▁is ▁a ▁ment ally - ch alleng ed ▁boy ▁whose ▁sweet ▁nature ▁touch es ▁most ▁people ▁he ▁meets . ▁The ▁play ▁begins ▁and ▁ends ▁with ▁eleg ies ▁spoken ▁by ▁two ▁of ▁the ▁town spe ople ▁( Bas il ▁Ben nett , ▁a ▁local ▁far mer ; ▁and ▁his ▁farm hand ▁De we y ▁Map les ) ▁describing ▁what ▁happened ▁the ▁day ▁of ▁Bud dy ' s ▁tra ged y . ▁The ▁body ▁of ▁the ▁play ▁is ▁the ▁memory ▁of ▁the ▁time ▁leading ▁to ▁this ▁final ▁clim actic ▁event . ▁The ▁action ▁then ▁j umps ▁to ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁past , ▁with ▁Bud dy ▁searching ▁( div ining ) ▁for ▁water ▁for ▁a ▁well ▁on ▁Bas il ' s ▁farm . ▁L uel la , ▁Bas il ' s ▁wife , ▁ref uses ▁to ▁believe ▁that ▁the ▁boy ▁can ▁find ▁water . ▁ ▁One ▁day ▁a ▁stranger ▁and ▁retired ▁pre acher , ▁C . C . ▁Show ers , ▁passes ▁through ▁Z ion ▁looking ▁for ▁work ▁and ▁food . ▁Ferr is ▁L ay man , ▁Bud dy ' s ▁father , ▁offers ▁C . C . ▁a ▁job , ▁and ▁he ▁begins ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁mechan ic ▁in ▁Ferr is ' s ▁gar age . ▁Show ers ▁takes ▁an ▁immediate ▁lik ing ▁to ▁Bud dy ▁and ▁vice ▁vers a . ▁C . C . ▁is ▁able ▁to ▁relate ▁to ▁Bud dy ▁in ▁ways ▁that ▁most ▁people ▁aren ' t . ▁The ▁two ▁become ▁close ▁friends ▁and ▁C . C . ▁soon ▁finds ▁himself ▁as