One Wish, That’s All (story)

Scott was in his dad's car traveling on Folly Mountain road, through the woods. He had been worried there wouldn't be enough snow for their snowshoe hike.
"I promised you lots son," his father said with a smile.
Scott's eyes were huge. Everywhere he looked, the snow looked really deep. In his hometown of Truro, there was hardly any.
After parking the car and putting on their snow shoes, father and son headed down the trail.
Scott had a hard time keeping up. His father's stride was much longer than his own.
"Want me to slow down, son?" dad asked.
"No!" Scott was stubborn. Besides, he was still upset about school yesterday. Some people kept calling him "Shorty," because he was the shortest boy in his class.
Now he rested along with his dad as they looked down into a deep valley.
Scott wished he could be as tall as that hill in the distance. Then he would show those bullies.
"Come on son," his dad said. Scott stood still and watched as his father kept going down the trail. The boy walked to the edge of the hill.
It must have been his toes hanging over too far.
Maybe it was the extra sausages he'd had for breakfast. In any case his weight was too heavy for the ledge of snow.
Down he went, doing a little somersault. Scott was so surprised, he could barely call out. "Yipe!" He was like a large snowball rolling and tumbling down.
And down.
He roared past small twigs poking out of the snow. He tumbled past a surprised mouse, watching from an old log.
Scott even scared a squirrel who scampered up a tree.
Then he skidded past three rabbits who fled in all directions.
Scott even tumbled past a surprised fox.
It was a good thing the hill slope finally came to an end.
Scott had snow down his neck, inside his sleeves and down his pant legs. Somehow his hat and gloves managed to stay on.
Finally he landed in a snowy heap right beside a tall tree. Scott was almost afraid to check and see if he had broken anything.
No broken toes. No broken legs or arms. Only bruises and sores. His face was scratched all over from rolling through saplings.
He stood up, feeling quite small at the bottom of the hill. He could not see where he had begun his fall.
It was somewhere way up there.
"Wow!" if only I was tall as that hill, he thought.
He yelled for his dad. Again and again his voice bounced back as echoes. "Helppp! Daddd!" wasn't being heard.
Now Scott was really upset. This is just the way it is in school, he thought, feeling so short and lonely.
He shouted out, "If only I was tall." He looked up, "Like that tree! I want to be tall like that tree."
And then he shouted boldly. "No, I want to be taller! Right up to the sky!!" Suddenly, a strange thing happened.
His bones began to creak. And stretch. His knees creaked and groaned. His legs began to grow. And grow.
At first he could see only the bottom of the tree.
Then as he rose higher on his stretching legs, bird's nests came into view. A partridge on a limb flew away in terror.
Soon Scott was above the tree. His eyes felt nervous as he rose higher and higher. He could not even see his feet.
His eyes looked around. He could almost touch the clouds, he was so high. Sea gulls flew around him.
He became really afraid. Where was his father? The sky was getting dark. No more blue, only the sun setting.
Scott was cold as he watched the pink sky change to black. Now he felt really alone.
He wanted to be tall. Now he was taller than the tallest tree in the forest. But did it do him any good?
He wished he was his normal self again. Even if he was the shortest boy in his class.
He closed his eyes and wished really hard.
"I want to be small again." And then he felt himself falling. His legs were no longer stretched really long. They were normal again.
An eagle swooped under him and caught Scott. The boy felt those soft feathers and held on to the eagle's neck.
"Please take me home," Scott pleaded.
And the eagle did as he was asked. He flew the boy swiftly home before Scott's parents worried too much.
As they approached the house, he saw house lights still on. Coming nearer they saw a crowd of people in their living room.
There was mom and dad. And Boots, his cat. Scott saw the class bully and other friends all sitting around.
The eagle flew through the open window. Scott's father caught him as the eagle did a back flip. Scott liked his father's firm hug. Then his mother gave him another one.
Everyone began to yell and clap. Scott was laughing too.
It didn't seem to matter how tall or short he was.
Scott was just glad to be home.

The End

© Richard & Esther Provencher