A hunched-over little man with beady eyes, slightly pointy ears and a
trench coat grabbed my arm as I walked out of the movie theatre. "Hey,
you," he hissed, "wanna buy a hot Ring of Power?"
"Ring of Power?" I demanded incredulously. I couldn't believe this. I mean, the Rings of Power had all either been destroyed or had passed over the sea.
"For you, a very special price," grinned the man. He pulled out a ring from his pocket and waved it tantalizingly around in the air. "Only 19.95. No tax."
"And exactly which Ring of Power is this?" I asked.
"What you are looking at," the man informed me confidently, "is the long-lost 21st ring. Do you remember the poem in *The Lord of the Rings* about - yes, of course you do. What you don't realize is that it's not the whole story. There was another ring made, but the line about it was cut long ago because it didn't make very good poetry and it was spoiling the rhyme scheme. Look how it shines in the light, though! Pure mithril, set with amethyst. For anyone else, a fortune. But for you, I'm practically giving it away."
"And why is that?"
"Because," the man said with a wink, "you are very wise." For an instant I wished that someone who wasn't trying to sell me something would say that to me. "Besides," he continued, "it's no good to me. The other rings lost their power after the One Ring was destroyed. But this ring, this ring is smarter. It's seeking to return to the time *before* its power was lost. Put it on your finger and it will take you back with it. And who in their right mind would want a ring that you couldn't even wear without being sucked back with it into some oddball time and place?"
I felt strangely drawn to the ring, even if it was the strangest and least credible story that I'd ever heard in my life. Seizing the ring from his outstretched hand, I stared at it closely. Finally I looked up in triumph: "If this is a Ring of Power, how come it says 'Made in China' on the inside?"
The man gasped, shrieked something unintelligible and scurried away, leaving me with the ring in my hand. As soon as he was out of sight, I started to laugh. *Sucker*. I pocketed the ring. Suddenly felt an incredible urge to pass my hand across my brow and have a shadow lift from my face. Vaguely I wondered why. Well, the ring was mine now, and I had come by it honestly. I was not a thief. I was not. The man had left it to me. He was just trying to scam me anyways. I wasn't telling a lie, it was just a little joke. He just took it too seriously, that's all. It's nothing, no big deal, such a little thing.
"Ring of Power?" I demanded incredulously. I couldn't believe this. I mean, the Rings of Power had all either been destroyed or had passed over the sea.
"For you, a very special price," grinned the man. He pulled out a ring from his pocket and waved it tantalizingly around in the air. "Only 19.95. No tax."
"And exactly which Ring of Power is this?" I asked.
"What you are looking at," the man informed me confidently, "is the long-lost 21st ring. Do you remember the poem in *The Lord of the Rings* about - yes, of course you do. What you don't realize is that it's not the whole story. There was another ring made, but the line about it was cut long ago because it didn't make very good poetry and it was spoiling the rhyme scheme. Look how it shines in the light, though! Pure mithril, set with amethyst. For anyone else, a fortune. But for you, I'm practically giving it away."
"And why is that?"
"Because," the man said with a wink, "you are very wise." For an instant I wished that someone who wasn't trying to sell me something would say that to me. "Besides," he continued, "it's no good to me. The other rings lost their power after the One Ring was destroyed. But this ring, this ring is smarter. It's seeking to return to the time *before* its power was lost. Put it on your finger and it will take you back with it. And who in their right mind would want a ring that you couldn't even wear without being sucked back with it into some oddball time and place?"
I felt strangely drawn to the ring, even if it was the strangest and least credible story that I'd ever heard in my life. Seizing the ring from his outstretched hand, I stared at it closely. Finally I looked up in triumph: "If this is a Ring of Power, how come it says 'Made in China' on the inside?"
The man gasped, shrieked something unintelligible and scurried away, leaving me with the ring in my hand. As soon as he was out of sight, I started to laugh. *Sucker*. I pocketed the ring. Suddenly felt an incredible urge to pass my hand across my brow and have a shadow lift from my face. Vaguely I wondered why. Well, the ring was mine now, and I had come by it honestly. I was not a thief. I was not. The man had left it to me. He was just trying to scam me anyways. I wasn't telling a lie, it was just a little joke. He just took it too seriously, that's all. It's nothing, no big deal, such a little thing.