Bud knew that as soon as he got home from school, and did his chores he could go sleigh riding. Man all he had to do was to feed the chickens, collect the eggs and bring in three buckets of coal and some firewood. And yes some of that good kindling grandpa had chopped. Pa said with that kindling grandpa cut, all you had to do was throw a piece of newspaper and some kindling in the old cook stove and before you knew it that wood was burning like almighty. Bud sure was looking forward to going sleigh-riding cause last night and today there had been over a foot of new snow. The kind that packed down and made for some good sleigh riding, and the best sleigh riding in around was over on Buford's hill.
"Hurry up Nell, hurry and get your chores done, cause we are going sleigh riding," the boy was running toward the chicken house.
"Bud Westerman, don't you call me Nell, you know my name is Nellene, and if you call me that again, I will tell Momma on you." Then the eight-year-old sister, quickly turned to her chores, for she too had a new flexible flyer sled.
"Yes Miss Nellene Westerman, now will you hurry up, . . .
Please!" Bud had the egg basket and was headed back to the house afore you could say Jack Robinson. For Uncle Clem Duberman had just come home from working in the oil fields over in Arabia, and he had bought both Bud and Nell a new flexible flyer sled. Something bud had wanted for as long as he could remember; and he was now eleven, well he would turn eleven on the third of March.
The coalscuttles were filled and placed behind the cook stove in the kitchen and the warm morning in the den and the old Ironmonger in the dining room. Shucks said one day they would get central heat, and boy oh boy would that be neat, no more coal to tote and no more wood to chop. Well that is till Ma said ain't no way she would give up that old cook stove. It had been in the family for nearly a hundred twenty five years. Ma took pride in that stove. Matter of fact pa had bough her a new electric range and she only used it in the summer when it was so hot. Shucks that old range, had a hot water jacket on it, and burned either wood or coal, plus it cooked the best biscuits in the county.
"Come on Nell, er Nellene, lets go, tell Ma we are going." Bud had sanded the paint off the runners and had braided a special rope with which to pull the sled. He was set, had on his four buckle Artics, and a second pair of pa's old worn out trousers plus his wool mittens and his big old barn coat.
"I am coming Bud, wait up, look what ma gave us to tide us over till supper," as she caught up she handed Bud a freshly baked pasty. "Ma said don't be late for supper for she and Pa have to go to the PTA meeting."
The two quickly took off, at somewhere between a dog trot and a super fast walk. When they got to the hill, they both looked to see if any cars were coming and then flopped on their sleds and rode down the hill. It was only a mile or so from their house to the sleigh-riding hill, and they were there in no time. "Look there is Sam and Bill," bud said to his sister, as she looked to see how many girls were there.
"Bill has that wooden sled his grandpa made him, that is one cool sled, but nothing compared to our new sleds."
Up the hill they went to the top where all the other kids were. "Going to try that tin thing out Bud?" Bill hollered, cause there was a running battle over which sled was best, Bill's homemade one or Bud's new Flexible flyer. Sam's sled didn't count cause his sled had come from Monky Wards.
Immediately Bud flopped on his new sled and made it to the bottom and across the footbridge. "Come on Bill, Jim, lets see you come this far."
"I am going next," Nell said as she jumped in front of the boys and flopped on her sled and careened off down the hill, she picked up speed and only made it half way when she rolled over and she and the sled tumbled to the bottom of the hill. She jumped up laughing, "guess I had better learn to steer the thing, I holler gee and it just went left on me."
Next was Bill on his wooden sled, "Get out of the way over there Bud, I am coming," Jim yelled as he flopped on his sled and down the hill he went and across the foot bridge and went two feet further up the other hill than Bud.
"Here I come," Sam yelled as he flopped on his Monky Ward's special, down the hill, across the foot bridge and up the hill, nearly to Bud's mark, then past it, and then past Jim's mark by at least ten feet. Sam jumped up looked at his two friends and with a big laugh said, "Hmmmmmmm, that old Monky Ward's sled did pretty good huh. A heated discussion ensued all the way back to the top of the hill where immediately back down they came.
Nell was happy when she found Clooie there; Clooie was Jim's little sister and classmate of Nell's. They too had a good time, taking turns and doubling, since Clooie had no sled of her own. It wasn't long afore Nell caught Bud, "It is time to go home cause you remember what Ma said."
"Oh OK, after this one, I know I can beat Jim and Sam's record," he said as he reached the top of the hill and then walked about fifty feet along the crest of the hill. "Going to get a flying start, that way I know I can beat them." His two friends were right behind Bud.
"Well I am starting home when I get to the bottom," Nell said as she and Clooie both got on her sled.
"Banzai..........." Bud yelled as he ran as fast as he could then flopped down on his sled and away he went. Faster and faster he went as he flew down the hill gaining speed and more speed with each foot of decent.
"Banzai," Sam hollered, as he was about five steps behind Bud.
"Banzai, Banzaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii," Jim yelled as he too ran and flopped on his sled.
Bud was flying as he approached the footbridge. The bridge was only about a couple feet wide for the creek was about ten feet down in the gully. Bud hit the bridge faster than he thought and as he got on the bridge he skidded sidewise and went off the bridge falling into the creek below. Well not into the creek but onto the snow and ice covering the creek. He hit the snow and ice and banged into the bank and stopped, covered with snow. He just lay there his heart a going ninety-leben miles a minute.
Sam who was behind Bud and saw him go off the bridge just concentrated on steering and across the bridge and up the hill he went.
Jim seeing Bud's crash became so intent on seeing what happened, he too hit the bridge, skidded sidewise and off the bridge he went, landing on the snow and ice, but falling through the ice into the creek. Immediately he climbed out of the water and grabbed his sled, all four pieces of it.
Jim laughed so hard he could hardly move to go help his friend, but when he saw Jim was OK, he pulled on his new towing rope and it came but the sled didn't move. Immediately he dropped down and lifted his sled, Oh me oh my, for the two runners were folded under and the steering rod had broken off. "Bud wanted to cry but he couldn't. He picked up his broken sled and walked over to Jim who was crying.
About then Sam looked down from up on the foot bridge and hollered, "hmmmmmmmm, that old Monky Ward sled did OK.." Immediately the snowball fight ensued as Jim and Bud wanted revenge.
When Bid got home he was scared to tell his Ma or his Pa but he knew he should. "Ma, Pa, I broke my sled, slid off the foot bridge and bent both runners and broke the steering gizmo."
His ma looked at him and smiled, and his Pa just laughed.
Bud looked at his parents and wondered why they were laughing. But before he could say anything his Ma spoke. "Bud you are just like your Pa, for when he got his first new sled, he went over on Buford's hill and was showing off and busted it up." His dad looked at his ma, and laughed.
"Son after supper, I bet we can get it fixed."
