The Prankster Of Convallis

By Armaan Tiwari

Once upon a time, between two mountains, on the banks of an elegant and pristine river lay the town of Convallis. The river split the town in two, on the eastern side resided the common folk of the town. The western side was home to the merchants, doctors, moneylenders, and the mayor, the two parts of the town were connected by a bridge of stone.

Despite their difference in status, the people of the town were like a herd of sheep, they would address and treat each other the same and would show outstanding unity in the face of a crisis, when the rainstorms came and the river overflowed, they would all gather in a small castle which lied on the western mountain.

The mayor was a just and young woman, who was also a scholar, being well trained in the field of medicine. Her husband had died years ago from disease, leaving her to raise their son on her own.

Her son, Eustis, was seven years old. He resembled his father with his chestnut-coloured hair and his mother with his turquoise eyes, beyond that he bore no similarity to his mother or father, Eustis would always be seen with a red scarf around his neck, he never took it off, after all the scarf belonged to his deceased father. He was disliked by the townsfolk because he was a prankster.

He would sometimes paint the walls of homes blue, green and yellow, sometimes he would throw buckets of water in the middle of the road. The villagers would often scold Eustis, but it never worked on him.

A man, Theo, walked to the home of the mayor with his eyes slightly red, he was gritting his teeth and stomped loudly, his expression had twisted with rage.

He knocked vigorously on the mayor’s door; it was not long before the door opened and the woman walked out.

“How may I help you sir?” She asked.

“Your son, He broke the window of my house!” Theo spoke holding back his rage.

“I’ll have it fixed.” She spoke.

“And what about the boy?” Theo asked.

“Eustis is only a child; they all play around breaking things.” She answered.

“You are making a grave mistake not punishing him.” Theo said as he walked away.

“He knows not what he should and shouldn’t do, I shall talk to him about this, I assure you sir he will not do it again.” The woman said.

“So, you say, I promise I will be back here again.” Theo said as he turned around and walked away from the mayor’s house.

“I wish you a good day sir.” The woman said as she walked back into her home.

“Who was at the door mother?” Eustis’s voice came.

She turned her head slightly to see her son walking down the staircase.

“It was farmer Theo; he came complaining about you Eustis.” The woman said as she sat on a chair.

“Whatever did I do to anger him mother?” Eustis asked innocently.

“He said you broke the windows of his home; I want you to promise you’ll never do it again.” She answered the boy.

“I promise!” The boy said.

“Good, tomorrow in the morning I want you to go apologize to farmer Theo.” She said before falling asleep.

“I will apologize to him definitely mother.” The boy said silently with hints of frustration in his voice.

The next day came and there was again a loud knock on the mayor’s door, she opened the door with a hefty sigh.

“I told you; I would come again!” Theo shouted.

“What complain do you have now sir? My son already apologized for breaking your window.” The woman said.

“It’s not just about my windows now, Eustis has done something truly despicable this time!” Theo said angrily.

“What did my son do farmer?” She asked.

“That boy, He wrote ‘I’m so sorry’ on the back of my cow!” Theo said.

“Wash it off with warm water, Eustis won’t do it again.” The woman said.

“Wash it away? I cannot do that, for it has been carved into my cow’s back!” Theo shouted at the woman.

“Do not come to me with such outlandish claims again, if you do this once more, you’ll be the one I punish.” The woman said glaring at Theo as he walked away.

“Who was it?” Eustis asked as he walked to the door.

“It was farmer Theo, complaining about you once more.” Said the woman.

“I promise I did nothing mother!” Eustis said innocently.

“I know you did nothing wrong Eustis, that man is out of his mind.” Said the woman as she walked into the kitchen.

“He didn’t learn his lesson this time, seems I must punish the foolish farmer once more.” Eustis muttered.

That night Eustis walked out of his house, once his mother was asleep.

He grabbed a wooden stick, twice his own height and took the lighter his mother would sometimes use.

Eustis ran and ran, making his way out of the western part of town and over the bridge of stone into the eastern side of Convallis Town. Soon he saw a large wooden house with a great field of crop behind.

He took the lighter out of his pocket and set fire to the stick.

He coiled back his arm before throwing the stick, which landed into Theo’s farm.

Then he heard a sound, he turned around to see farmer Theo looking at him with a smirk spread across his face.

“I have caught you now!” Theo said.

“You certainly haven’t!” Eustis shouted before he began running.

The farmer chased after the boy, till his aged legs gave up but when Theo looked to the ground he smiled.

It was Eustis’s Scarf, he picked it up and walked back home, the sight of charred crop and the smell of the burns devastated the man but alas he had evidence against the boy so he went to sleep peacefully.

The next day came and the knocking began, the mayor awoke frustrated before she ran to the door.

“I will not be tolerating your false accusations anymore farmer Theo!” shouted the woman.

“You are a foolish woman indeed! Have you any idea what your son did last night?” Theo questioned.

“Nothing, Eustis was at home sleeping just as everyone else was!” The woman answered.

“You are wrong Miss Mayor! Last night that boy burned my entire field of crop!” Theo shouted.

“Why do falsely accuse my son of such things farmer?” The mayor asked the frustration evident in her voice.

“It is not just an accusation, For I have proof!” Theo said reaching for his pocket.

The mayor’s eyes widened; it seemed as if they would fall out of her eye sockets.

“Eustis, come here now!” She shouted.

The boy slowly walked down the stairs with an innocent smile plastered across his face.

“Did you burn farmer Theo’s crop?” She asked.

“You know I didn’t do any such thing mother!” Eustis answered.

“Then tell me, why does farmer Theo hold your scarf?” She asked.

Eustis gulped that moment, his smile disappeared as he looked to Theo’s hand and his gaze fell onto his scarf.

“I can explain everything mother!” Eustis said, panic lining the edges of his voice.

“Explain then.” The woman said looking at Eustis with rage.

“Forgive me mother, I won’t do it again!” Eustis said as tears fell out of his eyes.

“That is what you told me before Eustis, but you did not follow your word and burned farmer Theo’s crop! You know well that the winters are approaching and farmer Theo cultivates most of the village’s land, how do you think we will survive now when the winters begin?” The woman asked as she grabbed Eustis’s arm.

“M-Mother please forgive me this once, I promise I will not do anything like this again!” Eustis spoke as he cried.

“I have forgiven you far too many times now, it is time for punishment.” The woman said.

“I need a helper now in the farm more than ever, to salvage the remaining crops, He shall do the job just fine.” Theo said.

“You have wronged farmer Theo greatly Eustis, now you will work for him.” The woman said.

“I’ll be having you do a lot more than just working in the fields, you’ll also help take care of my cattle!” said Theo.

“As you say farmer Theo, he’ll aid you in any work you do, shall he refuse, bring him to me.” The woman said as she let go of Eustis’s hand.

“Come with me now boy, we have much work to do!” Theo said.

After that day Eustis’s mischief came to an end, the villagers would not see Eustis painting on walls again, they would not walk around in dirty clothes sometimes with a bucket overhead, they would not have their windows broken or their cattle screaming in pain, The Chaotic prankster of Convallis had disappeared never to be seen again.

By Armaan Tiwari