The Lonely Book

The Lonely Book

by Richard Naviasky

Once upon a time there was a book on a shelf in a house where a man and woman lived who didn’t ever read. And the book was lonely. So one morning when the man and woman were away from the house, the book slid off the shelf and flapped its front and back covers like a bird it had read about in its pages. But the book, it turned out, couldn’t fly. So, using its front and back covers like legs, the book jumped from a chair to a table to a windowsill, then out an open window.

And it’s not the end of the story, but interesting nonetheless, that the man and woman came home, and for the rest of their lives had no idea that a book they’d once owned, but never read, was gone.

Meanwhile, when the book left the man and woman and walked across their lawn, a snake slithered over to ask what it was. “I’m a book,” said the book. “Would you like to read me?” The snake didn’t know how to read, but since the book seemed quite lonely, and the snake was quite nice, he said, “I will be happy to look at your pages.” And, in fact, he found the pages fascinating! The strings of letters made such beautiful shapes that the snake began right then and there to wish that he could read.

And it’s not the end of the story, but interesting nonetheless, that after the snake and book parted ways, the snake made a home under the floor of a schoolhouse and paid close attention every day, until, despite what anyone would have ever believed, he did learn how to read. (And he became quite good at math as well!)

Meanwhile, when the book left the snake and walked to the barn at the edge of the woods next to the house, a snowy white owl in the rafters woke up, and asked what it was. “I’m a book,” said the book. “Would you like to read me?” The barn owl found this a curious question, but after a moment of thought, she replied, “I sleep all day. And it’s dark at night, too dark to read.” The barn owl then yawned, and went back to sleep.

And it’s not the end of the story, but interesting nonetheless, that when the barn owl woke that night, she couldn’t stop wondering what else she was missing being stuck in her habit of sleeping all day. She decided right then and there that habits could change, and would change. And from that day forward the barn owl sought new discoveries, and found her way to many wonderfully unexpected experiences.

Meanwhile, when the book entered the woods and walked to the bank of a river, a beaver working hard at building her dam asked what it was. “I’m a book,” said the book. “Would you like to read me?” The beaver was much too busy just then, and had no time for activities like reading a book. So she said, “How nice of you to ask! But I’m afraid that I haven’t the time!” Then the beaver chomped her teeth onto a tree limb and went directly back to work.

And it’s not the end of the story, but interesting nonetheless, that once the beaver stuck the last bit of mud on her finished dam, she began right then and there to wonder if spending every bit of time being busy was worth all the trouble if there was never time for anything else, like reading a book.

Meanwhile, when the book left the bank of the river and walked to a road that led to a driveway, a little girl called from the porch of her house, “Oooh! A book!” And the book answered hopefully, “Would you like to read me?” But the little girl confessed that she hadn’t learned how to read. So the book promised, “I’ll teach you! I have all the letters inside of me!” Excited and delighted, the little girl brought the book into her house.

And it’s a simple ending, but interesting nonetheless, that the happy book found a perfect home on a bedroom shelf of a little girl who one day would have hundreds of books, but always one favorite, that very first book, which she read over and over and over again…