The Tiny Ringmaster

by Clark, Jennifer

  Aluxdrov knew this was a risky gamble. The men were restless and might vote to say they were entertained if they were ready to move on. He called in four of his men and made them swear, upon their own death, that they would vote against the townspeople.”

  Tryfod paused and looked down at Ruth sitting in her tiny throne. The movie playing in the blue fog came to a pause. Ruth still couldn’t find the projector, and Tryfod didn’t have a remote in his hand. Tryfod didn’t seem to think anything was strange about the situation. “Ruth, child, do you have any questions so far? Do you need more water or hot chocolate?”

  Ruth shook her head furiously. “No, Mister, I mean, Master Tryfod. I’m ready to hear the rest of the story.”

  “Well, my dear, the story is very long, and I’m afraid it’s still not over – even to this day… Now, where was I?”

  Ruth anxiously spoke up. “Aluxdrov’s four men – they were going to vote against the townspeople.”

  Tryfod nodded his head. “Ahh yes, yes…

  Well, dear Ruth, I’m sure you’ve realized that the townspeople were very encouraged by the news that the Elders returned. They slaved away night and day getting ready for their final performance. They were ready to return home.

  The fateful day came, and, as the townspeople expected, the show went off without a hitch. They performed songs, dances, and talents that the vagrants had never seen. Some of the men could not believe their eyes. The performance ended with a round of thunderous applause.

  The townspeople heard the response backstage and instantly broke into celebration. They had done it! They were going to go home! The Elders told them to quiet down and to follow them out onto the main stage. They would all watch the vote together.

  Aluxdrov was not happy. He was still not convinced that his plan would work, nor had he expected the performance to be so successful. He knew that his four men would not vote for the townspeople, but he was afraid the vote might cause a rift. He would have to take extra care so that his men didn’t turn on one another.

  The townspeople stood cheerfully on the main stage, awaiting the good news. Aluxdrov and the Elders stood at the foot of the stage. Aluxdrov called the vote, ‘All in favor of these performers getting their town back raise your hand.’ The vote trickled in, and, sure enough, all but four men voted for the townspeople to have their land back.

  The townspeople were heartbroken. The Elders moved them off the stage quickly. They worried Aluxdrov would make an example of one of them if they dared public defiance. The townspeople begged the Elders to plead with Aluxdrov for another performance. They didn’t know that their fate had already been tampered with.

  Aluxdrov was pleased with the outcome of the afternoon. He had no remorse and no desire to leave the town. He realized he might have a mutiny on his hands, so he marched boastfully backstage. ‘SILENCE!’ he yelled. The townspeople shook with anger and fear. He then told them that the next year, on the very same day, they could perform again. He wasn’t going to require them to stay at the base of the hill, but if they wanted their town back, they would have to be present and perform. He left with smug satisfaction.

  After moving past the initial shock, the townspeople discussed their next plan of action. They needed a safe place to live. The Elders knew of a place a little further up the river where they could gather food more easily and get the supplies they needed. They all agreed to make the journey the next morning.”

  Tryfod cleared his throat. The expression on his face was grave. Ruth wanted to ask a million questions, but she decided to stay quiet and let Tryfod finish. Tryfod took a long, deep breath and continued.

  “Ruth, this ritual lasted for many, many years. The townspeople would come to town, perform for a night, and then be cast out back to their tents. They were never allowed to return to their homes.

  The years passed, and Aluxdrov grew to be a very old man. The townspeople held out hope that if he died, they would be able to reclaim their land. However, by this point, the men had settled down in the village. They found wives, and they had children. Aluxdrov had a son, who took over in his father’s place. Generations later, his son took over, and then his son took over, and so on. The townspeople passed on their talents to their children, and their children learned new talents. New people became part of the Elders. Each year the performance would be bigger, better, and more elaborate, but the hoax continued. When the voting came, four men would vote against the townspeople.

  Eventually, for the first time in generations, the townspeople became restless. They were tired of their ungrateful patrons. An Elder, Juscus, was aware of the discontent, and he decided to pitch defeat to the other Elders. The Elders existed to serve their people, and Juscus wanted to restore happiness and order.

  Unfortunately, the idea angered the other Elders. Their insistence that they continue to live out their fate enraged the townspeople. It was a dark time filled with fighting and sadness.

  Juscus, realizing his error, called a town hall meeting. He gathered everyone and all the Elders into the main tent – the same tent they took with them from the town. This time, he approached the townspeople with more care. He reminded them that though some of them had forgotten what they were working for, the Elders had not. Aluxdrov’s main goal had been to turn the townspeople against one another. It took him generations, but he was beginning to be successful. They couldn’t allow that to happen.

