The proprietor of the frog store seemed innocent enough. Maybe even TOO innocent- he was only four years old after all. But the deals he was offering were too good to refuse.
"How much for a frog?" I asked.
"Ten for five cents," he said.
"Well then I'll take ten." I handed him a shiny nickel.
"Thanks!" he said, and pocketed the five cents.
"Where's my frogs?"
"Ummmm, I'm just getting them ready."
Just then a beautiful blonde entered the establishment. "I want a frog, too, please."
"Okay here's a pink one!"
"Thanks!" she said.
"Hey!" I said, "Why does she get her frog for free and I don't even have any frogs?"
"Because her frog is pink."
I wasn't really satisfied with his logic, but at the same time, I couldn't help but notice that the so-called "pink frog" was actually invisible. The woman sat down, and I decided to get acquainted. I sat down next to her, nice and close.
A loud and piercing wail ruined the moment.
"You just sat on her pink frog!!!!!!!" said the proprietor.
"Sorry sorry sorry!" I said, wiping off invisible pink frog goo from my pants.
I beat a hasty retreat.
But I didn't get any frogs, and I didn't get my money back. Never trust a four-year-old shopkeep.

(photo copyright niznoz; used with permission)

Boys

What you got there? I asked
the little boy
He showed me the sailboat
that he had made
in Sunday School

Another little boy
(approaching 90 years of age)
gleefully stopped me in the street
to show me an ad he had clipped
offering used cars for five dollars

In a coffee shop a third little boy
middle-aged this time
was poring over some maps of Switzerland
He showed me where he trains
fighter pilots to survive in the wild

When I was a little boy
I didn't want to grow up
Luckily I discovered
that you never have to stop
being a little boy


(Inspired by three encounters I have had in the past week and a bit.)

According to my young friend (who is four or five years old) I was hanging out with at the Gathering last night, Spider-Man is not real.
"Yes he is!" I protested.
"No!"
"Yeah!"
"No! He's really a boy named Peter who just dresses as Spider-Man."

Out of Business

So the store where I work(ed) closed its doors forever today. And life goes on. I'm a little sore from carrying and dollying many many many boxes onto pallets. There were three other guys there- my manager, another store manager and a district manager. They watched as I loaded each and every box onto the pallets myself. Oh well. I don't mind working. And my very cool manager gave me ten extra hours on my paystub as a sort of severance package, which was right decent of him.
A little boy about four years old was riding by on his bicycle and stopped to watch. (He was accompanied by his mother, not out wandering the streets by himself. This isn't Ohio, you know.)
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"I'm shutting this store down. Want to help? Go grab a dolly and some boxes and start loading."
"Uh uh." He shook his head no.
"Aww, come on. I'll pay you a dollar!"
"Well, I'm going to go look at books now so I can't."
"Oh yeah? You're going to the library? Make sure you get some Dr. Seuss, I love him."
"I love Dr. Seuss too!!!! I have a book and a video of Dr. Seuss."
"Nice!" I said, "And don't forget to get some books on bears."
"Yeah I like bears."
"Good boy."