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| REVIEW STORE: Did you enjoy Captain Apple Jack's short story? Please tell him so. We know he will appreciate your feedback. CLICK HERE to write a review of "The Imaginary Bank". NEW REVIEWS: If nothing else, this short story was a pleasure to read because it was short. Obviously a striking departure from the Captain's "Tomato Garden" it was still fun to read, and I really enjoyed the punch line: "Start Spending!" I like all of your work, Captain Apple Jack. ****__Su Chang. A quick and pleasant read. Demonstrating a broad and versatile range in writing and character development. Somehow I found myself captivated by the very simplicity of it all. Nice surprise, Captain. The advice of a true sage.****__Barbara A. Sabo. Well, look who is up there in his mighty airplanes providing "thoughts for the day" over a clear, blue horizon. A pure message from the most pure man I know. Thanks for this piece, Captain. Always fly safe! And give Emma a big hug for me.*****__Cash. This is a lovely and rewarding piece of writing. With a message we should all embrace . . . every day. The simplicity of the presentation matches the simplicity of the message. I remembered my grandfather in almost every line. Well done, and thank you, Captain*****__Sonya Cast-Sun. I know how short life can be. I have seen my fellow warriors fall with the smiling caprice of the "Grim Reaper" who favors none. I have learned to treasure my 86,400 seconds of every day the hard way. Thanks for the reminder, Captain.*****__David M. Ackerman. |
| An Old Man sat under the sugar maple whose leaves had painted the ground a golden green with their death throws. He was tired, so he and his granddaughter had stopped for a rest. It was the most favorite part of his day for he had his granddaughter to himself whom he cherished above all others. And to whom he told many stories of her ancestors and her homeland. The best part was that his granddaughter was loving and always most attentive to his fables. Today, however, the old man decided to tell a riddle for her to unravel. He knew she loved riddles in as much as she was part "Hobbit" herself. And so he began: "Here, Princess, is a riddle about a magical bank. You have to answer me what kind of bank it is. Imagine that you had won the following prize in a contest: Each morning your bank would deposit $86,400.00 in your private account for your use." "WOW! Is that a lot of money today, Poppy?" the granddaughter asked. "Mom and dad keep talking about trillions or something like that all the time now. And how we are wasting all-l-l-l those trillions. Is $86,400 like a trillion?" "Well if it were deposited to your bank account every morning, it soon would be; wouldn't it?" Her grandfather reasoned. "However, this prize has rules, just as any game has certain rules. The first rule is: Everything that you didn't spend each day would be taken away from you." "Why can't I just save it, Poppy?" she asked. "I don't want to just waste it." "These are the rules of the game," he smiled. "You may not simply transfer money into some other account. You may only spend it. For, each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account with another $86,400.00 for that day. "WOW! But if I always spend it, it will never be a trillion," she reasoned disappointedly. "That's right, " her grandfather said, hugging her close. "But here is the second rule: "The bank can end the game without warning; at any time it can say: Its over, the game is over! It can close the account and you will not receive a new one." "Why? Just because I tried to save some of it so I could have a trillion?" she complained. "Remember; it is a riddle. So, now, what would you do?" His granddaughter thought for a long time before she answered. "Well, I guess I would just have to spend it, wouldn't I?" she answered correctly. "Yes," Her grandfather smiled. "You would buy anything and everything you ever wanted, right? Not only for yourself, but for all the people you love, right? Even for people you don't know, because you couldn't possibly spend it all on yourself, right? You would try to spend every cent, and use it all, everyday, right?" "Yes! That's a good answer, Poppy," his granddaughter said, quite happy at the thought of such great largess. "And so, can you answer me what kind of bank it is?" her grandfather asked. "It's the trillionaire's bank," she replied, quickly pulling away and looking him in his eyes. Most certain of her answer. "Right?" "Each of us is in possession of such a magical bank. We just can't seem to see it," her grandfather answered softly, holding her close again. The MAGICAL BANK is TIME! "Each morning we awaken to receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life, and when we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is NOT credited to us. What we haven't lived up that day is forever lost. Yesterday is forever gone. Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve the account at any time . . . WITHOUT WARNING . . . " "What will you do with your 86,400 seconds, Princess? Those seconds are worth so much more than the same amount in dollars. Think about that, and always think of this: Enjoy every second of your life, because time races by much quicker than you think. So take care of your sweet self, be happy, love deeply, enjoy life . . . And start spending!" He finished on a high note. When he looked down to see if she had understood the riddle of "The Imaginary Bank," she had fallen asleep against his chest. ©2011 John Apple Bowman III [All Rights Reserved] |
| “The Imaginary Bank” By John Apple Bowman, III Monday, September 12, 2011 Rated "G" by the Author. Making the best of your assets each day. |
