Miss the Boat

In today's story, Miss the Boat, Tommy and Tabitha hurry to catch a boat to the woodland college

Today's prompt was chosen from a list of English idioms. In these challenging times, a short story break may help you step away from everything else and take a little time to nurture yourself. 

If you're looking for ways to speak out about our current situation, you can check out 50501, Indivisible, and Common Cause. Stay safe. 

More about Susan Quilty

Susan Quilty mainly writes novels, including two standalone novels and her YA series: The Psychic Traveler Society.  Susan's short stories for Freely Written are created during quick writing breaks and shared as a way to let go of perfection and encourage writing for fun.

Website:  SusanQuilty.com
The Freely Written Book: Freely Written Vol. 1
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Transcript

Below is the transcript for Season 1, Episode 156 of Freely Written, a podcast by author Susan Quilty:

Welcome to Freely Written, where a simple prompt leads to a little unplanned fiction.  

[Light piano music]

Hi, friends! I’m Susan Quilty, and today’s prompt is Miss the Boat

Today’s prompt came from a list of idioms. Idioms are phrases that have a figurative or cultural meaning beyond their literal words. Like when we say, “it’s raining cats and dogs” to mean that it’s raining very heavily. 

When I don’t have a suggested prompt from a listener, I often use a random idiom. It can be fun to switch up the meaning or take it literally and let the story unfold. And I needed a prompt that I could try to keep light today. 

As a U.S. citizen who understands history, politics, and current events, it’s getting harder and harder to keep up my usual life. Our country is not okay, as most of the world knows, yet we’re caught in this strange time that feels a lot like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. (To use another idiom.)

We can’t bury our heads in the sand (uh, yeah, another idiom), but we also have to stay sane. So, I’m writing a simple story with the hope of offering a few minutes of peace from our current reality. And when you are looking for a way to be involved, check out these movements: 50501, Indivisible, and Common Cause. There are links to each in the show notes. 

For now, I wrote today’s story with my typical Freely Written process, where I sit down with the prompt and write whatever comes to mind, with no planning and very little editing, before recording the story to share it with you. 

And here is today’s story break:

Miss the Boat

Tommy and Tabitha were running late. Scurrying through the forest as fast as their little legs could carry them. Tommy thought it was Tabitha’s fault for not waking up early enough. Tabitha blamed Tommy for not having packed his suitcase and lunch pail the night before. Either way, neither was ready to leave their cottage at the appointed time. 

Mother Mouse had frowned as they hurried about, buttoning their jackets and tying their scarves. She had not scolded them, knowing that would only slow them down more. And she had not helped them, as her hands were full with their three little siblings. She had kissed them each goodbye and wished them a safe journey. 

It was hard for Mother Mouse, as it is hard for all parents, to watch her children go out into the world on their own. Yet she was glad they had been home for a visit and proud that they were pursuing a course of higher learning. 

If only the woodland college weren’t so far away. 

To get back to school, Tommy and Tabitha had to travel all the way across the woods on foot, then take a boat across the wide river. The boatman, Mr. Mole, preferred to travel by night and only offered a few trips in the early part of the day. 

As they hurried along, a soft cry came from a nearby tree. 

“Oh, please, help. I’ve lost my way.”

A very young squirrel in a smart red sweater hopped off the tree trunk and skittered to a stop in the dry leaves beside the Mouse siblings. 

“Are you from around here?” Tabitha asked, while Tommy looked around anxiously.

“No, we’re visiting cousins near the Great Oak.”

“The Great Oak?” Tommy echoed. “That’s way to the west of here.”

“Can you show me?” the little squirrel asked hopefully. 

“Oh, I don’t know,” Tommy said. “We’re late to school and can’t miss the boat.”

Tabitha tugged Tommy’s sleeve, saying, “We can’t leave her here alone.”

“Yeah, I know,” Tommy grudgingly agreed. “If we hurry, we can get you to the turn where the path splits to the Great Oak. It’s only a little out of our way.”

“Oh, thank you!” The little squirrel clapped her paws. “I’m very quick. I can even leap from tree to tree.”

“Well, don’t leap too far or you’ll lose sight of us,” Tabitha warned. “In fact, you should probably stay on the ground with us. But let’s hurry!”

They ran together, Tommy and Tabitha moving farther from the river, but hopefully not so far that they’d miss Mr. Mole’s last morning boat. 

As they neared the turn in the path, a large squirrel in a green hat and tan coat jumped into their path. Dust blew up from the leaf-strewn path, while Tommy and Tabitha stumbled to a stop. 

“Daddy!” The little squirrel cried, running to his side. “These nice mice were helping me find my way home.”

“Thank you, little mice,” the large squirrel said happily. “We’ve been so worried.”

“You’re welcome,” Tabitha called, “but we need to hurry so we don’t miss the boat." 

She and Tommy waved goodbye and hurried on their way. They heard the squirrels race up a tree and begin to leap from branch to branch, but didn’t stop to watch them go.

After several minutes, they were back on track and making steady progress toward the river. Until they saw a bluebird thrashing against a scraggly bush. 

“What now?” Tabitha sighed. 

