Cowboy Chatter: The Fly

The Fly is a short story by Dorothy M. Johnson. It was first published in 1962 in The New Yorker and later anthologized in her collection The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1963). The story is set in the American West in the late 1800s and follows a young cowboy named Curt as he tries to outwit a persistent fly.

Cowboy Chatter article---The Fly (Cowboy Chatter articles)

by Brad Walker

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	434 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	3 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

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Curt is a skilled cowboy, but he is no match for the fly. The fly is always buzzing around him, landing on his food, his face, and even his eyelids. Curt tries everything he can to get rid of the fly, but nothing works. The fly is always one step ahead of him.

Finally, Curt gives up. He realizes that he cannot defeat the fly, so he decides to ignore it. He goes about his day, and the fly continues to buzz around him. But Curt no longer pays it any attention.

The Fly is a humorous story about the futility of trying to control the things that annoy us. It is also a reminder that sometimes the best way to deal with a problem is to simply ignore it.

The Fly

By Dorothy M. Johnson

Curt was a good cowboy, but he was no match for the fly.

The fly was always buzzing around him, landing on his food, his face, and even his eyelids. Curt tried everything he could to get rid of the fly, but nothing worked. The fly was always one step ahead of him.

One day, Curt was eating breakfast when the fly landed on his bacon. Curt swatted at the fly, but it was too quick for him. The fly flew away, and Curt sighed in frustration.

"That darn fly," Curt muttered. "I'm going to get rid of it if it's the last thing I do."

Curt got up and went to the cupboard. He took out a fly swatter and started to chase the fly around the room. The fly was too fast for Curt, and it kept flying out of his reach.

Curt chased the fly all over the room, but he couldn't catch it. The fly was too quick and too clever.

Finally, Curt gave up. He sat down on the bed and watched the fly buzz around the room. The fly landed on Curt's nose, and Curt swatted at it again. But the fly was too quick for him, and it flew away.

Curt sighed in frustration. He realized that he couldn't defeat the fly, so he decided to ignore it.

Curt went back to eating his breakfast. The fly continued to buzz around him, but Curt no longer paid it any attention.

The fly eventually got bored and flew away. Curt finished his breakfast and went about his day.

The fly never bothered Curt again.

Discussion Questions

1. What does the fly symbolize in the story?
2. How does Curt's attitude towards the fly change throughout the story?
3. What is the significance of the ending of the story?
4. What lessons can we learn from the story?

Cowboy Chatter article---The Fly (Cowboy Chatter articles)

by Brad Walker

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	434 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	3 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE