Help finding title/author of short fiction

  • I'm looking for the name and/or author of a short story. It's been years since I read it and I can only remember key bits-- however as it was a college course I'm assuming it's probably a fairly well known author. Here's what I remember: The story is about a boy taking his fathers shotgun and shooting an egret or crane or large white bird. I believe it takes place at night and the shooting takes place in the back yard, or a forest in the back of the house. The story is mainly about the father finding out about the boy who I believe disobeyed him in taking the gun. Thanks.


  • Hello Rainbow, This doesn't sound like the story I'm looking for. In the one I'm thinking of there is much emphasis on this bird (heron or crane). I'm almost thinking that the title revolves around this bird but I'm not sure. Also I don't even think there are any names in the story I'm thinking of. I would like to place emphasis on the brevity of this story ... a short story that might have appeared in a collection or something like the New Yorker.


  • Hi pawn707, I have located a book which seems to fit your description. Please read this excerpt of a description and let me know if it sounds familiar: "Ned's father, as being the Reverend, did not agree at all with the gun idea. Ned's father concluded as saying, "Ned, there is nothing to imagine with a gun except something that was dead." Then he took the gun upstairs, Ned watching him in the process, placed it in the attic. That night, Ned's father told him that he trusted him entirely not to touch the gun. Ned stayed up all night, thinking about how that gun felt in his arms after he unwrapped it. Such power and control he had in himself when he held it. He couldn't help himself from going upstairs, in the attic, and get the gun for himself. He took his shoes off, as not to make any noise, and tip-toed to the attic. When he got there the light reflecting from the moon shone on the beautiful gun. Ned grabbed the gun quickly and quietly stepped out the door of his house. At last, he was free with the gun by his side all alone. Then, he aimed it at a shadow in the woods that looked alive to him. He knew that he wasn't going to shoot anything. But, all of the sudden, accidently, his sweating wet fingers slipped on the trigger of the gun and hit that shadow in the woods. Ned turned back, looking up at the house and in one of the windows of the house was someone staring at him, seeing everything that Ned had done!" Waiting to hear your views. Regards, Rainbow







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