Wilhelm and the Odd Man

Once upon a time there was a boy that lived under a rock. This rock was conveniently jutted and massive and protected him from Mother Nature's bad moods. But one day he was very hungry so he went out to catch fish from the lakes. It was on this day that a lanky man riding a unicycle rode up and started to circle him. He looked like a circus man, as the pants and jacket he wore were virticle stripes of red, white and gold. His grin was daring and playful and arrogant. 1

"Hello little boy!" he boomed. The boy just stared. "Ah, shy now, are we?" And he stopped in front of him. "What's your name?"2

The glint in his eyes told the boy he had better answer. "Wilhelm."3

"A lovely name for you indeed! You parents chose well. Where exactly are the fine people who bred you?" He feigned looking around for them.4

Wilhelm was puzzled. "I've no parents, sir. I make my own way in this world!" And indeed it was an old man peeking out from his boyish blue eyes.5

Now laughter boomed from the man. "Wonderful! Wonderful indeed this attitude of yours. What would you say to a little stroll to my circus. It's just up the road," he gestured vaguely from the way he had came.6

But the boy was smarter than the man had taken him for. "I know these parts better than anyone, there's nothing that way except for empty overgrown fields.7

The man seemed to grow taller on the unicycle as he bristled. "You must not have rode very far, because there IS a circus up that way." he wheeled around easily. "Now come on."8

The boy knew he probably shouldn't follow, but he felt oddly obligated to this towering stranger. And proving his biological age, he went trotting along. They must have walked for a full day. Everytime the boy wanted to turn back, the man would shout back, "We're already this far, might as well go the full way!" He must have said it a thousand times.9

To the boy's relief they finally reached a large, bulging tent that was of the same color stripes on the man's clothes. It frequently jostled with the figures moving around inside of it. The man drew back a curtain of the entrance, and gestured inside.10

"After you," he said. The boy entered, and gaped, his eyes widening. The space inside seemed to be impossibly large judging from the outside. The color of red, gold and white surrounded him, oppressive and yet unrestricting. "Told you there was a circus," the man whispered in his ear, making him jump. 11

As the wonder of the tent wore off, the boy noticed the people in it. They were as tall as he, little munchkin people that carried sacks of something over their shoulders. This seemed to be an important task as they all looked nervous and hasty. But the man lead him away from this scene and disappeared through a slitted doorway to their left, leaving Wilhelm no choice but to follow, and to wonder how big this wondrous tent could possibly be.12

The room in which they entered contained a long table heaped with numerous displays of colorful candy. There were shimmering gumdrops the size of strawberries, a deep bowl filled with blocks of chocolate and caramels, pink wafers on tiny porcelain plates that begged to be eaten....The table drew Wilhelm to it like a fly to honey, and his small hands reached out to every sweet he could find, stuffing his pockets. 13

The man patted him on the shoulder and said, "Yes, little boy, take all the candy you wish." When the boy finally finished filling his pockets to their brim, the man once again went out through in one of the tent sides. And the boy followed.14

.......