The Giant Killer
March 25th, 2009 by gracearagonesThe thin, young man sat down at the table, dug into pocket of his baggy pants and pulled out two times and a nickel. The innkeeper watched as the young man slapped and the nickel on the table and dropped the dimes carefully back into his pocket.
“Give me a cup of coffee”, the young man said.
“Just coffee?” the innkeeper asked.
“That’s all,” the young man said.
The innkeeper shook his head slowly as he poured the coffee and brought it over to the table. He stuffed the nickel into his apron pocket and walked away. The young man stirred the coffee and took small sips from time to time. He watched hungrily as the innkeeper served platters of food to the other customers. When the young man finished his coffee, he made no move to leave. Instead, he yawned and stretched out his legs. Soon his eyelids began to droop. He blinked to keep from falling asleep.
After about an hour, the innkeeper came over to his table.
“Look, kid,” the innkeeper said, placing his hands on his hips.
“You can’t sit here all day with just a cup of coffee. If you don;t order anything else, you’ll have to get out.”
“I don’t have any money,” the young man said.
The innkeeper studied the young man’s thin face.’” Well that’s too bad,” he said. “But we are not running a home for starving kids here.”
“It’s cold out there, and i’ve been riding a train all night. Give me a chance to get thawed out,” the young man pleaded.
“Oh, all right,” the innkeeper agreed.” But don’t expect me to feed you.”
“I won’t. And thanks.”
“That’s alright,” the innkeeper said. “Just stay out of the way.” He leaned over to the young man. “This is a mining town and rough one at that. Some guys work in mines all day and make trouble in here all night. Just mind your own business and you’ll be okay. Understand?”
The young man nodded his head, walked over to an empty chair beside the fire, and sat down. He closed his eyes and, in a few minutes, he was sound asleep.
Soon the inn started to fill up with miners looking for excitement after a long day’s work. By 8 o’clock there wasn’t an empty table in the place.
The young man still asleep.
Suddenly, he felt his chair jerk out from under him and he went sprawling on the floor. He looked up and saw a huge miner standing over him.
“If you want to sleep, go somewhere else,” said the miner with the loud voice. “I need that chair.”
The innkeeper came rushing over, “What’s the matter?” he demanded.
“Nothing,” the miner said, I wanted this kid’s chair and so I took it.”
“Look I don’t want any trouble,” the innkeeper said.
“Mind you own business,” the miner ordered.
The young man sat looking up from the floor, “you don’t have very nice manners,” he said to the miner.
The miner laughed. “Maybe not.” he said.”But I don’t see anyone big enough to teach me. Do you?”
I think I’m big enough,” the young man challenged.
The miner frowned, “Why, you little pip-squeak! You’d better shut up or you’re going to be sorry kid.”
The innkeeper bent down and whispered in the young man’s ear, “Don’t getting yourself in trouble. That guy is plenty tough. Forget about it,”
The young man stood up and looked at the bigger miner.
“You think that just because you’re big you can push people around. I don’t care how big you are. You can’t treat me like that.”
Everyone in the crowded room stopped talking to listen.
“Go on home. Your mama’s calling you,” the miner scoffed. He put his hand on the young man’s chest and pushed him as hard as he could.
The young man went flying backwards until he hit on the wall and fell down
