Little Simon’s Ball
Fear, courage and love
The kids ran to hide in the forest where the trees would protect them from the animal. When the large bull wandered into the meadow where the kids were playing panic ensued. Snorting and pounding the ground with his hoof, the bull watched the kids scatter like mice.
Little Simon peered out from behind a tree trunk to look at the bull who was now calmly eating grass. He looked over at Cody who was two years older than him and hiding behind a nearby tree, “Our ball is still out there. What if the bull eats it?”
Cody gave him a look of condescension, “Bulls don’t eat plastic balls.”
“What if he pokes the ball with his horns and lets all the air out? That ball was a present from my grandpa.”
“Why would the bull do that? That’s stupid. Maybe I’ll go out there and get the ball.”
“Wait!” said Claudia who had been listening from behind a nearby tree. “Cody, you can’t do that!”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re wearing a red t-shirt. Bulls attack anything that’s red. Haven’t you ever heard anything about bull fights?”
Looking down at his shirt, Cody was overcome with fear.
Little Simon looked down at his clothes, “I’m not wearing any red. Maybe I can go out there to get my ball.”
Claudia ran from her tree to the tree Little Simon was behind, “Little Simon you can’t. Your parents would be so sad if that bull killed you.”
“But I’ve gotta save my ball!” Little Simon started crying.
“Look!” said Rodrigo who just appeared behind Cody’s tree. “The bull is moving closer to the ball. I say we just wait until the bull leaves. There is no sense in risking our lives.”
Cody turned around to address Rodrigo, “What if the bull stays in the meadow for the rest of the day? What if he never leaves?”
“My ball!” cried Little Simon.
Claudia looked down at her clothes. She was dressed entirely in blue and white. But she had on her wrist a red beaded bracelet that she had made in Craft Camp. She took off the bracelet and threw it at Rodrigo who failed to catch it. Claudia then began walking out into the meadow.
“Don’t!” yelled Cody.
“Claudia, no!” said Rodrigo, who was now clutching her bracelet tightly in his hand.
“My ball!” cried Little Simon.
Mustering every ounce of courage that she could, Claudia walked tall and firmly directly towards the ball. She had never been so brave before.
Just ten paces from reaching the ball the bull lifted its giant head up from the grass. It stopped chewing the grass in its mouth as it looked into Claudia’s eyes.
A powerful jolt of fear rushed through Claudia’s body. She slowed her pace but kept walking towards the ball. She softly spoke to the bull, “I’m sorry to interrupt you Mr. Bull but I have to get Little Simon’s ball.” A few tears squirted from her eyes.
Except for its tail, the bull did not move, its gaze fixed on Claudia.
She finally reached the ball and, while still looking at the bull, she gingerly bent over to pick up the ball. Slowly, she began walking backwards away from the bull. When the bull began to chew the grass in its mouth again she turned around and ran as fast as she could towards the forest.
When she approached the trees she threw the ball towards the boys then veered off in a different direction and ran home as quickly as she could. She did not want the boys to see that she was crying and that she had peed in her pants.
From that day forward Claudia was considered the very toughest kid in the whole neighborhood. No one ever messed with her.
A couple days later she ran into Rodrigo. He reached into his pocket and pulled out her red beaded bracelet. As he handed it to her she held up her hand, “No, you keep it.”
Rodrigo kept that bracelet for the rest of his life.
Copyright by White Feather. All Rights Reserved. This is a work of fiction. Stories by White Feather
Speaking of meadows…