“Look here,” said the old man with some serious concern,
“Take these books and from them learn.”

“Why?” asked the boy as he halted and turned,
“Far better it is for these boring books to bin and burn.”

“My dear boy,” said the old man,
“with this band of books you can one day proudly learn to stand.”

“Stand?” the boy was confused and kicked a discarded tin pan,
“Upon my legs I do already walk and stand on this here so solid land.”

“But what will you do,” continued the old man,
“on that day when you sink into some slippery slimy quicksand?”

“What mean you by this quickly sinking quicksand?” retorted the boy,
“I am well and truly bored and must go away to play with my store of new toys.”

“Wait, look and see,” the old man held up a hand and pointed to the distant sea,
“By quicksand I mean all your problems on yonder misty horizons yet to be.”

“Problems on distant horizons so far away?” the boy stopped and at the ocean stared,
“I see no problems nor do I care.”

“A job, a house, a nice wife and much more besides,” the old man rested by a pool,
“For all this and much more you will need books and go to school.”

“Hmm, no fun is there to be had at school,” the boy sat down and lazily drowned the day,
“I want to sail and play, play and more play.”

“Listen, my bright boy, lay down that toy,” said the old man looking at the sad boy,
“Books, schools and golden rules are the very source for much pleasure and joy.”

“Really?” the boy was intrigued and his interest piqued,
“Can I have all my dreams and hopes at school realized? Please, can I have a peek?”

“Yes, and there’s much more besides,” the old man dusted himself and smiled,
“Come child, let us now to school glide. On this exciting trial walk your very first mile.”

“Lessons, teachers and knowledge lead to college,” the boy sang the words with happy delight,
“To study, read and write with the wings of a bird then will I freely fly like a kite.”



©Rangzeb Hussain