Storyteller showcase - May 29

A story with two perspectives

A wily old Rhode Island Red hen (Hazel Smith) came precariously close to removing a young girl’s eye last Tuesday.

The girl (Bethany Jones) reported that she had merely wanted to view the eggs that Smith had produced the week before. Then suddenly that old hen got an evil look in her eye.

“At that point I became leery, and in the last second ducked, receiving a painful laceration to my forehead during the altercation,” Bethany said.

According to Smith, the girl approached her without being invited.

“I could tell that when she came up she was after the eggs,” Smith said. “Those aren’t just eggs. Those are my children, and I think she was wanting to try them with some bacon.

“I feel fully vindicated in protecting my space and my family from that kind of attack. I have lost hundreds of eggs to egg lovers of all types and that girl is no different.”

Holding Smith in the image that was captured a moment before the incident was Bethany’s father( Kyle Jones).

When asked for comment he had little to say, except that the two had been after each other for some time — and that the contentious old hen was in danger of being made into stock because he had been injured by her in the past.

— Michael Eaton, Clovis

Josh and his dad — together again

Josh enjoyed spending time with his dad. Every day they seemed to go on new adventures when his dad would take him to different places around the city they lived in.

The zoo, park, and lake were some of Josh’s favorite spots.

Then their adventures came to a halt when Josh’s dad was called into service by the military and was shipped out to war.

Those were some frightening times for the entire country and for the families who had loved ones fighting like Josh’s.

Every time he passed by one of his favorite spots, Josh was reminded of his dad out there fighting.

Then he saw news footage of a bomb go off where the military was fighting and he became scared. What if his dad was in that explosion? What if he never saw him again?

For a long time, there wasn’t any news about his dad and Josh became depressed. He hardly stepped foot outside his room.

Then one day, Josh glanced outside his bedroom window and saw a black van drive up. The door opened and a man in a cast got out and started swinging on a pair of crutches.

It took Josh a moment to recognize the man, and when he did, he zoomed out of his room and the house, past his mom in the kitchen and threw open the front door.

He ran to his dad and threw his arms around him.

The man gave out a slight huff and placed a hand on Josh’s head. Josh’s mom came out and also hugged her husband and son.

They were finally together again.

— By Maria Elena Delgado, Portales