Home at last!

Home

By Anna

The sky above was growing dark
The view around was bleak and stark.
Little Lea could not be found
By her friends who sought her ‘round.

They searched among her normal places,
And fear was clear upon all faces
As the sky grew dimmer still,
And the evening air began to chill.

In the forest, all alone
Upon small Lea the moon shone.
She sat upon a little rock,
Looking round and taking stock.

She shivered as the red sun disappeared.
A great new menace to be feared
Were the sounds of the dark eve,
The hoots of owls; the crunch of leaves.

She shut her eyes and breathed a prayer,
“Oh dearest Lord, you’re always there.
You know my dangers and my fears,
You’ve guarded me for all these years.

“Help me now, these dangers face,
Far from me these terrors chase.
Help me not despair of aid,
You will help all you have made.”

Little Lea with greatest bravery,
Refused to cry, such pluck had she.
She tried to block out of her ears
The sounds that woke her childish fears.

But suddenly a sound reached her ears,
A sound that wakened all her fears.
The crunch of leaves, the ruffle of trees.
She quickly sent up silent pleas.

From the dark, a figure rose,
And stuck a most impressive pose.
“Who is this,” the voice did say,
“Who trespasses in my woods today?”

“Excuse me, sir,” little Lea gasped,
Her cold, small hands before her clasped,
“I wandered in these woods alone,
I’m frightened and want to go home.

“Please, kind sir, won’t you help,
This lonesome, frightened little whelp?”
The figure stepped into the light
Of the moon, and into sight.

It was no man, but a boy,
His dirty face a grin of joy.
He had seemed, when hidden by trees
Taller than the tallest anyone sees.

In truth he was not very tall,
In fact he was really quite small.
His ragged clothes were worn and old.
In the frigid breeze, he shivered with cold.


“Good evening, miss,” with grins he said
Scratching his ruffled, shaggy head.
“I guess these woods are as much yours as mine,
But I’ve lived my whole life among oak and pine.

“I s’pose your lost, and so am I…in a way.
But better two, than one, I say.
Nice to meet you, my name’s Nate,
Seems I was brought here by Mistress Fate.”

The little lass gave a sniffle.
“Will you stop talking piffle?”
She heaved a sigh, shaking her head.
“I want to be home, safe in bed.

“Not lost with a dirty lad,
Who’s probably really awfully bad.
I hoped you were a kindly sir,
Not a smelly, ragged cur.”

“Well now,” the young mister said,
“No reason to be so awful mad.
I can help you find your home,
I all about this forest roam.

“I’m sure I know the quickest way
And I’ll help you there… if I can stay.
Just for this night, I’d better add!
I’m truly not really awfully bad,

“But I’ve got no place to stay,
And if I take you back, you’ve got to pay.
So give me a haystack, give me a bed,
Just somewhere soft to lay my head.”

The little lass heaved a big sigh,
“What other realistic choice have I?
I truly can’t stay here all night,
I fear if I did I’d die of fright.

“So since you give me no other choice,
I suppose you have reason to rejoice…
If you get me home safe and sound,
You shan’t spend tonight on the ground.”

“Thank you Miss, now we’d better start.
From these woods we’ll now depart.
Tell me now, what your home looks like
Before we start our homeward hike.”

She told him of its size and hue,
How it was large and a light blue.
“Why, yes, I’ve seen that house before,
In fact I’ve knocked upon its door!”

So young Nate with joy declared,
“A tasty lunch your brother shared
With me, a poor, young starving lad.
This home is yours? I’m awful glad.

“So now we’d better hurry fast,
And you’ll be safe at home at last.”
So together the two set on their way
Through the woods where the animals play.

It was not long before a house came in view.
It was fine and big and a light blue.
Little Lea cried out with joy,
Rushing from the woods with the boy.

She rushed up the steps and into the hall
Into the warmth of her mother’s shawl.
“Darling,” her mother cried, with tears,
And her little brother gave three cheers.

“Mother, dear,” said little Lea,
“May I tell you my idea?
In the woods I met a boy called Nate.
It seems it was destined by Mistress Fate

“That he and I should meet there.
It was as if he came in answer to my prayer
For he helped me find my way back here,
And he is kind, that’s surely clear.

“I’m afraid that I was rude and mean
Because he was ragged and unclean.
But he hasn’t any home,
All his life he’s roved and roamed.

“He hasn’t any friends or family,
Alone in the world, a boat at sea.
Could he live with us, right here,
And always have a mother near?”

“Oh dearest daughter, where is the lad,
That he may hear and be glad!
He shall have a home to live in,
For the kindness he has given.”

Little Lea stepped outside,
For to young Nate this happiness confide.
Yet when she cried and yelled his name,
No answer to her shrill call came.

“Why, where on earth has he gone,”
She asked the moon as it brilliantly shone.
“Why did he leave, I cannot say,
Why would he want to go away?”

But no answer to her query came,
And when her mother asked the same,
She shook her head unhappily.
Why had Nate left, she could not see.

Later on as she lay in bed,
She thought of Nate, alone, unfed.
Suddenly, on her window,
She heard a knock, a quiet blow.

What in heaven could it be?
She crossed the room, better to see.
On the roof, young Nate sat.
In his thin arms he held a cat!

Quickly Lea opened the window,
And in Nate hurried on silent tiptoe.
“What are you doing on the roof?
You must be crazy…this is proof!”

“Don’t be mad, now,” smiled he,
And Lea really couldn’t be.
“See this fine young tabby cat?
He’s old and not the least bit fat,

“And as I waited outside your house,
I saw him chase a little mouse.
He scrambled after the poor beast,
Bound to have his little feast.

“But the little mouse scurried into a hole,
And old kitty here never had his full.
I felt for him, cause I know what hunger is,
So I hoped my bed for tonight could be his.

“I went to fetch him, but he’s rather shy.
Nonetheless, I coxed him, by and by,
To come with me to your cheerful home,
Where I hoped you’d give him a little bone,

“And maybe a little bed to rest,
‘Til morning comes and this old pest
Goes to scramble about, happily free,
After a helpless mouse or up a lofty tree.

“I hoped you wouldn’t mind,
But if you let him stay, you’ll be awfully kind.
I’ll give him my bed, for the night,
And I’ll find my own place to sleep tight.”

“Don’t be silly!” Lea cried gleefully,
“This cat shall have a bed with me
Every night forever more,
And so shall you, so good and poor.

“You shall live here with my mother,
Share my sister and my brother.
We shall be a family,
You shall live here happily!

“Please do stay here with us
Let my mother cuddle and fuss,
She wants you as a son, to raise and love,
To admire and be proud of.

“So what do you say,
Will you with us stay,
And grow up merrily with us here,
Where you’ll no longer hunger or fear?”

Young Nate with tears and utmost shock,
Could not in his blissful happiness talk.
To be loved, to have a home,
A place to really call his own!

With happiness unheard of, unimagined ever before,
He realized his lonesome boat had finally reached shore.
Here he was, at home at last.
Regardless of his lonesome past,

All his wishes had now come true,
A home his own, a large house – blue!
With a happy sigh of bliss,
He gave his new sister a kiss.

“There’s my answer, sweetest sister,
Another name could not be fitter
For you, so sweet, so kind and fine,
And to imagine…a sister…mine!”

And together, Lea and young Nate,
Thanked kind, sweet Mistress Fate,
For united them as siblings, friends.
They knew they'd live happily, to the end.