“Hey Walt, how’s retirement?”
The elephant swept his great gray head from side to side, searching for the source of the tiny voice.
“It’s okay,” he said.
A rustle in the straw revealed the nose of a white mouse.
“Do you miss anything about the circus?”
“Is that you, Max?”
“Yeah.”
“I do.”
“What do you miss most?”
“I miss being somebody,” Walt said, “I liked the work. These days, I’m just a waste of hay living off generosity.”
“Welcome to our world,” the mouse replied.
“I never had a problem sharing with you guys,” Walt said, “you keep me entertained.”
A few more heads poked out of the straw.
“I guess that puts us in the same business,” one of them squeaked.
Walt grinned.
“I won’t miss the stress, though,” he said.
Max turned to his buddies and wise-cracked, “Oh, the pain of being a celebrity.”
That busted the mice up. One of them wiped imaginary tears from his eyes. Another crossed his paws over his heart and swooned in mock sympathy.
Walt trumpeted and raised a foot as if to stomp his tormentors. They scattered in make-believe terror.
“C’mon guys,” Walt pleaded, “famous is about what you have done, not what you have to do.
You never had to face a crowd every night, not knowing if they would clap with glee or stare cold as stone at you.
And it never made a difference how you performed.
One night you might sleep walk through your routine and they would love you. The next night, you could give them your all, and you might as well be performing in a cemetery.
It never made any sense.”
“So do you miss the fame?”
“Not at all, but it was nice to be worth something.”
“Do you miss anything else?”
Walt thought about it.
“I miss the times when it all came together,” he said, “you could see it in the faces of the children. You knew you were making them happy, and that was good– but the best was when their happiness became so much more than what you gave them.”
Walt’s sincerity struck his critics dumb.
Outside the stable, snowflakes fell like feathers through the night air and as moment after moment of silence passed through the stall, it grew so quiet that Walt could hear them settling to earth.
“It was magic,” he whispered to break the calm.
Max took a step forward and in all seriousness, said “I want you to think about something. Was it making magic that delighted you or seeing the delight that magic made?”
“You are talking in riddles,” Walt said.
“No, I’m not.”
“I am not getting you.”
“Yes, you are.”
“No…”
“Think deeper.”
“Oh..oh, I got it! You are asking me if I would still make magic even if I never saw the effect.”
“Bingo!”
“I would still make that kind of magic.”
The mice then formed a half circle in the straw and looked up at Walt as if they knew all about what was going to happen next.”
“Do you want to do it again?” Max asked.
“More than anything.”
“Good, here is our plan. On the other side of that fence, you will find a perfectly good doll house that someone callously tossed into the trash. Fetch it and set it on a branch of the twisted tree you will find in the same backyard. We will meet you there in an hour.”
“I don’t get it.”
“An elephant, a tree and a doll house with white mice on the roof. What could be more magically whimsical than that?”
“I still don’t get it.”
“You are not the only friend we mooch off of.”
“Okay?”
“We know an illustrator, a maker of children’s books who would love to draw just such a scene – and let’s just say we owe her a favor.”
“Oh…….”
“Uh-huh…. It is the stuff of bedtime stories. Think of millions of children snuggled in their quilts or propped up on their pillows, giggling at our whimsy.”
“Oh my…”
And Max was right.
The magic they made that night lasted for as long as there were bedtime stories, children, quilts, pillows and books.
This story was in response to D. Wallace Peach’s wonderful monthly writing challenge: February’s Speculative Fiction Prompt
Pixabay image by Marianne Sopala
Almost Iowa 
tickled me pink
A most delightful story! When will you publish a book of your stories?
Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
Hi, The adjectives are swirling in my head….Pure delight and magic. Why have I never written whimsy?! You’ve opened another writing door for me. Superb! (Mind you, Diane wowed me with her French flavoured tale and re-introduced me to a land I’d sort of forgotten. How could I have mislaid all those wonderful stories I read as a child?! ) Thank you both. xx
Fabulous!!
Thank you, glad you liked it.
Fabulous!
Hey, thanks.
You’re welcome.
Love this…very creative and entertaining.
I can’t take all the credit, Walt and Max helped.
A delightful whimsical tale, I love this!
Greg, this is fabulous! You indeed made magic — aside from it being a fun way to explain how the image came about. Pure magic. Hugs!
That image was a head-scratched until Walt and Max explained it all to me.
Wonderful! You really work dialog very well, allowing your characters to come to life through conversation. Fun read, with some tender moments – brought me back to when I was more active in theater! 🙂
When you have characters that feel strongly about each other, the dialogue writes itself. In this case, Walt and the mice are friends on a mission which is the easiest of all to write. Of course, I am looking back up there and grumbling, “Coulda done better.” 🙂
When I write, I do the same thing when I look over it – but I think you did great! Really enjoyed it 🙂
Reblogged this on Myths of the Mirror and commented:
A delightful story from Greg. I hope you enjoy it. 🙂
Once again, thanks Diane. 🙂
Very welcome!
The story is wonderful! It is so much fun, yet thought-provoking.
Thanks, I will tell Walt and Max you liked it. 🙂
When you’ve finished your book, I’d like an autographed copy.
This story is really about blogging.
And of course this:
As a blogger, does any of this sound familiar?
Nice reminder about magic unobserved too. You made me smile and think
As with so many writers, most of my magic is unobserved. 🙂
Your story is good that reminds me to be more whimsical. Even if I am a nobody. And not an elephant.
Being a nobody is not so bad – though being an elephant has its draw-backs. Try hailing a cab.
This is a perfect story! You’ve found a new niche, Greg. I like what you did with the prompt. And it’s nice to know that retirees looking for their way can still find some magic!
Scooter is looking over my shoulder.
“Retirement, meaning, magic? You’re writing about me, right?”
I love this and Walter!
Who could not love Walter? 🙂
That’s great, Greg.
Thanks, Mick.
This is so wonderful! Doesn’t sound like anything Stan would write….or would he?
Stan only writes about big orange industrial equipment. 🙂
Hey man, good one! It would make a good book.
Neil Scheinin
Thanks Neil. When I first spotted Diane’s prompt, I knew I had to write something but the illustration was so whimsical that I couldn’t think of anything but whimsy.
Aww this was so sweet but also, the breaking of the fourth wall at the end was wonderful! Great job.
I kind of did poke a hole in that wall, didn’t I? 🙂
Yup, it was great!
Oh…… can I place my order for the book?
So beautiful, I hope you write more in this manner Greg, it’s timeless wisdom delivered in a gentle fashion.
I could think of a thousand Walt and Max stories. We need magic like that. You know, I was always a science fiction fan when I was a kid – because back then science promised magic. Now it is all clicking apps.
Yes, we do need an alternative view, so please write them down.
Very well don, Greg. Let’s hear it for magic and whimsy.
All for magic and whimsy. 🙂
What a lovely story!!! We need a little whimsy in our lives.
We do – but sometimes our lives are filled with too much whimsy. [he says as he raises his hand meekly]
Awww. What a magical story, Greg, and so filled with mouse wisdom. The magic of whimsy is the realm of childhood (and some adults too). 🙂 Thanks for the story! I’ve added it to the list!
And thank you for the writing prompt. It was a whimsical challenge to say the least and gauging by the response, another smash hit prompt.
I thought this one might be a challenge, but the responses have been great, and diverse!
i’m all about the whimsy
It has always served me well. 🙂