The Boy and His Barn – Manuscript

JUST OUTSIDE A LITTLE TOWN…………………….BEHIND A LONG STONE WALL,

LIVED A LITTLE BOY IN A QUIET OLD HOUSE………………………… THAT WAS ONCE A FARM, NOT LONG AGO.

AND BEHIND THE HOUSE, SAT A BIG RED BARN, JUST AS OLD.

“YOUR MAMA BOUGHT THE HOUSE, AND I BOUGHT THE BARN,” LAUGHED THE BOY’S FATHER.

THE BARN WAS HOME TO MANY SMALL CREATURES: ………CATS AND MICE, AND SQUIRRELS AND OWLS,

AND, UNDER THE ROOF, WAITING FOR NIGHT, A BUNCH OF BATS, JUST HANGING DOWN,

AND ONCE IN A WHILE, A MOTHER RACOON WITH ALL HER BABIES,

AND SWALLOWS THAT LEFT FOR WINTER, BUT ALWAYS RETURNED FOR SPRING,

AND A TIRED OLD CAR AND A PAIR OF DOVES, WAY UP HIGH IN THE GABLE WINDOW.

“COME ALONG, KIDS, LET’S GO TO THE BARN AND DO SOME WORK.”

THE BOY WORKED IN THE BARN, FIXING AND PATCHING, WHILE BROTHER AND SISTER JUST RAN AND PLAYED.

“SOMEDAY WE’LL REBUILD THIS BARN, YOU AND I.”

AS TIME PASSED, THE BOY GREW BIGGER AND STRONGER,

WHILE THE BARN GOT OLDER, AND MORE TIRED, LIKE THE CAR.

ONE DAY THE CAR WAS TOWED AWAY.

“WE’LL HAVE TO TAKE THE BARN AWAY SOON, MY SON.”

“BUT WHY, PAPA?”

“IT’S TOO RUN-DOWN.  AND I’M TOO OLD TO FIX IT.”

“BUT I CAN FIX IT.”

“YOU CAN FIX ANYTHING.  I KNOW.”

AND SO THE BARN CAME DOWN, PIECE BY PIECE BY PIECE.

FIRST THE ROOF, THEN THE FRAME, THEN NOT EVEN THE FOUNDATION STONES WERE LEFT.

NOW THE MICE AND CATS HAD NO PLACE TO LIVE.

NEITHER DID THE OWL, OR THE BATS, OR THE SWALLOWS IN THE SPRING.

BUT THE PAIR OF DOVES STAYED ON, AND WAITED IN THE TREE NEARBY.

THE BOY WENT AWAY TO SCHOOL, AND THE DOVES GAVE UP AT LAST.

A YEAR WENT BY, THEN ANOTHER, AND ANOTHER.

AT LAST THE BOY CAME BACK, NOW A GROWN MAN.

BUT HE COULD NOT WORK IN THE BARN.  IT WAS LONG GONE.

“COME ALONG, PAPA, LET’S GO OUT AND BUILD A BARN.”

AND SO THEY DID, A BARN JUST LIKE THE ONE THAT USED TO BE.

A NEW FOUNDATION, A STURDY FRAME AND BRIGHT RED SIDING.

BEFORE TOO LONG, THERE WAS A MOUSE, AND A CAT, AND AN OWL AND LOTS OF BATS, AND ALL THE SWALLOWS IN THEIR NEW LITTLE HOUSE.

WHILE WAY UP HIGH IN THE GABLE WINDOW, SAT A PAIR OF DOVES.

“COME ALONG, KIDS, LET’S GO OUT TO THE BARN AND DO SOME WORK.”