A Crime Fable

[Pendragon]

A Crime Fable

The villain was a crafty mysterious one, who stole silently through the house as the little boy lay down on the couch. The sly one watched as the young one yawned and stretched out, propping his head on the sofa cushions. The boy closed his eyes.

Swiftly but silently, the dark shape moved into the room, sliding behind the couch. The boy stirred a bit and fluffed his pillow. There came a small noise, which made the slinking shadow jump. It was a small rumbling sound as if the intruder had perhaps disturbed a cat. He made sure the child did not stir.

Carefully, the shadowy figure seemed to examine every object in the room. A complete and thorough sweep of the premises was accomplished as the child rested upon the couch, oblivious to the dark doing about him. Finally the shadow swept from the room and was gone. The boy awoke, none the wiser that any intruder was in his home.

Now, tell me, oh, Wise One, if you are able, what is the crime that is hidden in this small fable? :nod:

[APEist]

There came a small noise, which made the slinking shadow jump. It was a small rumbling sound as if the intruder had perhaps disturbed a cat. :

What? Uhhhhhh... small rumbling sound... cat...?

Anyways, as to the question: hell if I know.

[Pendragon]

Do you mean to say that 42 people have read this, and not one has seen the crime inside of the fable? Have I hidden it that well? :lol:

[APEist]

Theft, wait, make that Identity theft!

No?

Not taking shoes off at the front door!

No?

Disturbing an animal's nap!

No?

Murder!!!!

No?

Santa Clause impersonation!!!

(read [again]: hell if I know)

[Pendragon]

If we take all the hoopla-wahohoo away, you guys might be able to see the


KIDNAPPING

or at least that's what I got when I checked over the scene plain as day, front and center on the couch... :rolleyes:

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[APEist]

Kidnapping? Uh, fail?

I ruled kidnapping out when I read these two sentences:

"Finally the shadow swept from the room and was gone. The boy awoke, none the wiser that any intruder was in his home."

If he was kidnapped, I'm pretty sure he'd be 'wise' to the situation once he awoke.

[APEist]

By the way, I like my 'santa clause impersonation' assertion, now that I think about it. Makes all sorts of logical sense.

[Pendragon]

Kidnapping? Uh, fail?

I ruled kidnapping out when I read these two sentences:

"Finally the shadow swept from the room and was gone. The boy awoke, none the wiser that any intruder was in his home."

If he was kidnapped, I'm pretty sure he'd be 'wise' to the situation once he awoke. Um, the kid was napping wasn't he? So what you have, Joe Friday, just the facts now, is a kid, napping, right? A kidnapping is a crime, last time I checked the law books...http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l108/AbsalomKane/Red.gifhttp://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l108/AbsalomKane/Smilies/Cop-1.gif http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l108/AbsalomKane/Gangster.gif

[APEist]

Ughh, are you serious?


So what you have, Joe Friday, just the facts now, is a kid, napping, right?

Yes, you're right, you have a kid that is napping. A kid napping, not a kidnapping. In my mind, the two expressions are completely different.

I guess this is a lesson in abstract thought? Man, it seems logic has f0cked my creative thinking. Not good for someone who wishes to become successful in the creative writing forte.

[nebr]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[Captain Pike]

That was bad. I was thinking maybe the mysterious dark figure was casing the joint. Or maybe getting his jollies watching the young one sleep. Then I thought... maybe the thing ATE THE CAT. But there was no crunching, there would have had to have been crunching. Or at least popping -- skull popping, Eeeeegg!

[Pendragon]

Yeah, I agree, Captain Pike. That was bad. Yeah, it's abstract thinking also, Ape. You can get people to focus on one thing, and that is all they will see. The Shadow was sleep, which creeps up and the boy subcumbs, taking his nap-- snoring-- (the sound like a cat). Then sleep wanders around the room and out and the boy wakes up. The whole being that the boy must take his nap.

You note I was careful not to mention any thing about kids in the paragraphs-- always calling him "the boy" not "the kid".

When I feel better, I'll come up with another one...

Now, let us add this:

Given the above situation, where the young boy takes his nap, what crime is he committing if he refuses to take it? Young children don't always like naps. Suppose he decided to get off the couch, get really huffy and throw a tantrum instead of simply laying down and taking his nap. He is guilty of another crime now. What is it?