  The Elders concluded that something needed to be done. They needed more guidance if they were ever going to break the terrible cycle. The Elders decided to set out to look for answers, but Juscus would stay behind to help the townspeople.

  The next morning, the Elders minus Juscus set off on their journey for wisdom. They journeyed many miles and were gone for many months. No one knows exactly what happened on their trek. The townspeople did as they promised and took care of everything back home while continuing to practice.

  One night, the Elders returned in the middle of a great rain storm. They told Juscus to gather all the townspeople in the great tent. Juscus was frightened because they did not look well, but they insisted that they needed to speak to everyone right away. Juscus tried to gather everyone calmly, but excitement grew to anxiety. No one was quite sure what the Elders were going to say, and from the looks of them, it could have been terrible news. The room quieted to a murmur as the Elders recounted their findings.

  They reported that they had been to other towns with people who were just looking for some kind of entertainment to help them escape their daily lives. The Elders suggested that the townspeople travel from town to town performing their show. After all, it was always better to practice with a live audience. They would surely improve, learn new tricks, and within a few years could be back in the town, ending the stand-off once and for all.

  The townspeople whole-heartedly agreed. They excitedly packed up their things and started to wander, becoming nomads like the men who had forced them out of their homes. Instead of spreading hatred and fear, however, they spread happiness and laughter.

  They didn’t travel very far that year, and it was a difficult journey. They weren’t used to traveling, but they prevailed. They returned to the town with the best show to date. Still, there were four votes cast against them, and they were more hopeless than ever. They had spent months perfecting their performance, and they were exhausted. They were ready to finally give up.”

  Tryfod looked down at the small child with a slight grin on his face. “But then… then, my child… they learned of you.”

  Ruth was sitting very still, staring at Tryfod in amazement. She couldn’t believe that she mattered so much to these people, especially since they had been through so much. Eliza cleared her throat. “Tryfod, don’t you think you should give the child a break? This is a lot to take in. We don’t want to frighten her.”

  Tryfod shrugged. “Mistress Ruth, do you need to take a break? I know this must be a lot to digest.” Ruth shook her hand anxiously; she didn’t want to stop listening
. She certainly didn’t want Tryfod to stop or to get side-tracked. She just had to know what happened next. “No sir, no! Please, please go on!” Tryfod smiled. “Ok, my child, I will go on if you insist.” Ruth nodded again furiously. “I do insist! I do!”

  “Well, I suggest you get comfortable again. The next part gets a little tricky.” Ruth sat back down in her chair and tried to get comfortable. Tryfod cleared his throat. “Alright now, where was I? Ah yes. The first traveling performance...

  The townspeople were more discouraged than ever. Waves of depression took over. The Elders knew that they needed some type of miracle. Performing, which used to be a wonderful gift, had become a chore. They would never win back their land if their performers didn’t have the heart to perform.

  Juscus came up with an idea. He discussed with the other Elders, and they all agreed, though hesitantly. He would call for a visioner – a type of psychic. The visioner would come, and the Elders would then make a decision based on visioner’s prediction. Juscus figured it was their best bet. In the meantime, the Elders cancelled all practices. No one protested.

  The night that the visioner arrived was stormy – much like the night that the Elders returned from their journey. The townspeople were very anxious, and not many of them slept that seemingly endless night. People started to gather outside the Elders’ quarters at sunrise, waiting for some kind of sign that a decision had been reached. Juscus eventually came out of the Elders’ quarters to announce that they would be having a meeting in the great tent in one hour. He quickly returned back to the quarters. No one knew what was going to happen, and everyone was fearful.

  All the townspeople gathered under the great tent. Everyone looked tired and beaten down; they were no longer the happy people from the village. Their hearts were still pure and good, but their tolling lives were beginning to take a toll.

  The Elders entered, and everyone became silent. Juscus stepped forward. ‘As you know,’ he said, ‘our good man, the visioner here, was invited to give us guidance. We have discussed his prophecy, and you need to hear it directly.’ The townspeople started to whisper. Surely it had to be good news, or the Elders would have delivered the prophecy themselves. The Elders looked grave and tired, which caused unease throughout the audience.

  The visioner stepped forward. He waved his hands and a blue fog fell inside the great tent. Everyone was silenced again. He closed his eyes, held out his hands, and began reciting the prophecy...

  ‘Living high on the hill,

  Living low on the land,

  You have seen neighboring towns,

  Working with your humble hands.

  You don’t know this yet,

  But one day soon you will.

  Each and every one of you is filled

  with powerful magic skills.

  Your talents are no coincidence;

  You were born from the skies above.

  You have been set on a hard path,

  So that you may know the true value of love.

  With some simple guidance,

  And hard work to achieve,

  You will understand why

  it was in your destiny to leave.

