3

Milo snuck away from Mrs. Iddonea one day, and into the forest to explore. He told himself he wouldn’t go far.

He found a little babbling brook, the prettiest little brook he’d ever seen. He had begun to play in the water, splashing around and getting his clothes wet, when he saw a wild boar emerge from the underbrush on the other side.

“Hello little boar,” Milo said shyly, even though the boar wasn’t little at all.

“Hello little Cedros,” said the Boar.

Milo stood up, looking up and down at this creature, now strange and unknown. “My name is Milo, not Cedros,” He said. “How can you talk?”

“I am not a boar at all. I am the God of Agriculture,” The boar said with a toss of his tusks.

“Oh!” Milo said. “I’ve never met a God before. Silas tells me stories about them, though.

The boar looked pensive. “Stories, huh? Do you believe them?”

“With all my heart.”

“Hm.” The boar flicked his tail. “Do you like strawberries, little Milo?”

Milo nodded vigorously.

“I’ll bring you some from my farm sometime. Does Esyn like them too?”

Milo giggled again. “Now you’re just being silly and making up words.”

“Hm,” The boar said again, then turned toward the underbrush. “Until we meet again, little Milo.”

“Until we meet again, little God.”

Milo rushed back to Mrs. Iddonea and Adaline, who had been looking for him. They didn’t believe that he’d seen a God.