Nearly Headless Nick's Story





Chapter 3



In a huff, Leila stormed toward the barn to finish her morning chores, fuming all the time.

"Well, he'll just- can't believe- should have known- MEN!"

As you can see, Leila is not too fluent when she's in a rage such as the one she's in now, but rightly so.

"They're all alike they are," she practically yelled at the cow she was attempting to milk, "Everyone of them. No respect and shallow as a mountain stream. Never care what a girl is like on the inside, they are blind, insufferable pigs!"

The cow looked at her sympathetically.

"Treating me like a common harlot! I left home to get away from all that, everyone expecting me to follow my mother's path. But here it's worse. Evil English pigs!"

The cow was getting rather annoyed, couldn't anyone get a moment's peace around here?

"I used to dream of being in love! I've been in love more than anybody else has, I guess. First there was that carriage driver; I tingled with every clip-clop of the horse's feet. Then I fell for the principal of the schoolhouse, and after that, that teacher, the first male teacher we ever had he was, and oh.he could sing." her eyes glazed over a little.

The cow, although grateful for the silence, did not appreciate her just stopping in the middle of milking, it was quite uncomfortable. She gave a little stomp to bring Leila back to her senses.

Leila started, and then continued on as though she'd never stopped.

"When I saw, him, standing there, I couldn't think! He was so breath- taking!" her eyes began to glaze but she caught herself; "He looked so intelligent and brave! So wonderful! But he's shallow, just like the rest of them. Before even talking to me, he wanted to know who I was, after he had looked me up and down like a horse on show."

At this point she gave the cow such a yank that the cow jumped and nearly knocked over the milk bucket, but Leila caught it.

"Lucky I saved that, Ms. Mafilda wouldn't have been happy if I hadn't."

She sighed and looked out the window.

"Is it too much to ask?" she asked the cow, "All I want is a plain man, all I want is a modest man! A quiet man, a gentleman a straight-forward and honest man!"

The cow bent down and ate same hay to give her self something to do.

"And for once, I'd like him to be more interested in me than he is in himself, and more interested in us than he is in me," she stood up carefully to prevent any milk from spilling.

"I guess what I'm waiting for is a knight in shining armor," she said, "But a real knight at heart, not just a man in uniform."

She looked longingly out the window.

"Oh my brave hero, where are you?" she whispered.

"You called?"

She turned and to her horror there stood Sir Nicholas, looking as casual as you please.

The milk bucket clattered to the floor.