Rita Hestand - Maebelles 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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BY

Rita Hestand

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

Mother Hen was waving her chicks in and sawhim.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Socks came by, and lazily stretched herselfin 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 oldthing."

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

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

But no one seemed to notice Willy. Hesupposed they were all to busy to notice him. So he scampered outthe door. He heard Mo whine again and glanced over hisshoulder.

Then he headed toward the meadow. Stillwondering what a Nado was and knowing it must be something awful tocause 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. Hedidn't see her, but the wind was picking up, and it was beginningto rain.

"So a Nado is a storm," Willy decided once hescouted the skies and realized it was becoming very dark. He'dnever seen such clouds before, dark and angry looking.

"I've got to find Maebelle," Willy frettedsensing some sort of danger he didn't understand and ranfaster.

He ran and he ran but he couldn't findMaebelle. And the sky was getting darker and green. He'd never seena 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. Wherehad they gone?

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

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

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

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

"Oh Willy." Maebelle laughed. "Always comingup 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 upat the sky, and noticing how it seemed to be forming dark streaksdown to the earth.

"We've got to get to the barn," hewarned.

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

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

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

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

"Oh no! My beautiful hat." Maebelle cried asshe 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 suddenlyrealizing that the sky was not itself and decided to move closer tocover. She ambled over to the trees and stood. She watched forWilly but didn't see or hear him. Willy was such a small littleduck it would be hard to see him in such tall grasses.

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

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

Maebelle kept looking over her shoulder. Shewas worried about Willy. Willy was trying to save her hat .. ohdear, poor Willy!