Free Tagged by Eric Walters Page B

sounded genuinely disappointed.
    â€œ That one you thought was art?” I asked.
    She shrugged. “I just like dogs. It was cute.”
    â€œAnd sheep aren’t cute?” Oswald asked. “I personally love sheep…as part of a balanced meal.”
    â€œAlways with the stomach,” she said.
    â€œAside from the quality of the art, I can’t help wondering how he did this painting,” I said.
    â€œSeems pretty straightforward to me,” Oswald said. “A ladder and a couple of long planks from one side of the creek to the other, that’s all.” He paused. “Well, at least that’s what I was thinking…I don’t know…that might work, or maybe it wouldn’t.”
    â€œNo, that could work,” I agreed.
    â€œIt’s just strange when art involves a ladder,” said Julia.
    â€œLots of famous artists used ladders,” Oswald said.
    â€œName one,” Julia demanded.
    â€œRembrandt.”
    â€œWhat makes you think he used a ladder?” she questioned.
    â€œEverybody knows about that. He used a ladder and some scaffolding. How do you think he painted the ceiling of that church in Italy?”
    â€œChurch…wait, do you mean the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican?”
    â€œNo, I’m pretty sure it’s Italy,” Oswald said. He turned slightly and winked at me. He was trying to get Julia going.
    â€œThe Vatican is in Italy, and it wasn’t Rembrandt, it was Michelangelo!”
    â€œAre you sure? I’m pretty sure that Angelo guy is a character in Donkey Kong . Isn’t he Mario’s brother?”
    â€œNo, that’s Luigi,” I said.
    â€œOkay, then this Angelo guy was an inventor, right? Didn’t he invent spaghetti and submarines or submarine sandwiches?”
    â€œThat was Da Vinci, Leonardo Da Vinci. He invented the submarine. He was a painter, sculptor and a genius!” said Julia.
    â€œNot to mention my favorite Ninja turtle,” Oswald said.
    Julia was so frustrated, she looked like she was going to explode. Oswald loved bothering Julia. He’d spent so much time playing the fool that he had it down to perfection. I worked hard not to laugh.
    â€œSo I guess I’m right. Some artists did use ladders,” he said.
    â€œBut not Rembrandt,” she said, looking for some satisfaction in the argument.
    â€œNot necessarily,” I said. “Some of his paintings are over ten feet tall, so he had to be standing on something.”
    â€œCome to think of it,” Oswald said, “I read something about him being remarkably tall. I think he was huge , so maybe he didn’t need a ladder.”
    â€œRembrandt was huge?” Julia asked.
    â€œOf course. The book said that he was a giant in art. To be called a giant you have to be pretty big, so he could have been seven or even eight feet tall.”
    â€œThat meant that he was—” Julia stopped. She suddenly realized that Oswald was just making fun of her.
    â€œI wonder what the Wiz was trying to say with this piece,” I said, changing the subject to stop the argument.
    â€œProbably something pretentious, like that humans are sheep,” Julia said.
    â€œOr maybe he was stressing the importance of sheep learning to swim,” Oswald said.
    â€œMaybe he just likes sheep,” I added.
    â€œOr really doesn’t like sheep. After all, he is drowning them,” Oswald replied.
    â€œOr he’s telling us that sheep don’t float well.”
    â€œOr only float upside down and—”
    â€œCan we just go now?” Julia asked, cutting Oswald off.
    â€œIt’s probably best that we do go,” I said. “We really shouldn’t be down here. This is trespassing.”
    At that moment we heard voices and turned around to see half a dozen kids about our age sliding down the concrete embankment.
    â€œIt’s over here!” Oswald called out.
    They smiled and came in our