Frank's Tall Tales #4: Oscar's Fingers
Words by Franklin D.R. Horne.
Music by Timothy S. Klugh.
Music work: "Poker Flat - Fifth Movement: Moonshine and Bygone Days"
Words: Copyright © 2006 Franklin D.R. Horne. All Rights Reserved.
Music: Copyright © 2005 Timothy S. Klugh. All Rights Reserved.
FRANKLIN D.R. HORNE:
My youngest brother, Oscar, he worked with my oldest brother, Willard.
And they were in Smithsborro (that's a town down in Kentucky),
and they were drilling wells.
And, it come time to sharpen the bits, so they pulled them out,
and they sharpened them with sixteen pound sledgehammers,
and then they go to put them back in and go again.
Well, this one time, they have these huge wrenches that they seperate the stem from the bit,
and they had it set on the top of the casing,
and my brother, Oscar was holding the wrench part with his hands,
and my other brother was holding the long stem part.
And, they got it on the tools, and, uh, Willard made a mistake and dropped the tools
while my brother, Oscar's fingers were still on the wrench.
And, it caught the fingers between the wrench and the casing,
and cut them off at the first joint.
And, after that, it scared me to death when they came home
and told me go get a bed for Oscar up at Mary's.
And, I ran all the way up there telling Mary about it,
and she got excited,
so, we ran back down there with the bed.
But, he just set up... he wasn't bedfast,
and he's plumb contrary, just like the rest of us Hornes.
And he set up with those fingers cut right off.
And, he took the fingers, and he put them in a little small vial of, uh, alcohol
and set it up over the bathroom door.
And, they set there for years, and years, and years.
And, I have no idea where they are now.
I haven't seen them in a long time.
And, that's the truth,...
and that's the rest of the story.
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