And so the folks in Acme Falls hoped through the winter, they hoped through the spring, they hoped through the summer, and they hoped through the fall. But after a year of hoping, hope was running out for poor little Bonnie, who still needed her operation. The siblings still unsure as to why, guess she still does, apparently.
They were at the Acme Falls train station, Bonnie standing by her sister wrapped up in a blanket.
"For the last time Sparkle! I'm going and that's final!"
Ah yes, and while Sparkle stayed behind to look after her sister, Shane went out into the world to seek his fortune. But his oldest sister didn't want him to go. She thought it was a terrible idea when she first heard about it, but after thinking it over over the course of multiple weeks, she reluctantly agreed, or should I say very reluctantly agreed to let him go, regretting it last minute like usual.
"I still don't agree with this, I'm only letting you go because I don't want to leave Bonnie in such an ill state." Sparkle said for the hundredth time, crossing her arms.
Shane sighed in exasperation. "How many times do I have to tell you sis? If I don't do it Bonnie won't get the operation she needs, and..." Shane trails off.
Sparkle wrapped her arms around him. "I know, and I'm very grateful for you doing this, It'll help a lot, just be careful, okay?"
Shane smiled. "I will.." He said softly, giving them a hug each. Their hugs were cut short however, as the train pulled up. Both siblings waved to their brother who was boarding the train, not destined to come back for a year.
"Bye!" Bonnie called out, her big sister holding her.
Just like that the train was gone, leaving nothing but the train tracks.
Bonnie started to cry, already missing her big brother. Sparkle hugged her tightly, sisterly kissing her forehead.
So, together, a very sad Bonnie and a very anxious Sparkle go back home, ready to face a lonely year without their brother Shane.
Times were difficult without him however, very difficult. Bonnie's health was deteriorating much more, she was now virtually bedridden, only allowed to get up for an hour a day. Sparkle talked to Dr Simon and nurse Jeanette begging them to see if they had a cure, but they didn't. She even spoke with Macie, One of the smartest people in Acme Falls, but even she didn't have an answer.
So now Sparkle and Bonnie were in their small home, which was a lot more quiet without Shane, Sparkle telling Bonnie a story.
"... The barn was very large. It was very old. It smelled of hay and it smelled of manure. It smelled of the perspiration of tired horses and the wonderful sweet breath of patient cows. It often had a sort of peaceful smell-as though nothing bad could happen ever again in the world. It smelled of grain and of harness dressing and of axle grease and of rubber boots and of new rope. And whenever the cat was given a fish-head to eat, the barn would smell of fish. But mostly it smelled of hay, for there was always hay in the great loft up overhead. And there was always hay being pitched down to the cows and the horses and the sheep.
The barn was pleasantly warm in winter when the animals spent most of their time indoors, and it was pleasantly cool in summer when the big doors stood wide open to the breeze. The barn had stalls on the main floor for the work horses, tie-ups on the main floor for the cows, a sheepfold down below for the sheep, a pigpen down below for Wilbur, and it was full of all sorts of things that you find in barns: ladders, grindstones, pitch forks, monkey wrenches, scythes, lawn mowers, snow shovels, ax handles, milk pails, water buckets, empty grain sacks, and rusty rat traps. It was the kind of barn that swallows like to build their nests in. It was the kind of barn that children like to play in. And the whole thing was owned by Fern's uncle, Mr. Homer L. Zuckerman."
Sparkle paused for a brief moment, looking over to see Bonnie intently listening to the story she'd heard thousands of times before. "Want me to keep going? "Sparkle asked, she nodded repeatedly. Sparkle giggled, continuing to read the story many questions plaguing her.
How was Shane coping? Was he doing okay? Did he miss them? Of course he did! That was a stupid thing to worry about. But Bonnie's little impromptu 'ahem' brought her back as she continued to read the story to her sick little sister.
The town waited for Shane's return. They waited through the winter, they waited through the spring, they waited through the summer, and they waited through the fall. By the following winter, they were still waiting, when a young mouse's fancy turned to romance.
