The day was bright blue and hot; the temperature crawled lazily upward on a summer afternoon.  The small town was still; even the dust in the streets had settled.  Everyone who could be was inside with the shutters closed rocking in the parlor and fanning themselves with last weeks’ edition of the Post or sitting in the kitchen swatting flys that landed on the table.  Even the blacksmith sat under a tree and whittled, waiting for the cool of the evening.

In the midst of the stillness a small sound intruded.  A sleepy old horse stirred his drooping ears to listen as he stood at the hitching post.  The merchant at his dry goods paused in his counting to listen.

The sound, though far away, was high pitched and shrill.  It floated into the small town and then back out again, past the old school house which was shuttered for the summer and then into the bright green of the deep woods beyond.

It was cooler here where the thick branches dappled the floor of the forest with patterns of sunlight.  The excited sound grew louder here and seem to wend along a rough path through the heart of the forest.  A bright-eyed squirrel paused on a branch to listen and then silently disappeared into the leaves.  An old box turtle sat on a warm rock and blinked at the sound.

The path sloped gently downward through a small open glen filled with fragrant grasses where a startled rabbit bounded for home and safety.  It was now possible to distinguish the excited shouting of laughter and play.  But how could such excitement exist on such a still hot quiet day?

Turning through several more trees, the path breasted a small rise just barely in time to see a small, sunburned, blond-haired shape fling himself onto a thick hanging vine, swing out into the air, and disappear, happily shrieking into the old swimming hole!

Six boys of assorted shapes and sizes were engaged in merrily diving, dunking, and in general, being as wet as they possibly could.  The water was cool from early summer rains and the great old trees shaded the banks and the boys ran down the hill to catch the swing vine, propelling themselves out over the sun streaked water.  Each tried to outdo the next in the size of splash produced.

Oh, how wonderful to be cool and wet and free on this hot still summer day!

The boys antics continued throughout the long summer afternoon ’til the rays of sunshine began to slant more and more from the west.  An early evening breeze sprang up, breaking the stillness and causing the leaves to murmur sleepily as they woke from their nap.

One by one, they boys gradually climbed from the water, shaking themselves to dry.  They collected their clothes from this branch and that bush and slowly dressed themselves.

The evening had begun and it was time for them to head home for their suppers.  With many a backward glance and sigh, the boys started up the path toward home.  The broken stillness returned - for a time.