In A Nest

It is time I put another story up. Don't laugh too hard at this one.:) And as a side note, this story was published before in the Pickwick Paper. It is based partly on a true story shared with me by someone who lives in Colorado. Have fun!


It was a lovely spring morning on the farm. The older boys and Papa were out in the barn milking the cows. Louise had gone out to gather the eggs as Annette, who usually gathered them, was sick in bed. Louise enjoyed gathering eggs especially on such a pretty morning. Everything was still waking up, the grass was damp with the night’s dew, and a meadowlark sang loudly on a nearby fence rail. Louise’s thoughts were not on the eggs she was placing in her basket. A breeze tossed her dark hair and whipped her dress around her ankles. It was a perfect day.
Louise had gathered almost a dozen eggs, when reaching into the next nest she felt something move! She let out a shriek and almost dropped her basket. Staring at the nest in horror she thought, “What have I just touched?” She didn’t dare put her hand in the nest again. On seeing a slight movement among the straw, she screamed once more just as Luke, James, Andrew and Papa arrived.
“What happened?” they demanded a little breathlessly.
“Something moved in that nest,” Louise shuddered, pointing with a trembling hand to the straw which was still moving slightly. James reached boldly in and dragged out a large black snake! Stifling another cry that rose to her lips, Louise looked away. How the boys laughed!
“Louise,” Luke laughed at his twin. “It was just a nice little black snake.”
“I don’t care, he scared me!” Louise had a dread of snakes which her brothers thought ridiculous. “I don’t think I dare gather any more eggs.”
After a little more teasing from the three boys and even some from Papa, Luke stayed to help her. He put his hand into the next nest and exclaimed, “Oh!” in a startled voice.
Louise gave a stifled squeal.
“Oh, it was only an egg,” Luke said with a teasing little grin.
“You!” Louise exclaimed and gave him a slight push.
When there were only three nests left, Luke tried coaxing his twin to get the eggs again. Louise shivered and shook her head.
“Look,” he reasoned reaching confidently into another nest, “there aren’t any more snakes.”
Only two lone nests remained unchecked. “Come on, Louise,” he urged. “I’ll get these, and you gather from that last one.”
Slowly, with great reluctance, Louise reached into the last nest. Immediately she let out a piercing scream and jumped back in terror! There was another snake! Luke doubled over with laughter, but Louise shrieked again as the snake poked his head out, his small red tongue flicking in and out and his black beady eyes gleaming. Luke was of no help, for he was bent double with laughter while tears ran down his cheeks from his merriment. As the snake began to wriggle out of the nest, Louise’s scream rose in a crescendo louder and louder, and she whirled around to run to the house. As she turned, she bumped into Andrew.
“Andrew!” Louise implored clutching his arm frantically, “Do something!”
For a moment, he looked at her, the snake, and Luke. Striding over, he caught the snake, which really wasn’t very big, and without a moment’s hesitation dropped it down the back of Luke’s shirt! The sight of his face made Louise stand still for a minute and watch. Luke’s laughter stopped suddenly as he felt the snake wriggling against his skin. One look at Andrew and he burst into uncontrollable laughter once more. Shaking with mirth he untucked his shirt and let the snake fall to the ground. At that Andrew joined in the laughter. So Louise left the two of them to their merriment and their snakes and went inside. “See if I ever gather eggs again!” she thought as the boys’ laughter still rang out from inside the safe, quiet kitchen.
The End