Maebelle's Hat Read online

  Maebelle's Hat

  by Rita Hestand

  Illustrated by

  Bonnie Everett-Hawkes

  Willy and the Spider

  Published by Smashwords

  ISBN# 978-1-4523-7557-1

  copyright© Rita Hestand

  Smashwords Edition

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  MAEBELLE'S HAT

  BY

  Rita Hestand

  Willy kicked the rock all the way into the barnyard, when he suddenly noticed all the animals heading for the barn. It wasn't feeding time, and Willy couldn't imagine why all the animals were going inside on a spring day.

  Mother Hen was waving her chicks in and saw him.

  "Come along Willy, there's a tornado coming, we must get to safety," Mother Hen said.

  Willy loped along quietly not realizing what the rush was about. He wanted to play outside today.

  "What's a Nado, Mother Hen?" Willy asked curiously.

  "We'll talk about that later, Willy. Right now, we have to get everyone in the barn." Mother Hen seemed too busy to talk to Willy, so he sped up a little. He watched as all her chicks lined up around her.

  Curly the pig was already inside looking disgusted at being taken from his mud hole, ole Mo came dragging in, and planted himself by the door as though watching for something. He whined every now and then and Willy wondered what he was so worried about. Why was everyone in such a big hurry?

  Once inside, Mother Hen seemed to be counting everyone. "Someone's missing, but I don't know who."

  Willy glanced around. He didn't know why Mother Hen was concerned but he knew if she was that he should be too. So Willy helped her count the animals.

  "Someone is missing," Willy declared too. "But who?"

  Socks came by, and lazily stretched herself in front of Willy. "It's Maebelle of course, out in the pasture, showing off that new hat of hers. As if anyone cares about that old thing."

  "Oh dear, poor Maebelle, " Mother Hen clucked fluttering her wings back and forth in distress.

  "I'll go get her," Willy cried, sticking out his chest and strutting toward the barn door.

  But no one seemed to notice Willy. He supposed they were all to busy to notice him. So he scampered out the door. He heard Mo whine again and glanced over his shoulder.

  Then he headed toward the meadow. Still wondering what a Nado was and knowing it must be something awful to cause such a fuss.

  Maebelle was no where to be seen though. Willy wondered if she wandered off further down the pasture. Deciding he had to find her, he ran first one way, then another. He didn't see her, but the wind was picking up, and it was beginning to rain.

  "So a Nado is a storm," Willy decided once he scouted the skies and realized it was becoming very dark. He'd never seen such clouds before, dark and angry looking.

  "I've got to find Maebelle," Willy fretted sensing some sort of danger he didn't understand and ran faster.

  He ran and he ran but he couldn't find Maebelle. And the sky was getting darker and green. He'd never seen a green sky before. Even the wind seemed to stop, all of a sudden. The birds weren't singing, in fact, he didn't even see any. Where had they gone?

  Just then, he spotted Maebelle, he ran towards her as fast as he could, yelling all the way,

  "Maebelle, Maebelle. Hurry, we've got to get to the barn. A Nado is coming."

  "A Nado?" Maebelle stopped munching the prime grass and looked at Willy. "What's a Nado?"

  "I don't know, but Mother Hen says we have to stay in the barn," Willy said, out of breath and glancing up at Maebelle.

  "Oh Willy." Maebelle laughed. "Always coming up with such words. You must get those ears taken care of Willy. You never hear anything right. I've never heard of a Nado."

  "We've got to hurry," Willy said glancing up at the sky, and noticing how it seemed to be forming dark streaks down to the earth.

  "We've got to get to the barn," he warned.

  "Nonsense, now that I have my hat, I don't have to worrry about such things. Isn't it beautiful Willy? Otis gave it to me for Easter."

  "Yes, it is, but I think we should go now," Willy pleaded.

  "Oh alright, Willy. If you insist. Come on little one, I'll walk you towards the barn," Maebelle said taking one last mouthful of grass.

  Just as Maebelle turned around, the wind whipped up and blew her hat away. The hat sailed through the air, and barely touched the ground.

  "Oh no! My beautiful hat." Maebelle cried as she watched it disappear in the rain and wind.

  Willy saw the hat too, and took off after it. "I'll get it for you …"

  Maebelle stood watching Willy and suddenly realizing that the sky was not itself and decided to move closer to cover. She ambled over to the trees and stood. She watched for Willy but didn't see or hear him. Willy was such a small little duck it would be hard to see him in such tall grasses.

  Farmer Jack came running up to Maebelle and started pulling her back towards the lean-to.

  If Farmer Jack thought she needed cover then this Nado that Willy was talking about must be something very bad, Maebelle decided.

  Maebelle kept looking over her shoulder. She was worried about Willy. Willy was trying to save her hat .. oh dear, poor Willy!

  In the meantime, Willy was still chasing the hat. He'd nearly catch it, then the wind would whirl it away.

  Now the clouds seemed to come down to the earth and a terrible rumbling roar was off in the distance. Things blew over Willy's head and whirled about and up. Willy sank to the ground and held his breath, when suddenly something covered him.

  It was totally dark now and Wlly didn't know what was on top of him, but it shielded him from the great storm. So he felt safe for a while. He heard the roar above him and hugged the earth.

  The wind suddenly whipped at his ears as Maebelle's hat came up from Willy's head and whirled about in the air, then came down with a hard thud, on top of him again. So it was Maebelle's hat that protected him, Willy smiled to himself.

  But there was no time for smiling now, for Willy was shaking, he decided he had to get to the barn, where it was safe. Grabbing his courage he stood up and walked in the direction of the barn. Only he couldn't see. He pulled the hat right along with him even though it draped over his head and made it impossible to see where he was going. He kept on going, and the roaring stopped, and the wind stopped.

  Then he heard laughter coming from just ahead of him. He kept walking till he was right in front of Maebelle the cow. He knew it was Maebelle he saw her hoofs.

  Maebelle reached down with her mouth, and grabbed the hat off Willy's head.

  "Oh thank goodness you are alright, Willy." Maebelle said as she threw the hat on top of her head and reached down to give Willy a big lick.

  Everyone laughed again as they came closer to Willy and Maebelle.

  Willy laughed too

  Mother Hen ran up to Willy and took him under her wing protectively. Then she looked at him. "Whatever were you thinking Willy. Don't you know how dangerous a Tornado is?"

  "Was that a Nado?" Willy asked glancing at the sky again and seeing that it was raining harder now and everyone began to head for the barn again.

  "Come along Willy. I think I better tell you about the Nado now." Mother Hen clucked.

  The End

 

 

  Rita Hes
tand, Maebelle's Hat

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