Treasure Chest

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By Angie Bromeland

Waylon sat on the back of the hay wagon using a piece of hay as a toothpick.
“I’ve got stuff stuck in my teeth,” Waylon said as he picked.  
“That’s what happens after eating corn on the cob,” Marvin replied to his roughneck friend. “Now hop down here and help me again.”
Waylon plunked the piece of hay on the ground and hopped off the wagon. The two men were digging holes for fence posts to make the horse pasture larger. Marvin plunged his shovel down into the earth, and the men heard a clunk.
“What was that?” Waylon asked.
Marvin looked confused. “Beats me. Sounds like a chunk of bedrock.” He dug some more, and again they heard the chinking sound. Waylon used his shovel to clear away more dirt, and then two men crouched down to see what the shovel was hitting.
“Sheesh, is that what it looks like?” Waylon asked in amazement.
“Buddy,” Marvin started, “we could be on the brink of a great discovery here.”
Quickly, Marvin and Waylon used their shovels to dig a larger hole. They reached down and pulled up what looked like a large treasure chest. Their eyes shone with excitement. The chest was locked with an old padlock but it was rusty. Marvin used the side of his shovel to break it open. Together, they lifted the lid of the trunk.
No gold coins glittered back at them. No pearls or diamonds shone in the sunlight. In fact, there was nothing in there but some old clothes that had long ago rotted into threads.
“It’s junk!” Waylon said.
Marvin sighed loudly.
The men leaned on the wagon and gazed at the treasureless chest.
“Ah well,” Waylon said. “Wouldn’t know what to do with a million bucks, anyway.”
The men laughed and went back to digging holes.

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