Once upon a time, there was a boy who caught grasshoppers that were beautiful and brave, and let them go. One time, he caught one with only one hind leg. He put him in a jar and punched holes in the lid, and he called the grasshopper 'Julius.' He cared for Julius for three weeks, changing the grass often. The boy loved the creature. His mother didn't. Then Julius died. The boy loved model cars and had a model hearse with a little coffin. Julius would lie in state for an evening and then he and his coffin were inserted in the hearse. Soon, the boy grew into a teenage young man and forgot the hearse and the coffin and Julius, and the three were tucked into drawer with all the other model cars. Years later, when it was time to inspect and dispose of anything that appeared broken or unwanted, the not-so-young teenage man found the hearse, then the coffin, then Julius. The brave creature was still intact. The young man still admired him. The young man's mother did not. That was the last time I - I mean - the young man saw Julius, the coffin, and the hearse.
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| "Haven't seen a beautiful grasshopper like this in ages! So cool! What a brave creature!" ~ Jackie Wasylkiw Bonanno |
