One day in early winter a woman was walking down a crowded sidewalk in a big city. It was cold--almost, but not quite, cold enough to snow. A light drizzle with bits of sleet mixed in fell upon the gray and black-clad office workers making their way from the subway to office towers, shops, and various other places of business. In the crowd walked a woman, dressed just like everyone else, except for one difference: she carried a bright red shoe box.
Meanwhile, a man was working inside his newsstand, selling magazines, newspapers, candy bars and sodas to the workers passing by on the sidewalk. He saw the red shoebox and made eye contact with the woman. She looked extremely worried about something, and as soon as she saw the man looking at her, she walked right up to the newsstand. The man smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring manner, and the woman placed the shoebox on the counter. She said "will you please, PLEASE take this shoebox from me?" He couldn't see the harm in it, so he said, "uh, sure...I guess...yeah..."
As soon as he put his hand on the shoebox, the woman stepped back, and smiled. She turned around and started to walk away, then stopped, and turned again to face the man. With a serious expression on her face, she said "whatever you do, you must not open the box." Then she disappeared into the crowd.
The man put the shoebox under the counter, then went back to selling his magazines and newspapers. He couldn't stop thinking about the box, and what might be inside of it. Business continued fairly briskly until about 9:30, and he really wanted to look inside the box, despite the woman's warning, but enough business was trickling in that he forced himself to wait.
At 10:30, business had nearly stopped. He looked both ways down the street, didn't see any likely customers, so he reached under the counter, took out the box, and opened the lid. Inside was a small carved wooden figurine. It had an open mouth filled with many teeth, and the body was covered with spirals of different sizes. There was nothing else in the box. He closed the lid and put the box back under the counter.
Immediately after he replaced the box a woman walked up to the counter. The man said "May I help you?"
The woman looked around inside the newsstand and said "Hello? Is there anybody there?"
The man said "Yes, I'm right here! How can I help you?"
Once again the woman said "Hello...?" Then she sighed exasperatedly and continued walking down the street.
This happened twice more, with the same result. Then a teenage boy walked up to the newsstand, looked around the street quickly, and reached inside and grabbed a candybar. The man grabbed the boy's arm to prevent him from stealing the candy bar, but his hand passed right through it!
The man stumbled backwards inside the newsstand. He was starting to feel worried. He looked at the red shoebox. He picked it up and walked out of the newsstand, approaching several people and trying to get their attention. Everyone ignored him.
Finally, he walked up to another man, and prepared to bump into him. But the other man passed right through him! Now he was feeling very, very worried.
He started to walk down the street, not sure what to do next. Where could he go to get help if no one could see him? He didn't know what to do, so he continued walking down the street.
Eventually he saw a flower cart, filled with brightly colored flowers of all shapes and sizes. The flowers made the man smile, despite his growing concern. The woman selling flowers looked at the man and smiled. He walked up to her.
"Hello!" said the man.
"Hi..." said the flower seller.
"Will you please, PLEASE take this shoebox from me?"
The woman looked at the man, looked at the red shoebox, then looked back at the man.
"Uh, yeah, sure."
He handed the box to her, then stepped backwards with a smile on his face. He was about to turn around to walk back to his newsstand, but stopped. He looked at the woman, with a serious expression on his face.
"Whatever you do, do NOT open the shoebox."
The end.
Meanwhile, a man was working inside his newsstand, selling magazines, newspapers, candy bars and sodas to the workers passing by on the sidewalk. He saw the red shoebox and made eye contact with the woman. She looked extremely worried about something, and as soon as she saw the man looking at her, she walked right up to the newsstand. The man smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring manner, and the woman placed the shoebox on the counter. She said "will you please, PLEASE take this shoebox from me?" He couldn't see the harm in it, so he said, "uh, sure...I guess...yeah..."
As soon as he put his hand on the shoebox, the woman stepped back, and smiled. She turned around and started to walk away, then stopped, and turned again to face the man. With a serious expression on her face, she said "whatever you do, you must not open the box." Then she disappeared into the crowd.
The man put the shoebox under the counter, then went back to selling his magazines and newspapers. He couldn't stop thinking about the box, and what might be inside of it. Business continued fairly briskly until about 9:30, and he really wanted to look inside the box, despite the woman's warning, but enough business was trickling in that he forced himself to wait.
At 10:30, business had nearly stopped. He looked both ways down the street, didn't see any likely customers, so he reached under the counter, took out the box, and opened the lid. Inside was a small carved wooden figurine. It had an open mouth filled with many teeth, and the body was covered with spirals of different sizes. There was nothing else in the box. He closed the lid and put the box back under the counter.
Immediately after he replaced the box a woman walked up to the counter. The man said "May I help you?"
The woman looked around inside the newsstand and said "Hello? Is there anybody there?"
The man said "Yes, I'm right here! How can I help you?"
Once again the woman said "Hello...?" Then she sighed exasperatedly and continued walking down the street.
This happened twice more, with the same result. Then a teenage boy walked up to the newsstand, looked around the street quickly, and reached inside and grabbed a candybar. The man grabbed the boy's arm to prevent him from stealing the candy bar, but his hand passed right through it!
The man stumbled backwards inside the newsstand. He was starting to feel worried. He looked at the red shoebox. He picked it up and walked out of the newsstand, approaching several people and trying to get their attention. Everyone ignored him.
Finally, he walked up to another man, and prepared to bump into him. But the other man passed right through him! Now he was feeling very, very worried.
He started to walk down the street, not sure what to do next. Where could he go to get help if no one could see him? He didn't know what to do, so he continued walking down the street.
Eventually he saw a flower cart, filled with brightly colored flowers of all shapes and sizes. The flowers made the man smile, despite his growing concern. The woman selling flowers looked at the man and smiled. He walked up to her.
"Hello!" said the man.
"Hi..." said the flower seller.
"Will you please, PLEASE take this shoebox from me?"
The woman looked at the man, looked at the red shoebox, then looked back at the man.
"Uh, yeah, sure."
He handed the box to her, then stepped backwards with a smile on his face. He was about to turn around to walk back to his newsstand, but stopped. He looked at the woman, with a serious expression on his face.
"Whatever you do, do NOT open the shoebox."
The end.
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