STORY COURTESY OF THE WAYNE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
PICTURE COURTESY OF SHUTTERSTOCK
"STORIES YOU WON'T BELIEVE" BY LONNIE E. BROWN, IS A BOOK FILLED WITH SHORT STORIES, THAT I AM SHARING WITH ALL OF YOU, WE'LL GO THRU IT FULL STORY BY FULL STORY.
THIS ONE IS -
"SHEEPISH BUCK"
"SHEEPISH BUCK"
SINCE YOUNG BUCK ROOKS COULDN'T RAISE THE DEAD ANYMORE, HE DECIDED HE WANTED TO RAISE A SHEEP. OLD MAN CAMPBELL'S FAMILY WAS SELLING SOME OF HIS SHEEP AFTER HIS DEATH, SO BUCK'S FATHER BOUGHT HIM A GOOD SIZE LAMB.
BUCK SPENT MUCH OF HIS TIME CARING FOR AND PLAYING WITH HIS NEW PET. THERE WEREN'T MANY BOYS HIS AGE IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA TO OFFER COMPANIONSHIP, SO THE SHEEP GAVE BUCK MANY HOURS OF RECREATION.
THE NEIGHBORS ON THE NEXT FARM DID HAVE ONE SON, JIM WILL, BUT THE BOY WASN'T TOO BRIGHT. HE WAS A REAL THORN IN BUCK'S SIDE, FOLLOWING HIM AROUND ALL THE TIME ASKING WHAT BUCK THOUGHT WERE SILLY QUESTIONS. IF BUCK TRIED TO MAKE JIM WILL GO AWAY, BUCK'S MOTHER WOULD PULL HIM ASIDE AND TELL HIM HIS BEHAVIOR WAS SHAMEFUL.
"THAT POOR BOY CAN'T HELP THE WAY HE IS," SHE WOULD REMIND BUCK OVER AND OVER, "IT WON'T HURT YOU TO PLAY WITH HIM.
"BUT, MOMMA!" BUCK WOULD PROTEST. "HE'S TOO SLOW-MINDED TO CATCH ON TO GAMES."
"DON'T YOU HURT HIS FEELINGS BY SAYING THINGS LIKE THAT," SHE'D TELL BUCK. "JUST BE GLAD THAT YOU'VE GOT THE SENSE GOD GAVE YOU!"
BUCK'S GOOD SENSE WAS SOON TO BE QUESTIONED.
NOT LONG AFTER BUCK GOT HIS SHEEP, HE BEGAN TO GET TIRED OF THEIR DAILY ROUTINE. HE GOT THE IDEA ONE DAY THAT IT MIGHT BE FUN TO BUILD A LITTLE WAGON AND LET THE SHEEP PULL HIM AROUND THE FARM. WHEN HE ASKED HIS PARENTS IF HE COULD BUILD A LITTLE WAGON, THEY THOUGHT IT SOUNDED LIKE A CONSTRUCTIVE PROJECT. IN THEIR WILDEST IMAGINATION, THEY COULD NOT PREDICT HOW IT WOULD END.
HIS DAD GAVE HIM SOME POPULAR LUMBER THAT WAS STACKED IN THE BARN, AND BUCK BEGAN TO BUILD A STURDY LITTLE WOODEN WAGON BIG ENOUGH FOR HIM TO RIDE IN. AS SOON AS HE FINISHED, HE FASHIONED A LITTLE HARNESS FOR THE SHEEP. AT LAST, HE WAS READY TO PUT HIS PLAN INTO ACTION.
ON THE DAY BUCK WAS TO MAKE HIS TEST RUN WITH HIS SHEEP AND LITTLE WAGON, JIM WILL, AND HIS MOTHER CAME OVER TO PAY A VISIT. BUCK WAS AGGRAVATED WHEN HE SAW THEM COMING. JIM WILL WOULD BE UNDERFOOT WHILE HE MADE HIS FINAL PREPARATIONS. HE TRIED TO STAY OUT OF SIGHT, BUT JIM WILL CAME RUNNING TO THE BARN.
"CAN I RIDE, BUCK? CAN I?" JIM WILL ASKED OVER AND OVER.
"OKAY," BUCK FINALLY AGREED, "BUT I'M GOING TO RIDE FIRST."
"AW! I WANT TO RIDE NOW!" JIM WILL PERSISTED.
"NO," BUCK ANSWERED, STANDING HIS GROUND, "ME FIRST!"
"CAN'T I DO SOMETHING?" ASKED JIM WILL, NOT GIVING UP.
BUCK STOOD LOOKING FROM HIS SHEEP TO HIS LITTLE WAGON AND AN IDEA POPPED INTO HIS HEAD.
"TELL YOU WHAT I'LL DO," HE SAID TO JIM WILL. "TO MAKE IT EASIER ON MY SHEEP, I'LL HITCH YOU TO THE WAGON, TOO. YOU TWO CAN PULL ME. THEN I'LL HITCH MYSELF UP TO THE WAGON, AND WE'LL PULL YOU."
"OKAY!" EXCLAIMED JIM WILL, JUMPING UP AND DOWN.
