Bullfighter

 

As soon as he was big enough to carry the scraps bucket he was given the daily task of feeding the geese. One goose, the largest of them, tried to peck him every morning. So proud of being appointed a real job he couldn't admit that the goose terrified him, learned to place the tin bucket between himself and his antagonist, a tiny bullfighter. Every noisy peck on the bucket made his heart beat faster, every morning was a torment, every morning the boy grew bigger without noticing it, as boys that age do.

One day he realized he was looking down on the large goose, towering over it, as if the goose had shrunk overnight. He placed the bucket on the ground, a flamboyant act, as if he were laying down his red cape, staring down his foe, displaying the absence of fear. The goose instinctively knew his reign of terror was over, ran away like a bully.

Years later the man turned to the crowd and bowed, flowers fell at his feet, the felled bull was carried away and he realised he had taken the wrong lesson from the goose.

Parkstreet