Books of Short Stories
Sneak attack

Books by Dave Hatton

Are they true?

“My brother always said that I could not tell a story right so I waited until he died to write this book. My cousin said, “That’s not the way it was,” when he read about himself. “I didn’t say that!” the pretty niece said about her story and when the wife discovered that it was a peek into our family life she insisted that I write “fiction” on the copyright page. Several class mates said, “This isn’t a book of fiction, we remember when that happened.” There was no way to win. I did have the good sense to wait until Mr. B died to tell his story. Here is an example:

It was my habit to sit and read in the evenings when it was too dark to work. One evening as I finished the biography of George Washington I laid the book down with a big sigh.

“What’s the matter, dear?” my wife asked me.

“I wish I had been a great man like George Washington, admired and respected by all.”

“Why, you have talents and abilities that George Washington never dreamed of and you have displayed them with creativity and flare.”

“Really?” I prompted.

“Certainly. Why, George Washington couldn’t even tell a lie!”

A lot of years have passed since and I have gained a reputation. I can deal with any person in the whole county and seal the deal with a hand shake. I’m trusted far and wide and it sure has made life a lot easier. You bet, there is nothing like a good reputation for honesty to open doors and smooth the way. Just the other day I had to stop at the dentist’s to have a tooth pulled. It was an emergency and I got there just before quitting time. Jon stayed a few extra minutes and did the job. After I got out of the chair I facetiously said, “Jon, you’re real good at extracting teeth but now let’s see how good you are at extracting money from me.”

Jon turned to Kae, his dental assistant and a girl I had gone to school with, and said, “I’ve never had a minute’s trouble getting money out of Dave.”

“I wouldn’t think so,” Kae answered.

“He’s got an honest wife!” Jon exclaimed.

No sir, there is nothing like a good reputation if you’re going to do business in a small rural community!

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