BUCK PLACED THE HARNESS HE'D MADE ON THE SHEEP. THEN HE HASTILY FASHIONED A HARNESS OUT OF ROPE TO USE ON JIM WILL. IN A SHORT TIME, JIM WILL AND THE SHEEP WERE HOOKED SIDE BY SIDE IN FRONT OF THE WAGON. THEN BUCK CLIMBED IN THE WAGON FOR WHAT HE THOUGHT WOULD BE A SLOW, PLEASANT RIDE ACROSS THE FIELD TOWARD THE SPRINGHOUSE.
"GIT UP, THERE," BUCK CALLED OUT, PULLING ON THE REINS.
"GIT UP," JIM WILL YELL LOUDLY, JUMPING UP AND DOWN BESIDE THE SHEEP.
THE SUDDEN MOVEMENT SURPRISED AND SCARED THE SHEEP. INSTEAD OF MOVING FORWARD IN A SLOW WALK, THE SHEEP LURCHED FORWARD AND TOOK OFF IN A FULL RUN, DRAGGING HIM WILL ALONG. THE BOY TRIED TO GET HIS BALANCE, BUT THE SHEEP WAS TOO FAST FOR HIM. HE WAS STUMBLING, FALLING, GRUNTING, AND HOLDING ON FOR DEAR LIFE.
THE RUN-AWAY WAGON THREW BUCK ON HIS BACK WITH HIS FEET IN THE AIR. THE REINS WENT FLYING OUT OF HIS HANDS. AS HE STRUGGLED TO GET IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION, THE SHEEP MAINTAINED ITS HEADING DOWN TOWARD THE SPRINGHOUSE IN SULFUR CREEK!
BUCK FINALLY MANAGED TO SIT UP AND GRAB THE REINS.
"WHOA!" HE YELLED, "WHOA!"
BUT THE WORD WASN'T IN THE SHEEP'S VOCABULARY, OR ELSE IT DIDN'T HEAR. ON IT WENT DOWN THE HILL AT BREAKNECK SPEED, BLEATING AND BUMPING THE WAGON AND POOR JIM WILL ON THE UNEVEN GROUND.
BUCK, HOLDING ON FOR DEAR LIFE, STILL BOUNCED ON THE BOTTOM OF THE WAGON AND BUMPED AGAINST THE SIDES.
BY NOW, BUCK WAS SCREAMING AT THE SHEEP AND JIM WILL WAS SOBBING FROM THE BUMPS AND SCRATCHES HE WAS RECEIVING AS HE WAS DRAGGED ALONG. THE TWO MOTHERS HEARD THE COMMOTION AND RAN OUTSIDE JUST IN TIME TO SEE THE OUT-OF-CONTROL RIDE COME TO AN ABRUPT AND UNHAPPY END.
THE SHEEP HAD SWERVED TO MISS A HEAD-ON COLLISION WITH A TREE GROWING ON THE CREEK BANK, BUT THE WAGON BROADSIDED THE TREE AND BROUGHT EVERYTHING TO A HALT. BUCK FLEW FROM THE WAGON AND LANDED WITH A SPLASH IN THE CREEK, KNOCKING THE FAMILY'S SUPPLY OF MILK AND BUTTER FROM THE SPRING BOX WHERE IT HAD BEEN COOLING FOR SUPPER. BUCK LOOKED AT IT FLOATING IN THE NOW MUDDY WATER AND KNEW IT COULDN'T BE SALVAGED.
AS BUCK TRIED TO SHAKE THE WATER FROM HIS DRENCHED CLOTHES, HE TRIED TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE THE TREE HAD DONE TO HIS WAGON, HIS SHEEP, AND JIM WILL.
ALL WERE STANDING, SO BUCK FELT A SPARK OF HOPE THAT EVERYTHING WOULD BE ALL RIGHT.
BUCK'S MOTHER PULLED HIM FROM THE CREEK, WHILE JIM WILL'S MOTHER CHECKED OUT HER SCRATCHED AND BLEEDING SON. NOW THAT HE HAD A CLOSER VIEW, BUCK COULD TELL FROM JIM WILL'S CROOKED ARM THAT HE HAD OBVIOUSLY BROKEN A BONE. BUCK KNEW HE'D BE LUCKY IF HIS MOTHER DIDN'T BREAK HIS NECK. AS HER LOOK OF CONCERN TURNED TO ANGER, HE KNEW HE WAS IN FOR IT!
"WHAT ON EARTH POSSESSED YOU TO DO SUCH A THING?" SHE DEMANDED TO KNOW! "YOU COULD HAVE KILLED JIM WILL."
LATER, A SHEEPISH-LOOKING BUCK TRIED TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED AS HIS FATHER UNHARNESSED THE SHEEP AND HELPED BUCK PULL THE WAGON BACK TO THE BARN.
JIM WILL'S BROKEN BONE MENDED AND BUCK'S WAGON WAS PERMANENTLY RETIRED FROM USE.
THE SHEEP NEVER QUITE TRUSTED BUCK AGAIN. IT SHOWED REMARKABLY GOOD JUDGMENT IN ALWAYS KEEPING A SAFE DISTANCE. I GUESS IT WAS AFRAID THAT IF IT EVER GOT INVOLVED IN ONE OF BUCK'S ESCAPADES AGAIN, IT MIGHT END UP AS LAMB CHOPS.
WRITTEN BY: LONNIE E. BROWN
FROM THE BOOK "STORIES YOU WON'T BELIEVE"
THIS STORY "SHEEPISH BUCK"
COURTESY OF THE LOCAL LIBRARY I RENT BOOKS FROM.
02/12/2022
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