This historic fiction was written by Mitch Mauer and is based on a story shared by Carl Ogaard.
I remember Halloween of 1948 like it was yesterday. It was just me and some of the boys, you know, Don, Obert, and LaVern.
``You know Obert. We ought to do something tonight,`` I said.
``Well, we stole all the good watermelons, knocked all the outhouses over. What`s left?`` said Obert.
``Hey!`` shouted LaVern. ``Those boys put a cow on the Gymnasium last year. Can`t we do something like that?``
Now LaVern was always pulling pranks and causing mischief. If he came up with an idea, you knew it was going to be a good one.
``But wouldn`t that be awful messy?`` asked Don.
``Oh Don, you`re so afraid something is gonna happen,`` said LaVern.
``You know.`` said Obert. ``Don`s got a good point there. But if we put something else on the roof, like a wagon or something. It couldn`t hurt nothing. That would be great!``
``Where would we find something like that?`` I asked. ``We only got a night you know.``
``Do any of you guys remember when we went fishing `bout a week ago. Down by old man Stevens.`` said Lavern. We nodded.
``There was an old buggy in the pasture. Over yonder by the pond. Wouldn`t that work?`` asked LaVern.
``It didn`t look very heavy. We`d just push it into town.``
We agreed that it was one swell idea, and we were gonna do it. Now, you know that us boys did everything together; and there wasn`t a chance of one of us snitchen on the others.
When it got dark out, we set out to get the buggy. We pushed it into town, and began to push it up on to the high school. We all agreed that it was pretty tough, but it was well worth it.
We`d just got it up there, when LeVern spied the window.
``Hey!`` Whispered LaVern. ``The library window is cracked open a little.``
Obert pushed the window open further and stuck his head inside. ``You know what we ought to try guys? We should try puttin the buggy in there. That would be one heck of a prank!`` exclaimed Obert.
Then again we all agreed. We had to dismantle the buggy to get it through the window. We reassembled the buggy and set it up on two library tables.
``This is the best prank ever!`` chuckled Don, as we exited the window we came through.
The next day we showed up together at school. ``Hey! Obert, whispered to us. ``How about we go see our handiwork down at the library?``
We all got down there. There was a crowd of people standing around looking at the buggy on the table.
``Whoever did this is going to get paddled hard!`` exclaimed one student passing by.
``This is one heck of a prank!`` said another.
``OK, students! Quit this commotion and get to your classes!`` shouted the librarian.
She was not happy at all.
The four of us returned to our class. We all sat down together in the same row. The teacher, Mr. Lane, was standing at the front of the room, as normal. He was cool as a cucumber. He acted like nothing happened at all.
After we`d settled down, Mr. Lane began to talk. ``Students, you noticed that there is a buggy in the library,`` he looked around the room. ``Carl, LaVern, Don, and Obert. Would you like to show us how you guys did it? `` Everyone in the room was astonished, especially the four of us.
Mr. Lane led us into the library. ``You boy`s get this out of here the same way you got it in here.`` said Mr. Lane. I did what I was told and took a wheel off and headed down the hallway to the front door. ``Hey Carl!`` questioned Mr. Lane. ``Didn`t you bring that buggy through the library window?``
Now that remark stopped us dead in our tracks. We had started out thinking we were making history and ended up making fools of ourselves in front of the whole school. Was somebody watching us somewhere? Was Mr. Lane standing in the doorway somewhere watching us? I`ll never find out.