Chatterbox: Inkwell

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Here is a story I am working on, tell me what you think please!

The old sage made
his way through the crowded fair. Tents of all colors and shapes lined the dirt
passageway through all the peddlers' stands. The sage pulled his hood farther
over his face so that the only thing that showed was his long crooked nose. He
at last reached the tent he sought. It was a small brown tent where a rough
looking man sat calling out to the people who passed by his tent. He waved
tickets in the air and ran his hands through the pile of money on his desk.

            "Bet
your money on it! That goat can outrun any of you folks!"

As the sage watched a man walked past
and glared at him. The ticket seller taunted him some more.

            "And
you sir, I bet you couldn't even outrun a turtle!"

That did it for the man; he slammed
down the money and stalked away taking his ticket for the race later that day.

 The ticket seller chuckled and shook his head,
looking up as the sage approached him. "And you want something
sir?"   He said, still laughing. The sage nodded
slowly.

'I'm going to enter that race, the
one against the goat." he said calmly. The ticket seller burst out
laughing again. Seeing that the sage was serious he said,

"I'll tell you what, if you
beat that goat, you can have all this money, every last penny." The sage
nodded and walked away to get ready.

-----------------------------------------------------

            "Ready!
Set!" the ticket seller yelled over the crowd.

"GO!"

 The young men sprinted across the fair grounds
that had been cleared for the race. The goat took off as well and the sage
lagged behind.  Reaching into his pocket
the sage took out a clicker. Clicking it and running at the goat he distracted
the goat and the goat stopped running. The sage caught up to him an out ran him
before the goat picked up his pace again. Just as the goat was gaining on the
sage, the sage reached into his pocket once more and took out a handful of
grain. He threw it behind him and the goat stopped to munch it. The race was
almost over and the sage had only one more trick left. The goat finished the
grain and started to run again. This time as they all reached the finishing
line the sage reached into his pocket and took a handful of butter. Spreading
it on the back of his cloak he neared the goat and showed him the buttered
cloth. The goat set his teeth right into the sage's cloak and they crossed the
finish line, the sage in front with the goat clamped onto his coat. The crowd
exploded in cheers and applause as the ticket seller handed the sage a bag full
of money.

"That there is something you
don't see everyday." he said with a smile. But his smile faded quickly as
the other racers came to him.

Shouting insults they called him
names.

"Liar!"

"You cheated me out of all my
coins and then I win and now what?"

 They continued to kick him and hit him until
the sage held up his hands.

Silence!" he yelled and
everyone stopped.

"This man has not told you of
the promise he made me. Back away and let him talk!"

They did as the sage commanded yet
stared down the ashamed ticket seller.

"I forgot to tell you that if
that man over there," he paused and pointed to the sage, "If he beat
the goat I told him I'd give him all the money."

"To the gallows with
him!" Shouted the crowd and once more the sage held up his hands for
quiet.

"Hanging is a much too harsh
penalty for this mild crime. Leave him be. Hate him, but leave him be. "As
if a spell had been put on them the villagers turned and walked away leaving
the man to feel ashamed of himself and his cleverness. As for the sage, he
slipped out of town, unnoticed.