Monday, September 26, 2011

The Porcelain Doll

In an old, run down shop sits an old man. This very old man owns this shop and in his shop are rows upon rows of porcelain dolls. Some of the most beautiful dolls anyone has ever seen, all made by the old man for little girls to come in and buy. The best in the country and as many say, the best in the world. But sitting in the very back of the shop is a doll that has been passed up by everyone who comes. It is similar in appearance to the others, but this doll is much heavier than the rest, and no little girl wants to carry around a heavy doll. That is until a young boy ventures into the shop.

Ding. Ding.
A small little bell chimes as a lost little boy walks into a mysterious shop lined with many gorgeous porcelain dolls.
"Hello, is anyone in here?" says the little boy.
There is no reply. He decides to venture in deeper hoping to find some to help him find his way home, but as he's walking through the isles he spots something. Up ahead he see's a doll. Not just any ordinary doll. It's as if the doll is calling his name. He slowly approches it and just as he's about to pick it up, a voice comes from behind him.
"I've never had a young chap in here before. Can I help you, young sir?"
The boy is frozen in fear. He slowly turns his head around much like how an owl turns its own. He see's a scrawny old man hunched over staring at him with sagging brown eyes.
"I...I was trying to find my way home is all."
"Ah, I see, and that doll. You were about to pick it up, were you not?"
"Oh yes, it is a most beautiful one."
"I was told that all my dolls are beautiful, but why do you choose this one out of all of them?"
"Well, I don't exactly know, sir. It just seemed as if it was calling me."
There was a small pause, and then the old man goes on to say, "Mm, that was the very first doll I made, and I designed it after my first love. She had a heart of gold, and the amount of love in her was infinite."
"Then why are you selling it instead of keeping it?"
"We all have to move on, my boy."
"Oh. Well, if it's all right with you, I would like to buy it," says the boy pulling his change out of his pocket. He counts out his change and doesn't even have a tenth what the man is asking for. The boy returns his money to his pocket with a frown on his face. The old man smirks and says, "It's all right, chap. I wasn't going to except your money even if you had enough to pay for her. There is no price tag on love and I can see you love this doll very much, so go ahead and take her."
The boy flares up and with a huge smile on his face he thanks the old man. He turns around and attempts to pick up the doll, but in the process he knocks her off the shelf and she falls to the ground. Leaving a small crack on the top left side of the dolls back. As the boy's picking up the doll he first notices that the doll is a lot heavier than he expected and then he notices for a split second a yellow shine peek through the crack.
"You may find beauty on the outside, but on the inside it is usually hollow...today was not the case," says the old man to himself with a tear running down his cheek as he watches the boy carry his doll out the glass door of his shop.

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