A Weary Tale (I'm Tired and Sleepy and Exhausted)

Of all the things that drive men to sea, the most common disaster, I've come to learn, is women. This is equally true for boys, although you could substitute "men" for "not-yet-men" and "women" for "mothers." And none followed this saying with unwavering faith more than Boy. Boy was a practically minuscule six years old when he ran away from home, and naturally he gravitated towards the ocean. After all, it was the only thing he could point out on a map, and he was quite proud that he knew all three oceans by their name (forget that there are two more for a moment), and could even tell you what planet they're on (he got two out of three correct). 

So, naturally, living in New York City, he went straight to the beach and admired the Indian Ocean (he is six, mind you). His face was still wet with salty tears and salty sea spray but he paid it no mind, temporarily distracted by the might of the ocean. He laughed at the little fishes and crabs, and chased a seagull half a block before giving up and returning to the beach. Being mischievous in nature and still distraught by his abominable mistreatment at the hands of his mother—she had a kind heart, and only rarely yelled at him, but the dramatic flare of a six year old did help blow it out of proportion—Boy found a boat to climb aboard.

Boy sneaked into the cargo hold and promptly hid himself in an empty crate, giggling in excitement. Thus followed a long journey that holds no importance or interest since it involved a lot of bodily fluids and a general wane of excitement—and who can really be bothered to read about that? At the end of this long journey events happened that unfortunately found Boy outside the boat and impossibly on a rather large island inhabited by an equally large bear. And, of course, the center of the island was a rather large mountain.

And, as is the nature of such stories, the bear and Boy became the best of friends. Boy named the bear Boo in true creative fashion, and they went on lots of merry adventures together. Boy never forgot about his mother, and often he cried about home. But wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the Forest, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing.

. . .

Of course, this was just the zoo. Boy's mother snapped at him to stop whining and he ran off. Passed by the aquarium and had a right good time. Then he found the bear cage, and imagined a life together with the bear. His mother found him a few minutes later and he was overwhelmed with joy (as a few minutes is a life time to a six year old). But I think my story was way more interesting, don't you?