A Winter's Tale

Winter is a terrible time to face an empty pantry, because weather conditions are not conducive to easy access to victuals. As a youth I occasionally had to hunt game in winter, and I never enjoyed it. One February I trudged out into the ice and snow, hoping to bring home enough for a meal or two, but had little luck. Finally, near sunset I happened on a large number of rabbits feeding on a hillside. They were easy to spot, despite their white winter coats, owing to their position along the ridge of the hill, where they were sillouetted starkly against the setting sun.

I raised my gun, aimed and fired, but the sunlight reflected off my gun barrel and blinded me, and I missed. The shot startled the rabbits, causing them to retreat. They hopped away too quickly for me to hit any with a second blast.

I returned home later that night much disappointed, and explained to my mother what had happened. She showed no sympathy.

"I should have sent your father," she said, exasperated. "You are too young to deal with a receding hare line."

Copyright © 2013 Laurie J. Anderson. All rights reserved.