fed was hard work. By dawn, both were
exhausted and the growing children complained they were still hungry. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All
of the animals in the countryside were suspicious of the foxes, which made
hunting difficult. The chickens squawked when they saw the foxes and warned the
rabbits. The rabbits thumped the ground with their back legs, warning the wild
turkeys. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The turkeys flapped their wings
and flew into the treetops, screeching a fox alarm to all the other animals in
the forest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Every night the
foxes hunted, the animals warned each other. Even though the chickens had
nothing in common with the rabbits, and the wild turkeys found <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">the chickens to be silly, all
united to protect themselves from the foxes despite their differences. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
mother fox thought and thought and because she was so clever, she came up with
a plan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">“La, la, la,” she
sang to herself as she walked near the chicken pen, picking daisies. “So sad
the rabbits have started stealing chicken eggs,” she whispered to the chickens.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That’s
not true!” yelled a red hen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh,
but it is,” said the fox. “They probably haven’t started here— yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But on the other side of the mountain, they
steal them every night.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For
the rest of the day, the hens spoke of nothing else. Maybe it was only rogue
rabbits, maybe it was all rabbits, but they agreed that rabbits weren’t chickens
and could not be trusted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> The
fox wandered near a field where the clover grew and rabbits liked to play. “La,
la, la,” the fox sang to herself. “How
terrible the turkeys are going to rip out all this nice clover to weave their
nests instead of using sticks and leaves!” she whispered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That
can’t be true,” yelled an old rabbit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh,
but it is,” said the fox.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I overheard
them talking about it yesterday. ‘Who cares about the rabbits,’ they said.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For
the rest of the day, the rabbits spoke of nothing else. “Turkeys are like
that,” they agreed. “Selfish. Not like rabbits at all. You can never trust a
turkey.” They felt angry at the turkeys and were grateful to the fox. “Wasn’t
she kind to tell us!” they said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">“La, la, la,” the
fox sang as she walked in the woods. “Be careful friend turkeys,” she said
sweetly. “The chickens are jealous of your freedom and are conspiring to cage
all of you.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Ridiculous!”
yelled a hen turkey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Is it?” said the
fox. “You are free and they are not. You are smart, and they— well, they
aren’t. They’re silly. You all think so, don’t you? So, they want to make you
more like them.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">What the fox said
made sense to the turkeys. Of course the chickens were envious of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How kind of the fox to warn them. Chickens
were nothing like turkeys and couldn’t be trusted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">That night, as the
foxes hunted, the chickens saw them and said nothing. Why should they warn the
rabbits, when rabbits steal chicken eggs? The foxes caught several rabbits that
night which made the rabbits angry at the chickens for failing to warn them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Huh,” the rabbits
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The next night,
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chickens or turkeys. The foxes dined on turkeys that evening, and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">the turkeys’ ire spread to the
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">With the animals
divided and angry with each other, the foxes dined on chickens the following
night. A rumor started that the rabbits, not the foxes, ate the chickens, which
made the chickens more determined to never, ever help rabbits.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The animals’
hatred of each other grew and the foxes hunted undisturbed every night.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Like the story? Share with your FB friends, comment and 'like.'</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Copyright 2018 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be copied, distributed or reproduced without permission from the author. </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Published May 20, 2018 <i>Biddeford Journal Tribune </i>(Biddeford, ME).</b></span></div>
Snickertaleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04635287315436577764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-7872983946268122622020-04-03T11:52:00.003-07:002020-04-03T11:52:42.042-07:00Half Empty, Half Full<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqZhUAkg0jm7Mgx44V8bAGZRNuHsKDUwS5ziIFI8z5Pc5VUcw6gtgIS0WoWjefxH6ScF8ks_0Chy3bC7KRwIehKM832sTKpQiPsy6zWsh5oS-dGvlXFwHC2J8CIX5wOnAnAgiJHTtdHs/s1600/still-image-3562658_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqZhUAkg0jm7Mgx44V8bAGZRNuHsKDUwS5ziIFI8z5Pc5VUcw6gtgIS0WoWjefxH6ScF8ks_0Chy3bC7KRwIehKM832sTKpQiPsy6zWsh5oS-dGvlXFwHC2J8CIX5wOnAnAgiJHTtdHs/s400/still-image-3562658_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Half Empty, Half Full</span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>By
Valerie L. Egar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Once
upon a time, a very long time ago, a husband and wife lived in a modest cottage
at the edge of a small village. They had a donkey to pull a cart, a cow for
milk and chickens for eggs. When they needed water, the husband hitched the
donkey to the cart to draw water from the spring that supplied the village— one
large jug for cooking and washing, a huge barrel for the animals to drink and
to irrigate the garden. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One
afternoon, as the husband finished his lunch, his wife said, “My dear, the
water barrel is half empty. I’m afraid you will need to go to the village well
and get more.”<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The man trudged to
the water barrel and looked in. “The barrel is half full,” he said. “I don’t
know what you were seeing.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">With that, his
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empty space at the top. “There is no water here! Half empty!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Her husband, who
had much longer arms than his wife, reached into the barrel and splashed water.
“Half full!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">The argument
continued into the night and the following day. “I am right and I can prove
it,” the woman shouted. She walked to the village and asked the first twenty
people she saw to follow her. She pointed to the barrel. “How much water is in
the barrel?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Some of the people
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writing a law declaring whether water barrels should be deemed “half full” or
“half empty” when water was at the half-way mark. The mayor and town council
couldn’t agree though and they ended up in a shouting match.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Philosophers and
mathematicians began to quibble about the meaning of “full” and “empty.” The
great philosopher, Teosophigustus, asked whether any water barrel could ever be
considered ‘empty’ when the space inside the barrel not occupied by water was
occupied by air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fellow philosopher Diodibbit,
replied, “Well, if that is the case, sir, then everything is always full. But
if that is true, there are no halves of anything! And if that is the case, how
shall we ever cut a pie?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">People who had
been friends for years stopped talking to each other. No one seemed to notice
that the village began to look neglected. Life wasn’t as sweet as it had been
before they’d started arguing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">On Sunday
afternoon, a stranger riding a horse stopped at the small cottage seeking
directions. “Ah,” said the husband. “Let me ask you a question.” He took the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">stranger to the barrel. Water had
not been added , nor had any been taken away. The husband asked, “Half full or
half empty?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The stranger
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Why silly?” said
the wife. “It’s plain to see it’s half empty.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“And I say half
full,” declared the husband.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The stranger
continued to laugh. “Your garden is withered and you will have no harvest, but
you had enough water to irrigate your garden. Your animals have fled to seek
water, but you had sufficient to quench their thirst. You had enough—“ He
pointed to the wife. “But you concentrated on what you didn’t have.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Ha!” said the
husband. “I was right!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“I didn’t say that,”
said the stranger. “Once the garden was watered and the animals taken care of,
you would have needed more water, because the barrel would have been empty. She
was prudent, looking ahead.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The husband and
wife were confused. “So who was right?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The stranger shook
his head. “Neither was right or wrong. You saw it differently. But arguing
about it cost you your harvest and your livestock, not to mention the argument turned
your town upside down. In the end, what you called it made no difference. That
water was necessary was the only thing that mattered.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The traveller
shook the dust off his feet and pointed his horse in a more peaceful direction.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Like the story? Share with your Facebook friends, 'like' and comment.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Copyright 2018 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be copied, reproduced or distributed without permission from the author.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Published October 7, 2018 <i>Biddeford Journal Tribune </i>(Biddeford, ME)</b></span></div>
Snickertaleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04635287315436577764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-14877843666566472452020-03-27T10:22:00.001-07:002020-03-27T10:22:08.166-07:00Prince Avar's Transformation<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit8A-NEIh0Jr2hK0pcwo6xiRNtX2G1b9mP8Q1oeHSvMiCetyGZzY8eISlF_xaSeeb8utbyn9oKEO1u06cZNTtH5Cy0H3Uzs8d7BePKXJRTbDuWG3O1g7uLphe1qVwNwWMmH3vio80j4R8/s1600/statue-4085756_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit8A-NEIh0Jr2hK0pcwo6xiRNtX2G1b9mP8Q1oeHSvMiCetyGZzY8eISlF_xaSeeb8utbyn9oKEO1u06cZNTtH5Cy0H3Uzs8d7BePKXJRTbDuWG3O1g7uLphe1qVwNwWMmH3vio80j4R8/s400/statue-4085756_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Prince Avar’s Transformation</b></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>By
Valerie L. Egar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Prince
Avar was destined to rule the Kingdom of Firth, his coronation was written in
the stars. Knowing he would someday be their king, the people of Firth watched
him grow. They hoped to see leadership and compassion. They wished for kindness
and courage. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Instead, they
noticed Avar was fierce and, when he didn’t get his own way, ruthless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He liked power, but his heart was not
tempered with love. He didn’t feel joy. Like most tyrants, he never laughed. The
citizens of Firth bemoaned the day when Avar would become king. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Deep in the woods
in a lonely part of the Kingdom, a wise old woman sat at a primitive table and
observed Avar in her crystal ball. She knew it was best not to meddle in the affairs
of humans and usually, she refrained. Still, Avar’s behavior pained her and she
saw terrible destruction ahead if he became king. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The woman had the
power to move rivers and crumble mountains, but there was one thing she
couldn’t do. She was unable to change a human’s heart— only </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Avar could change that. Since she couldn’t
cast a spell and change Avar into a different kind of person, she did what was
within her power. She turned him into a lion.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYP5nBMQtEeP4rIseVW8MEBbOibkodUvwkjIsEa9rZNm-DAuO9MEhZZ8K49hGS-ojgBRARSCM0KYzffXjJyPhT-QtctCT_h7KhQysQ7mcuqnGPxxSOb88TOulKL7jlpV51vB3UG0K700/s1600/lion-3576045_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="640" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYP5nBMQtEeP4rIseVW8MEBbOibkodUvwkjIsEa9rZNm-DAuO9MEhZZ8K49hGS-ojgBRARSCM0KYzffXjJyPhT-QtctCT_h7KhQysQ7mcuqnGPxxSOb88TOulKL7jlpV51vB3UG0K700/s400/lion-3576045_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The lion was
fierce as Avar had been and people ran from him. For twenty years, the lion wandered,
King of the countryside. He hunted and roared, proving himself the most powerful of
beasts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">But, as Avar began
his 21<sup>st</sup> year as a lion, he found himself circling the city more
often, trying to glance in people’s windows to see what they were doing. He began
to remember stories his father told him and wished he’d paid more attention. He
listened for music and people’s laughter. He didn’t understand laughter. Lions
roared and growled. Lions coughed and sneezed. Never did they laugh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">All this time, the
old woman had watched the lion in her crystal ball. She smiled when she saw Avar
sitting at the edge of the city watching people. “It’s time,” she thought.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaaOGyNFA8R_6INY2UNPVr88rLJX8j28AbJXAAeOn7scNk5__jJgAWV9Vs-PAdSmWAQjg7u_7YDPzCDjV4tM0906ppTb8KhsPOsRRiBoSIGCqZiWxBnEgQqVurzkbdu4oO4AjeQdzuKEQ/s1600/mammal-3289124_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaaOGyNFA8R_6INY2UNPVr88rLJX8j28AbJXAAeOn7scNk5__jJgAWV9Vs-PAdSmWAQjg7u_7YDPzCDjV4tM0906ppTb8KhsPOsRRiBoSIGCqZiWxBnEgQqVurzkbdu4oO4AjeQdzuKEQ/s400/mammal-3289124_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The following day,
as the lion wandered through the forest, he came upon the woman. He roared, but
the woman was unafraid. “You’re wondering what it will take to become human
again, aren’t you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Avar nodded. It
had crossed his mind more than once. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Already your
heart is changing,” she said. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“You yearn
for laughter and companionship. You’re thinking about other people, not
yourself.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“How will it
happen?” he asked. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Sudden as a
streak of lightening,” she said. “I don’t know when, but I suspect it will be soon.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">Instead of trying
to pounce on the crows in the field the next day, the lion watched them. He
noticed their dark feathers gleaming in the sunlight and how one cawed loudly and
called the others to eat.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">From a distance,
he watched a man lift his old dog into a cart and pat its head gently. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Avar began to
notice more and more: three children, sharing a bag of candy. A flower blooming
between the cracks of a rock. A horse licking its newborn foal. An old shepherd
leaning against a tree, face to the sun. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The lion felt
fluttering in his chest he’d never before felt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">He continued
observing, aware that in all his years, he’d noticed so little. His heart
started to fill with love for all he saw around him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">One day, as he lay
in the sun, a fly landed on his tail. He tried to swat it, but could not reach
the tip of his tail. He stood. Round and round he went, chasing his tail,
trying to catch the fly. Faster and faster he spun until he was dizzy. All of a
sudden, he rolled down a hill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Avar closed his
eyes and started to laugh. He laughed and laughed and, as he laughed, his heart
pounded harder and harder. All of his fierceness fell away and when he opened
his eyes, he was transformed back into a man. His heart was new and worthy of a
King who would lead his Kingdom with compassion. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Like the story? Share with your FB friends, 'like' and comment.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Copyright 2017 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be copied, reproduced or distributed without permission from the author.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Published November 12, 2017, <i>Biddeford Journal Tribune</i> (Biddeford, ME).</b></span></div>
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Snickertaleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04635287315436577764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-20750002890850426142020-02-27T12:34:00.000-08:002020-02-27T12:34:25.880-08:00Prem and His Wondrous Melons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Prem and His Wondrous Melons<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span></b>By
Valerie L. Egar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Once
upon a time, a very long time ago, a young farmer, Prem, lived at the edge of a
small village. He was a cheerful man, and well liked by the townspeople.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Prem loved the
earth and all its creatures. He talked to seeds as he planted them and sang to
the earth as he walked on it. When he planted grain, he always planted a share
for the birds. He was grateful for the sun and the rain and particularly
thankful for a little patch of earth on a hillside that was perfect for growing
melons.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh,
what a beautiful vine you will grow to be,” he said as he planted each seed. “The
fruit growing on your vine will be sweet and plentiful. I am so happy to help
you grow.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
the vines grew, Prem tended them with great care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He loosened the hard soil around them and fertilized
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When weeks went by without rain, he
hauled barrels of water from the river with his horse cart and watered each
plant. Not one weed slipped past his sharp eye. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">When the vines
flowered and the melons began to form, he talked to each one.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">“How sweet you will be!” he murmured.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">“Oh, what a beauty you are!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">As the melons
ripened in the summer sun, Prem took them to the village market and sold them.
