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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Fairy Tales & Fantasy
- Subject: Inspirational / Uplifting
- Published: 07/18/2013
Little Boat
Born 1963, M, United StatesLittle Boat
The lake is calm, the air is still. The little boat sits in the water almost motionless.
She's been sitting on the shore staring at the little boat for hours,
yet it still does not move.
It's just a matter of time she figures, just a matter of time.
"Hello little one, what are you doing?"
Startled, she jumped.
She hadn't noticed her grandfather had walked up behind her.
"Nothing poppy." she answered."Nothing really."
"Surely you must be doing something."
The little girl went back to staring at the little boat.
She knew the minute she turned away, something would happen.
Looking out at the lake, he noticed his small rowboat.
"How did my little boat get out in the lake?"
Silently she kept her vigil and did not answer.
"Little one, did you set the boat free?"
Still she continued to stare and was silent.
"May I ask why you have set the boat free then?"
"To check for dragons in your lake." She answers.
"How will the small boat find these dragons?"
Rolling her eyes up in her head, and with a heavy sigh she answers,
"When something large swims under a boat it moves."
"So when the boat moves you would know there was a dragon. You are very clever little one." he smiles.
"But, it is getting late, and you must be getting to bed."
Reluctantly she stands up and walks back to the cabin with her grandpa.
That night, as she slept, a dragon crept into her dreams.
It was large and very strong. It pulled her under the water.
She tried to scream, but she couldn't. Her lungs filled with water.
"Poppy!"
She awoke in a sweat. Sunlight was filtering through the small window.
The dragon must be near by! I saw him in my dreams.
Putting on her sandals, and still in her night dress she ran down toward the lake.
Looking down the hill she saw the little boat was gone.
She could not see it anywhere. The dragon must of taken it under.
"Poppy!" she yelled. "Come quickly!"
As fast as his old legs could carry him, still in his robe and slippers, he ran to the girl.
"What is it little one?"
"Look, the boat is gone. I knew something was wrong. I had a dream......."
"Calm down little one, and follow me."
Taking her hand, the old man lead her down to the dock.
Pointing to the far side of the dock, there the little boat was tied.
"See, the boat is safe at home."
"But how?"
"Last night, after you had gone to bed, I swam out and got the little boat and brought it home."
Feeling foolish, the girl shuffled back for the cabin.
The old man watched the girl as she walked back. Her head was hung low, and her sandals dragged the ground as she walked.
That's not the walk of a young girl, he thought. That's the walk of an old man, she's too young, she should be happy and free.
Maybe, he thought, she needs her dragons to chase.
"Wait for me." he yelled out to her.
The little girl stopped and waited for the old man to catch up.
"I didn't get to tell you everything little one."
She looked up into his eyes.
"While I was swimming out to get the boat I bumped into something."
"What Poppy?"
"I don't know exactly, but it was very large, and covered in scales."
The little girls eyes lit up.
"Maybe after we eat breakfast, we can both go out and check the lake together."
"Yes Poppy! Thank You!" the girl answered hugging him as hard as she could.
Maybe, no matter how young or old we are, we all still need our dragons to chase.
END
David Ivanko
Little Boat(David Ivanko)
Little Boat
The lake is calm, the air is still. The little boat sits in the water almost motionless.
She's been sitting on the shore staring at the little boat for hours,
yet it still does not move.
It's just a matter of time she figures, just a matter of time.
"Hello little one, what are you doing?"
Startled, she jumped.
She hadn't noticed her grandfather had walked up behind her.
"Nothing poppy." she answered."Nothing really."
"Surely you must be doing something."
The little girl went back to staring at the little boat.
She knew the minute she turned away, something would happen.
Looking out at the lake, he noticed his small rowboat.
"How did my little boat get out in the lake?"
Silently she kept her vigil and did not answer.
"Little one, did you set the boat free?"
Still she continued to stare and was silent.
"May I ask why you have set the boat free then?"
"To check for dragons in your lake." She answers.
"How will the small boat find these dragons?"
Rolling her eyes up in her head, and with a heavy sigh she answers,
"When something large swims under a boat it moves."
"So when the boat moves you would know there was a dragon. You are very clever little one." he smiles.
"But, it is getting late, and you must be getting to bed."
Reluctantly she stands up and walks back to the cabin with her grandpa.
That night, as she slept, a dragon crept into her dreams.
It was large and very strong. It pulled her under the water.
She tried to scream, but she couldn't. Her lungs filled with water.
"Poppy!"
She awoke in a sweat. Sunlight was filtering through the small window.
The dragon must be near by! I saw him in my dreams.
Putting on her sandals, and still in her night dress she ran down toward the lake.
Looking down the hill she saw the little boat was gone.
She could not see it anywhere. The dragon must of taken it under.
"Poppy!" she yelled. "Come quickly!"
As fast as his old legs could carry him, still in his robe and slippers, he ran to the girl.
"What is it little one?"
"Look, the boat is gone. I knew something was wrong. I had a dream......."
"Calm down little one, and follow me."
Taking her hand, the old man lead her down to the dock.
Pointing to the far side of the dock, there the little boat was tied.
"See, the boat is safe at home."
"But how?"
"Last night, after you had gone to bed, I swam out and got the little boat and brought it home."
Feeling foolish, the girl shuffled back for the cabin.
The old man watched the girl as she walked back. Her head was hung low, and her sandals dragged the ground as she walked.
That's not the walk of a young girl, he thought. That's the walk of an old man, she's too young, she should be happy and free.
Maybe, he thought, she needs her dragons to chase.
"Wait for me." he yelled out to her.
The little girl stopped and waited for the old man to catch up.
"I didn't get to tell you everything little one."
She looked up into his eyes.
"While I was swimming out to get the boat I bumped into something."
"What Poppy?"
"I don't know exactly, but it was very large, and covered in scales."
The little girls eyes lit up.
"Maybe after we eat breakfast, we can both go out and check the lake together."
"Yes Poppy! Thank You!" the girl answered hugging him as hard as she could.
Maybe, no matter how young or old we are, we all still need our dragons to chase.
END
David Ivanko
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