Grasshopperboy
He turned around and whirled until he saw the cottage
under the beaming moon, among the trees.
He pushed the door open and burst in.
“Deplorable Dinky!” exploded a voice.
The boy wanted to wince but no force was left in him to
startle or shake his body.
The hunchback was there, inside the cottage. He was
gleaming.
Nothing, for the moment, could stun the kid. He would
have asked the man how he had appeared here but he
didn’t. The experience he had gone through made him
cold, irritated and bereft of curiosity.
The hunchback stood up, moved toward the boy and
flung his arm around him. He pulled him to the mirror.
The boy watched himself. He was all wet, dripping and
muddy. His feet were bare even the socks had
disappeared, or it seemed so. They stood side by side as
old friends or acquaintances might have done. They
looked composed and serene.
The boy smiled at the funny reflection.
“Come have a warm shower.” said the man in a hushed
voice. He led him into the bathroom. “Look!” added he,
“You’ve got over there different kinds of soap in different
colours. Use the one you like. Make quick you’re going to
catch a cold.”
He left him.
Meet the author
is a senior teacher of English in the Area
of El Kef, Tunisia. He teaches English as a foreign languge
for secondary school students-15 - 20 years old.
Check out my interview with Ezzeddine on page 7.
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