Children's Stories

There was a faraway village, in a dusty valley, a long time ago.
One day a party of villagers walked out along the path.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Between the mountains they came to find a large cash register.

They decided to hide in a crag behind some bushes to find out who or why it was there.

They watched as two groups of people came to meet in front of the register.

 

 

There was some discussion and negotiation, then two of the people walked to the register, as another person pushed the large button for the number two and a lever. The large drawer opened and the two climbed in and the drawer closed. Then all the people went away the way they came.

The villagers were puzzled and returned to the village and shared what they had seen. There was a gathering and a vote and they decided to send bands of watchers to observe what was taking place.

 

Day after day, teams of villagers would hide and wait and now and then, after days or weeks, groups would come again to meet and trade. They were all coming back covered in more and more gold and fancy clothing, carrying shiny things.

The villagers met again and pondered the situation and were concerned that they never saw anyone come back out of the register. Some suggested building a fence but others wanted to continue to study the register, so they continued to watch.

 

Some of the watchers began to envy the rich clothes and so they recruited some new watchers and convinced them to climb into the register to find out where it went. They approached the traders and arranged a trade for some of the clothing and shiny things they had. The giant drawer opened and there was a wind pulling those nearby. In went the two new watchers and the register closed. They returned and the village was outraged at the loss of the two new watchers and the band of watchers was thrown into jail. Those who were against the register were bolder and insisted on a fence but the village remained curious. So the watches continued.

 

And so did the trades. The watchers would enlist the new watchers and soon so many of the watchers, those who hadn’t been sent to climb in, were clothed in riches and admired by the villagers. They no longer jailed watchers who lost fellows.

 

 

 

 

They met again and decided to no longer throw watchers in jail. Everyone wanted a turn to watch. The opponents were outraged at the loss of loved ones and built fences but these were torn down. They went in the night to find a way to break the register, to open it, to dig under it, to rescue, but they could not.

 

But they encountered a man who asked what they were trying to do. They were not shy to say they wanted to find the ones who had been traded. The man said he could help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They brought the man to the village and the villagers were not interested in hearing from him. They were very content with their riches as consolation but allowed him to speak at the village meeting. He told them he could rescue the traded but the villagers were afraid they would loose their riches and refused to listen more and voted to continue their watches. He suggested a fence to preserve the villagers who were still there and they again refused.

 

 

 

 

He was encouraged to stay the night but was asked to leave the next day. The register opponents walked out with him and asked him how he could rescue the traded. He explained that as he was a prince and represented many many people, he would settle the matter himself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These watched tearfully and with stunned curiosity as he climbed, pressed many numbers, pushed down the lever and when the drawer opened, a huge wind began to pull. He climbed down into the drawer and it closed behind him, the wind died down too.

 

 

 

 

 

Then the drawer opened, and all those who had been traded began to climb out. Some rested, some kissed the ground, some ran to the village, some ran to embrace loved ones.

 

When they returned to the village, they were not greeted as expected. The villagers were deeply ashamed and the greetings were polite and sometimes outraged and asked by what authority this was done, and questioned the risk the opponents put themselves in. Some villagers were angry and demanded to know if they were expected to return their treasures.

 

 

 

A new armed watch was ordered so that the village would not be raided. So the guards went to the register to keep watch. The opponents also went to see what might occur.

Things were quiet for a few days. No traders came. No one came. Then one day, the huge drawer opened and the man climbed out. The opponents celebrated and ran towards him. He took a large tree branch and jammed the drawer. Traders also came and tried to remove the branch but they could not, and frustrated, they left.

 

The man also had a large key also. He removed the branch, the drawer closed and he locked it with the key. He greeted them, celebrated that day, then bid them well, and headed back to his village.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The villagers continued to try to trade at the register and went to great lengths to find heroes who would try to open and climb in. No one was left to build or feed the village, they were all training or attempting to trade for shiny things or clothes. The opponents went out in search of the prince.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After some time they did find the prince and made their appeal to him for help. The prince prepared and returned with a large chariot with many horses and soldiers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They mounted the register on the chariot and all together carted the register to the sea and heaved the register off a cliff. It crashed into the sea and even the creatures of the sea and the waves helped to carry it far away.

 
The villagers and traders had observed this and established a day of mourning for those who had been caught in the drawer but were now released. They were asked, what was it like. They described the darkness, the chains, the deep sadness and the dreams that sometimes reminded them of that time. They also celebrated seeing the light again.
Oddly, somehow, after all this, a while later, the villagers and the traders began to bring people to the sea to remember the times of sorrow... but as time passed, they began to re-enact the throwing to the register and people would be thrown in mock ceremonies, into the sea in hopes of riches of those days would return.. they did not..