The Sound of Summer Running, by Ray Bradbury Late that night, going home from the show with his mother and father and his brother Tom, Douglas saw the tennis shoes in the bright store window. He glanced quickly away, but his ankles were seized, his feet suspended, then rushed. The earth spun; the shop awnings slammed their canvas wings overhead with the thrust of his body running. His mother and father and brother walked quietly on both sides of him. Douglas walked backward, watching the tennis shoes in the midnight window left behind. “It was a nice movie,” said Mother. Douglas murmured, “It was …” It was June and long past time for buying the special shoes that were quiet as a summer rain falling on the walks. June and the earth full of raw power and everything everywhere in motion. The grass was still pouring in from the country, surrounding the sidewalks, stranding the houses. Any moment the town would capsize, go down and leave not a stir in the clover and weeds. And here Douglas stood, trapped on the dead cement and the red-brick streets, hardly able to move. “Dad!” He blurted it out. “Back there in that window, those Cream-Sponge Para Litefoot Shoes--” His father didn’t even turn. “Suppose you tell me why you need a new pair of sneakers. Can you do that?” “Well . . .” It was because they felt the way it feels every summer when you take off your shoes for the first time and run in the grass. They felt like it feels sticking your feet out of the hot covers in wintertime to let the cold wind from the open window blow on them suddenly and you let them stay out a long time until you pull them back in under the covers again to feel them, like packed snow. The tennis shoes felt like it always feels the first time every year wading in the slow waters of the creek and seeing your feet below, half an inch further downstream, with refraction, than the real part of you above water. “Dad,” said Douglas, “it’s hard to explain.” Somehow the people who made tennis shoes knew what boys needed and wanted. They put marshmallows and coiled springs in the soles and they wove the rest out of grasses bleached and fired in the wilderness. Somewhere deep in the soft loam of the shoes the thin hard sinews of the buck deer were hidden. The people that made the shoes must have watched a lot of winds blow the trees and a lot of rivers going down to the lakes. Whatever it was, it was in the shoes, and it was summer. Douglas tried to get all this in words. “Yes,” said Father, “but what’s wrong with last year’s sneakers? Why can’t you dig them out of the closet?” What happens next? You may finish the story your way. You may change the story so it is about something other than shoes. You may use the artwork as a starting point to share summer memories or summer plans. You may share your thoughts on the rich sensory language and voice of Ray Bradbury as a writer. Ray Bradbury's ending is here
24 Comments
Annalyse Bailey
5/9/2017 08:29:17 am
"Because, Their Magical, " "What" Said father, "They Have A magical feeling," "Ok fine" Said father "fine"
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Michael
5/9/2017 08:31:58 am
My ending is the boy went to the store since he was mad.He looked up and saw the glow in the dark shoes and got his 1,000 dollars out,and bought it.When he got home he hid the shoes from his father forever.
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lexie
5/9/2017 08:32:57 am
"Because they are old and brokne"said Douglas "I wan't new shoes plaes" "OK''said Father "I will get you the shoes"
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jaden campbell
5/9/2017 08:36:19 am
My ending
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Domonique Dinkins
5/9/2017 08:42:34 am
"They are the best" said Douglas " You don't need them" said dad " That is not the point, I WANT them" said Douglas " Fine, We will get them" said dad
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Lylou Libby-Lengard
5/9/2017 08:43:35 am
My Story
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lucas
5/9/2017 08:45:08 am
If I were writing, I would end it like this,
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Noel
5/9/2017 08:45:43 am
"Well I just feel as if I should get new shoes and I feel as if I've just out grow those."said Douglas. Dad said "If I get you those shoes are you going to wear them and not just wear them once then forget and out grow them?" "Yes"said Douglas "Okay I'll get you those shoes but what are you going to do with the old ones"dad said. Douglas said"ummmm...sell them for money I guess or give them away."Dad said "okay now let's go get those new shoes." Douglas whispers"yes".
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saydini leticia
5/9/2017 09:20:07 am
those shoes are magical.
