Little Boy Of The Mountain J
--J--
The little rider travelled on further downhill, the trees opening out a bit again. The wide slope was even steeper here, and the track made gentle windings to alleviate the burden of climbing and descending it. On each side of the path were planted rows of little bushes with golden-tinged flowers. Fluffy blue birds with white bellies were playing upon them, chirping loudly, but as the boy and his donkey approached, sling in hand, they flew off to the trees. He would not have shot at them, but he had to acknowledge their caution; he waved and nodded at them when they landed and looked back at him. The path cleared of bystanders, he practiced the slingshot with his left and right hands now, still using the pebbles he had collected that day up in the fields. It was his ambition to be ambidextrous like the famous legendary hero Danth Hobs who was revered for wielding two axes in battle, and was said to be able to throw them six hundred feet and accurately hit two different foes at the same time. The boy did not quite believe that - it must have been an exaggeration. Still, it was an exciting legend amongst many such like: of those great Masters of the Olden Days that no man living in the boy's own time could match.