WILLY AND THE NORTH WIND

WILLY AND THE NORTH WIND

by Terry Burres


Once long, long ago on the prairie of Northern Indiana there lived a boy everyone called Willy. Willy lived on a farm with his mama. They were not rich but they had everything they needed to get by.

One Winter the snow fell so thick that they had stayed on the farm for weeks and weeks. Willy’s mama sent him to the barn to grind the last of the wheat into flour so that she could bake bread. He scraped every last grain of wheat from the storage barrel. He put them into the hand grinder and ground them into flour. He put the flour into the biscuit bowl.

As he headed across the barn yard toward the house the North Wind blew through the farm sending the flour swirling high into the sky. Willy could only watch as the flour disappeared from sight.

Willy ran into the house. Willy told his mama about the North Wind and their flour. The more he talked about the missing flour the more angry Willy became. He told his mama that he was going to see the North Wind and he was going to get their flour back. Willy wrapped his father’s scarf around his neck, put on the old slouch hat, hefted an old feed sack on his shoulder and headed out the door.

Willy walked and walked and walked. After dark Willy saw a light shinning far off. When he finally reached the light he found a way station where travelers could get a bed and something to eat. When Willy knocked on the door an old man answered. Willy explained that he didn’t have any money.

He ask if he could chop a rick of wood for a place to sleep and a little dinner. The old man agreed. It took Willy about an hour to chop the wood. He found a bowl of stew and a chunk of bread waiting for him. As he ate he told the old couple about the North Wind taking his flour. After he finished Willy took the blanket he was given and curled up by the fireplace.

In the morning before he left the old man told Willy to be sure to come on back after he saw the North Wind. He told Willy if he had a good story he would give him something to eat and a warm spot by the fire. Willy told him that he sure try to make it back.

Willy walked and walked and walked. He finally came to a mountain. Half way up that mountain sat the North Wind. Willy climbed up to the North Wind. ‘Well hidee Willy’ said the North Wind. ’What’s you up to?’

Willy looked the North Wind right in the eye and said,’You blew all our flour away and I want it back.’

“Willy, Willy’, said the North Wind, ’I don’t have your flour! And I’m real sorry that you lost it. Maybe I can replace it. Wait right here.’ The North Wind reached over on the other side of the mountain and handed Willy a red cloth. ‘Spread that cloth out there Willy and say ‘Boy, Am I Hungry.’

Willy spread the cloth out on the ground and said, ’Boy, Am I Hungry.’
Faster then you could say ‘Hoo’s there’ that cloth was covered from one side to the other with the best looking eats that Willy had ever seen.

‘Dig in Willy’ said the North Wind. And Willy did. He ate until he could hardly move. No matter how much Willy ate there was always more. ‘Willy if you full say,’ I’m Done ‘. When Willy did that the cloth was suddenly empty. The North Wind picked it up, shook it out, folded it and gave it to Willy. ‘Here you go Willy you can take this cloth and you’ll never have to be hungry again’.

‘Well thank ya Mr. North Wind’, said Willy, He took the cloth put in his sack and headed down the mountain. Willy walked and walked and walked. As the last bits of sunset left the sky Willy saw in the distance a light. It took him a long time to reach it When he got there he found the same house he had stopped at before.

Willy told the old man and woman all about his trip to see the North Wind. He whipped out the red cloth and showed them how it worked. After they had eaten their fill Willy said ’I’m Done ‘’, shook it out, folded it, and put it back in his sack.

The old man and woman were impressed. They gave Willy the warmest spot by the fire, and an extra pallet to sleep on. They said ‘nighty night’. Then they all went to bed. Just as soon as the old man heard Willy sleeping sound he creeped to the mat where Willy was and took the red cloth. The old woman found a cloth that looked just like the North Wind’s cloth. They took the red cloth, folded it and but it in the sack. They then went to bed with the North Wind’s cloth tucked under their mattress.

When the rooster crowed Willy got up to the old woman frying ham and made Willy a sandwich for the road. Willy thanked the couple and started for home. Willy walked and walked and walked.

Late that night Willy saw the lights from his own home. His mama sure was glad to see him. Willy told her all of his adventures. He took the red cloth from the sack, shook it out onto the table, and said,’Boy, Am I Hungry.’Nothing happened. So he said again, ’Boy, Am I Hungry.’ Nothing happened. So he said again, ’Boy, Am I Hungry.’

