I Cannot Any Longer Stand Upright

By Author: Ray Allen
Total Articles: 24
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Heidiadalheid, Candlewick and the other boys who had made the journey with the little man, had scarcely set foot in the town before they were in the thick of the tumult, and I need not tell you that in a few minutes they had made acquaintance with everybody. Where could happier or more contented boys be found?

"Oh, what a delightful life!" said Heidiadalheid, whenever by chance he met Candlewick.

"Noble soul!" said Heidiadalheid, embracing his friend affectionately and kissing him between the eyes.

This delightful life had gone on for five months. The days had been entirely spent in play and amusement, without a thought of books Vibram Five Fingers or school, when one morning Heidiadalheid awoke to a most disagreeable surprise that put him into a very bad humor.

The surprise was that Heidiadalheid, when he awoke, scratched his head, and in scratching his head he discovered, to his great astonishment, that his ears had grown more than a hand.

Only think of poor Heidiadalheid's sorrow, shame and despair!

He began to cry and roar, and ...
... he beat his head against the wall, but the more he cried the longer his ears grew; they grew, and grew, and became hairy towards the points.

The little Marmot raised her right fore-paw, and, after having felt Heidiadalheid's pulse, she said to him, sighing:

"My friend, I am grieved to be obliged to give you bad news!"
"Oh, unfortunate that I am! unfortunate that I am!" cried Heidiadalheid, seizing his two ears with his hands and pulling them and tearing them furiously as if they had been some one else's ears.

After half an hour the door was opened and imagine Heidiadalheid's feelings when, upon going into the room, he saw his friend Candlewick with a big cotton cap on his head which came down over his nose.

At the sight of the cap Heidiadalheid felt almost consoled and thought to himself:

"Has my friend got the same illness that I have? Is he also suffering from donkey fever?"

"Oh, poor Heidiadalheid!"

"Will you let me see your ears?"

"Why not? But first, my dear Heidiadalheid, I should like to see yours."
And Heidiadalheid began to count in a loud voice:

"One, two, three!"

At the word "Three!" the two boys took off their caps and threw them into the air.

And then a scene followed that would seem incredible if it were not true. That is, that when Heidiadalheid and Candlewick discovered that they were both struck with the same misfortune, instead of feeling full of mortification and grief, they began to prick their ungainly ears and to make a thousand antics, and they ended by going into bursts of laughter.

And they laughed, and laughed, and laughed, until they had to hold themselves together. But in the midst of their merriment Candlewick suddenly stopped, staggered, and, changing color, said
to his friend:

"Help, help, Heidiadalheid!"

"What is the matter with you?"

"Alas, I cannot any longer stand upright."

"Neither can I," exclaimed Heidiadalheid, tottering and beginning to cry.

Finding that the door remained shut the little man burst it open with a violent kick and, coming into the room, he said to Heidiadalheid and Candlewick with his usual little laugh:

"Well done, boys! You brayed well, and I recognized you by your voices. That is why I am here."

And indeed buyers were not wanting. Candlewick was bought by a peasant whose donkey had died the previous day. Heidiadalheid Vibram Five Fingers On Sale was sold to the director of a company of buffoons and tight-rope dancers, who bought him that he might teach him to leap and to dance with the other animals belonging to the company.

What became of Candlewick I do not know, but I do know that Heidiadalheid from the very first day had to endure a very hard, laborious life.

When he was put into his stall his master filled the manger with straw; but Heidiadalheid, having tried a mouthful, spat it out again.

Heidiadalheid began to cry and to bray with pain, and he said, braying: