Long ways to go

Well, sit right down and I'll tell you a story.  The coffee's on, tea kettle is 'bout ready and you'll have to find yourself a seat.  Mind you, didn't expect so many of you here tonight.

T'other day, I was walking along the path over by the river.  Minding my own business as the birds and one or two squirrels will tell ya.  They was jabberin' and clicking their little beaks and teeth together like they seen a madwoman.  Course, I was mad, jus not crazy mad.  Leastwise, not then.

I saw this little flash on the river.  A fish had jumped and the sun caught the water sliding off it's scales.  Funny thing.  That little fish was laughing.  How can one little fish click and clack in the same manner as those nutty birds and squirrels?  I shake my head and continue on my way.

Saw the break in the path and tried to throw myself backwards.  All I succeeded in doing was land on my side and slide down that little incline.  Those birds and squirrels burst into another of their noisy speeches and totally ignored my imprecations.  Well, imprecations is better than what I actually was sayin'.

Once the pain and red flashes eased, I sat up.  Shook my head when I saw I was goin' to hafta walk the long way over ta the bridge.  Wouldn't ya know? Those nutty creatures had gone their own way and left me to walk on my own.  Splash.  Well, I wasn't totally abandoned.  That noisy fish was still in the water.  Still laughing in that strange clacking.  I started upstream, listening to that laughing.

I pushed my way through some brush that blocked the path.  Thens when I finally figured that I had gotten lost.  That was the only thing I could think of.  Walking upstream the river should have only added a couple hundred feet to my walk.  Yet, there it was.  The bridge was just as far away as when I first fell.