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There once was a poor family. They had to work hard to scrape even the meagrest meals on the table. They only had one son and his name was Toby. One day Toby's father came to talk to the him. He laid his worn hand over Toby's shoulder and looked at the boy sadly. "Toby... I'm afraid the day has come. We simply do not have enough food to go by. We're going to have to sell Emma." "No, not Emma!" Toby cried out. "We could not feed her in any case. You must go and sell her at the marketplace." "As you wish father", Toby sighed. The father squeezed Toby's shoulder sympathetically and rose. Toby watched, dismayed, as his father left him. Toby went in search for some clothes. He found an old pink shirt, a gray tunic and shabby wool shorts. They were all patched and worn. Toby went outside to the small paddock where they kept Emma, a little goat. He took some rope and tied a knot around the goat's neck and then started slowly walking away. To get to the town where the marketplace was Toby would have to walk through a dense firwood forest. The road was heavily shadowed by the tall, dark trees, but Toby was unafraid. The road was familiar to him and he doubted anyone would try bothering him. After travelling a while he noticed someone ahead of him. An old man in torn gray robes stood at the side of the road. When Toby got closer he noticed the man had milky eyes; he was blind. The man lifted his head when he heard Toby approach. Cautiously Toby slowed down and greeted the man. "A pleasure to hear your voice, young man", the old man wheezed softly and smiled gently. "I'm just a boy", Toby answered. "But not so small, I think", the man chuckled. "What is your name, boy?" "I'm Toby. And this is Emma. She's a goat." "Ah", the old man nodded, though he could not see. The old man drew some breaths and wrinkled his face thoughtfully. "I wonder, Toby... If you could do me a small favour. I need the leaf of a birch tree that is surrounded by firs." Toby frowned. "This forest has many fir trees, but I know no birches around here. I'm sorry, but I don't think I can help. I must go and sell Emma at the marketplace for we are low on food and I cannot spend time looking for a single tree." "I understand. But... perhaps you should look around more carefully", the man said and smiled thinly. Toby raised his eyebrows skeptically, but not wanting to be entirely rude looked around the trees. To his immense surprise he noticed a small clearing only little way away with a birch tree right in the middle. "There is a birch tree over there!" he exclaimed, forgetting that the old man could not see where he was pointing. The man did not seem to mind, but simply smiled and nodded. "Then perhaps you would be so kind as to go and get me a leaf from it." "I think I can do that. Will you wait here?" The man nodded. "Come Emma", Toby pulled the goat along and stepped off the road. Toby approached the tree and glanced behind him. The old man had not moved, but stayed still, smiling faintly. As Toby reached for a leaf a sudden, great bright light burst forth from the foliage and blinded him, and he fell unconsicous. Toby awoke in a cave. Emma was beside him, still snoozing. Toby heard shuffling and he looked up. The old man was in the cave also, waiting for him. The old man seemed to notice Toby was awake for he motioned Toby to follow him. Toby scrambled up and awoke Emma. Pulling the goat after him he followed the old man. They were in a dark, cold and quiet tunnel. Toby hardly saw ahead of him, but the old man seemed to know where the cave tunnel went for he moved on at a good pace. They came out of the cave. The sun was hidden away by gray clouds and the birchwood forest looming ahead of them seemed ominous to Toby. The man walked on between the trees Toby still obediently behind him. Then they came to a cottage and the old man opened the door and nodded for Toby to go on in. Toby paused at the door. "I'm sorry sir, but should I leave Emma outside?" he hesitantly asked. The man shrugged. He didn't seem to mind either way. Toby pulled the goat with him inside. The man stepped in behind them and closed the door. Toby looked around the cottage, but it was very bare and small, and did not give him any hints as to what was to come. There was a table round the center of the cottage and the man went to sit at the other side of it, so he was facing Toby. The man smiled serenely at Toby. "Sir?" Toby asked uncertainly. The man chuckled and raised a finger to his lips. Toby waited as the man continued to look at him. Toby shivered for it seemed the man could actually see him and he was growing a little restless. The man drew a breath and reached under the table. He lifted a box on the table and looked at Toby. "Toby - you're a wizard. Well, not really, not yet. But you could be. The fact is, that you saw the birch tree, it means you have magic. You have great power just waiting to be used! With proper training, I think we could expect great things from you. Terrible, perhaps, but great." Toby gasped. He? A wizard? But... he couldn't have been! Surely he would have known, somehow. But perhaps, he wondered, this is really how they all find out... The man opened the box and continued: "You have a choice now. You may choose to become a wizard in which case you will stay here and be tutored in the arts of magic. Or - you may choose to go back to your life and be rid of your powers, forever." The old man lifted two goblets out of the box and placed them on the table in front of the box. Toby stepped a little closer and peered at their contents. In the goblet on the left was a dark drink, which bubbled on its own. On the right was a white drink, which was slowly starting to smoke. The smoke misted downwards and gathered around the goblet. The man pointed at the dark drink. "Drink that and you will see and experience everything the world and magic can offer you. And my boy, that is quite a bit, indeed." He then pointed at the smoking drink. "Take that and you will go back into the poverty without a hope to ever see anything else." The man arose and leaned on the table. "Now choose." "But... what about Emma?" "You're worried about a goat? I can send it to your parents, if you insist. But now.. choose!" Toby looked at the goat (who in turn gave him a skeptical look) and then at the goblets. He contemplated the bubbling drink and then in all fairness the smoking drink. Then he decided, reached out and drank. Toby was in the firwood forest again, Emma at his heels. The goat seemed unstressed by this sudden change of place. Toby wondered if at least now he should feel somehow different, having lost his magical abilities (whatever they'd been), but nothing felt out of place. He started walking along the road. He was a bit disappointed the man had made him choose right then. In other circumstances he was certain he wouldn't have minded becoming a powerful wizard, but he knew he hadn't really had a choice. Toby was a good boy (if rather simple) and he'd promised to go to town and sell Emma. And so that's what he did. For some days they had nearly enough money to buy food. Then the money ran out and Toby's parents were forced to sell him off also. This story © to Riikka Kankaanpää, please do not use without permission. |