Bugar Holler Owl

Winters are very cold in Bugar Holler and Johnny was only 11 years old. Hey Johnny! Can you do your Momma a favor and walk down to Johnson's store and grab a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk? Johnny lifted his head from the pillow, "let me get my boots on."

Rising slowly from his warm bed he stretched and yawned then got out of bed and went to the bathroom to splash some cold water on his face to help him wake up. He peeked out the window and saw the layer of snow on the ground and thought to himself. "Well, I know that one of my boots has a hole in the sole of it and I do believe it is the left foot. How can I keep the water from leaking through? He thought of the bread that he was going to buy at the store and went to the kitchen and found a loaf of bread with only one piece left, and he decided to eat it so that he could use the plastic bag to cover his boot. He didn't tell his mom because he knew she wouldn't let him walk down the mountain with a bag on his boot, so he stuck it in his coat pocket and walked out the door.

Shivering as he headed down the mountain, which was at least a mile. During his walk, he started remembering the Old Owl that always howled and he started to get scared but kept walking and looking around. It wasn't quite daylight yet, but he could see the sun shining through the trees and knew that it would soon be very bright out. Not a car passed him as he kept walking, "you old owl, don't you come out and scare me again"., he told himself as he started to walk faster.

Suddenly he heard the noise hoot! hoot! hoot! He looked to his left and low and behold there he was that Old Owl letting him know he was going to be ok on his long walk down the mountain. It was if the owl was saying "Johnny you are a good boy for doing this for you Mom in the cold winter morning".

Johnny knew he didn't have a choice because his Daddy had already left for work to go deep in the ground to dig coal to feed his family of 1o kids.

He finally made it to Johnson's grocery store and as he walked through the door, old man Johnson said "boy what are you doing with a light bread bag on your boot"? Johnny replied with his head tucked down to the floor as if to be embarrassed, I have a hole in my boot and I have to wait until my daddy can afford me a new pair, but I do have an angel watching over me and it is that mean Old Owl. I named him Garfield "after my daddy" cuz you see, he works so hard for me and my mommy.

Old man Johnson went behind the counter and started looking around and found Johnny a pair of glossers and said, "here kid, put these on, looks like they will fit."

A big grin came across Johnny's face and he said "Sir, I came to buy bread and milk for my mommy. I can't afford these shoes. Oh, don't you worry about these shoes, they will keep your feet dry, and I guarantee by the time you get back home, you will be glad you took off that light bread bag because your feet will be dry.

Out the door he went, with a spring in his step and a smile on his face, Johnny headed back up the mountain with a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk with "Old Man Owl, Garfield" guiding him all the way. His angel got him home safely and the kids had bread and milk.