They were fragrant and promised to be delicious. He quickly sold them all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjXtINrLB0u5w4Wyx_ZGUFRbp8coCEz1JEkJWmHcAUQsm5x1mBMDvgW6SbFFdzSW61QpK-DJ5kenIWvHPpbC35PfkEkt4SJi9Z2JiViBsKTZdcMgBPpPMjCJ7_G_3D2Ti3sY_4kWQKy1g/s1600/melon-1745375_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="640" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjXtINrLB0u5w4Wyx_ZGUFRbp8coCEz1JEkJWmHcAUQsm5x1mBMDvgW6SbFFdzSW61QpK-DJ5kenIWvHPpbC35PfkEkt4SJi9Z2JiViBsKTZdcMgBPpPMjCJ7_G_3D2Ti3sY_4kWQKy1g/s400/melon-1745375_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Those who were
fortunate enough to have bought one of Prem’s melons could speak of nothing
else that week. They could not describe the marvelous taste with simple words,
only with comparisons. “Rainbow-flavored,” one person said. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Spiced with the light of the morning star,”
said another. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The following week, Prem found a line of
people waiting for him when he arrived with his wagon of melons. Once again, he
quickly sold them all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Word of his
incredible melons continued to spread. Soon, the King heard about them. He was
a greedy man and decided if the melons were so delicious, he would have all of
them for himself. He sent a letter to Prem telling him he would buy every melon
Prem had.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Most farmers would
be happy to sell their whole crop so easily, but Prem wasn’t that kind of man.
He thought of the children who would delight at a sweet bite of melon and the
old women who said even a small taste made them remember long ago summers. He
thought of the families carrying one of his ripe melons on a picnic and
anticipating its flavor as it was sliced. If the King bought them all, no one
else would have any. He didn’t want to sell all of the melons to the King.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">That night, by the
light of the moon, Prem worked until each melon bore the name of a person in
the town, his knife delicately piercing the skin to write the name, but not so
much to cut into the sweet flesh. On and on he wrote, until dawn came. The skin
would scar as the melons continued to ripen, leaving the name.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">In the morning,
Prem was tired, but not so tired that he didn’t go to town and spread the word
about what he had done. Each of the townspeople happily paid Prem for the melon
ripening in his field with his or her name. Then, Prem wrote to the King. “Dearest
King,” he said. “I am afraid I do not own any melons to sell you. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Each of the people on the attached
list owns one melon. Perhaps you will find someone willing to sell you theirs.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
King immediately sent a messenger with a bag of gold to buy whatever melons he
could. A few people sold theirs to the King, which was to be expected, but when
their neighbors talked about the flavor of the melons from that extraordinary
crop for so many years and so often it became legend, they wondered if they
hadn’t missed something very special.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Like the story? Share with your FACEBOOK friends, 'like' and comment.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Copyright 2017 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be copied, reproduced or distributed without permission from the author.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Published <i>Biddeford Journal Tribune (</i>Biddeford, ME) May 21, 2017.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span><!--EndFragment-->Snickertaleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04635287315436577764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-7392660303923653862020-02-16T12:45:00.000-08:002020-02-16T12:45:00.101-08:00Alexi, The Dog and The Mule<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 14.399999618530273px; padding-left: 36px;"> </span></span><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Alexi, The Dog and The Mule</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b> </b>By Valerie L. Egar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> A
long time ago, a boy named Alexi walked to the village market to sell two bags
of wheat. His family was so poor they didn’t own a horse and cart to haul the
wheat. He strapped the bags on his back and his knees buckled under the burden.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> “Get
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and we will have eggs to feed the family and not be hungry.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> On
his way to the market, Alexi met a man dragging a large dog tied to a rope. The
dog was thin and grey around its muzzle. Alexi noticed the man’s cruel eyes and
how the dog shied away from him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> “Boy,”
the stranger said, “Let me lighten your burden by trading this fine dog for
whatever you are carrying on your back.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> Alexi
stopped. The dog looked at him hopefully and Alexi’s heart was touched. He
remembered what his mother had told him. They needed laying hens, but perhaps
not three. He would eat less, so they could get by with two. “One bag for the
dog,” he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> The
stranger agreed and was soon on his way with a bag of wheat. The dog pranced
happily next to Alexi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">Soon Alexi came
upon a woman driving a cart hitched </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU759kY6BcOckn5r9DIg4jwXaaQZm_-l3pEYpbj2F3PfvqZBNbd8MR4_WBtnJzqmcTdyfek4vZgWl4idOHWYY9SQufCsjVNapDq9QzfzTDmo_Zdg_gtdpIvh-aOQm68GQ_d1msXASvdKk/s1600/mule-in-the-forest-4498916_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="640" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU759kY6BcOckn5r9DIg4jwXaaQZm_-l3pEYpbj2F3PfvqZBNbd8MR4_WBtnJzqmcTdyfek4vZgWl4idOHWYY9SQufCsjVNapDq9QzfzTDmo_Zdg_gtdpIvh-aOQm68GQ_d1msXASvdKk/s400/mule-in-the-forest-4498916_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">to an old mule. She whipped the mule to go
faster, but the mule stumbled.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">She
looked at Alexi. “Boy, today’s your lucky day.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">I will give you this fine mule and the cart for what you’re carrying on
your back. You and that dog will ride like kings.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> Alexi
saw the mule was old and lame. The cart was little better than a plank with
wobbly wheels, but Alexi felt sorry for the abused mule. He cut the bag of
wheat from his back and handed it over. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Surely his mother
would be angry. He had nothing to bring his family except a thin dog, a lame
mule, and a rickety cart. Alexi decided
to spend the night in the woods to think about what he should do. He made a camp
near a stream and gathered grass for the mule to eat. He shared his thin slice
of bread and cheese with the dog. Alexi lay
on the cart, wishing the dog or mule would have magical powers like the animals
in fairy tales. In those stories, animals always discovered treasures or gave
good advice and the person who helped them was richly rewarded. Alexi sighed
and patted the dog snuggled next to him. “It’s OK, boy,” he said. “Saving both
of you from harm is reward enough.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> In
the middle of the night, Alexi woke with a start. He heard voices. “Stop cryin’
if you know what’s good for you.” By the
light of the moon, Alexi saw two men with a young boy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> “Ha,”
said the other. “ The King will pay a good ransom for you!” The scoundrels had kidnapped the Prince! Alexi
tried to think what to do. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">His dog howled, a mournful
howl that sounded like a ghost.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> The
men stopped. “What was that?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> The
mule brayed, and sounded like a host of demons. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ZtVz-PuuBxo34xsX0oD_xKU3uHLbBB82yny2jfxeooy6VKbSmrsNQ8vjmXpxW6dQUNZ1lN53lIxdO3TXgbApbquHMTJYwzw5CDxcXmGL5qORBIpo_tQvnjeCC4G9y4nol5PZcq4oHzs/s1600/donkey-4803375_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="426" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ZtVz-PuuBxo34xsX0oD_xKU3uHLbBB82yny2jfxeooy6VKbSmrsNQ8vjmXpxW6dQUNZ1lN53lIxdO3TXgbApbquHMTJYwzw5CDxcXmGL5qORBIpo_tQvnjeCC4G9y4nol5PZcq4oHzs/s400/donkey-4803375_640.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> “These woods are
haunted!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> The
frightened men looked around and the dog ran to one and bit him hard on the
leg. The mule galloped to the other and kicked him so hard he fell over. Alexi grabbed his rope and tied the two
scoundrels up. He threw them on the cart and rode them into town with the frightened
Prince sitting on his lap.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> When
the King and Queen asked Alexi what he wanted, he asked for three good laying
hens. They laughed and gave the dog,
mule and Alexi gold medals for bravery. Alexi
received rich farmland, a house large enough for his family and gold to keep
them comfortable for many years. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Alexi continued to
rescue animals that had hard lives. He never expected them to have magical
powers or speak to him, even when the moon was full. That he made their lives
easier with his kindness was reward enough for him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Like the story? Share with your FACEBOOK friends, 'like' and comment.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Copyright 2017 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be copied, reproduced or distributed without permission from the author.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Published October 1, 2017 <i>Biddeford Journal Tribune </i>(Biddeford, ME)</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Snickertaleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04635287315436577764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-90133285859797935092020-02-06T08:19:00.000-08:002020-02-06T08:19:34.260-08:00Puppy Huxley, Chew, Chew, Chew!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnkJwqPxUsHAXZrY5uVH6S7aLdbJUSlLNhy-A4dbNJRCYX80xdddK6bjGprmbG3ccPMwBwoKU0gSIZIHhwlEpIAHekJlY1aECuiN9qb0LGcfV6UnkEL4b2J0kPgYQjqFTj9bjhgsPagMA/s1600/puppy-374961_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnkJwqPxUsHAXZrY5uVH6S7aLdbJUSlLNhy-A4dbNJRCYX80xdddK6bjGprmbG3ccPMwBwoKU0gSIZIHhwlEpIAHekJlY1aECuiN9qb0LGcfV6UnkEL4b2J0kPgYQjqFTj9bjhgsPagMA/s400/puppy-374961_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Puppy Huxley, Chew, Chew, Chew!</span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> By
Valerie L. Egar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Layla lingered at
the cage, gazing at the oversized puppy with black and golden fur who looked at
her eagerly. One ear stood straight up and the other flopped down. He held his
tail high in the air and it curled over his body like a question mark. “Are you
sure he’s a puppy?” At five months old, the young dog weighed fifty pounds and
stood tall as her school desk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Look how big his
paws are. He hasn’t grown into them yet,” Dad said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What
kind of dog is he?” Layla asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The shelter’s
adoption counselor smiled. “I’d guess a little collie, mixed with some golden
retriever and maybe a hint of husky.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Sit,” Layla said.
