Best Australian Short Stories

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The children

By John Morrison

The short story "The children" by John Morrison was written in 1972.

In the beginning a journalist visits a man, who just packs his truck. The journalist wants to ask a few questions, but at first the man is unfriendly and tries to get away without answering any questions. The journalist doesn�t want to give up and involves the man in a conversation.

One can find out, that there has been a big fire in the village where the man is from, and that the man was sent to save the villagers children out of the school, for he was the only one with a good working truck. On his way to the school, he notices that his house with his wife and his children was on fire and after having a look at the school he could see, that it isn�t even close to the fires. The man chose to drive to his home first to get his family, but on his way back to the school, he realises that it was already on fire and that it was far too late to save the other villagers kids.

The man repeats constantly that no-one else would have reacted different in his situation, which is probably true.

In the end it is said that the man�s family is leaving their home town being watched by the hard and bitter faces of the villagers.

When reading the story and knowing that it takes place in Australia, or is at least written by an Australian writer, one could relate the fire to the Australian bush fires which happen every year. Those bush fires are very dangerous because of the temperature, the wind and the dry vegetation. The fire-fighters have a hard job to get the bush fires under control.