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TrunK TowN - A Kids Story







TrunK TowN


This is a true story.
Some years back in a riverside town of 600, the Circus rolled in. This was much more common in towns then than now. As they unpacked, a small but ageing elephant stood tied to a tree. Somehow, due to an oversight, the elephant escaped. It wondered off slowly, so no one noticed. Soon though, it became excited by its freedom and ran through the streets, relishing the exercise and the novelty.
Cars were forced to pull over. Tractors idled. Bicycles halted. People watched without moving, just to make sure that this was real.




In next to no time, the elephant stirred up everyone. They all joined the chase, but an elephant is not an easy catch. Every now and then a big brave man would step up to grab him, but the elephant bowled them all over. Even when he was only walking and a cheeky teenager grabbed his tail, all the boy could do was hang on, skidding along by the flat of his shoes.
Men, women and children chased him down the main street, some laughing, some angry. Others were too stressed to do anything but stand and stare with hands over their mouths.
Eventually an 11 year old boy came up with a plan. He had also been running all over town, watching the grey animal disrupting everybody and getting a kick out of it, but when it walked into the local park by the river, an idea struck.
He ran ahead to the end of the park where the trees were close together. Having been brought up in the town, he knew that it was the only way out of the park.




The boy scampered up the tree and waited until the elephant was close. Just as it walked underneath, he dropped onto its back. The elephant broke into a run and the boy was forced to grab the large floppy ears like reins on a horse.
‘Whoa boy. Whoa.’ The voice was young and not at all mean like the adults in the circus and it soothed the elephant. Soon the whispers calmed him completely. By now, he was ready to rest. After all this was a lot of excitement for an elephant with a predictable life.
Before long, the animal was back in the circus having a sleep.
That night all of the townsfolk turned up at the circus. It was the most successful circus ever. Yet the only reason that they all came was to see the elephant that had stopped a town.




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Coming Soon,
The First in an ongoing Series; Dramatist or Illusionist - A Novel Gestation. Ongoing Updates about my Novels.

Also A New Series, Famous After Death.

and more Poetry and Stories.


9 comments:

  1. Nice idea - the circus still comes to town in Wangaratta, in fact two of them, once a year. The ending was a bit abrupt - how about the kid's triumphant ride back through town to the circus.

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  2. Ditto Graham about the ending. However, you captured the excitement of the event and the ride wonderfully. Typical of your poignant and visual storytelling, Anthony. Same with your poetry. Very evocative and provocative. Would love to hear more about the river inside of you that spawns some of these stories and poems. Great stuff, my friend.

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  3. That's a very feel-good story, especially since it's true. As usual, leave it to a child to show us ignorant older folks the way.
    Be well.
    xoRobyn

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  4. Great story I bet kids would love it - they love being the hero in stories. I also agree with the comments above that you could consider describing the triumph of the child taking the elephant back to the circus

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  5. Great story...
    This one could be expanded and kids would really love it. Make sure there's a clown in it, kids are scared of clowns...

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  6. Thank you all for the great feedback. It was always meant to be a shortie but a line about the kid on the elephant might have been good.

    The circus used to come to town when I was very young, but stopped. I'm glad they still come to country Victoria Graham, as that's where I grew up.

    cheers

    =]

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  7. Wow, I like this one too! I really like all of your stories that I've read so far. You do such a great job! I also liked the pics in this one. very nice.

    And, thank you for the comment. I'm sorry to hear that you've dealt with the same things :( I don't much understand why people get enjoyment from other's pain. Sad. But, it sounds like you handled yours very well. Unfortunately for me, I did not. lol I usually do like you said, ignore them. But this time it went on for so many weeks and I finally went off. Ooops!

    But, I'm now doing like you said, ignoring it because you are right, they want you to argue back. And the truth is, ignoring them would probably get to them more than anything I could say back to them.

    From now on, I will remember that. :) Thank you for the advice.

    Best wishes,
    kendra

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  8. Replies
    1. Thank you Elise. It was just a little one for the kids written many years ago..

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