FOR MOST OF THE CENTURY: THE DEEP FOREST AWARD (PART 48)

Jean Bell Mosley's new autobiography, "For Most of the Century," is only available in serialized form in the Southeast Missourian. Return each week for her continuing story.

The decade moved on toward its close. It wasn't the best of the century. But there were some bright spots. In 1974, the American Association of University Women, Missouri division, sponsored a Festival for Missouri women in the arts. My region's center was nearby Jackson, Missouri. There were various awards to be given for the visual and performing arts, including writing. I entered a short story contest.

Still being affected by my love for "The Wind In The Willows," I wrote a story with anthropormorphized animals as the characters, with no other names than Rabbit, Beaver, Chuck, Squirrel, Mr. and Mrs. Raccoon, Head Frog and the Lesser Frogs, Little Mocker (a mockingbird) and the Keeper of All Creatures (God). There were many meadow mice to whom I did give names, usually those of whom I knew and loved -- Lauren, Margaret, Gladys, Thurman, Stephen, etc.

Since acronyms were in such vogue, I entitled the story, "The DFRBGM Award." It won first prize regionally, was sent on for state competition where it again won first place. Hummm, I thought, it must be fairly good. So off it went to Cricket magazine. The editors like it, bought and published it. The sensible editors changed the title to "The Deep Forest Award," DFRBGM being so unpronounceable. Hummm, I thought again. Maybe I could extend this story to book length, so during the dreary days of the late seventies I mentally immersed myself in the pleasant setting of a deep forest bordered by a grassy meadow through which ran a rustling brook. Hence, DFGMRB.

The lovable characters of this community were always looking out for each other and very conscious of The Keeper of All Creatures.

During the days of Edward's chemotherapy and endless lab trips, I could mentally enter the deep forest or grassy meadow for a few hours of escape from what I knew was coming.

I could, for a few precious moments, identify with Mrs. Raccoon, one of the main characters, as I placed her high up in the white oak tree, looking out of her little round doorway and seeing:

"The lowering sun was making golden threads of long floating spider webs. Mrs. Raccoon watched them lodge on the tree branches, wild asters, stumps, brambles and briars. They seemed to be weaving an intricate protective golden web around them all. And inside the web was a roseate glow from end-of-day sunshine, livened by shouts of merriment from those beginning to mix the scrabbledobies, those arranging from paw paws in attractive little stacks, and those just talking over the happenings of the day. She looked in the direction of the new abandoned and uncovered Little Toy Computer. Rays from the setting sun caught and hung on a brass corner. One corner seemed to send a special red-gold beam right up to where she was sitting. No matter which way she turned her head it was there, almost as if it had her trapped. She knew, of course, that she could go back farther into the room, or even down the tree and get out of it, but she rather liked the warmth and glow and the airy graceful feeling of being held up by a sunbeam.

"Such a feeling reminded Mrs. Raccoon of the time she had tried so hard to explain the Keeper of All Creatures to little Mocker; how He did not keep anyone harshly chained, but that His chain, if anything, was more like warm sunbeams linking His creatures together.

"At that moment the sunbeam from the computer almost blinded her. Then, suddenly it went away. No matter how she turned, twisted or stretched, she could not get it back. She looked at the computer in a thoughtful, puzzled sort of way. Of course, she could see that shadows were gathering down below, but it was almost as if the computer had given her a big parting wink.

"From somewhere down deep inside, a thought began to take shape. She remembered she had also told Little Mocker that although no one ever saw the Keeper, she sometimes felt as if she had seen where He had just been.

"Mrs. Raccoon trembled with mingled awe and reverence. She looked again at the computer. Her heart swelled. Her eyes gleamed. "Surely I've seen where the Keeper has just been and He left a message!? she whispered."

With this passage, I was trying to recreate a feeling in the reader somewhat like I had experienced that long ago afternoon when the carbide light reflector shone in my eyes and the feeling I had that I was in God's presence.

The resulting book was "The Deep Forest Award," published by Crossway Books in America and as "Little Mocker's Great Adventure" in the United Kingdom. It was also put on tape by the Christian Blind Mission International for the reading impaired and subsequently was a C.S. Lewis Silver medal winner.

~Jean Bell Mosley is an author and longtime resident of Cape Girardeau.