"A TRULY WISE MAN NEVER PLAYS LEAP FROG WITH A UNICORN"
Author's note: This was submitted for a story challenge using the prompt, "Making The Leap/Leap Year." It became of game of sorts to see how many ways I could work the prompt into the story.
I had a completely different storyline in mind; even did the hours of research needed, sketched it all out, set down to write it and then…it took on a whole new life of its own. This is the finished product of my muse working in mysterious ways again!
*For reference purposes, the day is Saturday, February 28, 1864; it is the day before Leap Year Day. (And yes, it is the actual, real Leap Year Day that occurred back in Han and Jed's timeline.)
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Twelve year old Hannibal Heyes approached the boy who was sitting on the rock. "Hey, Kid, whatcha doing?" he called out cheerfully as his booted feet slid to a standstill, kicking up dirt and rocks.
Jed Curry winced at the loud disruption. "Fishin'," he hissed, keeping his eyes on his bobber.
"Oh." Heyes shifted what he carried in his arms around to a more comfortable position.
A full minute passed without either boy speaking a word.
Heyes took a step closer, an action which brought him into the other boy's line of vision. "Nice day for fishing," he observed in a loud voice.
"Yep," Jed agreed in an annoyed whisper.
Another moment of silence prevailed.
"Catch anything?"
"Not yet - an' if ya keep yappin' so loud an' scarin' 'em all away, I ain't never gonna catch one!"
"Sorry," Heyes apologized in a loud stage whisper and made a big show of shifting his burden. The quiet was disturbed even further when a large book dropped and hit the ground with a loud bang.
"Dang it all to blazes, Han!" Jed exploded and jumped to his feet. "Hope you're happy - ya got every fish in the lake swimmin' for their life!" He threw his pole to the ground in exasperation.
"Sorry," Heyes repeated.
The ten year old gave the older boy a look of suspicion. "Ya don't sound sorry!" He cocked his head to the side and blew out an exasperated sigh. "An' ya sure don't look sorry, neither!" he observed.
"Looks can be deceiving; I am sorry," Heyes repeated contritely
"Hmph," Jed snorted. He reached down to pick up the book and began to read the title aloud. "Common Things Explained, Containing: Earth, Fire, Water, time, the almanack, clocks and watches, spectacles, colour..." He stopped, unable to read the next word and looked to his cousin for help.
Heyes took the book from Jed's hands and continued from where the boy had left off, "kaleidoskope, pumps, from "The Museum of Science and Art" : with one hundred and fourteen illustrations…By Di-on-y-si-us Lardner."** He held the book back out to his cousin.
Recoiling in horror, Jed backed up a step and the book dropped to the ground. "Whatcha readin' THAT for? Ya get into trouble again?"
"Hey - careful with that book - Miss Frey only loaned it to me!" He bent down and picked up the book, dusting off the dirt.
"Ya feelin' puny today, Han?"
"No, I am not feeling puny!" Heyes denied with an exasperated sigh.
Jed stepped forward and put a hand to his friend's brow. "No fever," he announced gravely and gave his cousin a critical quick once-over. "Ya don't look sick..."
"That's because I'm NOT sick!" Heyes retorted and pulled back out of the other boy's reach.
"Okay then, guess that means you're plumb loco."
"And you're hypothesis is based on…what?"
"My hypo-what? C'mon, Han, quit usin' those fancy words! I can't answer ya if I don't know what in the heck you're sayin'!"
"A hypothesis is a theory," Heyes explained tolerantly. At the pained expression on his cousin's face, Heyes bit back a smile, "A guess."
"Don't know why ya didn't jus' come out an' say that in the first place, it would've saved us both trouble!" Scowling, Jed continued, "Well, I'm not guessin'; I have all the proof I need an' I'm starin' right at it. Jus' readin' part of that title plumb tuckered me out!" He eyed the armful of books the other boy had in his arms with a pointed look. "Today is Saturday."
"Uh, huh."
"We don't have school on Saturday."
"No, we don't."
"It's our day off an' we don't havta study -"
"I'm NOT studying!"
