the dead man - 8. the ogre's lament

by nick nelson

part eight of 31

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when the old woman looked more closely at the ogre standing over her, she saw that he was crying. why mister ogre, exclaimed the old woman, whatever is the matter? what has caused such a menacing and ferocious creature as yourself to weep helplessly like a little child? i am being done wrong, said the ogre through his tears. in what way? ms johnson asked the ogre. sheriff john brown is on my trail, wishing to arrest me for doing something i didn’t even do. and what was it that you didn’t do? ms johnson asked. what difference does that make? the ogre asked, if i did not even do it. at this point n the narrative lucas’s mind began to wander. he noticed that the duck, the cow and the pig had all wandered away, probably to shoot at tin cans on the fence in the schoolyard with the new guns they had bought from jose… and lucas was left alone with ms johnson and the ogre, and the ogre turned to lucas and said, it wasn’t me, man, ii was not me who ratted you out… and ms johnson said to the ogre, it was not i who ratted you out, darrell, not not me who ratted you out,,, lucas got up and walked out of the schoolroom past old mrs williams who was drawing pictures with a bunch of girls… pictures of blue skies…. and a big green park with trees and park benches… and a little dog running across the green park under the blue skies… i think your mind is wandering again, lucas, ms johnson said. do you want me to get you out of here or not? next