Back
up in Isengard, Saruman sat his eyes curdled witht thoughts of money.
He turned to look at his two sniveling orc subordinates, Seitz and
Jonathan. He sneered, "I know we need to make more money.
That's
why we're here, to find out how to make more money. " Jonathan
bowed his head and meekly offered, "I have several proposals.
First, to increase the paper's price." Pulitzer jeered, "Then
the white council outsells me and I'm in the poorhouse. Brilliant,
Jonathan, brilliant."
"Not the customer's price. The price to the distribution apparatus."
Seitz shook his head and stated, "Charge the newsies more for their papers? Bad idea, Chief."
"Very well. My next proposal, salary cuts. Particularly those at the top."
Once again Seitz interrupted to say, "Very bad idea, Chief."
But Pulitzer disregarded the complaints and inquired, "Wait. What do the newsies pay now? 50 cents for 100 papers? If you raise it to 60 cents…"
"A mere tenth of a cent per paper."
"Multiply by 40, 000 papers a day? 7 days a week?"
"It definitely adds up, sir."
But still Seitz argued, "If you do this, every newsie we've got will head straight for the white council."
Yet staying with tradition Saruman disregarded this comment as well, "You don't know the white council like I do, Seitz. As wizards, we would cut each other's throats to get an advantage. But as gentlemen, as businessmen, if also see eye to eye on certain things. Now, if we do it, the white council and I, if we do it, then the other papers will do it." He started to sway around the room as if he were attempting to dance. Seitz still held on to his more sympathetic views and murmured, "It's going to be awfully tough on those children."
And by the callousness of Saruman hardened heart he affirmed, "Nonsense, nonsense. It'll be good for them. Incentive, make them work harder, sell more papers. They'll look on it as an advantage."
But to no surprise the newsies did not see this as an advantage. Rather they stood huddled at the distrubution center and complained and cried to eachother. And as Strider came up Merry shouted, "They jacked up the price! You hear that Aragorn? Ten cents a hundred! You know, it's bad enough that we gotta eat what we don't sell, now they jack up the price! Can you believe that?"
Boromir cast his eyes on the ground and lamented, "This'll bust me, I'm barely making a living right now." They all started unleashing the tales of their plights until Aragron stood up and asked Worm tongue why they raised the prices the answer came back, "Why not? It's a nice day. Why don'tcha ask Mr. Pulitzer?"
Merry tearfully groaned, "They can't to this to me Strider!" Pippin contradicted his friends statements and retorted sarcastically, "They can do whatever they want. It's their stinkin' paper."
Sam gave up and turned to leave, then turning back he said, "Strider,we got no choice, so why don't we get our lousy papes while they still got some, huh?" Aragorn leapt up and took hold of Sam's arm and bellowed, "No! Nobody's going anywhere. They can't get away with this!" This statement started a few curious thoughts and they all began to crowd Strider grasping for answers. Les pushed his little self forward and commanded, "Give him some room, give him some room. Let him think." They cleared out and stood around as Strider rubbed his chin in thought. He titled it back and forth and the newsies grew restless. Pippin in his abundance of patience leaned forward and prodded, " Aragorn, you done thinkin' yet?"
Worm
leaned out of his window and shouted, "Hey! Hey! Hey! Isengard
employees only on this side of the gate!" The newsies anger riled
up and they began to yell back curses Aragorn in all his fierceness
announced, "Well, listen. One thing for sure, if we don't sell
papes, then nobody sells papes.
Nobody comes through those gates
until they put the price back to where it was." Legolas stared in
disbelief then jokingly asked, "You mean like a strike?"
"Yah like a strike."
"Aragorn, I was only joking. We can't go on strike, we don't have a union."
"But, if we go on strike, then we are a union, right?"
"No,
we're just a bunch of angry kids with no
money. Maybe if we got
every newsie in Middle-Earth but…"
Strider
cut in, taken up with Legolas' new brilliant idea…every newsie in
middle-earth… "Yeah, well we organize. Frodo, you take up for
collection. We get all the newsies of middle-earth together."
Legolas rolled his eyes at the (in his opinion) blunt, stupid human, "Aragorn, This isn't a joke you saw what happened to the troll workers!"
But not taking the cue Strider beamed, " Yeah well that's another good idea anyone who don't join in… we bust their heads open! Like the troll workers!"
But then sensing Legolas' strong objections he paused and reflected, "Alright. Let me think about it. Listen. Legolas'right. Saruman and the white council and all them other rich fellas, I mean, they own this city, so do they really think a bunch of street kids like us can make any difference? The choice has got to be yours. Are we just gonna take what they give us, or are we gonna strike?"
Les caught up in the excitement, forged the way and exuberantly hollered, "STRIKE!" Legolas immediately grabbed Les back and put his and over his mouth to hopefully prevent any more destructive mutterings. But despite this the words rang on and ensnared the others in the fever of excitement. Who looked to Strider and pleaded for more directions, Strider in turn looked to Legolas who told the right words to say. Aragorn(being a ham) stood on a conveniently placed statue and lead them all together in a song and raised the morale by about one hundred points. They sang of their rights, of the determination (and something about beans…but it ain't worth beans…) but in the end everyone, including Legolas, was shouting, "Strike! Strike!" Aragorn then told them of their next agenda, to tell all the other newsies of the strike. Merry volunteered first, " Sy Strider, I'll take the Shire" Not to outdone Pippin volunteered next, " Yeah, I got Mirkwood." Other newsies offered to take different parts until it grew quiet. Strider asked the remaining newsies, "So what about Lothlorien? Come on, Haldir's territory. What's the matter? You scared of Lothlorien." Boots defensively argued, "Hey, we ain't scared of Lothlorien! Haldir makes us a little nervous." Aragorn chuckled, " Well, he don't make me nervous. So you and me Boots, we'll go to Lothlorien. And Legolas here can keep us company." Legolas tilted his head and stated, " Just as soon as you take our demands to Saruman."
Aragorn shifted uneasily, "Me, to Saruman?"
"Well you're our leader, Strider."
Aragorn leaned out and took grabbed Les and avowed, "Well, maybe the kid'll soften him up." Then swaggering up to the heavy old doors he went in. The newsies watched as they shut harshly behind him…
Thanks for reading and please( x's 100,000,000) review! Update soon!
anna
