“Must I?” pleaded Orville.
“Yes” said Wilbur.
“Why not you?”
“I don’t like heights. You’ve got cushions in case it goes wrong”
“Goes wrong? It’s supposed to be safe”
Orville’s pleas went unheard. The Flyer spluttered into life, and the Wright Brother’s fragile timber and cloth contraption bounced its way off the ground.
“Oooo … I’m coming down… I don’t like it”
Twelve seconds and one hundred and twenty feet later, the flying machine landed with a bump.
A proud Wilbur addressed the assembled crowd.
“One day man will fly across oceans”
“Bugger that” shouted Orville “They can do it without me! I’m off for a beer”
Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle who also provided this week’s picture.
Prod the frog to read other’s stories.
All this rushing from A to B will never get us anywhere. Well, except B
So Orville and Wilbur are the ones responsible for those terrible airport waits! I’m with Orville, i think I’ll pop off to get a beer instead…
Thank goodness terminals have bars! Having read several of your comments I have a feeling you’re not a fan of airports!
lol, no I’m not. Maybe I should find the lounges and bars more often….
Sounds so much like brothers everywhere, experimenting on some new idea! Good thing they persisted or we’d still be waiting in crowded train stations to get somewhere — seeing humans are so determined to go, go, go.
They certainly started something! Thanks Christine.
Funny and completely possible 🙂
I’d like to think so! Thanks Linda
Dear Keith,
Now that’s a side of the Wright brothers we never hear. Love how you threw history into a tailspin. Not to mention for you did with the frog. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
I’m pleased you liked my take on history Rochelle – and my frog!
HA! I’m with Orville… landing is the hardest part (even though I’m just a passenger)!
Great story… made me laugh 🙂
-Rachel
It is indeed! Delighted you enjoyed it Rachel
Nice. 🙂 It took a lot of courage to strap into that thing and fly for the first time.
Rather him than me! Thanks David
It’s hard being the test pilot
It probably still is today! Thanks Sadje
I find that story altogether believable! And funny, of course!
History is more interesting when it’s fun! Thanks Penny
I’ll drink to that.
Cheers!
LOL! How fun!
Well, I hope he had his beer. And I’m glad we get to fly … because the alternative of weeks at sea are somehow a lot less appealing if they are the ONLY option… 🙂
I quite agree. I float to France quite often but that’s only a couple of hours!
🙂
Can’t mankind have both, flying machines and beer?
Bring on the drinks trolley! Cheers Larry
Very entertaining reenactment of a piece of history.
Thanks so much, I’m pleased you liked it.
You are welcome, Keith.
LOL! Rushing here and there…I need to rush off to write some flash myself!
I should think so!
And thus the bar in the airport waiting lounge was created! 🙂
Indeed it was – thank goodness! Cheers Iain
Heeheehee! And here i thought they had an argument about who got to go first!
Who knows? Thanks Mimi.
the wright brothers got it right and lived to tell about it. great story. 🙂
…and the rest as they say, is history! Cheers plaridel.
Now that’s a side of history we don’t often get to see!
This was so much fun, Keith.
I’ll take an amber ale, please.
And you are the Frog Master…
An excellent beverential choice, A pint I presume? Thank you for your kind words ma’am.
Of course! Less is not worth it!
Hilarious, Keith. That’s probably a lot nearer to what really happened than we read in history books. I enjoyed this. 😀 — Suzanne
I’d like to think so! Thanks Suzanne.
Beer – the best travel there is!
Cheers to that!
We have a come a long long way from Wright brother’s first flight. But planes still crash and we have no clue why.
So true Abhijad
A beer (or twelve) sounds like a much better idea than sitting cooped up in a plane. 🙂
Absolutely!
Love this snapshot of the past. His dream certainly came true!
That it did! Cheers Colline
At last the true story is told 🙂
I thought it was about time I revealed exactly what went on!
After such an event they both deserve a few big beers. Good story.
I quite agree. There certainly wouldn’t have been a drinks trolley on their plane!
I enjoyed the bantering between brothers. Orville drew the short straw I suppose but glad we have air travel, even though I grumble about it! Your story made me chuckle as usual. =)
Air travel – a necessary evil! Delighted it amused you Brenda
Can’t say I blame him – I saw a Bleriot plane up close once – like a garden chair in a fragile frame with bicycle wheels.
What a scary thought! You wouldn’t get me on a hang glider!
I really like the dare-devil tone of your story, and the banter between Orville & Wilbur. I do admire them for going up in a flimsy ‘kite’, without knowing what on earth would happen !
Love or hate flying,you have to admire them!
Bugger that!
I gotta start using that expression. I love it!
Good story this week, Keith.
A naughty but not too naughty expression! Thanks Dawn.
Keith,
First flight, first crash….if only they knew just how successful and catastrophic their invention is now. Great vehicles to get people places faster but when something goes wrong it’s awful fatal. Orville glimpsed the future from the sound of it if you ask me. Good piece!
You’ve summed it up perfectly! Thanks so much Cathy
LOL. Fun story, Keith.
Thanks so much Deborah
I love your story – especially the cushions and the beer! Great.
Thanks so much Jilly
This was a fun read, Keith 😀
Thanks so much.
I agree…. nowadays I rather not fly either… 🙂
Things have improved slightly! Cheers Björn
Hehe.. nice post.. funny story😊
Delighted you liked it!
Higher, Orville, Higher!
What a great story. I love the line with the cushion, cracked me up.
And that frog: you’re a frocreator.
I’m really pleased you enjoyed it – and that you approve of my flying frog! Nice word!
Fun take.
Thanks so much.
😅fun tale…but who knows it could have happened 😄