"Well then..."

Short Story by: jmurch

Reads: 1204 | Likes: 0 | Shelves: 1 | Comments: 17

A whimsical look at a crazy conversation between three old friends and a daughter. It is a tale that tells how we all love and believe in something, even if our thoughts are far fetched.

"Flowers do bloom on the surface of the moon," so said the blind cow.

"And the stars are the eyes of God," snickered the frog.

"The earth is flat as mama's flapjacks," drawled the old cowboy.

His daughter, Angel Eyes, had nothing to say.

"A blind man cannot see until his eyes have bled," continued the blind cow.

"Says a cow who can't see," scoffed the frog.

"If you ask me about the pasture, you will find a lot of bull,' the old cowboy paused in thought, 'Shoot! I forgot my point."

Angel Eyes stared at them blankly, and she seemed to be blocking the chatter.

"The earth is round like the sun has circumference," the blind cow followed gazing black to a dream of lost vision.

"Ol' Cowboy already crooned about that,' the frog dryly stated and continued, 'it is as flat as the stack on his plate." He rolled his eyes and flicked his tongue catching a fly.

"Yessir, what the frog says," nodded the old cowboy in agreement. "It is flat as his lily pad he spats on!" He smiled, chuckling, and wrinkling crows feet about his old eyes and lit up a cigarette.

His daughter, Angel Eyes, now looked at each with beautiful eyes wide. She looked at her father extra with a grimace.

"So what do you think?" Asked the blind cow looking direct to the young lady.

"She thinks you are an idiot, don't you Angel Eyes?" The frog placed it bluntly.

"Nah, she thinks we're philosophical old coots sharing thoughts in a pasture, right sweetheart? He looked to his daughter slightly tipping his Stetson. He looked at her..They all looked to her for confirmation.

She did look at the scene before her with shocked amazement and surreal wonderment. She looked at her father, the old cowboy, conversing with a blind cow and a frog of an earth dusty from years of wet sweat and hard toil. She grimaced that his world had come to this! She reacted the only way a daughter could when paying witness to such a moment.

"Well then..." She huffed in disgust

She turned around and stormed off. They were all crazy...

The world was nothing like what they said. It was a giant spaceship. Because Mama had said.

Submitted: January 03, 2016

Humor humor father philosophy daughter cowboys

Like
Shelfit

Add Your Comments:

Sign in to write a comment

Comments

Islebabe

Just when I thought Angel Eyes was the sane one amongst the wacky group of characters; a blind talking cow and a cranky frog; need I say more. LOL. You, jmurch, have an insanely vivid imagination; which is a good thing 'cause you keep us thoroughly entertain. More, please.

Mon, January 4th, 2016 2:04am

Author
Reply

I will definitely try to bring more. Lol. I wrote a version of this when I was young, but I lost it. Angel Eyes and the old cowboy are new to this, and the only lines I recalled from the original poem are the first 2-3. I think the cowboy and mostly the daughter gave this poem a more interesting life. Thank you for enjoying this one. You made the snowman smile. :-). See? ????

Tue, January 5th, 2016 1:31pm

Mr Watson

Tis a crazy world, full of vivid characters, as is this world ! Loved it.

Mon, January 4th, 2016 7:04pm

Author
Reply

Yes to both of your thoughts. I wanted to create symbolic characters to represent the people of this world. Alternatives of leadership can show the grass isn't always greener on the other side. The other choices can be just as crazy or worse... I had some fun rewriting an old piece from memory. I think the new piece is far superior to the original...and a lot more fun to create.

Tue, January 5th, 2016 2:42pm

Elena ArtistiC

That's by far the most interesting piece of work I've read in a while. You are really talented! Great work. I love the ending! In fact, I love all of it! Keep writing, please!

Mon, January 4th, 2016 7:26pm

Author
Reply

I hope you keep writing as well. You have some talented work up as well. ????

Tue, January 5th, 2016 2:52pm

Melancholic Wisdom

This is brilliant, I even laughed a little at this. What a great piece to start off 2016 with. These characters are just, jesus man XD They're great. And the world is very vivid and interesting as well. Nice nice work :D

Tue, January 5th, 2016 2:52am

Author
Reply

It was definitely a fun piece to write for the New Year. My resolution involves my writing this year. I intend to bring my talent and help the talent of others this year based in a request of my daughter, another writer on the site (Rissy, the pirate's daughter). Thank you for the feedback as always my friend of the pen.

Tue, January 5th, 2016 3:03pm

Aranea

LOL! Yep, that's the way things go. No one knows their elbow from their *clears throat* hole and are just as crazy as the next one, but who we believe to follow, who we think is true, can be just as much of an insane choice. Story reminds me a bit of the one about the three blind men and the elephant. :) Good work Jmurch :D gave me a good chuckle this mornin'

Take care and be well.
E.VA.

