Reunion

Reunion

Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Hans. He was ten years old. Hans was the only child of his parents who loved him a lot.

Hans was a very cheerful boy. He was just like a pure flower. No matter what happened, the boy used to be in a joyous mood each moment. Sometimes, he used to whistle like the twittering birds. Sometimes, the boy used to sing with an open heart. Moreover, he was really very fond of the glimpses of fairs where he could have lots of amusement.

On such a day, he went to visit the fairground with his parents. It was an excellent time for all of them. The roller-coaster was the main attraction there. Everything was going on smoothly and happily. But such things did not last long.

Suddenly, Hans’ father could feel that his son’s fingers slipped away from his hands. Out of nervousness, Hans’ father looked for him all around himself. Alas! He could not even hear the voice of Hans. Hans’ father told his mother everything that had happened. Both the parents of the boy felt so hopeless that they could not understand what to do.

Right then the helpless father cried out, “H-a-n-s! Where are you, dear?”

There was no reply.

Again, the anxious mother shouted in pain and fear, “Where are you? Where are you, my dear? H-a-n-s! Can you hear us?”

Alas! There was no reply yet. The fair was too crowded for them to find out their beloved son. They enquired everyone, but there was no trace of Hans.

Yes, the cheerful boy was lost. His parents were mentally broken.

What did then happen with Hans? Where did he go?

There was a magician a few yards away. Moreover, the little boy was very eager indeed to watch the magic tricks. Thus, the magician could get an advantage to take anHans away with him.

Yes, the magician took him away to a distant place. Still, Hans was in a happy mood. Yes, he was cheerful as usual. Moreover, the magician was childless. So, he started looking upon Hans as his own son. Yes, though the magician took the boy away with him, he used to love him a lot as if Hans was his own son.

Having decided to bring Hans up with extreme love and care, the magician asked the boy, “Don’t you feel afraid of me, boy?”

Then Hans replied, “Not at all.” He gave the magician an endearing smile.

The boy was as if always happy and cheerful. He used to call the magician ‘Uncle’. Yes, his everlasting cheerfulness made the magician feel happy also. The magician gave up all kinds of misdeeds and came back to the right track of virtue. Thus, the magician got changed in course of time. He also loved Hans very much. The magician also taught a number of magic tricks to Hans. Hans was also very glad to learn the magic tricks from the magician. During these seven years, he learnt great magic tricks from the magician. Now Hans was ready to work on his own.

Again, the helpless parents of Hans had been waiting for good news one day. They really believed that their son would definitely return to them one day. But all that they had thought seemed a consolation only. Their hearts as if felt vacant for little Hans.

Thus, years went by and Hans’ parents kept feeling a kind of loneliness more and more. They looked for him everywhere; they informed the police as well. Still, every attempt went in vain. What could they do? They asked almost every citizen of their place as well as the surrounding places to trace their little darling. Hans was very much fond of sandwiches. Whenever they were given a few of them by their neighbour, they burst into tears. They could not give it a single bite as well.

The neighbour used to say, “I know that none of you two will take these sandwiches. I know that there’s a lump in your throat. Still, I’ll say that you will not have to shed tears much long.”

Hans’ mother replied, “What did you say, Ms Darcy? He will come back surely. Yes, he will surely come back, won’t he?” She breaks down.

Hans’ father spoke in a broken voice full of sobs, “Yes, he will come back. He has to.” Now the only weapon was time that is the best healer every time. Day after day, month after month and year after year, they kept on waiting. Although they had done the paraphernalia before, none could give them any positive answer yet. However, time never stood still for them.

Seven years passed in this way. Hans grew up during this seven years all the more. Gradually, with the development of his brain and memory, he sometimes used to look down the past.  Sometimes, the entire memory of his childhood, just like a flashback, haunted him. The more the days rolled away, the more frequently he was haunted by the memories. Yes, Hans could easily recollect that he was away from his parents for seven long years. Sometimes, he used to ask the magician, “Where’s my Mom? Where’s my Dad? I wish I could get them back with these magic tricks.”

Yes, the span of seven years is not an easy matter.  The magician had started living with Hans’s everlasting cheer. The childless man felt blessed with such a happy boy like Hans. He had much hesitation in his mind. His heart began to feel the truth that one very day, Hans would want to know about his parents, for sure. In such a worry and fear, he used to spend sleepless nights. Finally, he resolved to help Hans get united with his parents.

Now it was Hans’ time to depart from his ‘Uncle’. As a parting gift, the magician had given him a lump of gold. Since the magician loved Hans as his son, he hesitated to leave Hans. Still, he wanted Hans to get united with his parents.

Finally, Hans set out on his mission to find his parents out. Now he became a grownup. So, there was no chance of his getting lost again. A couple of days went by. Still, Hans could not get any hint where he could find his parents. Then the next day came into existence with a new sun, a new morn and a new day.

On that sunny day, he continued his journey to get back his parents even more vigorously. He sometimes spoke to himself, “I’m coming back home, Mom and Dad. Don’t worry anymore.”

On the way, Hans met a horseman. Hans told him, “I need to find out my parents. Could you please give me your horse instead of this lump of gold?”

The horseman nodded his head.

However, Hans was thrown off while he was pushing the horse to run faster.

Thereafter, Hans came across a cowboy with his cow. Now Hans asked him, “Could you please give me your cow instead of this horse?”

The cowboy said, “Why not, boy? Why not?”

After a few minutes, Hans stood near moorland to milk the cow. He was really very hungry. Right then, a butcher was passing by.

He said to Hans, “How can you milk the cow? It is too old to be milked.” Hans traded his cow for the butcher’s pig.

Thereafter, Hans started again. On the way, he met a mason. Hans asked the mason, “Could you please exchange my pig with your grindstones?”

The mason agreed to his proposal.

The stones were too heavy to be carried.

After all such conversations and after walking a long way, Hans felt tired and thirsty. So, he went to a nearby well to drink some water.

At a distance within view, he saw a man and a woman standing.

While drinking some water from the well, his stones got dropped mistakenly into the well. It caused a great noise.

The people of that place came running to him and said, “What happened? Where did that noise come from?”

Hans replied after quenching his thirst, “I’m so sorry. My stones got dropped mistakenly into the well.”

Then that man and that woman, whom Hans had seen standing a few yards away, also came running to the well.

They looked at Hans as if with a surprise.

Then the woman came to him and asked, “Are you a newcomer to this place?”

Hans then replied after a short pause, “Yes, I have come here to look for my parents.”

Then the man said, “Your parents!”

Hans nodded his head and said, “I lost them seven years ago in a fairground.”

Then the woman suddenly burst into tears.

With tears in eyes, the man asked, “What’s your name, boy?”

“I am Hans.”

Then they drew Hans close to them and said, “Hans! Hans!”

Everything, in the wink of an eye, became crystal clear right then to Hans. He came to know that none but they were his parents.

He went back home with them with extreme happiness.

                                                [Partly extracted from Hans in Luck]

Moral: All is well that ends well. / Happiness, even in the midst of troubles, gifts us energy and a free spirit.