THIS IS NUMBER 15 OF 40 FROM THE BOOK OF "STORIES YOU WON'T BELIEVE" BY: LONNIE E. BROWN, THIS IS "FREDA AND THE LITTLE HAIRY MAN"
"FREDA AND THE LITTLE HAIRY MAN"
AHH! AHH! AHH!
THE SCREAMS COMING UP RUSSELL CREEK HOLLOW STARTLED THE WORKERS IN THE TOBACCO PATCH SO MUCH THAT THEY STOPPED CHOPPING WEEDS AND LEANED ON THEIR HOES.
"AHH! AHH! AHH!"
THEY WATCHED AS YOUNG FREDA NOLIN BURST FROM THE WOODS, PALE AND GASPING FOR BREATH AS SHE HELD HER SIDES.
"WHAT'S THE MATTER?" BILL NOLIN CALLED TO HIS DAUGHTER.
"LITTLE HAIRY MAN," SHE ANSWERED, STILL TRYING TO CATCH HER BREATH.
"WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" BILL ASKED.
"A LITTLE HAIRY MAN CAME IN THE HOUSE," SHE SAID, STILL BREATHING HARD. "I SPOKE, BUT HE WOULDN'T ANSWER ME! HE SCREECHED AND RAN UP AND DOWN THE DOOR."
LAUGHTER RIPPED THROUGH THE TOBACCO PATCH.
"HE DID WHAT?" BILL ASKED, MOVING CLOSER TO HIS DAUGHTER.
"HE GRABBED A BANANA OFF THE TABLE," SHE CONTINUED, "AND THEN HE RAN OUT THE DOOR AND UP A TREE! HE JUST SAT ON A LIMB CHATTERING AT ME!"
LAUGHTER ROARED THROUGH THE TOBACCO PATCH AT THAT, AND BILL NOLIN EVEN SMILED. HE PUT HIS ARM AROUND HIS DAUGHTER AND GAVE HER A DRINK OF WATER.
"SIT DOWN OVER HERE IN THE GRASS," HE TOLD HER. "I THINK I CAN EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED."
FREDA NOLIN HAD JUST HAD HER FIRST MEETING WITH A MONKEY --- SOMETHING SHE HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE --- AND TO HER, THE ENCOUNTER HAD NOT BEEN FUNNY!
FREDA LEARNED THAT DAY THAT WILL HARRINGTON, WHO OWNED THE GENERAL STORE A COUPLE OF MILES DOWN THE ROAD, HAD PURCHASED A MONKEY FROM A TRAVELING CIRCUS SEVERAL WEEKS BEFORE. HE HAD TIED IT OUT FRONT, THINKING IT WOULD ATTRACT BUSINESS. FREDA HAD NOT BEEN TO THE CIRCUS OR THE STORE, SO SHE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT IT. SHE HAD NOT BEEN WITH HER FATHER AND HIS FRIENDS WHEN THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THE MONKEY, EITHER, SO SHE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE AT ALL OF MR. HARRINGTON'S NEW ATTRACTION. SHE HAD NO TV OR NEWSPAPER, SO SHE'D NEVER EVEN SEEN A PICTURE OF A MONKEY.
ON THE DAY THAT FREDA AND THE MONKEY WERE DESTINED TO MEET, SHE HAD STAYED HOME TO COOK DINNER FOR THE WORK HANDS. IT WAS A WARM DAY, SO FREDA LEFT THE DOORS OPEN FOR THE AIR TO CIRCULATE THROUGH THE HOUSE. MOST HOUSES BACK THEN HAD NO SCREENS DOORS OR WINDOWS TO KEEP OUT ANIMALS, BIRDS, OR INSECTS.
FREDA WAS WELL ALONG WITH HER PREPARATIONS FOR THE MIDDAY MEAL, UNAWARE THAT THE STAGE WAS BEING SET FOR ONE OF THE MOST DRAMATIC EVENTS OF HER LIFE.
DOWN THE ROAD AT HARRINGTON'S GENERAL STORE, THE TIED-UP MONKEY GOT BORED WITH HIS RESTRICTED SPACE AND DECIDED IT WOULD BE MORE INTERESTING TO BE FREE. HE DEFTLY UNTIED THE ROPE THAT HELD HIM AND TOOK OFF EXPLORING NEW TERRITORY. HE SIMPLY FOLLOWED THE CREEK, SWINGING FROM TREE TO TREE UNTIL HE ARRIVED AT THE NOLIN HOUSE.
