Memories of a kid~The Big Bull

My sister and I started out across the corn field. We were barefoot as usual, wearing t-shirts and shorts. We'd finished our morning chores in our grandparents' garden and had been told that we could *go out and play*.

Our summer home was smack dab in the middle of now-where ... miles from town and at least a mile or so it seemed from the nearest neighbor.

We thought we'd hike out through the cornfield and slide through the 4 strand barbed wire fence. We'd be in Uncle Stanley's woods where he kept cattle.
We intended on wandering around to find a respectable climbing tree that we could turn into a fort.
Not a fort like the kind that required wood and nails, but just a good climbing tree with many branches to 'hide out in'.

We passed up some nice pines as they'd get our feet, clothes, and hands, full of pine pitch...we didn't wish to raise the ire of my mother.

My mom had hollered out as we faded into the corn ... *WATCH out for the Big Bull!*

Those words echoed in our heads as we climbed through the barbed wire fence.
*What would you do if you saw The Bull right now?* my sister asked.

We moved into the woods.

*I'd climb a tree.* I glanced around. *Did you hear that????*
My sister nodded and we were positive we'd heard THE BULL.

We scrambled up the the nearest oak tree like two little monkeys.

*See anything?*
*Nope. You?*
*Nope.*

So there we were, stuck in a massive old oak tree, peering at the heavily wooded forest around us.

*Think he is out there?*
*Dunno.*
*Grandpa said he was a mean bull.*
*Yeah, I know. Big?*
*Big.*
*Really Big?*
*Monstrous.*
*Think he'd hurt us?*
*Yup.*

We fell silent. We'd talked ourselves into a bit of a fright. Two young girls, sitting in an old oak tree...in the woods.

*Could he get us up here?*
*I dunno, maybe.*

We climbed higher.

*What if he keeps us here 'til dark. Think anyone would come along?*
*Dunno.*

But it was food for thought.
*Maybe he'd go back to the barn when it is feeding time.*
*Maybe...unless he is really mad at us.*
*Why would he be mad?*
*Well we are in his pasture. That just might do it.*
*Oh. Right.*

Silence.

We sat for hours in that old ancient oak tree, positive that The Big Bull was out there. We sat with the dappled sunlight filtering down on us and discussed all of our escape routes and options.

Yes.
We did make it back home before dark.
We were brave.

Mom asked us if we'd had fun.

*Yup,* we'd answered, vowing never to return.

We never did either. Nor did we ever see the Big Bull and sometimes I wonder if he wasn't a fabricated 'monster' just to keep us from wandering to far into the woods.