“Hey, Mr. Bluebird,” Tommy called as they neared. “Are you okay?”

“Do I look okay?” The bluebird hopped free of the bush, or as free as he could, showing a bit of twine that had tangled itself between his wing and a branch of the bush. 

“Oh, no!” Tabitha said with concern. 

“Oh, no, is right!” the bluebird squawked. “I tried to help the missus gather string for our nest, and look what happened. I tried to break it free, and it tangled up on me!”

“Oh dear, we’ll have to help,” Tommy said. “I just hope we don’t miss the boat.”

“We’ll work quickly,” Tabitha promised before asking Mr. Bluebird to stay very still while they chewed him free.

Luckily, Tommy and Tabitha were very good at chewing through string. They set to work, chewing here and gnawing there, and the bluebird soon hopped free from the bush. Tommy quickly bit through the end of the string that was wrapped around the bush, so the bluebird could take it with him. 

“Don’t want to go through all that and not even get the string!” he laughed, happy to have been of help. 

“Thank you ever so,” Mr. Bluebird called cheerily as he grasped the free string in his beak and flew up into the sky.

The Mouse siblings watched the bluebird take flight, then noticed the position of the sun overhead. 

“Oh, Tommy, we have to really run now!” 

They grasped their suitcases and lunch pails, running quicker than ever. If they’d left on time, they would have gotten to the river in time to enjoy their lunch before boarding the boat. As it was, they hoped Mr. Mole wouldn’t mind if they ate as they crossed the river—if they managed to make the boat on time. 

As they got closer to the river, they could hear the distant babbling of water over the cascade of rocks that was not far from Mr. Mole’s dock. They also heard a closer splashing mixed with cries for help.

“Not again,” Tommy cried, looking at Tabitha warningly. But they couldn’t run by without seeing who might be in distress. It didn’t take long to locate a frog splashing against the steep sides of a watery hole. His purple vest was soaked through and his bow tie hung in two limp, untied strings.

“Oh, dear,” Tabitha called out, “did you fall in?”

“Afraid so,” the frog called back. “And it’s too high and slippery to get back out.”

The mice looked around for a way to help.

“I wish we had Mr. Bluebird’s string now,” Tommy said thoughtfully. 

“We could use a small branch,” Tabitha suggested. “Though we’re sure to miss the boat now.”

“Hold on, Mr. Frog,” Tommy called down. “We’re going to find some branches to help you get out.”

They looked around the nearby trees until they found a few long, thin branches they could carefully lower into the hole. As they worked, a bell sounded in the distance. 

“The boat!” Tabitha cried, knowing the bell would only ring twice before Mr. Mole sailed away. 

“Are you trying to make the boat?” Mr. Frog called up. He was gripping two branches and trying to boost himself out of the hole. “There’s a shortcut just past that red bush, if you don’t mind swimming for it.”

Tommy and Tabitha reached into the hole, helping to hoist Mr. Frog up to solid ground. 

“Thank you, sir, but we can’t swim that well,” Tabitha told him.

“We’ll have to run for it,” Tommy said, and they scurried off with a brief wave goodbye.

As Tommy and Tabitha raced over roots and dodged small trees, they heard the second ring of Mr. Mole’s bell.

“Oh, Tommy!” Tabitha wailed. “We’ve missed the boat!” 

They slowed, feeling the crush of defeat as they saw the last curve of the path still far ahead.

“We might as well try,” Tommy said, and they clattered forward through the leaves. 

As they rounded the curve, the river came into view. There was a strong current today with reeds blowing at the water’s edge. And, to their surprise, Mr. Mole’s boat was still waiting at the dock. 

Tommy and Tabitha hurried forward and saw four familiar faces standing near the dock: the father and baby squirrel, Mr. Bluebird, and Mr. Frog.  

“Well, hurry on up,” Mr. Mole called to Tommy and Tabitha. “This lot begged me to wait for you, but I can’t wait all day.”

“You got him to wait for us?” Tabitha asked in pleased surprise. 

“You helped us,” the father squirrel told them. “It’s the least we could do.”

“I’ve been checking back on you,” Mr. Bluebird said, “and reporting on your progress.” He fluttered his wings, stretching after his efforts. 

“We never saw you!” Tommy said, thinking back to their run through the woods.

“You never know when someone is watching,” Mr. Frog told them. His clothes were dripping and askew after his quick swim to reach the dock in time. 

“Thank you so much!” Tommy and Tabitha told them all, as Mr. Mole urged them onto the boat. 

When they settled into their seats and Mr. Mole pushed the boat into the water, Tommy and Tabitha looked at each other with relief. 

“I thought we’d miss the boat for sure,” Tabitha admitted.

“But we didn’t,” Tommy said with a smile. “Thanks to some new friends.”                                                                                                                                         

The End 

Thanks for listening. I tried to keep this one light, but it’s hard not to tap into subconscious thought when you’re freewriting. Here’s hoping that we can find ways to help each other and hopefully have a better outcome than we may be expecting.

If you’d like a longer story break, please remember to check out my novels and other books at my website: SusanQuilty.com

Until next time, try a little free writing of your own. Let go of any planning and see where your imagination takes you. 

[Light piano music]