INSIDE, FREDA HAD JUST REMOVED THE CORNBREAD FROM THE OVEN AND SET IT ON THE TABLE BY A BOWL OF FRESH FRUIT. THE SMELL OF THE FRESH-BAKED BREAD, OR MORE LIKELY THE BANANAS IN THE BOWL, DRIFTED THROUGH THE AIR AND CAUGHT THE MONKEY'S ATTENTION. HE EVIDENTLY THOUGHT THE WAS A GOOD PLACE TO STOP AND EAT.
THUMP!
THE MONKEY LANDED ON THE FLOOR BY THE DOOR, WHERE IT REMAINED CHECKING OUT FREDA.
FREDA JUMPED AT THE SUDDEN NOISE AND WHIRLED AROUND TO SEE WHAT HAD CAUSED IT. SHE COULD HARDLY BELIEVE HER EYES. THERE STOOD A LITTLE MAN COMPLETELY COVERED BY HAIR.
SHE WAS TOTALLY AT A LOSS FOR WORDS.
"CHEEEEE!" SCREECHED THE MONKEY.
FREDA WAS DUMBFOUNDED. MOST LIKELY, ANYBODY WOULD HAVE REACTED THE SAME WAY IF THEY'D NEVER SEEN A MONKEY BEFORE, AND, LIKE FREDA, ANYBODY COULD HAVE MISTAKEN THE STRANGE, SHORT CREATURE FOR A LITTLE HAIRY MAN.
FREDA FINALLY MANAGED TO SPEAK.
"HOW-HOWDY, MISTER," SHE SAID. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?"
"CHEE--CHEE--CHEEEE!" IT SCREECHED WITH A BIG-MONEY GRIN, AND IT WADDLED TOWARD THE TABLE.
FREDA HAD NEVER SEEN SUCH BIG TEETH OR SUCH AN UGLY MOUTH IN HER LIFE. THE POOR GIRL WAS SCARED HALF TO DEATH. SHE BACKED AROUND THE TABLE AS THE LITTLE HAIRY VISITOR LEAPT ON THE TABLETOP WITH A SINGLE BOUND. HE SNATCHED A BANANA AND CHATTERED HAPPILY AS HE PEELED IT AND BEGAN TO EAT.
BY NOW FREDA HAD BACKED INTO A CORNER WHERE SHE HAD PROPPED THE BROOM AFTER SHE SWEPT EARLIER. SHE GRABBED THE BROOM AND CAME OUT SWINGING.
"GIT!" SHE SHOUTED. "GIT OUT OF HERE! GIT!"
THE MONKEY JUMPED OFF THE TABLE, RACED OUT THE DOOR AND UP A TREE, WHERE HE SAT HAPPILY ON A LIMB EATING HIS LUNCH.
FREDA SAW HER CHANCE AND LOST NO TIME MAKING HER ESCAPE. SHE RAN UP THE HOLLOW SCREAMING UNTIL SHE REACHED THE TOBACCO PATCH.
IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD TIME TO TAKE A BREAK, SO BILL NOLIN, HIS WORK HANDS, AND FREDA RETURNED DOWN THE HOLLOW TO THE HOUSE.
MR. HARRINGTON HAD MISSED HIS MONKEY AND ARRIVED SEARCHING FOR IT AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE GROUP GOT TO THE HOUSE. HE WAS ABLE TO COAX IT DOWN WITH ANOTHER BANANA AND TOOK IT BACK TO THE STORE AGAIN.
MR. HARRINGTON BUILT A BIG ESCAPE-PROOF CAGE FOR THE MONKEY AND PUT A SWING AND BARS INSIDE. CUSTOMERS SAT ON THE PORCH AND WATCHED THE MONKEY'S ANTICS FOR A LONG TIME TO COME. EVEN THOUGH THEY ENJOYED IT, FREDA NEVER FELT VERY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT IT. SHE HARDLY EVER CAME TO THE STORE AT ALL.
FOLKS SAID SHE WOULD NEVER EVEN DATE A MAN WITH A BREAD, AND I KNOW FOR A FACT THE MAN SHE FINALLY MARRIED WAS DEFINITELY CLEAN-SHAVEN!
WRITTEN BY: LONNIE E. BROWN
FROM THE BOOK "STORIES YOU WON'T BELIEVE"
TITLED "FREDA AND THE LITTLE HAIRY MAN"
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