"’Its a mid morning shower. The carnival is in town. Welcome the traveling merry-go-round, as the children with dour faces chase the singing caboose.’
Every four years the circus makes it way up the kingdom of the Flying sparrows, and what a great kingdom it was. An architectural wonder, really.

“A massive stone structure built out of half ton blocks, gray as the faces of the men that built them. It took the working class men over fifty years to complete, and at the end they and their families weren't allowed to live within the city limits. They had all been tricked into working in hopes of a better life, a safe and stable life. They had been trapped by the glass ceiling.

“The structure of the static classes decided where you sat in the circus. The rich had a designated space of their own, directly in front of the ring master. The average villager sat in wooden bleachers around the ring, and the poor? The poor just stood in the dirt which often turned into mud after people relieved them selfs; once you left you couldn't come back.

“Sounds before the show of weary children crying, drunken men lying and awaiting the show. The main attraction was the lion tamer Issael. Issael was the son of the great master, bred to be a fearless but most important to be a great entertainer. After every of his commands he'd crack his whip and the lions would hiss and roar, but followed all of his commands. The crowd


had been like a puppet 'wow-ing' and 'ah-ing' every time Issael caressed the lions with the crack of his whip. Issael hated his job. Issael’s dream was to be a carpenter. He would fix bleachers, broken wheels and he would make splendid carvings of lions, women and random things of nature. However no one ever saw those because his father couldn't see his only son doing anything else than being a lion tamer, plus after his passing who would run the circus after his passing? So the figurines stayed hidden.

“After a show one night, one of the towns riches men came around the back to compliment Issael for his performance. He knocked on the door of the caboose once and no one answered, and a voice behind him said 'you should knock again'. The rich man ignored him but followed his commands. He knocked on the door again and no one answered.

“’Do you know who I am?’ He shouted as he turned to see the mysterious man but there was no one there.’ Are you trying to make a fool out of me?"

“'Oh you? No no no, the only fool here is me?' the voice said behind him again.
He looked towards the door, were a jester was leaning in the wall with a had covering his face.

“'Is the some kind of joke?'

“'A joke yes a joke, you see people are funny for a the entertainment of others but a joke a good joke, prank or gag is for the pleasure of the prankster, even IF the joke has no punch line.'

“'You must have allot of nerve talking to me like- hey, hey! Look at me when I talk to you.'

“'Oh I'd love to but I can't." The jester lifts his had revealing the torn bandages on his face'


'Yeah the king of the last town we were at, didn't like me so much, fat man couldn't take a joke, he didn't look funny as you though... Oh yeah, your not allowed to go inside. ‘And he stumbled off into circus tent. The man in his in his rage rams the door down falling in to the foreign rug, and as he recovers, he is overwhelmed by thousands of wooden sculptures that surrounded him. He hadn't noticed that Issael had been starring at him from his bed.

'Uh can I help you sir?' Issael said to the well-dressed man.

'Wer- were did you find these treasures?'

'What treasures?'

'These! All of these! Were did you get them boy?!?' His voice now rougher.

'Treasures? Well I wouldn't call them treasures that’s just what I do in my spare time.'

'Wh-Who thought you. I've never seem such divine detail.'

'No one, I've always inspired to be a carpenter.'

'Well you've came to the perfect place. You. You I like, you've got to come to the mead hall and drink some mead with me Issael. We'll talk about your future. Oh excuse me, my name Isolf, I decide were the buildings go, how they are built and when they are built.'

'Yes, I would like that Isolf, I would like that allot'

“That next morning Issael gathered all of his money, (which was quite allot since his father never let him spend any) and rented a room at the village hotel, a month paid in full. Issael had never sleep anywhere other than in his bed. He laid there thinking of all the possibilities, he didn't care that he had left like a coward without telling anyone. At least not yet.


Issael waited till the evening to pay his visit. As he walked into the mead hall no one paid attention Issael saw Isolf right away. He was seated in the biggest table in the back. Surrounded strangers, laughing.

'Hello Isolf.'

'Oh Issael, you came. You actually came. Look this is who i was talking about'

'The carne?' One of the men said.

'No this is the new carpenter, Well boy you've came at the right time, before you get any ideas. You've got to prove yourself, you see there is a contest, were expanding our kingdom and the winner will be in charge of the architecture design. All you've got to do is make a model house. That’s all now lets drink. Waiter! Bring us mead!' An over exposed woman quickly rushed with a pint full towards the table.

'Issael, wh-what are you doing? don't sit down, you've got work to do, you have three weeks. Now get outta here!'

“I quickly ran out, grabbing any scrap wood that had been in his way. And for three weeks he spent making the model in his room. The hotel staff hardly saw him, even to eat. Locals started rumors that the carnie had been eating birds that came too close to his window and that he ate them raw. It was inevitable that locals would treat an outsider any better than then the poor, but Issael didn't care he knew how he’d spent his time.

“Judging day had arrived, and the contest was being held at the town square. Issael had arrived earlier than anyone else putting his display on the ground on top of a bed sheet taken from the hotel. All the other contestants brought fancy tables with cloths woven by their


mothers, this didn't bother him seeing that the other contestants made very blocky houses, cheap models that had probably been made with the help of others. Isolf and two other officials walked around looking, smirking and talking real cheaply to the parents of those who had nice clean shaven faces and colored clothing. It was time to announce the winner and two honorable mentions. They announce two names who seemed in close relation to the officials. Then they announced the finalist the name of a kid that was well over named for his stature. Issael had never been more angry even more than nights spent arguing about going to school like the other kids. Like the normal kids.

' Why didn't I win? You know I did much more better then the others. You know that. What I made blended with the earth, not some cheap model with no creativity how can you call yourself a master architect when you don't pursue the creativity that your supposed to encourage huh?'

"Look you model didn't the meet Manufacturing Laws Association requirements.'

'You lie!'

'Issael do you really think that we would give our highest honor to a stranger yet alone a carnie. You should go back to entertaining, dancing or whatever it is that you did.'

“Issael hated Isolf but he would not strike him, no he would never touch him, so he did as he was told. He locked himself in the room. Two weeks passed but not the owner of the hotel himself go and ask for the money it had been well know what had happened to him. No one had seen him only a silhouette lighted by soft candles on the windows curtain. At last he left the room one sunny morning with him a stand and some puppets on his way we began to yell.




'Boys and girls of all ages, young and old come on and put your seat on hold, there's a show tonight!'

“Quickly kids started following Issael to the town square more people started to stand around after Issael settled in the middle the town square. Soon enough even Isolf showed up, then the show begun. He told his story, how he had been cheated by a man. He had told the greatest joke of all, he had mocked Isolf in front of his face without him knowing it, no one knew. “Said the lion tamer as had returned to what he did best.