Contents copyright Lu Swart 2005
The old iron gate creaked open and shut, challenging me to go to it. I could still hear Sam's words echoing in my mind. 'Dad said that if you stick your tongue on the gate this morning, you would be stuck there until spring.'� How I longed just once to prove Dad and Sam wrong. Sam was always bossing me around, telling me you gotta do this, you can't do that.

The gate swung again. I sat down on the snow covered tree stump to study it. My tongue would be wet and warm. It would probably just melt the frost, I told myself, like the warm milk hitting the bucket first thing in the morning during milking. Besides the metal bars on the gate were only as big around as a quarter, it couldn't hold me there until next spring! The image of my brother's taunting face saying, 'I told you so'� flickered in my mind. Suddenly I knew the answer. I turned and ran into the house. I burst into the kitchen and asked my mom.

'Mom, if you think that someone is wrong about something and you think that you're right what would you do?'�

My mother brushed at her hair with her doughy hands and said,

'Sometimes you just have to find out for yourself.'� Turning back to the door. I opened it and then asked,

'What if you're wrong?'� My mother smiled and said,

'Then you will learn a lesson you will never forget. Why are you asking?'�

'Oh, nothing'� I shrugged my shoulders and went back outside. The gate swung open and creaked, 'Find Out!'� So I ran quickly over and put the tip of my tongue on the metal bar.

Sam and Dad were wrong. I wasn't there until next spring, my mom was right, my sore tongue taught me to never lick cold gate post. A lesson I have never forgotten!

Want to comment on this Short Stories? Sign up to Edit Red and you will be able to comment on Short Stories and get access to: Upload your own stories and poems, get readers and their feedback, promote your work...