The dog sat. “Good boy, Huxley,” said Layla. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Huxley?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Layla nodded. “I
saw the name in a book I read.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Huxley went home with his new family, but not
before they stopped at the pet food store to buy puppy chow and a nice squeaky
stuffed frog for Huxley to play with.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">Huxley liked his
new toy, but he was curious and had to find out how it made noise. He held it
down with one paw and tore at it with his teeth. Soon the stuffing and the
plastic squeaker were on the floor. He carried the unstuffed frog to Layla.
“Oh, Huxley!” she sighed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Huxley liked discovering
new things to chew. Mom brought in bags of groceries. Huxley stuck his head in
every bag when Mom wasn’t looking. He found a box of tea bags, carried it to
his dog bed and chewed it open. Tea smelled nice, but Huxley didn’t want to eat
it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Dad hung pictures
in his office and left the hammer on the floor. Huxley thought it looked a
little like a bone. He carried it to his dog bed and chewed on the handle. Yuck!
It didn’t have much flavor. Dad found the hammer decorated with tooth marks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A bottle of water
looked very interesting and it was easy to carry when Huxley grasped it by the
top with his teeth. He carried it to his dog bed and gnawed on it. Eww! It made
his bed wet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The vacuum made
too much noise. Huxley fixed it by chewing the electric cord off. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Magazines had
wonderful scented paper perfume samples inside. Huxley loved how they smelled.
Too bad he had to tear up the whole magazine just to get to them out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">Huxley found a
feedbag of nuts and dried fruit his family bought to feed the woodpeckers.
Huxley put his head deep into the bag and gobbled the woodpecker food. It was
delicious. “Are you a woodpecker?” his family asked. “That’s not for you,
Huxley.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When his family
forgot to shut the closet door, Huxley explored inside and found piles of
shoes. They had funny looking spiky sticks on one end and looked hard to walk
on. They were made from leather though and rather tasty. He chewed a red one, a
blue one and another that was an odd shade of brown. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Good thing I
don’t wear high heels anymore,” Mom said. “You’re helping me clear the closet, Huxley.”
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Layla found him
with a canister of oatmeal, the lid chewed off and oatmeal sprinkled all over.
“Oh, Huxley,” Layla said. “How did you reach the counter?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Huxley’s family went
to the store and bought lots of chew toys for him—fancy ones shaped like bones
and rubber ones they stuffed with treats. Maybe, just maybe, he would chew on
his toys instead of things he wasn’t supposed to chew, like table legs and TV
remotes. Huxley enjoyed his new toys, but he was still a puppy and now and
then, he still decided to taste something new.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Oh, Huxley! Not
my science homework!” <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Like the story? 'Like,' comment or share with your FACEBOOK friends.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Copyright 2017 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be published, distributed or reproduced without permission from the author.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Published December 31, 2017 <i>Biddeford Journal Tribune</i> (Biddeford, ME).</b></span></div>
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Snickertaleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04635287315436577764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-73491006013258808762020-01-27T07:53:00.001-08:002020-01-27T07:53:37.853-08:00Pumpkin Patch Shortcut<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgz_Xtsn51AjoVnhIknbIvuvXLwCdX1S3C4dNQp7DnAmMZs88E2C2XLMGWZ1ZZid799tXf6wRc32c-LckpyjFX1HtxwkZ-8qFkrZ3wWkFV-6uJMqYotCv9_fSOMrL_NFSQZiCR-JXEKk0/s1600/boy-4313198_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgz_Xtsn51AjoVnhIknbIvuvXLwCdX1S3C4dNQp7DnAmMZs88E2C2XLMGWZ1ZZid799tXf6wRc32c-LckpyjFX1HtxwkZ-8qFkrZ3wWkFV-6uJMqYotCv9_fSOMrL_NFSQZiCR-JXEKk0/s400/boy-4313198_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Pumpkin Patch Short Cut</span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span></b>By
Valerie L. Egar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Inspired
by a Bantu folktale<span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A long time ago, before
cars and school buses, country children walked over rolling hills and through
woods to one-room schoolhouses. With a long walk, there was always something
interesting to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A girl might find a
shiny stone and put it in her pocket. Walking past a cow pasture, a boy might
notice a new calf. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Most children
followed the same path every day, but one day Jonas and Micah decided to take a
short cut through Farmer Richardson’s pumpkin patch on their way to school.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6ILbWaNc7QExltbMv0gC2tFyJTB0sGNb9c9r37goNPGaNaIR8HEHor15n6GJc9CYiyFulr8PqLK5G_cDeXfKg_xlkYKHQwEigKeWHfyy7aSdVx0NiG5dhVeLBvzBQojiWGa2LBp4FN0/s1600/agriculture-3736561_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="640" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6ILbWaNc7QExltbMv0gC2tFyJTB0sGNb9c9r37goNPGaNaIR8HEHor15n6GJc9CYiyFulr8PqLK5G_cDeXfKg_xlkYKHQwEigKeWHfyy7aSdVx0NiG5dhVeLBvzBQojiWGa2LBp4FN0/s400/agriculture-3736561_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
was autumn and a hint of wood smoke scented the air. Red and yellow leaves
flashed in the morning sun, but it was the bright orange pumpkins that attracted
the boys. Thick vines curled across the field with large pumpkins waiting to be
harvested. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
boys inspected the pumpkins, imagining which ones would make the best jack o’
lanterns. Jonas pointed to the biggest one, perfectly shaped with bright orange
skin. “I’d choose that one.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">Micah shook his
head and pointed to one that was knobby and still a little green. “This one
would look scarier.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jonah
walked over to the pumpkin to get a better look. He ran his fingers over it.
With that, the pumpkin began to move, so slightly the boys thought the sunlight
on the pumpkin was playing tricks on them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Did
you see that?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I
don’t think—” The movement grew stronger. Jonah looked across the field. All of
the pumpkins were moving, slowing rolling back and forth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
boys started to run. By the time they got to the end of the field, the pumpkins
were twisting wildly to free themselves from the vines. As they freed
themselves, they careened toward the boys. Jonas and Micah ran as fast as they
could, pumpkins bumping along behind them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Both
thought the same thing as they ran— the pumpkins were enchanted. They’d
overheard gossip about Farmer Richardson. No one knew much about him, not where
he’d come from or why he’d bought a farm in their little town. He kept to himself.
Mistress Barnstable swore she’d seen him wandering in the church graveyard at
midnight, but her eyes weren’t good and people didn’t believe her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The
river!” Micah shouted with the pumpkins close behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jonah
and Micah jumped into a small rowboat tied to a dock and rowed to the middle of
the river as hundreds of pumpkins splashed into the water and sank. The water churned around them, rocking the boat. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> The boys
waited for the water to calm. An hour passed and the water finally quieted. No more pumpkins
appeared at the water's edge.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The boys cautiously rowed to shore.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They
arrived at school two hours late, hair messy, clothes wrinkled. “And where have
you been?” demanded the teacher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
boys knew that no one would believe their story about the pumpkins. “We took
a shortcut and it wasn’t a good idea,” Jonas replied.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Shortcuts
never are,” the teacher announced to the class. “Both of you will stay after
class and write, ‘Shortcuts are lazy. I will not be lazy’ one hundred times.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jonas
and Micah had no desire to go anywhere near Farmer Richardson’s pumpkin patch
on their way home. They didn’t want to see a pumpkin at all, unless it was in a
pie. They heard a few days later that he had mysteriously disappeared.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Must
have sold all his pumpkins before he left,” their father mused. “Wasn’t even one
left in his field.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Like the story? Share with your FB friends, 'like' or comment.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Copyright 2019 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be copied, distributed or reproduced without permission from the author.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Published September 21, 2019 <i>Biddeford Journal Tribune</i> (Biddeford, ME).</b></span></div>
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Snickertaleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04635287315436577764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-78669291362891676062020-01-12T08:39:00.001-08:002020-01-12T08:50:58.866-08:00Mystery Shop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGONEFUrdHttzURt0iR-FK_Ao230DEZaY2vNlieJ93HX0_JUUm8GsYmSr9BWv0RuAEj4ljaQN0liELCP5XK0e_mfscWPV4Gw8ajAT2-CHwpaN4_PO74JjHpvA9JhTwqKgn-PQUgg04ha0/s1600/camera-2607298_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGONEFUrdHttzURt0iR-FK_Ao230DEZaY2vNlieJ93HX0_JUUm8GsYmSr9BWv0RuAEj4ljaQN0liELCP5XK0e_mfscWPV4Gw8ajAT2-CHwpaN4_PO74JjHpvA9JhTwqKgn-PQUgg04ha0/s400/camera-2607298_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b> Mystery Shop </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> By
Valerie L. Egar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Roselle did not
expect to find a small shop on a back street of the dusty desert town. She’d
noticed lots of empty storefronts on the main street— certainly those would be
a better place for a business, especially in a town that seemed to depend on
tourists for business. She wandered down the street only because she glimpsed a
white cat. In the afternoon light, the cat might make a good photo and she was
ready, camera in hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7R7sFEGeHu-G4E0e_V5aTfuNMqzuy4WgMBqIQEFujJ1xRnp5Kf9pHkAlUOFso8tFV5PkBl6gh7pyYJ9IzHFL180QrJ-xzqexNM4MmqN001Luma74PJuuPS-a40puFO0rzj2TyWtaHM0/s1600/cat-3591348_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7R7sFEGeHu-G4E0e_V5aTfuNMqzuy4WgMBqIQEFujJ1xRnp5Kf9pHkAlUOFso8tFV5PkBl6gh7pyYJ9IzHFL180QrJ-xzqexNM4MmqN001Luma74PJuuPS-a40puFO0rzj2TyWtaHM0/s400/cat-3591348_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">Instead, the cat
disappeared and she discovered the shop. Dirty front windows, with an odd assortment
of clutter behind them— a ventriloquist’s dummy. Packets of seeds that looked
hundreds of years old.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">A silver flute,
red paisley shawl, old newspapers. Over the door, a hand painted sign said,
“Mystery Shop.”</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">“It’s a mystery all
right,” thought Roselle. “How do they stay in business?” She was curious though
and opened the door.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">A bell hung on the
door jangled as she stepped inside and a woman called from a back room. “I’ll
be right there!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Roselle looked
around. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45TKNxxrSQ9DmsrvahZeJ2TEir11yrNWc6j3L8dISf6cZ3oyeVyu74ipUt8QsQgN5iJFu-ziYsb74-6cr42ruPJBTgaJJ6_JdXlCYEFahmIWA5PJbt3zTEecVfcUt_-Ih80srCJzwWgg/s1600/antique-shop-2730164_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45TKNxxrSQ9DmsrvahZeJ2TEir11yrNWc6j3L8dISf6cZ3oyeVyu74ipUt8QsQgN5iJFu-ziYsb74-6cr42ruPJBTgaJJ6_JdXlCYEFahmIWA5PJbt3zTEecVfcUt_-Ih80srCJzwWgg/s400/antique-shop-2730164_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Despite the dust and lack of organization, the store appealed to her. What
looked like diaries bound in leather sat on top of an old </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">piano. She picked one up and opened
the cover. “This diary belongs to George Washington.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>George
Washington? The first American president?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Roselle
began to read, tracing her fingers over the faded ink and wobbly cursive
handwriting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 1.0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Today I chopped down Father’s favorite
cherry tree. I have a fine new ax and wanted to see how well it worked. Father
was angry and asked….<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> Roselle shook her head. If the
diary was George Washington’s, what was it doing on a shelf in a dusty store?