"…an' we don't have any homework this weekend," Jed observed thoughtfully, "So, that's why I'm guessin' that you're loco. What're ya doin' carryin' all that studyin' stuff around on a Saturday for?"
After taking a cautious look around, making sure he looked in all directions, Heyes leaned forward. "Because," he began in a conspiratorial whisper, "I have a very special assignment; Miss Frey gave it to me."
A look of consternation upon his face, Jed exclaimed, "NOWya whisper?" Then a frown appeared. "Han…why are ya whisperin'?"
"'Cos I don't want anyone to overhear our conversation," Heyes whispered and took another furtive glance around.
"Thanks to you," Jed was quick to point out, "all the fish are way on the other side of the lake, so 'less'n you're afraid that either the squirrels or the birds are enemy spies…" Jed's eyes were dancing with merriment.
"It's not a laughing matter!"
"It is from where I'm standin'!"
"Fine, go ahead and laugh all you want. I'm going to go over there and work on my secret project and you can just go back to your very important work of fishing."
"Fishin' ain't work, it's fun; that's why I like it so much." As Jed bent to retrieve his pole he dropped to all fours when something caught his eye. "Leapin' lizards!"
Heyes turned. "Huh?"
"There's a couple of lizards leapin' all over the rocks – Awww… oh, no!" he cried and leaned in closer to the water.
Hearing the urgency in the cry, Heyes dropped his book and rushed to his cousin's side. "What's wrong, Kid?"
Still staring at the water, Jed sighed, "I don't think their game of leapfrog was such a good idea."
"The lizards were playing Leapfrog?"
Jed rested back on his haunches and blew out a breath. "One of 'em leaped too far an' he missed the rock; maybe he should've looked before he leaped, huh? Guess at least one of the fish decided to come back…an' boy, was he ever hungry!" He climbed to his feet. "Oh, well…" he shrugged and picked up his fishing pole. All of a sudden he froze. "Han?"
"Yeah?"
"Those leapin' lizards got me to thinkin', an' I was wonderin'…now don't be mad, please - I know we don't talk about 'em - but…do you remember what Grampa Curry used to say to us about leapin' over unicorns?"
Unable to ignore or refuse the imploring look in the curry blue eyes, Heyes took a deep breath and forced a smiled for the benefit of the other boy. "Yeah, it was one of his favorites, wasn't it?"
Jed nodded.
"'A truly wise man never plays leapfrog with a unicorn.' You remember what it means?" Heyes asked.
Another nod. "Leapin' over a unicorn is courtin' disaster; it's stupid an' dangerous. So, a man should do what he has to do without taking chances."
"You remembered it all."
Jed watched Heyes turn abruptly and begin to walk away before he climbed back upon his rock.
After a few steps, Heyes turned back to stare at his cousin.
Jed baited his hook, cast his line out over the water and smiled. "You're wrong, Han; fishin' ain't no work at all." Stretching out, he closed his eyes.
"I can't believe you have time to sit there and just fish or worry over stupid leap-frogging lizards, but not to help out your friend! A friend who also happens to be your COUSIN, (punctuated and emphasized with raised voice) I might add."
"Betcha the fish ain't ever comin' back," Jed muttered and tried to ignore his cousin's grumbling in the background. "Sure wish I was a fish right now!"
"Nevermind, it's okay; I don't NEEDany help," Heyes snapped and stomped back into his work area. "I can do this ALL BY MYSELF! Since it's supposed to be a SECRET I guess I can't very well share it with anybody else; not that ANYBODY ELSE might be even remotely interested in helping me with such a SECRETproject!"
His rant was accompanied by the sounds of large rocks being dragged or carried, exaggerated loud moans and groans as they were piled on top of each other, and a log scraping the dirt as it was dragged across the ground. His exertions also produced huffing and puffing, the sounds of a very extremely exasperated human as he set about accomplishing each task.
Watching his bobber as it bounced up and down with the ripples in the water, Jed waged an internal war with himself as he fought the urge to turn around and see what his cousin was up to. "Not gonna catch ME doin' no homework on a Saturday, nosirree!" he muttered and shook his head with vigor.
"That oughta do just fine," Heyes announced in approval. "NOW, I can get down to business."
"All work an' no play makes Han a dull boy!" Jed observed idly.
