The Willy Wag Tail

• Rachael Perry, Grade 6, Portland South Primary School
• Short Story
• 2018

Excellence Award in the 'Horizon of Dreams 2018' competition

Once there was an old man making the most of his retirement by gardening. He was just about to plant the last of his tomato seeds when he heard a graceful song from a willy wag tail. The beautiful melody carried on for 5 seconds until it had stopped. The curiosity in the man had come out and he was intrigued to find where the simple melody of the bird was coming from. Finally, he had come to a stop where the brave and cunning bird was hiding and saw its hypnotizing tail. The willy wag tail was watching the man with curiosity as he walked back to his garden bed to finish the last plant. The same thing had carried on, days became weeks and weeks became months and the old man and the willy wag-tail had seen each other daily until one day the old man had stopped coming. The miraculous bird flew to the outside of a nearby window and saw the man lying in bed extremely ill.
The routine of the two had changed to the willy wag tail sitting and watching the man and trying to work out what was happening. Some days the man would be in bed crowded with heaps of people around him and some days he would have barely enough energy to walk but every now and again the man would crack a smile at his little friend who was always watching through the window.
Until one day the bird flew to the window to see an empty bed. In the week to come the man’s family organised to lay him to rest and all the while the man's little willy wag tail companion watched and listened as the family made the arrangements. The day the funeral soon arrived the willy wagtail was no longer at the window. The family gathered around the grave as the old man was lowered down to the surprise of the family the most graceful song came from the tree above the old man's grave. The beautiful melody lasted for 5 seconds until it had stopped, it was the willy wag tail, coming to say goodbye the old man.
I happen to be one of the family members at the funeral that day and witnessed the willy wag tail say goodbye to the old man who happened to be my Grandad.
Till this very day whenever I see a willy wagtail I always think of My Grandad and smile.