THE BOOK
Once upon a time, two young boys were playing marbles in the dusty street in front of an abandoned warehouse. While they were shooting aggies and clearies and enjoying the warm summertime breezes, one of them saw two other friends approaching and invited them to join the play. Soon all four boys were engrossed in the game, laughing and talking, crouching and aiming with practiced eyes.
As they concentrated on their game, another young boy came towards them, looking sullen and kicking rocks along the way. A crippled, old dog sidled up to the boy as he kicked at the dirt, the dusty rocks, and everything in sight. Suddenly, without warning, the boy kicked the old dog, snickering as it fell over in a heap on the dusty street.
The four players did not see the cruel incident and invited the lone boy to join their game. Soon the game turned ugly as the boys argued and bickered among themselves. A fight broke out, and the boys went their separate ways.