Shouldn’t it be in a museum?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
woman appeared from the back room. “Ah, the Washington diary. Lovely isn’t it?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Is
it real?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Who
knows? It’s a mystery, like everything else in here. Have you seen Picasso’s
early artwork? I have a few drawings he did when he was 5.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Roselle
saw a few scribbles signed “Picasso.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Why would a 5 year old sign his scribbles?” Roselle asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
woman shrugged. “How old are you?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Twelve.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When
did you learn to write your name?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Roselle
shrugged. “When I was 4 I think.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">“So why are you
surprised he knew how to write his name? The woman stared at Roselle. “Where
are your parents?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Having
lunch at the café. I wanted to take a walk. They figured I couldn’t get lost,
since there are only two streets in town.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“And here you are
at my marvelous store! I knew someone interesting would come by today.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Roselle
looked at the items displayed in a glass case by the cash register. Broken
pottery, a few rocks, photographs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Would
you like to see the Egyptian pottery shards?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“They
look exactly like my Mom’s dishes.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Leaves
were a popular pattern on dishes for thousands of years.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Roselle
pointed to a photo of a man in a toga. “What’s that?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The
only known photograph of Emperor Nero.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We
learned about him in school. He’s from ancient Rome. They didn’t have cameras
thousands of years ago!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
woman sniffed. “The ancients were much smarter and more advanced than we think.
And look, it even says ‘Nero’ at the bottom.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Maybe
he’s an actor in a play?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Then
it would say ‘actor’. It would be misleading otherwise.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Roselle
sighed. The shop and the woman were rather strange. She needed to get back to
her parents who were surely finished with their lunch by now, but she <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">wanted to buy something, anything,
to remember her odd visit. She fished in her pocket. “Have you anything for
$2?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
woman rooted through a pile of old keys. She pulled a rusty one from the group and
held it up. “The key to an ancient walled city, ” she whispered. “I don’t know
which one, so I can let you have it for $2.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Roselle smiled and
gave the woman her $2. The key looked exactly like the key her grandmother used
to lock her antique desk, but it was fun to imagine an unknown city with a gate
she could unlock with a rusted key. She tucked it in her pocket and ran to catch
up with her parents.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><b>Like the story? Click 'like', share with your FACEBOOK friends or comment.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><b>Copyright 2019 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be copied, reproduced or distributed without permission from the author.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b> Published <i>Biddeford Journal Tribune,(</i>Biddeford, ME)<i> </i>October 5, 2019. </b></span></div>
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Snickertaleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04635287315436577764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-53226933981919603862019-10-01T13:36:00.000-07:002019-10-01T13:36:09.438-07:00Magellan the Mouse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQs2d8ouF5YXBWKw_wm1fBPSVymdahoGOB4XAEqP6Y6Y8VjWqiXPJCZo6gNCRsTR5BqevxXf6Bb5It1h8ySfWMiJqorroXQk1lEeCl5OeXc-z6e69IDULjkWW7ZB6oJCtseecRMTTYdk/s1600/mouse-1708177_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQs2d8ouF5YXBWKw_wm1fBPSVymdahoGOB4XAEqP6Y6Y8VjWqiXPJCZo6gNCRsTR5BqevxXf6Bb5It1h8ySfWMiJqorroXQk1lEeCl5OeXc-z6e69IDULjkWW7ZB6oJCtseecRMTTYdk/s400/mouse-1708177_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Magellan the Mouse<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">By
Valerie L. Egar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Momma Mouse had
six babies, but right from the start, she recognized one was very different
from the others. Five fell asleep after a bedtime story. The sixth one stayed
awake asking questions. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Why did frogs
turn into princes and not mice? Why didn’t Red Riding Hood know the wolf wasn’t
her Grandma?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Before his eyes
opened, he crawled out of the nest to explore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Frantic, Momma Mouse found him stumbling around the attic near a hole
that would have carried him who knows where. She scolded him, carried him back
to the nest and decided to name him Magellan after the explorer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When Magellan’s
eyes opened, he spent hours discovering every nook and cranny in the attic. He
found a small hole to enter an antique trunk and had fun nibbling on some old
newspapers and a woolen blanket. He sunned himself in a patch of light that
shone through the attic window. He played tag with his brothers and sisters,
frolicking back and forth across the floor. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Shh!” his mother
warned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The people don’t know we’re
here.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Magellan and his
brothers and sisters grew quickly. Each one of them found a spot in the attic
to make a home and raise a family, but not Magellan. “I want to see the world,”
he declared.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">His mother wasn’t
surprised, but she worried. She explained as best she could about cats and
people, traps and hawks. The attic was a safe place for mice, but the outside
world wasn’t safe at all. “Come back any time,” she told Magellan and hugged
him. With that, Magellan scrambled between the walls to find out what was
beyond the attic.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">He fell with a
thump and when he landed, found himself in a room so bright, the light almost
blinded him. He liked the feel of soft carpet under his feet. Slowly, he walked
along the baseboard, sniffing the air. He heard voices and took cover under a
bureau.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Magellan peeked
out from beneath the bureau and saw a bare foot the length of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>twenty mice. Humans were huge! He watched the
feet walk back and forth and heard cloth rustling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next time he saw the feet they had shoes
on. The room fell quiet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Magellan stepped
out from underneath the bureau and looked around.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">He climbed onto
the unmade bed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The covers felt warm.
“Mmmm, nice.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">He bounced up and
down on the pillows. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Magellan felt
hungry and decided to see if there was anything good to eat anywhere.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">He skittered down
the hall, though the living room and into the kitchen. He noticed a big bowl of
food on the floor filled with crunchy treats, perfect snack food. He jumped in
the bowl and started to nibble. It was delicious, better than anything he’d
ever tasted. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">Magellan looked up
and saw two green eyes staring at him. He froze.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">If he didn’t move, would the cat leave him
alone? He saw the cat’s tail twitching.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The telephone
rang. Just as the cat turned its head, Magellan flew out of the bowl and dived
behind the kitchen cabinet. Safe! That was close.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">He found a hole in
the wall behind the cabinets and climbed through it to another place in the
house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“This place smells funny.” The
floor was cold concrete. Shelves lined the walls filled with tools and paint
cans. “I don’t like it in here.” Magellan looked for a way out and squeezed
under a door.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Green grass as far
as Magellan could see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sun warmed him.
He ran through the grass and into a garden. Daisies towered over him. The scent
of roses tickled his nose. He nibbled a few seeds he found. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">All of sudden the
sky darkened and fat drops of rain poured down, pelting Magellan. Lightning
flashed and thunder boomed. Cold and wet, Magellan ran for the house and
squeezed back under the door.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Magellan made his
way back to the attic, carefully avoiding the cat. “I have seen the world,” he
announced to his family. “Interesting as it is, I can
tell you, there’s no place like home.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Like the story? Share wth your FACEBOOK friends, comment and 'like.'</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Copyright 2019 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be copied, reproduced or distributed without permission from the author.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Published August 10, 2019 <i>Biddeford Journal Tribune</i> (Biddeford, ME).</b></span></div>
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Snickertaleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04635287315436577764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-57668809144158055702019-09-23T20:00:00.001-07:002019-09-23T20:00:18.432-07:00Mystery Woman <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkTPwh2_4yGGLF-kAgI1b50YD-hYuOD-Dentk-qrz2INr0qq5qp66_-MvJbjhGEuSv_IH9SbuHPLCSessK3iII9E_jxW5wMQNZINqKJHJIwgWFhanjj3F0DzPWVUo0YgsY0N7GIciGi4/s1600/beautiful-2150881_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkTPwh2_4yGGLF-kAgI1b50YD-hYuOD-Dentk-qrz2INr0qq5qp66_-MvJbjhGEuSv_IH9SbuHPLCSessK3iII9E_jxW5wMQNZINqKJHJIwgWFhanjj3F0DzPWVUo0YgsY0N7GIciGi4/s400/beautiful-2150881_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Mystery Woman <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>By
Valerie L. Egar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Brianna
lived on the twelfth floor of an apartment building in the city. She was clever
and curious and just a tiny bit nosy. She knew the woman in 1203 was a night
nurse because she noticed her leave in the evening dressed in scrubs. The
couple in 1211 had a new baby boy. Brianna saw the balloon announcing his
birth. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When she walked down the hall and
heard violin practice from 1208, she concluded the man who lived there was a
musician. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Only
one tenant on the 12<sup>th</sup> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>floor baffled
her. A woman had moved into 1210 recently and lived alone. She had long black
hair and didn’t wear much make-up. She wore clothes Brianna liked— long flowing
dresses and dangly earrings, faded jeans with baggy sweaters and lots of
bracelets <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Unlike the other
tenants, she didn’t leave for work in the morning and not in the evening either.
When Brianna went to the park in the afternoon, she often saw her sitting on a
park bench. One day she even saw her climbing the ladder to the slide, even
though she was too old for that!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">The woman went to
yoga on Saturdays— Brianna saw her get on the elevator carrying a yoga mat. She
went to the farmer’s market afterwards, because she came back with net bags
filled with vegetables and fruits. But, other than the few things Brianna
observed, the woman was a mystery that piqued Brianna’s curiosity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Hello,” Brianna
said to the woman one afternoon as she stepped onto the elevator. “I live in 1213.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
woman looked confused.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Down
the hall from you. I’m Brianna.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Nice
to meet you,” the woman replied as the doors opened and she headed for the
mailboxes. Only then did Brianna realize that the woman hadn’t mentioned her
name.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Brianna
began to suspect the woman might be a spy. Spies didn’t mention their names,
did they? And, a spy would be a much more interesting tenant for the twelfth
floor than almost anyone else. Maybe sliding down the slide was a signal to
someone watching through binoculars. Maybe she passed messages to other spies
at yoga, or the farmer’s market.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Brianna’s
suspicions were confirmed when she popped open a fortune cookie after Friday
night’s take out Chinese dinner. “Upset the raven and risk all,” her fortune
read. Brianna didn’t even know where to find any ravens, much less upset them.
Unless— it didn’t mean a bird.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe it
was a code name. Raven, a perfect code name. And who had black hair like a
raven? The mystery woman. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">Brianna’s heart
raced. She wasn’t scared, just excited. Here she was in the middle of a spy
story. All she had to do was watch and be careful. Never did she think</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">a summer on the 12</span><sup style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">th</sup><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"> floor of her
apartment building would be so exciting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Brianna
found reasons to stroll past the mystery woman’s apartment every hour or so
during the day. She heard music playing, but not much else. When she went to
the mailroom and saw a package for apartment 1210, she tried to read the return
address, but the doorman shooed her away. She only caught the mystery woman’s
name: Ruth Bevins.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Aha!
