The Legend of Flying Boy

This only happened once, but once is enough-- so listen carefully. There was a boy who had nothing to do. No toys, no nothing. Plus, it was hot in the empty room. Well, the room was full of sleeping parents and an empty cot. The boy was bored. He needed something to do. A hairpin on the floor needed picking up. It too, needed something to do-- like the wire, the socket over there on the wall. You know the rest of the story-- but not the best of the story: the feel of power, the empowering act of being the air! You had to be there. Including the activity that followed. Flying Boy-- where are you? Flying Boy-- you flew!

From “Legends From Camp” by Lawson Fusao Inada. (Coffee House Press: $11.95) (Copyright 1993 ) Reprinted by permission.