An August Autumn Story

:Mood Todae (on left)

The months of the Year gathered for a feast round a roarin Bonfire...n as was e custom, each had to tell a story bout somethin interestin dat had happened when it was their month of the year...

Nobody wanted to start first...not wintry Jun, not warming October, not even quick-tempered December...all except mild (some say limpid) April...

"there was a boy, lets call him John,who hated everythin in his foster family where he had been brought up...mother was alwaez findin fault n father alwaez had such strange ambitions for him dat he never wanted for himself...n he was never allowed to play wif e other children (at least, not for long)...

so John decided to run away...he walked for km after km...till e Mars bars he brought ran out and e water he had finished...day 2 nite n nite 2 dae again in unendin cycle...n den he cut himself by accident on some rusty fence....n soon, he was just 2 tired 2 continue...so he lay 2 rest n died...

His ghost left his body n he saw a small figure in e bushes...hey, wats ur name? e figure asked...John...well, i'm Dan..i used 2 live up in dat house behind dis hill b4 i died...come on, lets play...n they spent e remainder of their April daez in such games n fun...activity after activity...dat was e best time John had in his whole life (or death i shd sae)

den one dae, he decided...lets go visit e house u used 2 live in Dan...but Dan just said, hav fun...e folks there r a strange lot...y dun u stay wif mi here n we can spend winter in these shrubs n bushes like e little hibernatin animals..but John absolutli refused...n Dan could onli bid him farewell sadli as John walked up e road n over e hill 2 e house beyond...."

"dats a nice story April.. i wish i were u for all my stories are dark n cold n filled with pain n regret...a longin for better daez..." said chill May..."oh well...dats juz e wae we were made...e daez are longer in mi n warmer n calm whereas for u, its windy n disturbed n the nights get long, dreadful and fearsome...no one realli to blame...." replied April in consolation.....

(adapted from Neil Gaiman's August's Tale in his book Fragile Things)---treasure the Autumn while warmth n life is still here...