Ruth starts with an ‘r’ and so does raven. More proof!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Brianna
googled the name, something she’d learned to do in school. Ruth Bevins’ website
was at the top of the search. Brianna clicked on it eagerly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Artist. Award
winning illustrator of over 20 books, many of which Brianna had enjoyed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Living near an
artist who illustrated books was even more exciting than living near a spy. And
of course, it explained everything. Ms. Bevins worked from home, drawing and
painting all day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The next time
Brianna saw Ms. Bevins, she whispered, “I really like your books.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Ms. Bevins smiled
and invited Brianna to visit and Brianna happily did.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Like the story? Share with your Facebook friends, comment and 'like.'</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Copyright 2019 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be distributed, copied or reproduced without permission from the author.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Published August 3, 2019, <i>Biddeford Journal Tribune </i>(Biddeford, ME).</b></span></div>
Snickertaleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04635287315436577764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-12809597769811600912019-09-16T13:16:00.000-07:002019-09-16T13:16:59.456-07:00Museum Cat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnijDzMAuZxHY7DvfmgYGxkXKQFM4ZCOLSusami6aQ97CoIqiBvxfRpaz9MAPIIQKwMZy4QfvYnVv0HZ_Un2kiCowi38748YiSO1M2H4v8N9pNGlhsiJkfk44IXvA46yaWCyVjhE73ay8/s1600/cat-1046544_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="640" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnijDzMAuZxHY7DvfmgYGxkXKQFM4ZCOLSusami6aQ97CoIqiBvxfRpaz9MAPIIQKwMZy4QfvYnVv0HZ_Un2kiCowi38748YiSO1M2H4v8N9pNGlhsiJkfk44IXvA46yaWCyVjhE73ay8/s400/cat-1046544_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Museum Cat </span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By Valerie L. Egar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
have the best job a cat could possibly have. Like my father and grandfather
before me, I am in charge of rodent control for the Higgendorf Town Museum, a
small museum located on a side street by the canal in our beautiful town. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Glass cases
display examples of the lace made here hundreds of years ago. Another room is
an exact replica of famous philosopher Erik Rothensburger’s study with his
original manuscripts. Paintings of local scenes line the halls and then,
there’s a gift shop. It’s tiny, but a very important part of my patrol. No mice
nibbling our candy!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I live in the
museum office at the back of the building. I rest all day, sleeping in a warm
sun patch or near the coal stove when it’s winter. Mrs. Schenk feeds me at
noon. Sometimes, when the museum isn’t too busy, she plays with me, dangling a
string or rolling a ball across the floor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When all the
visitors are gone and she’s about to leave for the night, she opens the office
door and lets me into the museum. “Time to patrol,” she says.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I stretch and walk
slowly into the museum. I don’t want to look like some scatterbrain cat that
doesn’t know what he’s doing. I sniff the baseboards in the lace room, check
the heating grates. No evidence of mice. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In the
philosopher’s study, I look under the desk. I sit on his chair and then the
windowsill. On moonlit nights, the light shines on the desk and I like to think
a person might be inspired to great thoughts looking out the window at the
moon. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I hear the tiniest
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corner and see a shadow. Someone is trying to get in!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Though
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museum on my watch! I think quickly and creep into the lace room. I jump to the
top of the glass display case and wait.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Soon
the door cracks open and a man creeps inside. My cat eyes allow me to see well in
the darkness. Although the man carries a flashlight, he looks straight ahead
and doesn’t look up. One, two, three…..jump!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ow!
Ow! Ow!” he screams. I nip the bottom of his ear as he runs for the door. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
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you OK?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
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</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> Not a minute later
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to know what happened to him. He looked awful.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> Mrs. Schenk
pointed to me. “Randolf<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>stopped him.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> I am proud to say
I am now an honorary member of the Higgendorf Police and have been elevated to Chief
of Museum Security. Mrs. Schenk adopted two kittens for rodent patrol and I’m
teaching them exactly what to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Like the story? Share with your Facebook friends, 'like' and comment.</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b> Copyright 2019 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be copied or distributed without permission of the author.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b> Published September 7, 2019 <i>Biddeford Journal Tribune </i>(Biddeford, ME)</b></span></div>
Snickertaleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04635287315436577764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-38981932318029779262019-07-23T07:21:00.001-07:002019-07-23T07:21:56.814-07:00A Day in the Life of the River<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIBe_aD56bgEOn3dDmei9FpCM0IaylcmpBvGPBXQEQiPtbpVT8ho4zaX3Z7UYayooMGDyfUh3fD-gM7iOxuJQHWSGNrQgGXWp7QaZGcXFJm8-SZstPhntcQ7ZpK7n0b7zeAndGU-2IqLM/s1600/prairie-679014_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="640" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIBe_aD56bgEOn3dDmei9FpCM0IaylcmpBvGPBXQEQiPtbpVT8ho4zaX3Z7UYayooMGDyfUh3fD-gM7iOxuJQHWSGNrQgGXWp7QaZGcXFJm8-SZstPhntcQ7ZpK7n0b7zeAndGU-2IqLM/s400/prairie-679014_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A Day in the Life of the River<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>By
Valerie L. Egar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The first rays of
the sun touched the river, cutting through mist rising from the water. The
light awakened a Canada Goose nesting on an island. Four goslings followed her
into the water and swam downstream with the gander following behind to protect
them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_uD_3FtpTaSOelzQu6wSL4oxpXb6a9D0q4IfLdvWcABu4bOxedAhDuI3Xijeqvy8-KT6YArZdXxYbPJx5e8NghEpS9Vx_I7H-w757dhqBskitQ2xCaNhQOpgrQteyqIFSbAhdJ7Fc9VA/s1600/canada-goose-436090_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_uD_3FtpTaSOelzQu6wSL4oxpXb6a9D0q4IfLdvWcABu4bOxedAhDuI3Xijeqvy8-KT6YArZdXxYbPJx5e8NghEpS9Vx_I7H-w757dhqBskitQ2xCaNhQOpgrQteyqIFSbAhdJ7Fc9VA/s400/canada-goose-436090_640.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The sun awakened
the kingfisher. He darted over the water, looking for a tasty fish to catch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All along the river, birds chirped and
whistled, ready for a new day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">As the sun rose,
it dappled the water with gold. A girl and her father stood on the riverbank,
fishing. “Early morning is always the best time to fish,” her father said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“When I caught the
trout last week, it was 11:00,” she reminded him. “I could have slept a few
more hours.” Her Dad laughed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Further
down the river, a scout troop paddled kayaks through swift rapids. Negotiating the
rocks was tricky, but fun. Water sprayed into the air and the sun turned the
spray into rainbows. Everybody was happy when the water calmed and they pulled
the kayaks onto the shore to eat lunch. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After
lunch, a few boys skimmed rocks across the water. “Can we go for a swim?” The
leader nodded. Swinging from a vine that hung over the water </span>and plopping into the river
thrilled them. The afternoon was hot and cold water felt refreshing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
river threaded its way past farms where cows grazed near the water. It flowed
through small towns. Young couples pushed baby strollers through a park on the
waterfront. Children threw corn to ducks. Others sat on park benches and
enjoyed watching the water flow by.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Miles
away, the river grew wider and cut through a city. A bridge arched over the
water. As evening fell, the city’s lights reflected in the water and shimmered.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
river grew still wider as it neared the sea. Its banks were sandy and the water
tasted salty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the people near
the river were fast asleep, but not the trucker, driving along the highway that
skirted the water. He had a truck full of potatoes to drive south.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-I8NHVNOIKk_duPoA2ZWyOHYo5pbiUiYCby2hMP89Ikp9fmRRoQL7g9DN-AHF3ADB69I350Rut5ona9Ei8LskuNUKjOGctAI9QAWrCOlxD0xfdwOU48MjhSZGzvJKLYkOjs2Va_k-GbI/s1600/road-2616728_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-I8NHVNOIKk_duPoA2ZWyOHYo5pbiUiYCby2hMP89Ikp9fmRRoQL7g9DN-AHF3ADB69I350Rut5ona9Ei8LskuNUKjOGctAI9QAWrCOlxD0xfdwOU48MjhSZGzvJKLYkOjs2Va_k-GbI/s400/road-2616728_640.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
train engineer was awake too. Freight cars headed to distant cities rumbled on
tracks next to the river. The engineer glimpsed the moon shining on the water.
He yawned, eyeing the dark houses where people slept peacefully.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>From
its source high in the mountains to its mouth where it emptied into the ocean,
the river sparkled in moonlight. In darkness, animals came to the water’s edge
to drink— moose and bear, bobcat and fox. A raccoon searched for mussels,
otters played tag.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> Except
for the sound of flowing water and an owl hooting now and then, the world was
quiet. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQuugbf85rpHYB9g2qmjSqXaLQsL7ahWwZJAVVNSSRLQYOfJFvLOQKNox67iJYU_E0yInI0z6zPMhmnCgI4UJGAda4VtYUCdtFeAswarUqNi_JgRX7WYBvBllA2tjKILDVRH8j9MAd-FI/s1600/owl-44236_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQuugbf85rpHYB9g2qmjSqXaLQsL7ahWwZJAVVNSSRLQYOfJFvLOQKNox67iJYU_E0yInI0z6zPMhmnCgI4UJGAda4VtYUCdtFeAswarUqNi_JgRX7WYBvBllA2tjKILDVRH8j9MAd-FI/s400/owl-44236_640.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;">The sun would rise soon enough and a new day would begin. But </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;">for now, the river stretched
mountain to sea wrapped in moon glow. And, from one dark house, a little face
peeked out a window at her river friend before she fell back asleep.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"><b>Like the story? Let us know by sharing with FACEBOOK friends, commenting and 'liking.'</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"><b>Copyright 2019 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be reproduced, copied or distributed without permission from the </b></span><b>author.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Published June 15, 2019 <i>Biddeford Journal Tribune </i>(Biddeford, ME).</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span><!--EndFragment-->Snickertaleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04635287315436577764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-10634758605472653522019-07-18T10:36:00.003-07:002019-07-18T10:36:30.077-07:00Ashra's Adventure with Ton-Ton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Fs1hA4IMtcVKdp1ipxK4odlqHAeOuxBQ6ahwhy_KKyu6KlZqqr6zby42qDqJHPqqRWq_M067xhr2rgzf3BJNi8nOsViB6DJsWBupicw95LDeYG8uStQbrGVgKwg6UXoh3EZVcjyd4jM/s1600/cat-2372108_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="640" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Fs1hA4IMtcVKdp1ipxK4odlqHAeOuxBQ6ahwhy_KKyu6KlZqqr6zby42qDqJHPqqRWq_M067xhr2rgzf3BJNi8nOsViB6DJsWBupicw95LDeYG8uStQbrGVgKwg6UXoh3EZVcjyd4jM/s400/cat-2372108_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Ashra’s Adventure with Ton-Ton </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By Valerie L. Egar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> Most people don’t
think of a cat as a travelling companion. When Ashra decided to take me with
her on her journey, her father shook his head. “You should take a dog, Ashra. It
will guard you at night as you sleep by the fire.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Why
not a horse?” Ashra’s friend Elizabeth asked. “You could ride a horse instead
of walking.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
townspeople laughed. “Foolish girl, not even smart enough to take a nice fat
hen. At least she would have eggs to eat. What good is a cat on a journey?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But,
Ashra insisted on taking me. I’m Brackton the Bold, but Ashra calls me
‘Ton-Ton.’ I do as I please, answer when I wish and consider myself rather clever.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I’ve been Ashra’s
best friend and companion since she rescued me from a farmer who wanted nothing
to do with a black kitten. “Bad luck,” he declared. Ashra didn’t believe that
nonsense and took me home and raised me. But for her, I wouldn’t be here
telling stories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In those long-ago days,
young men left home to find their fortune. With luck, a boy would have good
stories to tell when he returned and perhaps some money. The stories we heard
around the fire on a winter’s night were about meeting princesses, receiving
gold from kings, battling dragons— the stuff fairy tales are made from. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Ashra listened to
these stories and decided she would leave home when she was old enough to find
her fortune. How she was ridiculed! It wasn’t something girls did. Her father
tried to talk her out of it. Her mother fretted that no boy would ever marry
her. And, those who thought it might be acceptable for a girl to go on a journey
all agreed— the cat should stay home.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Ashra wouldn’t
hear of it. She had a mind of her own. She packed a small sack she could easily
carry, hiding a few gold coins in a purse tied inside her belt. She bundled her
hair under a floppy hat to protect herself from the sun. She packed bread, nuts,
dried fruit and cheese to eat. “You might have to depend on your hunting
skills, Ton-Ton,” she whispered. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“No problem,” I
thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If she liked mice and moles, I
could feed her too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">For days, we
walked. Dirt roads, cobbled streets in small towns. We crossed rivers.
