Even the delicious breakfast of blueberry pancakes with whipped cream
didn't make Courage feel much better. He was having a difficult time
making himself eat even though Muriel made the best blueberry pancakes
ever.
Muriel noticed that Courage was picking at his food. "Courage, is something wrong? You've barely touched your breakfast. Are you feeling well?"
Courage looked up at Muriel and managed a weak smile. The warmth in Muriel's voice was so comforting that he felt a little better and managed to eat another bite or two of his pancakes.
Muriel looked over at Eustace, who never seemed to be able to pass up a good meal, and said, "Eustace, I'm worried about Courage. He usually loves blueberry pancakes but he has barely touched his food."
Eustace glanced over at Courage's plate. "Stupid dog." He growled, "If ya ain't gonna finish food then let me have it."
Courage cowered at the sound of Eustace's voice but held tightly onto his plate. It wasn't that he was hungry, but he didn't want Eustace to have his food. He would rather throw it away than give it to Eustace. Muriel glared at Eustace but didn't say anything. Instead she reached down and gently took Courage's plate. "I'll put this in the refrigerator so ye can have it later when you're hungry Courage."
Courage looked up at her and managed another weak smile. Muriel was always so kind to him. He would do anything for Muriel.
Eustace mumbled something under his breath and got up to leave the table. "I'm gonna read me paper before we leave."
Muriel began to clear the table and wash the dishes. Looking over at Courage, who was staring down at the table as though he was thinking about something, she said, "Don't forget we have to go to town today Courage."
How could Courage forget? Going to town always meant work when they got back. Usually it was helping Muriel put groceries away but this time Eustace was going to get the supplies to fix the barn which had been damaged a few days ago when one of the windmill blades had mysteriously broken off and fell through the roof. Eustace had already fixed the windmill which they depended upon for electricity, but there were no boards or shingles to fix the roof of the barn.
On the way into town Eustace was distracted by the thought of going into the hardware store and Muriel was planning dinner so Courage was able to sleep most of the trip. As soon as they got into town, Eustace parked the truck and everybody went their seperate ways. Courage decided to take a walk through town to look around a bit. By the time everybody met back at the truck Courage was feeling better - - that is until Muriel began telling about what she had heard in the store.
"Some of the townspeople were talking about some strange things that have been going on for the last two days. One lady said she heard children running through her yard but when she looked there was nobody out there. Another lady said that she was walking her dog by the cemetary and she saw a strange fog and heard childrens voices."
Eustace grumbled something under his breath.
Just then a gust of wind blew nearly lifting the sheet of plywood out of Eustace's hands. "Oh my!" Muriel exclaimed as she quickly places the rest of the groceries into the truck. "I wonder where that wind came from."
Courage just sat there shivering. He could have sworn he heard a child's laughter in the wind. But neither Eustace or Muriel seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary.
On the way back to the farm, Muriel continued with her story. "Some people seem to think it has something to do with those children that .... "
She was cut off when Eustace had to swerve violently to avoid hitting something in the road. "Stupid rabbits!" Eustace yelled out the window as he swerved back onto the road.
Courage just sat there frozen. Whatever it was in the road was no rabbit ... it looked almost like a little girls doll. But when he looked back at the road behind them, the road was empty. Whatever it was had disappeared.
Courage whined and huddled close to Muriel.
"Courage?" Muriel looked down at the frightened dog and gently put her arm around him to comfort him. "Are ye okay Courage?"
Courage just shivered and huddled close to Muriel for the rest of the drive home.
Muriel noticed that Courage was picking at his food. "Courage, is something wrong? You've barely touched your breakfast. Are you feeling well?"
Courage looked up at Muriel and managed a weak smile. The warmth in Muriel's voice was so comforting that he felt a little better and managed to eat another bite or two of his pancakes.
Muriel looked over at Eustace, who never seemed to be able to pass up a good meal, and said, "Eustace, I'm worried about Courage. He usually loves blueberry pancakes but he has barely touched his food."
Eustace glanced over at Courage's plate. "Stupid dog." He growled, "If ya ain't gonna finish food then let me have it."
Courage cowered at the sound of Eustace's voice but held tightly onto his plate. It wasn't that he was hungry, but he didn't want Eustace to have his food. He would rather throw it away than give it to Eustace. Muriel glared at Eustace but didn't say anything. Instead she reached down and gently took Courage's plate. "I'll put this in the refrigerator so ye can have it later when you're hungry Courage."
Courage looked up at her and managed another weak smile. Muriel was always so kind to him. He would do anything for Muriel.
Eustace mumbled something under his breath and got up to leave the table. "I'm gonna read me paper before we leave."
Muriel began to clear the table and wash the dishes. Looking over at Courage, who was staring down at the table as though he was thinking about something, she said, "Don't forget we have to go to town today Courage."
How could Courage forget? Going to town always meant work when they got back. Usually it was helping Muriel put groceries away but this time Eustace was going to get the supplies to fix the barn which had been damaged a few days ago when one of the windmill blades had mysteriously broken off and fell through the roof. Eustace had already fixed the windmill which they depended upon for electricity, but there were no boards or shingles to fix the roof of the barn.
On the way into town Eustace was distracted by the thought of going into the hardware store and Muriel was planning dinner so Courage was able to sleep most of the trip. As soon as they got into town, Eustace parked the truck and everybody went their seperate ways. Courage decided to take a walk through town to look around a bit. By the time everybody met back at the truck Courage was feeling better - - that is until Muriel began telling about what she had heard in the store.
"Some of the townspeople were talking about some strange things that have been going on for the last two days. One lady said she heard children running through her yard but when she looked there was nobody out there. Another lady said that she was walking her dog by the cemetary and she saw a strange fog and heard childrens voices."
Eustace grumbled something under his breath.
Just then a gust of wind blew nearly lifting the sheet of plywood out of Eustace's hands. "Oh my!" Muriel exclaimed as she quickly places the rest of the groceries into the truck. "I wonder where that wind came from."
Courage just sat there shivering. He could have sworn he heard a child's laughter in the wind. But neither Eustace or Muriel seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary.
On the way back to the farm, Muriel continued with her story. "Some people seem to think it has something to do with those children that .... "
She was cut off when Eustace had to swerve violently to avoid hitting something in the road. "Stupid rabbits!" Eustace yelled out the window as he swerved back onto the road.
Courage just sat there frozen. Whatever it was in the road was no rabbit ... it looked almost like a little girls doll. But when he looked back at the road behind them, the road was empty. Whatever it was had disappeared.
Courage whined and huddled close to Muriel.
"Courage?" Muriel looked down at the frightened dog and gently put her arm around him to comfort him. "Are ye okay Courage?"
Courage just shivered and huddled close to Muriel for the rest of the drive home.