The Mud Hen

Watching these two today, brought back a true story I had written about me and my Mom when I was only 10. I had written the story for a college class. I try hard to be like my Mom was with us, but I do fail miserably many times. My adult side wants to put a kabash to the child-like joy in all things, but my girls are helping me remember the unabashed joy of being so young.
So without further ado...The Mud Hen..................



It was a warm spring day. I think it was a Saturday sometime in April when I was around 10 years old. It was one of those days that was just warm enough to go without a jacket. I felt free again. I could feel the warm breeze brush across my arms that had been imprisoned all winter long. I loved those days! I enjoyed spending all my time outside exploring the outdoors, especially in the spring when it was all wet and mushy. Life was springing up everywhere. Even then I seemed to understand that mud and water were some of the foundations of life.




On this particular day I found myself exploring a big mud puddle located between the pole shed and corn crib. Farms are an especially easy place to find mud puddles! I was fingering the mud, noticing how it resembles the clay that I had so often used in my art classes. I became so excited that I started grabbing handfuls of mud and squashing them together into balls.


I was squatting over the edge of the mud puddle at this time in my creation...


I started hollowing out the interior of my balls. They started to look like bird nests.


The more I created, the closer my bottom sunk, getting closer and closer to the water logged ground. Soon, I wasn't squatting anymore, I had become one with the earth.


Since I was totally unaware of the change in my position, I noticed that the nests needed eggs. I again gathered more and more mud, transforming it into long eggs, short eggs, fat eggs, and skinny eggs. My creation was moving fast now. I had around 10 -11 nest complete with their own eggs. I had lost all track of time, when all of a sudden I heard "Aves, come and eat" It was my Mom. I put the finishing touches on my master pieces. I gently placed them along the edge of the mud puddle, to be baked by the warm sun rays. I knew that the nests and eggs would need the sun to bake them to ensure a long life.


It was at that moment that I stood up,and felt my pants sticking to me along my backside.


I knew my Mom would not like this. I walked slowly to the house, trying to come up with a good explanation, or find a way to sneak past her before she would notice. When I arrived at the house and opened the door, Mom was standing right in the doorway. I was already late and she was beginning to wonder what had happened to me. She took one look at me and asked "Aves, what have you been doing?" I told her all about the wonderful mud puddle, the bird nest and eggs, and how the mud is just like clay when molded in your hands.



She just smiled, and told me to go in the basement, take a shower, change my clothes, and then after lunch, I could show her this incredible place that I had discovered.