There was a brief moment of silence. "Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and never succeed," Heyes retorted.
Jed turned around to favor his friend with a puzzled look. "Huh?"
Heyes stopped what he was doing. "Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and never succeed," he repeated.
"Where'd ya get that from?"
"Last Sunday's sermon; Proverbs 12:27. Dontcha remember? It was what the preacher's lesson was all about; 'A Leap of Faith'."
"Umm…" Jed's brow wrinkled in thought, "No."
After sending his captive audience of one a disparaging look, Heyes began to orate. "He said that people have to have faith in their leaders; to believe in what they can't see. All great leaders have to work hard or they won't be successful. The more successful a leader is, the more his followers will respect him." Warming to his subject, Heyes clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace. "So that means a person has to be willing to do the hard work to become a leader.
"It means doing something even when it's not when you normally do it and especially if you don't want to do it. A leader has to be persuasive and convince his followers that they want to do it." After a quick glance at Jed to see if he was still paying attention, he continued.
"Sometimes a person needs a little nudge to persuade them to take that leap of faith; they may think they don't want to do it, but if they listen to what their leader tells them, they might be willing to change their mind. You know what, Jed? One of the best things he said was that a leader should never ask one of his men to do something he wouldn't do first himself; think about that, Kid."
Jed obediently mulled that over for the span of a second. "Yep, sounds good to me, too," he nodded and returned to his fishing. A moment later he put up a hand to smother a big yawn.
Heyes' arms dropped to his sides and he shrugged. "Well, thanks for all your help," he said in a sarcastic undertone.
Sitting cross-legged on the rock and basking like a lizard in the warmth of the afternoon sun, one yawn after another assaulted Jed. It wasn't long before the boy's chin began to droop; it sank lower and lower, until it rested on his chest. His curry-blue eyes drifted shut and his grip on the pole slackened until it fell from his limp fingers.
His attention caught by the sound of the pole hitting the ground, Heyes looked up from his work and shook his head. Uncurling himself from his position on the blanket he'd spread out, he advanced towards his cousin. "Jed?" He touched the boy's shoulder. "Hey, Kid, why don'tcha c'mon over here with me and finish your nap?"
Jed sat up quickly and looked around, still in a daze. "Wasn't asleep," he denied, rubbing at his face with his fists. "I was jus' restin' my eyes; all that bright sunlight reflectin' off the water made 'em hurt."
"That's why you threw your pole on the ground, huh?" Heyes picked it up and held it out. "So you could give your eyes a rest?"
With a look of guilt, Jed looked from the pole to his cousin's face and heaved a deep sigh of resignation. "Maybe I did fall asleep," he conceded, "but only for a minute! I was busy thinkin'."
"You fell asleep while you were thinking?" Heyes chuckled.
"Thinkin's hard work!"
"It sure is," Heyes agreed, "Thinking's a lot harder for some than others," he added with a dimpled grin.
A deep rumbling growl from Jed's tummy announced it was mealtime. "Guess I'd better be headin' back to Valparaiso," he said reluctantly. "Maybe I can make it back in time for lunch." He began to gather up his things.
"You didn't bring any food with you?"
"I was so busy tryin' to get outta there before someone found somethin' for me to do that I jus' plumb forgot," Jed admitted.
"What would you say if I offered you food in exchange for helping me with my project?"
"Food?" Jed's countenance brightened before his brow furrowed with a guarded look of skepticism. "What kinda 'help' would I be doin'?"
"First, you've gotta promise me - you've gotta swear - that you won't tell another single solitary person about this."
"Han," the younger boy gulped, "are ya gonna cut my hand an' draw blood like we did for the pirate treasure secret?" Although he put on a brave face, Jed's hands unconsciously balled into fists.
Heyes bit back a grin. "No," he said solemnly, "not this time; your blood's safe."
A moment of indecision passed before Jed relaxed and nodded. "Okay, I'll swear. Cross my heart an' hope to die," he made the mark of an x across his chest, "an' hope the cat'll spit in your eye."
"Mostly what you'll be doing is listening to me; I have to practice."
"So, you're telling me that all I havta do is sit here an' listen to ya practice – uh, whatever it is – an' you'll give me food?"