  You have already toiled hard,

  And that will last for generations yet,

  But you will grow grander and much richer

  if only you let.

  You will travel the world,

  performing your shows,

  Your children will be beautiful,

  And people will see you in droves.

  Every year you will journey

  Back to the fateful spot.

  You will perform your best and be turned away

  as if it was all for naught.

  Many generations from now,

  A small child will appear.

  She will be bright and talented,

  and possess little fear.

  With her help, guidance,

  and innocent heart,

  you will perform one last time,

  and return to your start.

  All hands will go up

  When the fateful question is asked

  But Aluxdrov’s descendant will be angry,

  So the performance won’t be the last task.

  With one more meeting

  And a flip of her shiny hair

  Little Ruth will change your fate

  And you’ll no longer have to be a traveling fair.’”

  Ruth’s mouth hung open. She really couldn’t believe what Tryfod just told her. “Wait, wait, wait. Are you telling me that some ancient people who are even older than my grandparents knew about me? They knew who I am and…and… and…”

  Tryfod interrupted her as gracefully as he could. “Well, yes, my child. It will all be clear soon enough… let’s get you some water and some hot chocolate. Lucin!”

  Tryfod walked off to find Lucin, and Ruth was able to sit and catch her breath for a minute. She just had to be dreaming. This absolutely could not be real. No one in their right minds would believe a story like that! She was going to lose her school’s talent show – how exactly was she supposed to help these people win their town back?!

  Tryfod returned with a glass of water and a mug of hot chocolate. He handed the small child the glass of water first. “Here, sip this.” Ruth greedily drank the water and handed the glass back to Tryfod. Tryfod tried to stifle his laugh. “Now drink the hot chocolate. It will calm your nerves.” Ruth drank the hot chocolate almost as greedily as the water. All of a sudden, calm came over her. She felt like she was being wrapped in a blanket by her mom, and she didn’t feel as panicked about the whole situation. Tryfod smiled down at her, and his smile once again reminded Ruth of her dad. She felt a pang of homesickness.

  “Are you ready to hear the rest of the story Ruth? Or would like to take a little break? I know you must be tired.” Ruth shook her head. She was already feeling better, and she wanted to get to the bottom of all this. “You can go ahead. I’m ready to listen again.”

  Tryfod cleared his throat and began again. The blue screen flashed a bright light and returned to the story. “Ummm… oh yes, the visioner…

  With another wave of his hand, the visioner cleared the room of the blue fog, and the townspeople sat in silence for a few moments. Each one of them waited to see if anyone was brave enough to ask a question. Finally, whispers started to break out, and before they knew it, the entire great tent was engulfed in questions.

  Juscus stepped forward. ‘I know you all must have questions, and we do too. We’re trying to find out answers, and we will inform you all to the best of our abilities. We have some answers now if you would like to ask. We promise to make sense of this prophecy as best as we can.’

  A tall man timidly stood up in the back. ‘Elder Juscus, this visioner said we all have magic in us, but we have to learn. Is that true?’ Juscus nodded. ‘Yes.’ The townspeople started loudly talking again in nervous excitement.

  Juscus motioned for quiet. ‘We promise to give each and every one of you training for our abilities.’ The townspeople grew quiet once again. They were doubtful of this new plan. ‘I realize this is a lot to digest. New talents, more traveling, more performing, and this mysterious child named Ruth. We will meet again tomorrow morning.’ The room grew quiet.

  A young man, about your age Ruth, stood up and looked around. ‘One more question Master Juscus...’ Everyone stared. They were all terrified of what the child was going to ask. Juscus prompted him to continue and said, ‘Yes child, go ahead.’

  The child cleared his throat and said, ‘When can we get started with practicing?’

  No one in the room moved, but a smile spread through the crowd. Everyone started clapping. Juscus let out a relieved laugh and said, ‘Well, son, as soon as you all want to.’”

  Ruth stared again in amazement as the blue screen disappeared. She was feeling much calmer now; she wasn’t sure what she had been so worried about before. She decided that she believed Tryfod. It was all beginning to make
sense - their size, their beauty, the city of tents, the lavish decoration. These were the riches and magic the visioner spoke of so many years ago. She had to help them; she now knew she must. She was nervous that she might fail, but the visioner said that she would succeed. Certainly, she didn’t disbelieve a prophecy. She didn’t even care that this may all be a dream. She had a job to do.

  Tryfod noticed the internal monologue in the small child and stooped to look her in the eye. “Ruth, I know this is a lot for a child. This role, if you agree to it, is not an easy one. It will take practice and patience.” Ruth began to say yes, but Tryfod halted her. “No, my child, I will not accept an answer tonight. We will introduce you to a few more people and then you must get some rest. You’ve had a strenuous day, and we need you to remain strong and well.”