Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Space (01/23/06)
-
TITLE: To Fly to the Moon | Previous Challenge Entry
By Annette Agnello
01/24/06 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
By the time Danny was all grown up at ten he realized that he would probably have to learn to fly around on Earth before trying for the moon, he was used to being teased. "Yes Mr. O'Toole, I need fifteen yards of silk."
"What would a young man like yourself, want with silk? A gift for a pretty young lass perhaps?"
Since Danny's father had died he looked on Mr. O'Toole almost as a father. He laughed, "You know there is no girl I'm building something."
"Not flying again, you have to stop dreaming."
"What's wrong with having a dream? Your dream brought you to America. My dream will someday bring me to the stars?"
"It can't be done laddie. If man was supposed to fly he'd have wings."
"Where have I heard that before?"
"Ye'll be disappointed."
"The silk is just for a short flight, in the air, I have thinking to do before the trip to the moon."
The next stop was the lumber yard, where they gave him the lumber scraps. He went home and built a frame for wings. When they were built Danny wished he had someone who would understand to tell about them. Tomorrow morning he had a kind of a date, with Nichol for lunch on the beach, he needed someone to see his first flight.
Danny rose early and took the wings to the top of the cliff at sunrise then went back to town to meet Nichol. They brought a lunch basket that he left Nichol setting up on the beach. When he be gone for a minute saying he would be back by the time the lunch was out. Almost before she knew it Nichol glanced up in time to see Danny soaring overhead hugging a bar under the large blue wings. It might not be to the moon yet, but Danny was flying!
Then suddenly he was tumbling to the beach, something had broken on the wing. As he tried to sit up Danny realized the wing wasn’t the only thing he had broken. He could not stand up, even though he wanted to be dancing across the beach. He had actually flown!
"Danny," Nichol was screaming. As she ran down he beach to where he had landed. "You were flying like a bird. How is that possible?"
He explained what he was trying to do to be met with a confused stare, yet another person who could not understand his dream. Even so, Nichol did get help for his broken leg.
Mr. O'Toole brought the broken wings back to town. And Danny thanked him and sat there listening to the whole lecture on how man could not fly then pointed out. "But I did fly!"
"Well, yes, but son you got hurt because you were never meant to fly."
"I flew from the cliff to the beach."
"Well, yes, I brought the cloth back it is to good to waste."
"If you really want to help you could get me some more wood to rebuild the wings."
O'Toole sputtered an incoherent goodbye. But the next day he did come back with the wood Danny had asked for. The next day he brought his tools and started building whatever Danny asked him to build. All the while saying Danny was flying in the face of God to try to fly, just like the men who tried to build the tower of Babel.
The bones knit together and as his bones got stronger Danny and Mr O'Tool built stronger wings. Till one fine summer day Danny, now eleven, flew again. The whole town turned out to watch . Danny climbed to the top of the cliff, this time with Mr O'Tool at his side. Danny had done some redesign in the years since his last flight. They launched the wings and flew to the beach landing gracefully after several graceful loops. Everyone was watching. Danny had showed his mother by flying that someday he would make it to the moon.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be right now. CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.