Tue, January 5th, 2016 7:27pm

Author
Reply

I was chuckling when I wrote it. That is when you know a piece is fun to write. I had fun creating the new characters for it, and I had the whole poem/story mapped out as I wrote it. Your thoughts about the symbolic ideas of the characters is spot on, by the way. Thank you for peeking. Your comment made my day. :-)

Tue, January 5th, 2016 3:07pm

Susieshorts

We all know Mom's are always right. Most of the time. It was a cute story I enjoyed it. Best wishes for a great 2016

Wed, January 6th, 2016 4:07am

Author
Reply

Best wishes for you as well! May 2016 be a great creative year! I had a bit of fun writing this one. Every once in awhile the pen has to step back from serious and have some laid back fun. It lightens the darker creativity for a moment, don't you think. Thank you for your feedback as always.

Thu, January 7th, 2016 7:33pm

glindagail77

Haha, you got me! I was pleasantly surprised. This piece is fun to read and it brings to mind all of the one line explanations I have witnessed passed for truth throughout my days. My Grandma told me that if I didn't eat my bread crusts, I would never learn to whistle. I obliged that command promptly and faithfully, can't you tell by my professional whistling skills? Also my sister in law firmly warned me that if a pregnant woman wears high heels, her baby will be premature. No doubt! I wonder why obstetricians don't just come to her for sound medical advice in the future lol. Well, you never can be too careful I guess. Wonderfully playful, well done.

Thu, January 7th, 2016 5:14am

Author
Reply

Lol! You are so right. There are experts in our lives. I am sure I even have a few of my own. I really enjoy your positive approach, by the way. Your feedback is always a great justification for a smile, so far. I am glad you found me. You are great to lighten one uber stiff pirate snowman. Thank you, my friend of the pen. ????????????

Thu, January 7th, 2016 7:37pm

bloodman

I like it but I did not get it. I can see other reader do. You are impressive. Well done.

Fri, January 8th, 2016 11:00am

Author
Reply

Thank you my friend of the pen.

Mon, June 13th, 2016 4:23pm

Buffershaker

Great poetry,divinely written with sublime imagery.What more can I write?,I am inspired by your lovely tale.

Mon, January 11th, 2016 9:26pm

Author
Reply

I did enjoy weaving this web of prose. Perhaps, I visited my inner spider instead of my usual snow thoughts? Thank you for your comment my friend of the pen.

Mon, June 13th, 2016 4:30pm

Skinny Coutreux

This was cute! It tickled me that she felt them all to be wrong because of her mother's words lol very creative!

Fri, January 15th, 2016 12:26pm

Author
Reply

Thank you for your comments my friend of the pen. I still haven't dance, but this was definitely a fun write. One snowman was tickled the entire write.

Mon, June 13th, 2016 4:41pm

L.K. LilLoCksea

So very interesting!
I have really missed reading your work.
I almost thought Angel Eyes would set them all straight, but alas when we are that young the only things that really matter is what our parents tell us.
Alas so young and naive.
Really loved this though! It is truly unique.

Yours
L.K.

Wed, January 20th, 2016 6:30am

Author
Reply

Thank you my friend of the pen. You just read that last line and said, I know who says that. He is back. Lol. I missed your responses as well. So here is a big snowman smile! :-)

Mon, June 13th, 2016 4:44pm

H. Adams

First things first, I see we share many common readers. I've had your profile tabbed for a while, and I'm gonna go on a bit of a splurge today with your writing (hopefully; we're currently in a blizzard and there's the potential threat of a power outage).

This is one of those stories that can be read on a camping trip, with children sitting around the fire and an older, more wise camp counselor reciting the dialogue between everyone. Your humor is what shines, and I'm glad it does, because it's very playful and carefree in the way it's told. Angel Eyes strikes me as the only reasonable person in the bunch, and that suspicious is confirmed in those last lines. I like the shortness, too, even though I could read the ramblings of these guys for hours and never see a lack of entertainment for myself.

Great story. Will read on.

Sun, January 24th, 2016 6:29pm

Author
Reply

I think it would be fun to revisit this group again someday. My curiosity about their ramblings may drive me to produce more. After writing this, I felt I had more that could be said. Thank you my friend of the pen. I will bring the snowman for a summertime blizzard read of your work very soon. I am long over due my return to Booksie. I am minus new writing, but I have some creative things to share that I had produced during my hiatus.

Mon, June 13th, 2016 4:50pm

Valentine RPK

I really dig this. I really, really dig this. It feels like an old tale I've heard before, but at the same time being completely foreign. I particularly liked the character of the cow and how the frog reacted. The cow, to me, seemed like a dreamer. This seemed to be fitting, considering she couldn't see. She had to, pretty much, imagine everything. The frog's responses to each thing the cow said were pretty sassy.

I think the daughter's reacting, though a little rude, was priceless.

Lovely story!

Sat, March 19th, 2016 5:59am

Author
Reply

Thank you. It was a revisit to a lost piece of mine with some memorable lines. I had to rewrite the whole piece, but I had way more fun this time. I think the fun showed through. Thank you for looking at this work my friend of the pen.

Thu, June 16th, 2016 9:12am

air

LOL omg I love this!!! happy to come on today and get to read this. love to you, thanks for sharing! ~ katie

Sat, May 28th, 2016 3:15pm

unmasked delusions

Wow just wow...I love this story, unique in every sense of the word. What an image you created and the characters very quirky. Such a fun intriguing read. You'll have to paint this for us :) that would be awesome

Sat, June 18th, 2016 6:42pm