Ellen was a child. It was her first time at the fair. She had imagined the fair to be a colorful world full of children laughing and playing. She had always wanted to be with other children of her age, because she never understood adults that much. Her only contact with the world was however her guardian who she called aunt, who had a stall in the fair that day. So, she took Ellen along for help. That day Ellen was her usual self; she did all her chores with care and hardly spoke a word. When she got her afternoon break her aunt had let her go and enjoy the fair.
Ellen was uncomfortable with the whole place. It was nothing like she imagined it to be, parents dragged their children in and out of the stalls, everyone was too busy shopping and rushing she could hardly find her way around. She tried to move away from the crowds, when her eye fell upon a shiny, colorful object quite far away. As she moved closer it started to move and along with it came a melodious tune, which was suddenly interrupted with children laughing and shrieking with joy. It was a merry-go-round.
There stood a man by its side, who was effortlessly spinning it. She went to him and pulled the end of his long coat. He looked down into Ellen’s sober eyes and without another word lifted her up onto a shiny blue horse, and gestured that he was going to start the spinning, that’s when Ellen realized that she was the only one on the merry-go-round, all the other children had left.
She was startled, but when the wheel spun and the horses danced to the soothing tune, all that she could see outside was a colorful blur. She took in the pretty and warm colors. She felt light, with the wind almost blowing her away. She forgot why she had ever been sad. She felt happy, just then she realized she had just let out a loud shriek as the wheel started spinning faster. This time she started laughing and crying with joy. And when it finally stopped, a smile stayed on her face.
She smiled at the man who helped her down, she reached down into her pocket, and she did not have any money. She gave him the roll aunt had given for lunch and went back smiling. Ellen didn’t think it was a special day, in fact she never got to go on a merry-go-round after that day, but she just realized that she could smile whenever she wanted to. She was happy with just that, and kept smiling.
- From children's stories