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HUDGEON
TALES
By Eleanor Goodman
BOOK I
CHAPTER 8
“Touchy sort of thingamabobby, isn’t he,” Lily
thought to herself. “Lucky I remember which bush
he picked that berry from.” She found the bush and
ate berries until she was full up, murmuring, “This is
fine food for a hudgeon. Who needs him, anyway?”
The sun started to go behind
the tall trees, taking its warmth from her patch of the forest. As
darkness descended and the Earth grew colder, Lily started to
picture her warm bed and the two humans who’d always been
so nice to her. Those images brought up a strange new feeling
inside her and she didn’t like it one bit.
She jumped up and started hunting for a comfortable
place to spend the night. It wasn’t easy. Each place she
found had something worn with it—too many rocks or thorny branches, too
closed in and dark, or too exposed to the elements and the wild beasts that
might be about.
Wasn’t there any place that was warm and
cozy and safe feeling? Wasn’t there any place for a hudgeon in
this forest? Perhaps she should go back to Mr. Joe and Jimmy Jake. Again
she felt those funny feelings inside her.
Suddenly, startling her out of her thoughts, Will appeared.
“O.K. Miss Lilybit who never says ‘please’. Follow
me.”
She did.
They walked silently through the forest lit by moonlight to a
clearing where he stopped and pointed.
“There.”
Lily looked but didn’t see anything but a heap of sticks. She
went closer and poked at it.
“Why, it’s a house,” she exclaimed.
“That it is, and here’s the door.” He pushed open a
flat piece of wood and motioned for Lily to enter, “Ladies first.”
The cracks between the sticks let enough moonlight in so that
Lily could see a pile of something that looked like leaves and
feathers.
“And there’s a bed for you.”
Lily touched the pile of whatever-it-was with her toes, and then
with her foot and then plunked right down. It was soft
and springy. She laughed delightedly.
“This feels comfy and cozy and just right for a hudgeon.”
Then she looked around the room and saw nothing else that could
be a bed.
“Is this yours? Are you giving me your bed? Where will you
sleep?”
Will grunted and looked away in embarrassment.
“I’ll just sleep on the ground outside and keep guard. Tomorrow,
we can figure something out.”
“Oh Will, thank you. I’m sorry that I’ve been mean.” She
saw her smile reflected in a tiny one of his as he replied, “That’s
O.K. I was a bit rude my own self.”
Will left and Lily Rose fell right to sleep.
To be continued... |
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