(Actually, I suspect it was the same river and we saw it from both sides as we
made our way north.).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We slept on beds
of pine needles in the forest and in grassy fields under starlit skies. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Are you bored
Ton-Ton?” Ashra asked. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I think we
should have had some kind of adventure by now.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Maybe it’s me, but
it seemed that as soon as Ashra said that, we came around a curve in the road
and were enveloped in mist. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the
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might ask.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Think of the
cottage in Hansel and Gretel.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The
children were lost and hungry and all of a sudden, a house made of gingerbread appears?
That doesn’t sound like </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">coincidence to
me.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We were hungry for
adventure and the house seemed to promise that. A path that twisted and turned
led to the front door, which was bright red with a brass door knocker in the
shape of a hawk. The shutters were open and bird song seemed to pour from the
small house. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ashra
smiled. “Shall we?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
followed behind her as we walked the twisty path to the house. We passed a
garden planted with wheat, sunflowers and millet. No potatoes or turnips? Very
strange. Everyone plants root vegetables.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ashra
knocked and in a moment, an old woman came to the door. “A visitor, how nice!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She
looked startled when she saw me. “Oh! I’m afraid of cats.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ton-Ton
is very well behaved,” Ashra told her and stepped inside.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not me. I decided I’d sit in a sun patch on
the porch and listen at the window. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How
old are you?” I heard the woman ask.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“And you’re by yourself?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I crept nearer the
window and peeked inside. I watched</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">the woman as she talked, noticing how </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">she
moved her hands. They fluttered back and forth nervously, especially when Ashra
mentioned me.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The woman offered Ashra
dinner and a warm bed. “What about Ton-Ton?” Ashra asked.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“He’ll be fine
outside,” the woman answered. “I’m sure he’ll enjoy hunting for mice.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The woman’s voice
was shrill and raspy. She talked as she set the table for dinner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“No butter for the
bread.” She explained. “Butter doesn’t agree with me, I hope you don’t mind.”
She placed a dark loaf on the table.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“I’m grateful for
your hospitality,” Ashra replied, ever polite.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“No cheese! I
never cared for it. Have some sunflower seeds. They’re delicious.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I saw Ashra place
a few seeds on her plate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“A few berries,
perhaps?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Oh yes,” Ashra
replied. “I like berries.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">They ate in near
silence, the woman cracking sunflower seeds out of their shells with her teeth,
gobbling berries in between. I have to say, I expected better table manners. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Ashra picked at
her food. I knew she would have enjoyed a tasty chunk of cheese or a fat pat of
sweet butter for her bread.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Not long after,
the woman announced it was bedtime and showed Ashra to her room. Coming back
into the living room, she spun round and round, faster and faster and in a
moment, a tiny sparrow had taken her place. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My cat instincts
took over and my protectiveness towards Ashra. I wasn’t sure Ashra was safe
here. By what magic had this woman turned into a sparrow? Unseen, I crept through the window
and pounced. I held the bird, but it slipped away and flew to the mantle. I
leaped to the mantle and a vase of flowers crashed to the floor. Another miss.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I chased the bird
around the room, making sure to keep it away from the window, fearing it would
fly away. Finally, I cornered it and I did what most cats do. I bit it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I heard a boom
like thunder and felt the room shake. A young woman, not much older than Ashra
stood before me. “I’m Cora,” she said picked
me up and hugged me. “You’ve broken the spell!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Of course, by that
time, Ashra had awakened and ran into the room to find out what was going on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Cora’s story was
similar to all those Ashra and I listened to for many years— a witch cast a
spell and turned her into a bird as revenge for her picking sunflowers in the witch’s garden. She was
doomed to live as a sparrow until the spell was broken.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“You’re my hero!
My father’s not rich but he’s a fisherman and he’ll give you lots of fish!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I don’t want sound impolite, but unlike most cats, I’ve never cared for fish. I left the two young
women to a late night of talking and went into the night to hunt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Like the story? Let us know by sharing with your FACEBOOK friends, commenting and 'liking.'</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Copyright 2019 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be copied, reproduced or distributed without permission from the author.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Published in two parts in <i>Biddeford Journal Tribune</i> (Biddeford, ME) on July 6, 2019 and July 13, 2019.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><!--EndFragment-->Snickertaleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04635287315436577764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-46169744298832043872019-07-10T05:06:00.001-07:002019-07-10T05:06:15.773-07:00Around the World in Five Sneezes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKw0OpL2eCom37D3FYeRKDhIkFFVRSOrtD7PiCK681_zOat0JRHlPm4DJcf1coHGIuki_uL5-PsgHj7uCD804M9SOzV6t6V1_KEFvR8HLipvhoA-ZUKvvPbOqw7HR3Xkw171aCC2AzgYA/s1600/cold-3861935_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKw0OpL2eCom37D3FYeRKDhIkFFVRSOrtD7PiCK681_zOat0JRHlPm4DJcf1coHGIuki_uL5-PsgHj7uCD804M9SOzV6t6V1_KEFvR8HLipvhoA-ZUKvvPbOqw7HR3Xkw171aCC2AzgYA/s400/cold-3861935_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Around the World in Five Sneezes</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>By
Valerie L. Egar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Luke
did not feel well. In fact, he felt perfectly awful. His throat was sandpaper. He
felt too hot under a blanket, but shivery without a blanket. His nose was
runny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he coughed, he sounded like
the neighbor’s St. Bernard. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Settled
on the sofa in the den, Luke could see blue skies outside. It was the nicest spring
day since the snow melted. He wanted to be outside playing, but he had a cold.
“You can’t go outside until you’re better,” Mom said as she poured another dose
of icky tasting cough medicine in a little cup. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I
thought this was supposed to taste like grapes,” Luke complained. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That
what the doctor said.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It
doesn’t!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Luke
was bored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the TV cartoons were
reruns. He’d seen all the movies on the Kids Channel hundreds of times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No matter how much he begged, the family’s
corgi, Belle, preferred following his mother around the house instead of
staying with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I
wish I wasn’t sick, stuck on this stupid sofa!” Just then, Luke sneezed, a
great big explosion of a sneeze. “KERCHOO!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">Everyone closes
their eyes when they sneeze and when Luke opened his, he wasn’t on the sofa
anymore. He was standing on a white sand beach. Tall palm trees rustled in a
light breeze. High waves rushed towards shore and he saw several surfers riding
the waves.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Hey,
want to try?” a tanned teenager asked Luke.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Sure.”
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Luke
waded into the water. All of a sudden, he sneezed. “KERCHOO!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Luke
opened his eyes found himself on a baseball diamond in the middle of a game.
Not just any game— the last game in the World Series. The stadium was filled to capacity. Luke
looked at the scoreboard: seventh inning and the score was tied at 5-5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bases were loaded with two outs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Get
your glove, kid. You’re playing third base.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Me?”
It was an awful lot of pressure for his first professional game. Luke slipped
on a glove, but it felt too big. The pitcher wound up to pitch and everyone
heard a loud “KERCHOO!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kangaroos?
Koala bears? “Am I in Australia? “ Luke wondered. He didn’t wonder long.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Howdy,
mate!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
man guided Luke to a eucalyptus tree and Luke pet a shy koala bear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luke was surprised by the size of the
kangaroos and even more surprised by the </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">ostriches which weren’t exactly
friendly.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">He turned his back and heard
the thump, thump, thump of something running towards him. The ostrich!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“KERCHOO!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Never
had a sneeze been so well timed. Luke opened his eyes and the Great Pyramid of
Egypt stood before him. Ever since he’d read about the pyramids, Luke wanted to
see them. He stood, awed by their magnificence. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Perhaps
you would like a boat ride along the Nile?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh
yes, please!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Luke
followed the man to the water’s edge. The boat looked small to Luke and on the
far bank, he saw a huge crocodile. As Luke got into the boat, the crocodile
slipped into the water and started swimming towards the boat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m
not sure this is a good idea,” Luke started to say as the croc drew closer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“KERCHOO!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Luke
stood at the counter in his favorite ice cream shop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“At least I’m getting closer to home,” he
thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wanted a cone, but with over
100 flavors to choose from, the decision was hard. He was just about to say, “Triple
dip, black cherry, chocolate raspberry and coconut,” when his mother appeared.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Not
before dinner!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Luke
was surprised. “How did you get here?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I
sneezed,” she said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I must have caught
your cold.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Like the story? Share with your FACEBOOK friends, comment and 'like.'</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Copyright 2019 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be reproduced, distributed or copied without permission from the author.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Published April 20, 2019 <i>Biddeford Journal Tribune </i>(Biddeford, ME).</b></span></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
Snickertaleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04635287315436577764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-3824627100805653362019-07-02T13:12:00.002-07:002019-07-02T13:12:33.910-07:00Table Dog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinXxB50w-zz2sk_uF2P5jY80YFoXN_pLT8n-l2kL63PwRcMDX6kViWq9rGM8abHnE1X2pLRyALQVcwCz94rIB9esXHuHcnXpVCi4aCAO8dAJDWQQaylGWsgL_g-cXmWsRkEcVY1FspQTM/s1600/3048_1077227539154_6995276_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="604" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinXxB50w-zz2sk_uF2P5jY80YFoXN_pLT8n-l2kL63PwRcMDX6kViWq9rGM8abHnE1X2pLRyALQVcwCz94rIB9esXHuHcnXpVCi4aCAO8dAJDWQQaylGWsgL_g-cXmWsRkEcVY1FspQTM/s400/3048_1077227539154_6995276_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Table Dog</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>By Valerie
L. Egar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
soon as they stepped into the house, the young dog ran room to room exploring
his new home. Tail up and nose to the floor, he circled the sofa. He sniffed<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the fireplace screen and the tall plant in
the corner of the living room. In Ryan’s room, he spent a few minutes looking
under the bed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ryan
rolled a tennis ball towards the husky, which the family hadn’t yet named. “You
like this?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dog ignored it and stuck
his head into the bathroom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“C’mon,”
Mom called from the kitchen. “Water.” She swished her fingers in the metal bowl
for the dog to hear and put the bowl on the floor. He ran into the kitchen and
took a long drink. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I
like the name Togo,” Mom said, not for the first time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What’s
wrong with Sinatra? That’s what they called him at the shelter.” Dad pat the
dog’s head. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What’s
a Sinatra?” Ryan asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Not
what. Who. A famous singer who had blue eyes, Frank Sinatra.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ryan
wrinkled his nose. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We
can wait a while to name him. Let’s see what fits.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">Finished drinking,
the dog spotted the large wooden table next to the windows. With one easy leap,
he jumped on top.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No,
no,” chided Mom. “No table.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
dog stood, looking out the windows. A large expanse of fields. A view of the
driveway. If he was going to protect the house, this was the place to be!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Off
the table,” Dad said and the dog complied. He had other rooms to explore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Later
that evening, the family went to a restaurant for dinner. Coming home, Ryan spied
a furry face at the kitchen window as they pulled into the driveway. He hoped
Mom didn’t see, but when they went into the house, their new dog was still
standing on the table, wagging his tail, happy to see them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You
were waiting for us, weren’t you boy.” Ryan grabbed a biscuit and called him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m
not sure I like him jumping on tables,” Mom worried.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“He
can’t see outside, except from the table,” Dad pointed out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“He hasn’t jumped on the table in the dining
room and won’t. It isn’t near a window.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Mom
wasn’t convinced, but she soon learned Dad was correct.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dining room table, at the center of the
room, held no interest for the dog. He liked positioning himself under the
table when they were eating, hoping for a scrap or two to drop, but he never
jumped on the table.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">The kitchen table
was a different story. Though the dog gave up the table for the family’s
breakfast, the dog viewed it as his for the rest of the day.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">They bought him a
nice soft dog bed. “That will do the trick.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Though
the dog enjoyed sleeping on his new bed at night in Ryan’s room, he still spent
most of the day on the table.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>From
the table, the dog watched wild turkeys in the nearby field and occasionally, a
white tail deer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>From
the table, he caught the first glimpse of Ryan walking up the driveway from the
school bus and got ready to greet him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>From
the table, he saw the delivery man put packages at the door and barked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>From
the table, the dog guarded and protected the house and the family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> “Maybe we should call him Sentry?”