Marcy walked in to the horse stable, wearing a red scarf and dragging something along the ground as it trailed behind her. Once she arrived, she started her little spiel. "Oh, Pharfignewton, Pharfignewton! Wherefore art thou, Pharfignewton?" She said dramatically, moving her hands in all different poses. She would honestly look quite silly if someone were to walk in on her.
The horse popped out from its little stall, whinnying at the sight of her lover.
Did I mention this town was strange?
Marcy giggled. "Oh, therefore you art. And lookie! Narf! I brought you a snacky-wacky!" She said in a singsong voice, as she lifted up the brown sack pulling it off to reveal one lump of sugar. The horse eagerly licked it up, dragging the mouse along with her. She laughed. "Feeding you is like taking a really smelly bath! Troz!" She said joyfully, continuing to laugh,
The moment was quite short as Marcy's sister marched in. " Marcy, I need you! "She shouted, marching over to the mouse and horse.
Marcy gasped, still infatuated with her horse. "Pharfignewton, I didn't know you could talk!" She said excitedly, nuzzling the horse's snout affectionately.
Macie facepalmed, aggravated by her sister. "Marcy, stop this foolishness. "She said.
"You know, Pharfignewton, you sound a little like Sissy-oof!"
Macie bops her dimwitted sister on the head, but her sister just laughs. "You bop like Sissy too!" She exclaims.
She turns around and gasps. "Sissy! We were just talking about you! "She said, hugging the white horse again.
Her older twin sister folded her arms in annoyance. " I knew I would find you out here wasting time with this horse. Come!" She demands, dragging her sister by the arm and pulling her away from her lover.
"But Pharfignewton and I have pledged our hearts to each other!" Marcy cried.
Macie stopped in her tracks to look at her sister. "Marcy, dear sister, that is a horse. You are a mouse."
"Oh Macie! Don't be so intolerant! Why can't the horses and the mice live together in harmony along with the fairies and the wood sprites and the bean sprouts?" She asked, doing movements to go along with them.
" I stand corrected, Marcy. That is a horse. You are an imbecile." Macie said.
"Thank you." Marcy replied, completely oblivious to the fact that her older twin sister insulted her.
Despite her younger twin sister being annoying sometimes, Macie loved her dearly. She was the only light in her sister's dull and very sad life, ever since their parents had run away to somewhere far away from Acme Falls to get away from the new King, Macie just had her twin sister for company along with the few memories of her parents she remembers.
But, the young mouse would do what her father couldn't do. Try and take over the world.
"Now come. We must prepare for tonight." Macie said.
"Why? What are we going to do tonight? "Her sister asked
"Guess." Macie deadpanned.
"Try and take over the world?" Marcy guessed.
"Bingo! "Her sister replied sarcastically.
"Egad, I love bingo! Narf! It's so much more fun than trying to take over- oof!" She said as her sister bopped her, but the audience couldn't see it.
One month later.
Sparkle and Bonnie were sleeping at the train station, awaiting their brother Shane's eager return.
Then, a very loud sound woke up Bonnie. Sparkle woke up too, very confused.
But then she remembered where she was, eagerly getting up as she knew who was.
All of the town knew the sound of the train as well, all of them eagerly waiting to see what Fortune the middle child had earned.
"Oho, the train bringing Shane is a-rolling down the track!" Sparkle sang.
"I'm sure that is the train my brother's on!" Bonnie sang excitedly, as one of the bigger chipmunks lifted her on to the platform as she danced excitedly.
"Shane went to see the world, and now he's coming back!" Everyone sang eagerly.
" I've missed him every day that he's been gone!" Bonnie added
"He went to seek his fortune, and now he's returned!" Zoe exclaimed.
"Bringing back the treasures of everything he's learned!" Rita added.
"Oho, the train with my brother is a-coming closer!" Bonnie cheered
"Bearing Shane, down the track-o,
Back home!
Chug-chug-chug!"
The story sparkle reads to Bonnie, is a story called Charlotte's Web by E. B. White.