Lines in the Lawn — C. Litka

A SHORT STORY of some 4,000 words, with illustrations, written to be read by a grownup for a child.Young Roy Williams liked to look down from his bedroom window on to the front yard, with its neat, precise lines made by the wheels of a lawnmower his father used to mow. He couldn’t wait for the day when he too, could make lines in the lawn.But he had to wait, for what seemed like forever. He had to wait until he was old enough, and big enough to be able to push the lawnmower, and not cut off his foot with it. And when that day came, he discovered that he had to start mowing in the what his dad called “the minor leagues.” Which is to say, the small, flat backyard of the Williams’ home.After some setbacks, Roy makes it to the major league of mowing – the long, sloping front lawn. He discovers that mowing the hilly front yard of the house was hard work. He also discovers that his style of mowing – his lines – rather clashed with those of his father’s …Ah, but is there more to Roy’s style than just artistic temperament?Lines in the Lawn was written to entertain the grownup as well as the child. As a consequence, there are words that the grownup will have to explain. Words like “diagonal,” and “pantomime.” However it is felt that this is a plus, since it encourages a conversation between the grownup and the child or children, enriching the experience for both.