I'm looking for the name and/or author of a short story. It's been
years since I read it and I can only remember key bits-- however as it
was a college course I'm assuming it's probably a fairly well known
author. Here's what I remember:

The story is about a boy taking his fathers shotgun and shooting an
egret or crane or large white bird. I believe it takes place at night
and the shooting takes place in the back yard, or a forest in the back
of the house. The story is mainly about the father finding out about
the boy who I believe disobeyed him in taking the gun.
Thanks.

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Request for Question Clarification by rainbow-ga on 17 Jul 2004 16:18 PDT

Hi pawn707,

I have located a book which seems to fit your description.

Please read this excerpt of a description and let me know if it sounds familiar:

"Ned's father, as being the Reverend, did not agree at all with the
gun idea. Ned's father concluded as saying, "Ned, there is nothing to
imagine with a gun except something that was dead." Then he took the
gun upstairs, Ned watching him in the process, placed it in the attic.
That night, Ned's father told him that he trusted him entirely not to
touch the gun. Ned stayed up all night, thinking about how that gun
felt in his arms after he unwrapped it. Such power and control he had
in himself when he held it. He couldn't help himself from going
upstairs, in the attic, and get the gun for himself. He took his shoes
off, as not to make any noise, and tip-toed to the attic. When he got
there the light reflecting from the moon shone on the beautiful gun.
Ned grabbed the gun quickly and quietly stepped out the door of his
house.
At last, he was free with the gun by his side all alone. Then, he
aimed it at a shadow in the woods that looked alive to him. He knew
that he wasn't going to shoot anything. But, all of the sudden,
accidently, his sweating wet fingers slipped on the trigger of the gun
and hit that shadow in the woods. Ned turned back, looking up at the
house and in one of the windows of the house was someone staring at
him, seeing everything that Ned had done!"

Waiting to hear your views.

Regards,
Rainbow

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Clarification of Question by pawn707-ga on 17 Jul 2004 16:39 PDT

Hello Rainbow,
This doesn't sound like the story I'm looking for. In the one I'm
thinking of there is much emphasis on this bird (heron or crane). I'm
almost thinking that the title revolves around this bird but I'm not
sure. Also I don't even think there are any names in the story I'm
thinking of. I would like to place emphasis on the brevity of this
story ... a short story that might have appeared in a collection or
something like the New Yorker.