The Nick Klaus's Fables Read Free Page A

distance, unbothered
by the blond ponytail’s begging glances.
    “This is a very sad day for me,” it said after a
while. “My owner is taking me to the abattoir.”
    Intrigued, the black tail looked askance. “What do
you mean?”
    “I heard it last night. In an hour or so they’re
going to cut off most of me . . .” Too distraught, the blond tail
couldn’t finished its sentence.
    “You mean like you’re going to end up all chopped up
on the floor.”
    The blond tail looked down without swaying.
    “Don’t worry, you’ll grow back long and strong,”
said the black tail sighing.
    “It took a lifetime it took to get this long.”
    “Still I envy you,” added the black ponytail. The
blond ponytail looked up full of curiosity for the first time. The
black ponytail continued: “I may look all pretty and silky, but I
will never grow again. You see I’m just completely fake. I don’t
get greasy, don’t need a trim. I’m a wig that should live in a
museum.”
    Feeling terrible for the black wig, the blond
ponytail took a deep breath. It grabbed its camera and took a
picture of the black ponytail.

The Front Tooth’s
Journey (#9)
     
    The baby front tooth was unhappy when it learned
that someday it would have to go on a long journey. It was so mad
that it refused to talk to its baby sister and brother teeth for
two days. On the third day, while everyone was still half-asleep,
with nervous giggles to reassure itself, it stated: “I like milk
and candies best! No way I’m ever going to let anyone deprive me of
them.” Proud and firmly still it stood in the gum, while the other
baby teeth yawned. Upset that no one listened, the baby front tooth
repeated itself, hoping for some understanding. But breakfast came,
and all of the teeth went to work. The front baby tooth shone,
chewed twice as hard, with pride, to forget the rumor that it had
heard. Something unpleasant, however, was brewing.
    Towards lunchtime, it woke up with a sore. At first
it pretended nothing was wrong. It was too afraid to fidget and
looked around as if all was well. The other teeth were chatting
away, quibbling over what was coming their way for lunch. Then the
front tooth felt something shifting down its waist. The gum was
loose. Like a carrot ill-planted, the tooth was swinging.
    “Apparently, the big teeth are coming soon,” it
heard a baby upper molar state. “How do you know that?” asked a
baby lower molar.
    “I can feel you crushing and pushing me,” said the
upper molar.
    Terrified, the baby front tooth pretended to be
tired. It yawned and mumbled something at the remark.
    By dinner the wiggling could no longer be ignored.
The baby front tooth was losing its tether. A neighbor, known for
its pranks, noticed the front tooth swaying. The baby front tooth
shrunk back in fear.
    “Ah, say you what to this joggle? Lucky you to have
such a wobble.”
    “Is it true I’m heading for a long journey?”
whispered the baby front tooth.
    “You can’t jiggle without wriggling even less
wriggle without jiggling. Off you go to the land of fairies.”
    “Of fairies?” repeated the front tooth, eyes wide
open. “But I’m a baby front tooth. What would I do there?”
    “You’ll spend the night in a bed. Alone. Most likely
inside a box. Under a pillow. And then a fairy will come and scoop
you out.”
    “But I’m not an ice-cream!” said the baby front
tooth feeling the scraping and digging pain. “I want to stay here,
drink my milk and munch my candies.”
    “Then run before it’s too late,” suggested the
prankster.
    Without waiting another second, the baby front tooth
climbed out of its gum’s socket, saying: “I’m not afraid of
fairies, but that does not mean I want to meet them.”
    Too late, the front tooth fell into the mouth.
    All the other baby teeth burst into laughter and
clapped away. Far from being afraid, the baby front tooth giggled,
while bouncing and bobbing and rolling on the tongue. It got pushed
to the edge