I remember a story (one of Ray's "straight" fiction) about a boy on holiday, meeting another boy and having a fantastic time. When it comes to an end he realises he's never going to see him again.

What was the title?

70% Bradbury, 30% not Bradbury.

Any more details?

Also sounds a bit like Dahl doesn't it?

I'm thinking of that story (title slips my mind right now)...about the boy who never grows older, stays a kid, and is 'handed down' one family to another thru the years. It seems to end something like "hornstreet" describes. Maybe?

Nard, the story you're thinking of is "Hail and Farewell", but I don't think that's the story hornstreet is looking for.

It MIGHT be "John Huff's Leavetaking" (part of Dandelion Wine), which is sometimes published as a short story called either "illuminations" or "Statues" (I can never remember which).

The one where a boy meets another boy who is part of a roving band of gypsies; they fall into the grass; the sweet scent of the other boy's breath makes the first boy dizzy with friendship, longing and other feelings. The gypsy boy urges his new friend, "Quick! We must hurry and have all the fun we can now, because I will be moving on soon, and we will never see each other again." And he does.

??
It will take some searching for me to find the name of that story; I got it on here now in case someone else recognizes it.

I thought John Huff too, Phil... gypsies - NOT!

Part of the story dragonfly describes sounds like Bradbury's "The Better Part of Wisdom" from Long After Midnight.

That's it - "The Better Part of Wisdom".

Thanks everybody!!

Ha!

You're welcome!

Ha indeed! I had thought of "The Better Part of Wisdom", but was thinking of it as a story about an old man and a younger man (grandfather/grandson or uncle/nephew). I was forgetting that the old man reminisces about an incident in his youth - which is the very incident hornstreet described.