Saddness of Tom Thumb

by Tim Lacey

Alone in the world was poor Tom Thumb as sweet a young child you�d meet. His parents had gone to their final reward leaving their baby behind. Did you hear, Tom Thumb was only nine years of age when mother and dad went away. Still, he bravely worked at the one thing he could to earn his few dollars a day---he entertained at the circus. Entertained at the circus where families came to be amused.

With pan-cake and make up, Tom would transform his baby face into a jolly clown and placing on his little head a black felt circus hat, Tom would go entertain those families.

With smiles and lively steps and waving his hat, Tom Thumb would smile yet keep hidden his broken heart. Seeing the other children with their families, the poor inches high child would at night, in his matchbox bed, cry himself to sleep.

One day a fellow clown handed down to Tom a enormous scrap of paper. It told to the excited beatings of Tom�s lonely heart that some fans wanted to see him. Wiping his face and polishing up his black felt hat, Tom waited for the moment that his tiny heart hungered after.

Standing at the base of the flap to the opening to the tent, Tiny Tom waited. Thumbing as hard as his own expectant heart beats, came the sound of giant steps. Coming through the entrance, towering kids his age. Looking up so very longingly, Tom wondered if they would be his tender pals. With a smile almost as wide as his face, Tom was nearing to pull on the cuff of one sandy haired youth, when from above came the crushing blow of words, �I wonder how small this freak really is?� Another crushing blow, �Wait till our friends at school here about this.� �Check the bottom of your shoes, we might have stepped on him.� Giant laughter rained down upon Tom Sad Tom Thumb retreated away. Sitting on a bottle cap, a another lone figure, a cricket hopped by. It began fiddling away to its own lonely lament. A lament Tom�s heart could easily harmonize with. Valiantly, Tom Thumb went on each day whipping around his black felt hat to the cheers of many. Time and loneliness took a toll on Tom�s tiny and broken hearted body. They found little Tom slumped over in his tiny chair. Still sitting on his head was his black circus hat.

All in the circus came to Tom Thumb�s funeral to pay their respects to this brave tiny trooper.

There must be a heaven where tiny Tom can play. In heavenly gardens and bowers. And instead of his circus hat, he�ll wear around his head, a halo made up of genuine stardust. Throw away the circus hat used to entertain families. And give him the happiness.

THE END