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Preston
5/9/2017 09:29:10 am
I want the shoes why because they make me feel good when I run.You must be crazy if you think I'm buying those expensive shoes.Dad listen to me no you listen to me.Boys Boys break it up why don't you work for it sun you know mow the lawn do the garden I made OK if it helps me get those new shoes I want so badly.Now that that's over with let's eat dinner I made my famous meatloaf.One day later son son well I've seen how hard you've worked in the yard and garden and I would like to give you these new shoes.Wow three whole pairs of shoes yep I know how much you like to play football and my dream is for you to be a football superstar Douglas.Thanks dad.
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susannah
5/9/2017 09:31:29 am
MY ENDING
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Kingston
5/9/2017 09:33:58 am
This is my ending
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Trey
5/24/2017 08:45:38 am
So I went to go look in my closet. And all the sudden the stinch of disgusting shoes. So I go back to dad and he says fine you can get the shoes.
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Carlo Rodriguez
5/24/2017 08:46:08 am
"I just like how they look and my shoes are starting to brake" "Okay fine I will get you the shoes" "Thanks dad!"
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caedance major
5/24/2017 08:47:20 am
Because he said because what said his father because they smell like cake. They smell like cake wow,son: yes i love cake and please let me get the cakes truffle shoes, NO said father son :OH yeah well you will regret this .To Be continued!!!!
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Miles
5/24/2017 08:47:58 am
Next he really wanted the shoes so he ran away from his parents. Then he said I don't want to live with ya'll anymore so I'm leaving!
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Gabrielle Strother
5/24/2017 08:50:58 am
Douglas looks at dad with a frown. "Dad listen I just do not like those shoes. They make my feet hurt and do not smell good. I can not fit them and my toes stick out. Please dad get me those shoes." Dad looks at Douglas and gave him a smirk. "Well so I know you really want those shoes." Douglas smiles and his frown slowly turns into a smile. "I mean you work hard and I know you want to have those shoes. Let me think about." Later on weeks past. Douglas knew he would never get those sneakers. The thing Douglas forgot was it was his birthday. Dad came up and said " Son happy birthday." Douglas could not believe it. It was his sneakers and a smile on a pups face. " Thank you dad. I will never forget this day." Dad gave Douglas a big hug and said "I thought about it and id not forget."
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Gabby
5/24/2017 08:51:34 am
My ending is The dad gets the shoes out the closet and gives the shoes to the boy and the boy wears them and says i really like these shoes
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Anna
5/24/2017 08:54:26 am
" No" said Douglass, those shoes are not like these shoes. They are like that cup of hot coco of a cold winter night or a cold ice cream cone on a hot summer day. Please Dad please, Douglass Edy Brown you are not going to get those shoes now come on your mother it wating! As douglass walk home in the cold summer rain he starts to cry and cry and cry. By the time he gets home he can't sleep so he stays up all night just sobbing. The next day his mother felt bad becuse she could relate to what her son was feeling, she once saw a dress as pretty as a dove. As light as a feather, she had to get it but no her father said no. She talked to douglass the next day and she knew how he felt, so his parents talked. The next day they said to douglass fine. Doglass was happy as a dog that just got a treat. He thanked it parents so much. His parents said thank you, douglass had made his mother feel like she was when she was young. Later that afternoon they went to buy the shoes. His father said sorry he now knew how much those shoes ment to him. They all ended up buying the same pair of shoes. After all they were on sale! They all had the best walk in the park that day!
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Andre
5/24/2017 09:01:59 am
MY ENDING
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Andre
5/24/2017 09:04:13 am
I meant to say Dad said after "girl"
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Makenzy
5/24/2017 09:02:37 am
This is my ending
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bryce diamond
5/24/2017 09:05:45 am
My ending would be the boy disrespected his dad and bought the shoes for 400 $ and hides them from his dad under his bed. Then his dad finds them and whip's him. Later on he grows up to run a shoe store.
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Julian
5/24/2017 09:06:20 am
"Because they are all worn out!"Douglas says."Well, we can patch up the holes."Dad says."You can do that?"Douglas says."Yes."Dad says."Well can we still get new shoes?"Douglas says."Yes, we can."Dad says."Yay!"Douglas says in exitment.
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AuthorsMrs. Jennifer Hethcox and Mr. Kevin Durden Archives
May 2017
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