Dad suggested and they agreed Sentry was the perfect name.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Except
when he’s sleeping in a patch of sunlight,” Mom teased because she’d found him
more than once fast asleep on the hard table in a puddle of sunshine.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Like the story? Let us know by commenting, sharing with FACEBOOK friends and 'liking.'</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Copyright 2019 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be copied, reproduced or distributed without permission from the author.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Published June 8, 2019 <i>Biddeford Journal Tribune </i>(Biddeford, ME).</b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<br />Snickertaleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04635287315436577764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-18034288635580515402019-06-25T06:25:00.001-07:002019-06-25T07:36:32.921-07:00Winston's Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> <b>Winston’s Story</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By Valerie L. Egar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At
first the bright light blinded me. I’d been wrapped in tissue at the bottom of
a cedar chest in the attic for years. I thought, finally! I expected the people
who discovered me would be delighted. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“Was this
Grandpa’s teddy when he was little? Or Grandma’s?” they might wonder. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I hoped
they’d do a little research and see I was older than that and learn that I was
Great Grandpa’s teddy bear when he was a little boy. And then, I imagined they
would put me in a special place or at least bring me out at Christmas every
year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“Why did she keep
this junk?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“That bear’s seen
better days.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I don’t have a
mirror, but I expect I look a bit raggedy. My fur feels patchy and worn thin in
spots. The felt on my left foot is moth eaten and the straw stuffing shows
through. My joints are stiff. But my nose is hand stitched! My eyes are deep
brown and kind. I’ve got enough age to look distinguished. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“Throw it in the
box with the other stuff we’re giving to the rummage sale.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">I feel myself
flying through the air and land with a thud on top of a toy train. I think I’d
like to go back to sleep in the cedar chest, but I hear the thump, thump, thump
of feet on stairs. The box jiggles up and down. Doors open, doors close. An
engine starts and stops. Voices.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“Thank you so
much. We appreciate your donation.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Hands sort through
the box and I’m tossed in a bin with other stuffed toys. All of them are bright
colors – pink, purple, orange. I’m light brown. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">All of them are
soft and cuddly. I was made from scratchy wool. My straw stuffing feels hard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I ‘m different
from the others and feel out of place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
don’t think I’ve much of a chance of anyone choosing me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I comfort myself
with memories. My little boy named me Winston when he unwrapped me for his
birthday. I was a gift from his mother and she’d tied a jaunty black velvet
ribbon around my neck. That didn’t last long. Peter (my little boy) untied it
and lost it outside before the day was over.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">What fun we had! I
rode on a train from Boston to New York City to visit Peter’s grandparents. I
listened to stories every night that Peter’s mother read to him. I stayed by
his side when he was sick. Peter rescued me from his Labrador puppy, which is
how I got the tooth mark next to my nose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">As Peter grew, I
saw less of him. Soon he was more interested in footballs and girls, but his
mother took care of me and when Peter got married and had a </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">daughter, I became her bear. I
climbed trees with Emma and went on picnics in the summer. I sat next to her
when she practiced piano. When she went to college, I went too.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">We stayed up late studying a lot of nights. I
became fluent in French, but don’t remember much of it now.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">When Emma got
married, she decided I was too frail and precious to be treated roughly. She
packed me away and bought other toys for her children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think she forgot me, but sometimes
life gets too busy for old friends and I was only unpacked a few times after
that.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIo5PJEjsbVtXhwFGvqpDRvOSFTn9pC8gLkzWvkMsDT4PitviDTsDsbity_nkkAFd3D3HOleI_R6_yoSR9xWSyX6aSgHNfBRiHr8iNqOhBwVMNIt7URkmMJvXIBp_6zgpCFdLMkGZuPas/s1600/IMG_0780.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIo5PJEjsbVtXhwFGvqpDRvOSFTn9pC8gLkzWvkMsDT4PitviDTsDsbity_nkkAFd3D3HOleI_R6_yoSR9xWSyX6aSgHNfBRiHr8iNqOhBwVMNIt7URkmMJvXIBp_6zgpCFdLMkGZuPas/s400/IMG_0780.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Oh! The rummage sale
must be starting. Hands rustle through the bin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">A boy picks me up,
throws me aside. "Ugh!"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">More hands.
“Look!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“Anja. That one’s
got a hole in its foot. Choose a pretty one.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“I like this one.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“Here’s a nice
blue dolphin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe you like it better?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“No. I want the bear.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“You’re sure?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“Yes. I love him.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Love. I haven’t
heard that word in a long time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I feel a hug and
the up and down of a girl skipping. Anja. It’s a beautiful name.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Like the story? Let us know by sharing it with your FACEBOOK friends, liking and commenting.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Copyright 2019 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be copied, reproduced or distributed without permission from the author.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Published May 4, 2019 <i>Biddeford Journal Tribune </i>(Biddeford, ME).</b></span></div>
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Snickertaleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04635287315436577764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-27293972240446267662019-06-17T10:55:00.000-07:002019-06-17T10:55:27.852-07:00Riding in A Convertible<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUkj7-qIVsbYERe5Y-Ry3kUznRDCwYiCw9V-STYbkqU4i_qk9V8JoW2wVViIOOs17cjOwkIqm5Sgd_v2Lpyep7M6_nVpru0aWKqqK85rKWir1ssgc_vROjUPxDuIA5zPBrwczTRiYN9CA/s1600/oldtimer-3508052_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="640" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUkj7-qIVsbYERe5Y-Ry3kUznRDCwYiCw9V-STYbkqU4i_qk9V8JoW2wVViIOOs17cjOwkIqm5Sgd_v2Lpyep7M6_nVpru0aWKqqK85rKWir1ssgc_vROjUPxDuIA5zPBrwczTRiYN9CA/s400/oldtimer-3508052_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">Riding in A Convertible<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 2.0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> By Valerie L.
Egar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">I'd begged for a ride in Uncle Crick’s convertible since I was a little kid. “Not
yet, Gina,” he’d say, looking at Mom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
I turned quickly, I’d catch her shaking her head ‘no.’ I didn’t understand why.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“It’s like the
rides at the amusement park,” Mom said. “You have to be big enough.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“How big?” I
asked. I wanted to hear a height, weight or age like I endured with car seats
and the rides I wanted to try at the amusement park.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“When I say you
are.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I knew better than
to argue, but I didn’t want to have grey hair before she said yes. A ride in a
car with its top down might not sound like much, but if you saw Uncle Crick’s
car, you’d want a ride, too. It’s candy apple red, with two black leather seats
in front that almost wrap around you. I call it a movie star car, even though
Uncle Crick isn’t a movie star.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBbOGWZy4Ao6z2SiNtX5dEi0CazFG9S-gzuCtO87sRo295G8ybd251M_5vy8f57gyKWfSOh6Bo2TZk7PqxazIU5oGIOpj5NJ9wplb6dOrWmLCpfdKJNvnfb-7Chgw-OHtj1QXqg0LaZw/s1600/rally-302204_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBbOGWZy4Ao6z2SiNtX5dEi0CazFG9S-gzuCtO87sRo295G8ybd251M_5vy8f57gyKWfSOh6Bo2TZk7PqxazIU5oGIOpj5NJ9wplb6dOrWmLCpfdKJNvnfb-7Chgw-OHtj1QXqg0LaZw/s400/rally-302204_640.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The summer I
turned 12, Mom finally said yes. “You need to tie your hair back,” she said.
