The first thing George noticed...
Illustration
The first thing George noticed was movement. He saw it
before the soft rustling whisper of dry leaves reached his ears,
a sound so common to the forest he would not have sensed another
presence at all but for the shifting shadows. "Who is it?" he
wondered. "Who -- or what -- would be moving about the woods in
the predawn stillness?" It was too dark for George to see.
There it was again -- the movement, then the gentle rustling
of leaves. George sat on his heels at the top of the ridge,
waiting patiently, watching the faint shimmering of the silvery
river as it slipped through early twilight toward the sea.
Whatever George had seen was close to the water's edge.
As dawn slowly melted into morning, George continued his
vigil. But the movement and rustling noises came no more. When
full daylight finally bathed the riverbank, all George could see
was a large boulder silhouetted against the river. He stood,
stretched, and went on his way.
Not long thereafter, the "boulder" stirred. Had George
stayed he would have seen the doe lift her head, rock to her
knees, and then stand. Because first the light was too dim and
later he had run out of patience, George would never know who had
shared the forest with him.
-- Fannin
before the soft rustling whisper of dry leaves reached his ears,
a sound so common to the forest he would not have sensed another
presence at all but for the shifting shadows. "Who is it?" he
wondered. "Who -- or what -- would be moving about the woods in
the predawn stillness?" It was too dark for George to see.
There it was again -- the movement, then the gentle rustling
of leaves. George sat on his heels at the top of the ridge,
waiting patiently, watching the faint shimmering of the silvery
river as it slipped through early twilight toward the sea.
Whatever George had seen was close to the water's edge.
As dawn slowly melted into morning, George continued his
vigil. But the movement and rustling noises came no more. When
full daylight finally bathed the riverbank, all George could see
was a large boulder silhouetted against the river. He stood,
stretched, and went on his way.
Not long thereafter, the "boulder" stirred. Had George
stayed he would have seen the doe lift her head, rock to her
knees, and then stand. Because first the light was too dim and
later he had run out of patience, George would never know who had
shared the forest with him.
-- Fannin