Heyes nodded.
"That's a good deal - I like it!"
"C'mon over to the blanket; we'll eat first and work afterwards."
"I like the way ya think, Han!" Jed followed the other boy to the blanket. Once seated, Heyes doled out the food from a hamper that had gone unnoticed by Jed.
"Geez, Han – where'd ya get all this from?" Jed exclaimed in wonder. The boy's eyes were wide, nearly popping out of their sockets at the plethora of food in front of him. Fried chicken, potatoes, corn on the cob and…could it be? YES! His favorite – cherry cobbler! There was even lemonade to wash everything down with. "This sure didn't come from the Home!" Jed needed no second urging to dig in. Feeling like he had died and gone to Heaven, he tackled everything with gusto.
"Miss Frey," Heyes answered around a mouthful of chicken. "She said I couldn't very well work on an empty stomach," there was a significant pause before he added, "…and neither could my cousin."
Jed stopped in mid-chew and lowered the cob of corn to eye his friend with a puzzled look. "What're ya talkin' 'bout, Han? How could Miss Frey know I -" His expression quickly transformed into one of rueful consternation; Jed shook his head and put the corn down. "She knew, because YOU told her I'd be helpin' you," he declared. "I should've known that you had this all planned out; you jus' needed me to fall right into the trap, didn't you?"
"Whoa…don't go leaping to conclusions so fast! It wasn't a trap, Kid. I needed someone I knew I could trust with the secret; someone that I knew wouldn't let me down and someone who would appreciate a good meal for a change. You were the best – and only – choice for the job. I just did what the Preacher said; a leader has to use a little bit of persuasion sometimes."
"And a little bit of cherry cobbler doesn't hurt, neither," Jed grinned and put a spoonful into his mouth. "Mmmm," he sighed and closed his eyes as he savored the fruity dessert. "So what IS this big secret anyways?"
Heyes wiped his hands and face and picked up one of the books. "You have any idea what day tomorrow is?"
"Sunday."
"Right, but what is the date?"
"Uh," Jed's brow furrowed with his effort to work it out, "Well, it's February, an' yesterday was the 27th, today is the 28th, so that makes tomorrow the first of March," he announced proudly. But to his surprise, Heyes shook his head.
"Nope."
"But..." the boy argued, "it HAS to be the first of March! There are only 28 days in February, so if today is the 28th, tomorrow is the first!"
"In a regular year, yes; but this is a Leap Year," Heyes' grin was smug.
"Leap Year? That means…February has 29 days!"
"Correct; Miss Frey asked me to do a special report about it."
Jed eyed his cousin with a scowl. "What's so secret 'bout that?"
Dimples in full evidence, Heyes cocked his head to the side. "What do you think?"
"I'm beginnin' to think the secret is there ain't no secret!"
"There you go again, Kid, leaping to conclusions."
"Ain't leapin' to nothin', Han, 'cept this chicken!" Jed picked up a chicken leg, took a bite and chewed thoughtfully on it for a minute. "Let me see if I've got this straight. You told me it was a secret hopin' that I'd take the bait. When I didn't, the secret became the way you went about persuadin' me to bite. You were patient enough not to give up, you tried different baits an' when you found the right one to lure me in, you didn't waste no time in settin' the hook. You did a great job an' I fell for it hook, line and sinker."
"Sounds like you might still be mad at me," Heyes looked slightly uncomfortable.
"Do I? Hmm…" Innocent curry blues stared back into warm brown ones as he took another bite of chicken. "Should I be?"
Heyes didn't answer.
Jed raked a sleeve across his mouth and took a drink of lemonade. After he swallowed, he cocked his head to the side. "Keep this up, and one day I reckon you're gonna make a great leader, Han." He reached down. "Jus' make sure you keep the cobbler handy!"
"Thanks, Kid, I'll keep that in mind," Heyes grinned, "And I think you'll do a great job as my partner, too." He picked up his own dessert and both boys tucked in with a gusto that would have done Miss Frey proud.
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**I kept the original spelling intact for the title of the book. The author has several books dealing with similar subjects as well as others which are specific to a certain area.