“You don’t want it blowing all around and getting in your face.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I pulled my hair
into a ponytail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Sunscreen.” Mom
handed me the bottle. I was so excited, I poured too much out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">“That’s OK.” Mom
dipped the tip of her fingers into the lotion and dabbed some on the tops of my
ears. She handed </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">me a pair of
sunglasses. “I think you’re ready.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I sat next to
Uncle Crick and buckled my seat belt. He let me choose the radio station. Hard
decision. I chose classic rock because we both like it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">He started the
car, pulled out onto the road and shifted gears. I felt air cool my face, like
when I ride my bicycle, only stronger. I was glad my hair was tied back because
it was blowing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I shut my eyes and
took a deep breath. New mown grass. Some kind of flower. The air smelled
wonderful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“I think dogs would
like convertibles.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Uncle Crick
laughed. “Why is that?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Because they
could smell everything.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Sometimes that’s
not so good,” Uncle Crick said as we passed a factory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When we drove
through Maple Vale, Uncle Crick drove through town slowly and I waved to people
on the street. Everybody waved back. A few yelled, “Cool car!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I saw a Dairy
Delight up ahead. “Mmmm, I smell ice cream.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“What an amazing
nose you have! Tell me what flavor you smell,” Uncle Crick teased.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Peanut butter
ripple, with chocolate sprinkles.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">Uncle Crick
sniffed the air. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">“Mmm.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">I think I smell black raspberry.” He pulled
the car into the parking lot.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Soon we were
seated at a picnic table with cones.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZWiXONBIgt-8TL2XJBZUh0sk_SKjaHo34LpyeSH2q4AHktIZn2XyoHTnSTdVZG9BfTcNaR6vswFjR6hUSjl9w-x-d3SFSVoE02Wn0k58o1vxCQkWlfJ2Vu42eKS_-pLrKoLh__qtB4s/s1600/ice-cream-cone-617730_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="426" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZWiXONBIgt-8TL2XJBZUh0sk_SKjaHo34LpyeSH2q4AHktIZn2XyoHTnSTdVZG9BfTcNaR6vswFjR6hUSjl9w-x-d3SFSVoE02Wn0k58o1vxCQkWlfJ2Vu42eKS_-pLrKoLh__qtB4s/s400/ice-cream-cone-617730_640.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"> “So, you like riding in my car?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Yup,” I said
between slurps. I rubbed my nose which felt a little burned, even with the sun
screen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Uh oh.” Uncle
Crick looked at the sky. Black rain clouds loomed overhead. “Better get the top
up.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">He handed me his
cone and ran for the car, but it was too late. The sky opened and rain poured
into the open car. Uncle Crick pulled out a roll of paper towels from his
console. “I learned to carry these a long time ago.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">No matter how much
water we wiped up, the back of my pants still got wet when I sat down. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I didn’t mind
though. I loved riding in his car. I’d felt the wind on my face, rustling my
hair. I was outside, where I love to be, in the sunshine (mostly), zooming
through the countryside. There was only one more thing I wanted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Can we go for a drive
some night?” I asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Uncle Crick raised
his eyebrows.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“I want the top
down to look at the stars.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Ah,” he said. “At
night, there’s nothing better. Wait until you look up and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>see the Milky Way.”</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlah_8HFU9-oglKpMWufoOevvyUWAJXa1qRfTmk9Ln1cPf4CVkO86RuJZkI-Myj5cWyuG9L0-_9jLK-5BCqPvG4rN35PU6qtvx_HzZy-O-ZA_TUCRXc9W1Sv-TT3_2_WhMTTRJ_n7KLX8/s1600/milky-way-984050_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="640" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlah_8HFU9-oglKpMWufoOevvyUWAJXa1qRfTmk9Ln1cPf4CVkO86RuJZkI-Myj5cWyuG9L0-_9jLK-5BCqPvG4rN35PU6qtvx_HzZy-O-ZA_TUCRXc9W1Sv-TT3_2_WhMTTRJ_n7KLX8/s400/milky-way-984050_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><b>Like the story? Please let us know by clicking 'like', commenting or sharing with your friends.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><b>Copyright 2019 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be copied, reproduced or distributed without permission from the author.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><b>Published <i>Biddeford Journal Tribune</i> (Biddeford, ME) May 18, 2019.</b></span></div>
Snickertaleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04635287315436577764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-54425629810013495522019-06-10T04:32:00.001-07:002019-06-10T04:32:59.266-07:00Best Friends Forever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9_GVrzp4xPRzzksR2-PAfdrQW7vO5uvmO4CdxaCZMoFPWxCOuG_vXMEAgAOQXZyetOa-GJQ-ZAN5mHfZv42nmOwIYGRrrmTpQfOscD-RpsK1PFsnCq7BSi4OiTwTLqA-a_VqGZ4rV7nc/s1600/water-4047156_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="640" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9_GVrzp4xPRzzksR2-PAfdrQW7vO5uvmO4CdxaCZMoFPWxCOuG_vXMEAgAOQXZyetOa-GJQ-ZAN5mHfZv42nmOwIYGRrrmTpQfOscD-RpsK1PFsnCq7BSi4OiTwTLqA-a_VqGZ4rV7nc/s400/water-4047156_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Best Friends Forever<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span></b>By
Valerie L. Egar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
magic started when Lily found a green bottle almost covered in sand at the edge
of the water. Ocean waves kissed it and receded, then kissed it again. “What’s
this?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lily
picked up the bottle and saw it was sealed, its golden cap screwed on tightly. Holding
the bottle to the sun, Lily shook it. Something clinked inside, but she couldn’t
see what. She tried the cap and was surprised it unscrewed easily. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">A silver necklace
poured into her hand and glittered. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
the end of a delicate chain, a heart shaped pendant hung, engraved with the
words, “Be My Friend.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lily put the
necklace on and shook the bottle again, expecting to find a note so she could
learn whose friend she was invited to be. No note fell out. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lily
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lily
dragged a huge red umbrella to the top of a grassy hill. She popped the
umbrella open and felt the wind tug it. “North!” she whispered and held on to
the umbrella handle with both hands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">Slowly the wind
lifted her and Lily floated over farms and</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">villages, wide rivers and green valleys.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">A sassy crow kept her company for a little while, hitching a ride on the
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Lily landed gently
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through the nearby woods.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Signs
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home!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Turn
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Hmmm,”
Lily thought. “With all these signs, it’s no wonder he or she has no friends.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lily
rounded a curve to find a cabin, its windows shuttered. Another sign, painted
in red hung on the door. “Nobody’s home. Really.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lily
banged on the door. “I’m here to be your friend!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>No
one answered, but Lily could hear footsteps inside.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lily
banged louder. “I came a long way to see you,” she yelled. She peeked under the
door and glimpsed feet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I
found the bottle and the necklace you put inside.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lily
heard a quiet, “You did?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Uh
huh. I’m wearing the necklace. But you’ll have to open the door to see.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Silence.
Then, “Come back some other day. I’m busy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">Lily was hungry
and thirsty after her long trip. She wanted to sit in a nice soft chair for a
little while. “You don’t know how to be a friend!” she yelled. “That’s why you
don’t have any.” She started to cry.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
door unlatched and slowly opened. “Would you like to come in and sit down?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Lily saw a girl
who looked exactly like herself. The same black hair, the same sea green eyes,
the same dimple on one side. “Hello Lily, “ the girl said. “That’s my name,
too. But I use my middle name, Marie. I like that name better.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The inside of the cabin
was a bit messy, but comfortable. Art hung on all the walls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Poems were scattered across the table. The
girls sat and talked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“I journeyed a
long way to find you,” Lily said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“And I have been
waiting all my life for you to find me,” answered Marie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The girls talked
deep into the night, getting to know each other better. “How talented you are,”
Lily commented, looking at all of the paintings and reading the poems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“And you are
brave,” Marie told Lily. “You had no idea who or what was </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">waiting at the end of</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">your journey.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
they talked, they realized they would never be separated again. They were happy to have found each other and would be
best friends forever.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Like the story? Share with your FACEBOOK friends, like and comment.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Copyright 2019 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be shared, copied or distributed without permission from the author.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Published May 25, 2019 </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Biddeford Journal Tribune (</i><span style="font-weight: bold;">Biddeford, ME)</span></span></div>
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Snickertaleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04635287315436577764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8414787785123721707.post-83923363192465740732019-05-27T16:47:00.002-07:002019-05-27T16:47:49.944-07:00Naming the Stray<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgv2imWlEtskH3r8xU0FA6jRZ91xW7vksuVcZIqbhMwqdKP9PH2YPwICwHQilXdUA5DhwE4zOv-UKHpwBY8mRq_3If-jrWGOKDSjx0Phos_YVLFTHfcXOJElNWR9F6VJ_aLPFSUrnwRY/s1600/DSCF0923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgv2imWlEtskH3r8xU0FA6jRZ91xW7vksuVcZIqbhMwqdKP9PH2YPwICwHQilXdUA5DhwE4zOv-UKHpwBY8mRq_3If-jrWGOKDSjx0Phos_YVLFTHfcXOJElNWR9F6VJ_aLPFSUrnwRY/s400/DSCF0923.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Naming the Stray</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">By
Valerie L. Egar</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">Timid and scared,
the brown and black dog ran through the village, rooting in garbage and
drinking water from the river. People assumed an owner too lazy to take him to
a shelter dumped him in the nearby park. He ran too fast and was too wily for anyone
to get a good look, but a quick glance showed he was big, about 50 pounds, a shepherd-collie
mix. The twisty tail suggested a smidgen of husky or elkhound added in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
group of young boys decided to catch him. “Here boy, c’mon.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Offered food, the dog, shy as a deer,
hesitated and decided it was too dangerous. Off he ran. For two weeks, the dog
eluded people trying to help him. He grew thinner. He began to limp, most
likely from being nicked by a car when he crossed the highway. The boys were
persistent. One day, circling him with their bicycles, they managed to capture
him. Now what to do?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">My son, Leo Egar,
was a veterinary student at the University of Pennsylvania at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“We’ll give him to Leo,” the boys decided.
“He’ll know what to do.” Meanwhile, because of the dog’s large ears, the tips
of which flopped down, and the dirt he’d collected in his fur after two weeks
of running, the boys named him “Mud Flap.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ3rlAAqoZTlcHLlghfiwKnnPNJtVA5QM60so4qpL1gYXaIlknIGYBtkWWGCBRyN5dXxfDMEw8v1ljNP3Vtz_WyAsKuHYR9o9l2KKnRLxG31uIXG8O6v-eDK1Adbbm-9SW_0gJnWv6I0s/s1600/DSCF0922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ3rlAAqoZTlcHLlghfiwKnnPNJtVA5QM60so4qpL1gYXaIlknIGYBtkWWGCBRyN5dXxfDMEw8v1ljNP3Vtz_WyAsKuHYR9o9l2KKnRLxG31uIXG8O6v-eDK1Adbbm-9SW_0gJnWv6I0s/s400/DSCF0922.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">Mud Flap quickly
secreted himself behind a wall of boxes in a storage room in our house and came
out to eat and drink only when he was alone. Quiet and still, no one would ever
think there was a large dog hiding in the room. He liked our other dogs,
though, a German Shepherd, named Veronica and a husky, named Keeka. We’d pet
Veronica and say, “Good girl, what a nice dog!” and slowly, Mud Flap would
emerge from his hiding place to be pet, too. Being around the other dogs helped
him overcome his shyness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Despite his large
size, we soon learned Mud Flap was still a puppy. His large<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>half-floppy ears began to stand straight up,
like a shepherd’s. He wasn’t yet house-broken. He chewed things. Everything.
The handle on the hammer. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One shoe from
every pair I owned. The cord off the vacuum— three times. In the day when cell
phones were as large as a telephone receiver and had antennas, he fished the
phone out of my purse, undid the Velcro tab on the case, extended the antenna
with his teeth and chewed it off. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">He had a knack for
carrying things, which usually coincided with his desire to chew them. Liter of
water? No problem, he bit onto the cap, carried it to his bed and gnawed on the
bottle, piercing the plastic and spilling the water all over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He delicately removed a frying pan left in
the kitchen sink, lifting it by the handle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His biggest find was a long steel bar with curved ends and a lock called
“The Club”, used to prevent auto theft. I’d grown tired of wrangling it onto
the steering wheel and </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">stashed it on a lower shelf in the
utility room. He spotted it, pulled it out and carried it around, the biggest
bone ever.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Though the first
thought was to place Mud Flap in a good home, he soon endeared himself to the
household.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided to rename him and
keep him. “Chewy” might have worked, but I hoped he would soon limit his
prodigious chewing to bones and nylon dog toys. Dennis? His good-natured
mischief reminded me of the cartoon character Dennis the Menace, but somehow,
the name didn’t quite fit. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He lacked
menace— in his world, there was only curiosity and fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">One morning, the
lanky adolescent dog came bounding through the kitchen, the fabric remains of a
recently gutted frog squeaky toy hanging from his mouth. He was moving so fast,
he had no traction on the linoleum floor, and for a few brief moments, he galloped,
without moving forward. We started to laugh and realized how much we’d laughed
since he arrived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The word ‘snicker’
came to mind and we tried it out. Snicker. The name was just right.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Like the story? Let us know by sharing with your friends on FACEBOOK, liking or commenting.</b></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Copyright 2017 by Valerie L. Egar. May not be copied, reproduced or distributed without permission from the author.</b></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></o:p></div>
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