The Boy and the Apple

Bobby was fascinated by the cart salespeople who gathered in the town square every day. The men and women would perform demonstrations of their homemade tonics, elixirs and potions and would attract large crowds. 

School children like Bobby would sometimes skip school and make their way to the square, avoiding the horse-drawn carts of the busy steets just to witness the spectacle and the theater.

"Come one, come all" the salespeople would shout. "Come young, come old. Come witness the greatest potions around!" Each salesperson would have some new product to sell and assured their spectators of its usefullnes. 

Some elixirs helped with aches and pains: "You sir," the vendor pointed to an elderly gentleman, hunched over from back pain. "I was like you, wearing my back out at the docks. But look at me now," and he would jump in the air and cartwheel without a care.

Other potions helped you regain your youth: "I was once just as follically challenged as you, sir," the salesman said, pointing to a bald man in the crowd. "But just look at me now!" He said with a smile as he tipped his hat off his head revealing the thick hair underneath.

But Bobby's favourtie salesperson, Ms Fredericton, sold truly unique potions and elixirs. He was convinced they were magical.

Ms Fredericton's cart was smaller than the others. While the other salespeople pulled their carts into the square with their beautiful, strong horses, Ms Fredericton pulled hers with an old one-eyed donkey named Derby. Bobby would try to bring the old donkey an apple core whenever he could. The donkey would happily accept and would bray in approval of Bobby's treat.

One in particular was a potion that made sour foods taste sweet. She demonstrated the potion's usefulness on an orange. She passed out wedges of the fruit after placing a single drop of the potion on the fruity flesh and everyone was convinced it was magic. "Sweet like honey," her spectators exclaimed. She sold out of those potions that day.

Another potion she described as a love potion. To demonstrate its effect she asked for a volunteer and a young man stepped forward. She stirred a drop into a glass of water and passed it to him. 

"The potion creates an infatuation with the first person the subject sees." Ms Fredericton explained. Unlucky for the young man, the first thing he saw was the old one-eyed donkey. He stood beside the Derby for the rest of the day with his arm wrapped around the beast's neck. "Fortunately, the potions only last for eight hours," Ms Fredericton joked and the crowd laughed.

But there was one potion Ms Fredericton sold that was quite unusual. 

Bobby first witnessed the effect of this unique potion one rainy day. It didn't start out as a rainy day, and had he known it would rain he would have stayed in school.

Ms Fredericton had erected a canopy over her cart and it covered enough of the courtyard cobblestones in front to give her a dry presentation area. "What I am about to show you," she said as she started her exhibition, "is the result of years of hard work."

She had set up a tall slim table under the canopy and placed an apple on it. From a small vial she poured a tiny drop of potion on to the glossy red skin of the round fruit. 

Before Bobby's eyes, the apple became pale in colour. Or that's how his brain first interpreted what was happening. In fact it became translucent: he could see through the it! Soon, the apple became more and more pale until it disappeared. 

The reaction was so quick that the spectators, and Bobby, were all caught off guard. It could not have taken more than two seconds total.

"Where did it go?" someone shouted.

"Did it roll off the table?" asked another.

Bobby was near the front of the crowd and was certain it did not roll away. It just simply vanished.

"Young man," Ms Fredericton said while making eye contact with Bobby. "Come forward please."

Bobby hesitated, but she beckoned him with her hand. "Please, come." He stepped forward and stood next to the tall, thin table where the apple once was. "Put out your hand out like I'm giving you something."

From her cart, Ms Fredericton produced another vial. She uncorked and poured a drop into the palm of Bobby's hand. The strange liquid was warm and had an oily sheen to it. Then suddenly it started to grow bigger and taller. It became more round and though Bobby could see through the shimmering liquid it was becoming more opaque.

Now colour began to appear: it seemed pink, then darker, until a rich red apple sat in his hand.

The crowd applauded and were transfixed on the apple. Everyone seemed oblivious to the rain that continued to fall.

"Unbelievable," a women shouted.

"Magnificent," said an older man.

"Young man," Ms Fredericton said. "I believe Derby is hungry." The old donkey brayed in approval and Bobby walked up to shaggy animal and offered him the apple. While Derby munched away, Bobby pet his brown coat and the crowd once again began to applaud. The small meal proved that the apple was real and not an illusion.

"How much?" someone in the crowd yelled and others joined in.

"Unfortunately, this is my only sample as it is much too expensive to produce. However, if you liked the demonstration, a donation would be appreciated."

She pulled a purple top hat out of her cart and began passing it around. Many observers donated a coin or two and moved on to see what some of the other vendors were selling.

The hat returned to Ms Fredericton and only Bobby remained.

"I appreciate you feeding your apple cores to Derby when you come to watch my demonstrations," Ms Fredericton said.

"No bother ma'am."

"What's your name?" she asked him.

"Bobby, ma'am."

"Well Bobby, I'm looking fo an assistant to help me setup and tear down my cart. You already have a relationship with Derby and that's half the battle." The old donkey brayed again having heard his name. "I can pay you a copper a day."

"I'd appreciate that very much, ma'am."

She started putting away her table and some other objects from her demonstrations.

Then she turned to Bobby and said, "I don't pay you for nothing Bobby. Get started with that canopy, would you?"

Bobby smiled and started working on a tent pole that was holding up a corner of the canopy above.