Ethel And Benny.

Here is a story my seven year old self wrote to me;

Benny loves to chase around the farm's resident squirrel the kids named Freddy while his best buddy, Ethel the barn owl takes her afternoon nap. Their version of 'The hunger games' often lasts until it is time for Old Archer, the farm's owner to bring the sheep in from their grazing and Benny takes his daily opportunity to shine and earn his special treat for bringing them in on record time.

The sheep love Benny and always cooperate with him to beat the record in reeling them into their pens from the day before. Old Archer pretends not to notice their little arrangement and rewards them all at the end of their rehearsed exercise.

At 7pm daily, while Old Archer and his family are having their dinner, Benny runs off to the barn to catch his friend Ethel just as she wakes up. The humans hardly ever see her. They only hear her hoot at night in harmony with Benny's howls. Sometimes, Old Archer has to yell at them to turn the noise down so the whole neighborhood can sleep.

On this night, Benny meets Ethel talking to Eddy, the hedgehog who really is Old Archer's grandson's pet but loves to sneak away into the barn to get a little bit of action and share some animal gossip from time to time. Ethel looks upset and Benny asks her why.

Eddy repeats the news he has just told her that Old Archer is selling the farm away soon so that he can retire and move to the city with his daughter and her family.

"So what will happen to us then?" asks Benny. He remembers his old friend, Hunter who had to be sent to a dog shelter when his owners had to move away. Would Old Archer send him to a dog shelter too?

It appears that Ethel reads his mind and swiftly flies to his side to comfort him saying,

"Don't you worry, Benny. I am sure they plan to take you along with them to the city. I'll miss you when you are gone", and now it's her time to be sad.

Freddy the squirrel comes in to join them in their conversation and they sit in silence for a little while.

Eddy has to go back into the house when he hears his owner call his name over and over again, while Freddy also has to run off with a large walnut he found to share with his girlfriend that plays at the next farm's barn.

As Ethel and Benny are left alone, they start to sing their favorite song:

"In a barn south of town lived a lovely barn owl

who was friends with an old shaggy hound

always joking around;

She’s a hoot, He’s a howl

together they paint the night loud. "

And on and on they go until Old Archer yells at them to stop so that everyone can sleep. Benny says goodnight to Ethel and goes back to the farmhouse for the night.

All night Benny tosses and turns worried about what he will do if Old Archer leaves him behind and Ethel cries because she will miss her best friend in the whole wide world.

It takes forever for morning to come and the new day drags on. Benny does not want to play with Freddy, and Ethel can't sleep either so at midday when the farm hands and Old Archer take a lunch break, Benny goes to see how his best pal, Ethel is doing. He meets Eddy and Freddy talking to her and they all have big smiles on their faces.

"Old Archer says he can't imagine life away from the farm. He wants to stay and his daughter says it is ok for the grandkids to come on holidays."

Benny is so excited that he starts to do a spin on one spot and the others laugh at him. It is the best news he expected to hear. And when the lunch break is over he runs to old Archer to give him a good lick. Old Archer wonders why he is so happy.

Ethel is relieved and finally can sleep because her best friend in the world won't be going away anymore.

THE END.