Stories by Miles Venison
The three young sheep trotted right up to the fence where the sheep paddock met the cow paddock. The fence posts were of old, thick timber and stood taller than the sheep. A timber rail stretched along the top of the fence, apart from one short section where the wood had rotted and collapsed.... Continue Reading →
Early the next morning, the chief rooster’s mighty crow trumpeted from the big white fencepost near the front gate. The animals began to stir. One by one the sheep crept out from the barn and into the chilly air and gentle sunlight. Beneath a clear blue sky, a hundred thousand lingering dewdrops had turned... Continue Reading →
Beyond the deep green and autumn red hills west of Butterberry Farm, a soft orange sunset bloomed. Shadows stretched across the low paddock south of the farmhouse. There the sheep strolled toward the shearing shed, to hear what Candace had assured them was an important message. Candace was one of the lambs born in... Continue Reading →
Don Quixote has been loved and revered for centuries as a masterpiece of literature. Perhaps the original modern novel, it is epic, imaginative and endearing. But just what makes it so? Is it the charm of the lead characters? Is it the call to adventure? The innovative narrative style? Many books can lay claim to... Continue Reading →
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is the first I have read of Mark Twain’s work, mainly because of a used car I bought fifteen years ago. I’ll explain. When I was much younger and slightly more naïve than I am now, I went to buy an automobile at a local car yard. The yard was... Continue Reading →
These days, “sequel” has become synonymous with minimum effort and maximum disappointment. When I learned Homer had written a follow-up to his classic Iliad, I assumed it was a lazy cash-grab—not that I blamed him, you have to make hay while the sun shines. But I lowered my expectations unnecessarily; it turns out The Odyssey is... Continue Reading →
I recently saw this book advertised in a store as “a beloved children’s tale”. I wasted no time in pointing out this error to the manager. Imagine my disbelief when he insisted Peter Pan is indeed a book for children! In a state of shock I suggested he might as well stock the kids’ section with... Continue Reading →
In Search of Lost Marbles 