Willy tried over and over to get the cloth to work but It just sat there. Finally Willy’s mama took the cloth, folded it and put it back in the sack. She kissed Willy and sent him to bed.

When Willy got up the next morning he told his mama that he was going back to the North Wind and get his flour back. Even though his mama tried to talk him out of it Willy wrapped his dad’s scarf around his neck, Put on the slouch hat, picked up the sack, and took off walking.

Willy walked and walked and walked. After dark Willy saw a light shinning far off. When he finally reached the light he found the house of the old couple where he had stayed before. The old man and his wife asked Willy in. The old woman made Willy something to eat and they listened to Willy while he told them about the cloth not working. They offered Willy a place by the fire to sleep.

The old man and woman talk after Willy went to sleep. When he left in the morning the old woman had a ham sandwich all ready for him. They both saw him to the door and told him to come back that way after he had seen the North Wind. They couldn’t wait until Willy came back. They wanted to see what the North Wind gave him this time.

Willy walked and walked and walked. He finally came to a mountain. Half way up that mountain sat the North Wind. Willy climbed up to the North Wind. ‘Well hidee Willy’ said the North Wind. ’What’s you up to this time?’

Willy looked the North Wind right in the eye and said,’You blew all our flour away, you gave me this cloth but when I got home it didn’t work at all. I want my flour back.’

‘Well Willy I don’t know what to tell you,’said the North Wind. ‘Didn’t it work before you left here? You went straight home and didn’t tell anyone about the cloth didn’t you?’

Willy told the North Wind about the trip home and how he had showed the cloth to the old couple who had been so nice to him.

“Willy I think I know what happened. Here’s what you do. Ta,’ said the North Wind. He reached behind the mountain and pulled out a small gold pot. ‘See here Willy you can have this pot. This is what you do. You put the pot down then you say ‘Boy, I Could Use Some Money.’

Willy set the pot on the ground then he said, ‘Boy, I Could Use Some Money.’
Faster then you could say ‘Hoo’s there’ heard a clinking sound. He reached in the pot and pulled out five gold coins.

‘Here you go Willy you can take this gold pot and you’ll never have to worry about money again’ .said the North Wind. ‘When you go home stop at that house again. You be sure to show that man and woman this pot. Then you act like your sleepy. Go and lay down. Just don’t go to sleep.’

The North Wind reached behind the mountain again. This time he handed Willy stick. ‘Willy if you find anyone messing with your pot you take this stick, point it at whoever, say ‘Get ‘em’ and then stand back! When you want to make it stop just tell it to stop.’

‘Well thank ya Mr. North Wind’, said Willy. He picked up the gold pot and put it in the sack. Then he took the stick and using it as a walking stick he headed home. Willy walked and walked and walked. As the last bits of sunset left the sky Willy saw in the distance a light. It took him a long time to reach it When he got there he found the same house he had stopped at before.

Willy told the old man and woman all about his trip to see the North Wind. He showed them the gold pot and what it could do. Willy gave them the gold coins for his food and a place to sleep. They talked to Willy while he ate, then they gave him an extra soft spot to sleep in front of the fire.

Willy closed his eyes and pretended to go right off to sleep. After a while the old man and woman creeped into the room. They waited for a long time then the old man, quite as can be, he reached into the sack to take out the pot. Just as fast as he could Willy grabbed the stick and said ‘Get ‘em’! before you could say ‘Hoo’s there’ the stick started beating on that man.

The old man begged and begged for Willy to stop the stick. Willy did as soon as the old woman brought the red cloth out from under the bed. Willy told the stick to stop and before you could say ‘Hoo’s there’ the stick stopped.

The old woman helped the old man into the bedroom. They did come out until they heard Willy leave in the morning. Willy walked and walked and walked.

Late that night Willy saw the lights from his own home. His mama sure was glad to see him. Willy told her all of his adventures. He took the red cloth from the sack, shook it out onto the table, and said,’Boy, Am I Hungry.’

Before you could say ‘Hoo’s there’ the table was as full as can be with the best food that Willy’s mama had ever seen. Then he took the small gold pot and set it down then Willy said, ‘Boy, I Could Use Some Money.’

Faster then you could say ‘Hoo’s there’ there was a clinking sound. Willy reached in the pot and pulled out five gold coins.

Willy’s mama gave him a great big hug. They lived happily ever after.