The Baker's Son
(my version of the boy who cries wolf)
Henry picked a spot on top of the highest hill he could find above the grazing ground. “Stupid sheep.” he muttered to himself. Henry had been assigned to watch Lord Thompson’s sheep while the real Sheppard lay resting to recover from the horrific fall caused by Henry’s practical joke. Henry was known as the town’s prankster and this was the town’s way of letting him know they were not amused by his latest fiasco. Henry had caught a wild cat behind his father’s bakery and came up with the bright idea to set it loose in the Sheppard’s kennel. Like expected, the sheep dogs went mad at the sight of it. When the Sheppard came out to see what was wrong with his dogs he was tripped and trampled on. This left the Sheppard with two black eyes and a sprained ankle. Henry’s punishment was to take the Sheppard’s place until his ankle healed. Henry could think of a hundred ways his time could be better spent, but he dared not go against Lord Thompson’s orders.
Henry leaned back on his hands and shot back up from a jolt of pain, he had cut himself on a rock. In anger Henry picked up the rock and flung it out onto the grazing ground. The rock bounced a few times and then hit an unsuspecting sheep in the nose. The sheep went running with excitement and riled up all the others. For a few minutes the entire field was in chaos. This, of course, amused Henry and he went on the prowl for another rock. When he finally found one he turned his attention back to the grazing ground to pick out another unsuspecting victim but he noticed something was wrong with the sheep. They were all huddled together in the far side of the grounds. Henry searched the woods for any sign of what could be the cause. He was just about to give up when he caught the huge yellow eyes of something monstrous. With terror running through his entire body he raced for his horn. He blew it as loud and as long as he could muster. When he caught glimpse of some of the farmers running to his aid he yelled out “WOLF! WOLF! HURRY! WOLF!”
The first farmer who arrived looked around in confusing and shouted at Henry, “Well? Where is it boy?” Henry pointed, “Down there, in the trees.” The farmer searched the trees with his eyes, “I don’t see anything boy.” Henry became defensive, “It’s down there I saw it!” The farmer eyed Henry for a moment, “Okay, I’ll go take a look.” The farmer with the help of two more searched the parameter of the woods while Henry sat on the hill and watched. When they were finished with their search they returned to where Henry was sitting, “There was no signs of any wolf, boy. Are you sure of what you saw?” “YES!” cried Henry, “I know what I saw.” “Okay!” The farmer laughed, “Well there ain’t anything there anymore so we’re gonna go get some real work done now.” With that all three farmers headed back down the hill toward their fields.
Henry watched them walk away, too proud to admit he was a little afraid of the wolf’s return. “Stupid sheep!” he muttered again as he flung himself down next to his horn. He did a quick scan of the woods just to make sure the farmers hadn’t missed something. When he got to the trees just below the hill he was sitting on something moved. Two scared to get a better look he jumped up with his horn and cried out for the farmers to come back. “Down there!” he screamed as the first farmer approached, “It’s down in those trees. I told you I saw something.” The farmer looked confused, “We searched the entire wood and there was nothing down there!” “Well, its back!” cried Henry. “I guess we could have another look.” the farmer obviously felt sorry for Henry. Just then a second farmer arrived, “Wait, Jim, don’t you know who this boy is? He’s the baker’s boy, the prankster.” he scowled at Henry, “Let’s get back to work.” The three farmers started walking away. “Wait,” Henry called, “what about the wolf?” The second farmer hit Henry with the wood end of his hatchet, “Don’t mess with us boy, we don’t have time for your games.” The impact sent Henry fumbling to the ground. By the time he regained his bearings the farmers were halfway down the hill.
“Stupid sheep,” Henry cried with his face in his hands. When Henry finally looked up the wolf was right in front of him. He reached for the horn but the wolf had tackled him before he could grab it. It seemed like centuries that he wrestled with it, he barely noticed when it started making noises that sounded like human laughter. “What is going on?” Henry cried. The wolf finally jumped off him and took off its head to reveal the Sheppard’s youngest daughter Tayla. “And you thought you were the world’s greatest prankster!” she laughed, “I can’t believe you fell for that!” Henry jumped to his feet, “What’s wrong with you? I…I could have killed you!” Tayla jumped to her feet laughing uncontrollably, “Right!” She put the wolf head back on, “You just remember this the next time you feel the need to prank my father!” With that she ran down the hill and away from Henry, laughing the entire time.
He sat back down in disbelief. It took him a while to make sense of what had happened. After sorting through all the thoughts in his head he finally focused on the anger. He jumped up and started pacing back and forth. “STUPID SHEEEEEEEEEP!” he yelled out. He threw himself back on the ground and sighed. He scanned the grazing ground and found all the sheep to be blissfully unaware of his turmoil. He leaned back on his hands and poked himself again with a rock. He picked up the rock and eyed the sheep debating whether or not to throw it. Out of the corner of his eye he saw something move in the trees.
He jumped to his feet once again, “I can’t believe this,” he shouted, “TAYLA, it’s not funny!” Henry ran down the hill and into the trees searching frantically for Tayla. “You think this is funny, just wait ‘til I turn you over to the farmers!” He stopped to listen to see if he could hear her laughter. “Where are you?” Being in the woods alone was starting to creep him out. “Fine, stay out here by yourself, all alone.” Henry started back towards his safe spot on the hill. Something cracked behind him and he flung around to see that he was only feet away from a real, live wolf. He put his hand to his side to grab his horn but he had left it on the hill. Henry stood frozen with fear staring into the eyes of the beast. He made a break for it running for the hill and his horn. The wolf caught him before he even got half way there and sunk its teeth into his arm. He screamed out in pain and started to fight it off. He somehow managed to kick it away from him. Then he kicked it again in the head and heard it whimper. He got up and made another run for it screaming the entire way up the hill. The wolf followed him and got to him just as he reached the horn.
Tayla stashed the handmade wolf costume in her father’s barn then went to say hi to the dogs. “Guess what Milo?” she whispered to her favorite dog, “I am the queen of payback! Nobody messes with my dogs.” She said goodbye to the dogs and ran home. She went straight to her father resting in the parlor. “Hi papa.” she put her hands around his neck and very carefully gave him a kiss, “How are you?” she asked. “I’m doing very well thank you. What put you in such a good mood?” Tayla gave her father another kiss on the cheek and ran for her room. She was half way up the stairs when she heard Henry’s horn. “That boy, that’s the second time today he’s cried wolf!” her father moaned. Tayla ran back down the stairs and out the front door. She passed one of the farmers on her way toward the hill, “Why aren’t you responding?” she yelled. “Because, there ain’t anything down there.” he dismissed Tayla. “Oh no, the horn stopped.” Tayla grabbed the farmer’s shovel and ran toward the hill. The farmer ran after Tayla. When he finally caught up with her she was on her knees bent over something crying hysterically. As he got closer he recognized the lifeless body of the poor baker’s son. “Where’s the wolf?” he asked Tayla. She didn’t respond. He looked down guiltily at his axe and headed toward the wood determined to slay beast.
“This,” Lord Thompson said over Henry’s body, “is a tragedy. Let this be a lesson to all, those who are known for their lies will not be believed when the truth is told.”
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