literature

Sam

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Literature Text

Sam had three legs. He had had them since he was born. It didn’t really bother him; some people didn’t have any at all. But purchasing shoes was outrageous. He always had to buy two pairs at a time. He couldn’t buy three and use the remainder for the next time because his feet were always changing shapes and by the time he wore them out the same size wouldn’t fit anymore. Pants were also a problem. So Sam decided to learn to sew. He visited the local sewing circle but they wouldn’t let him join because his three feet wouldn’t fit under their tables to work the sewing machine pedals. So Sam went to a bigger city. He figured they had bigger tables. He was right. But they had smaller sewing machines, with smaller pedals, to fit in the cramped spaces with so many people at the big tables. He tried to squeeze in but his feet barely fit on the pedals, his third leg wound up constantly hitting the woman sitting beside him. The circle kicked him out.
The trip had worn out his shoes so he went to the local shoemaker. He waited in line all day and when he finally got through the door the shoemaker refused to make three shoes for him.  There was no other shoemaker for miles so he took what he could get. Outside, the city people laughed and pointed at him. He felt ridiculous, with shoes only on two out of three feet. So he started running home. Having no shoe on his third leg, it became harder and harder to run. Blood started seeping out from the unshod foot. Then the bones began to break. But Sam wouldn’t stop running. The foot crumpled and folded, ripped and shredded. Pieces of it fell off and were spread about the 26 miles he covered. His gait became more and more awkward with his third leg getting shorter and shorter.
When he arrived at his home he couldn’t run any more. He didn’t know how to walk with only two legs. The third leg was completely gone. Sam collapsed on his front porch. He looked down at his missing leg and cried.
His mother found him rotting the next morning. She called for the doctor but there was nothing they could do. They buried him in the town cemetery and the town sewing circle made some pants for the body. The local shoemaker made a perfect pair of shoes for him. A third shoe was made and dipped in bronze. This shoe was used as a grave marker. The sad tale moved local politicians to pass legislation forcing sewing circles to accept any applicant regardless of number of feet. Soon the circles were overrun with people with no feet at all. They couldn’t work the pedals, but they were legally guaranteed time at the sewing machine. Production was clogged with useless operators. In the next winter there were not enough sweaters. Everyone died. The wooden buildings rotted over the years and all that was left was the bronze grave marker.
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Comments22
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TheRandomWitness's avatar
wow.

this story wood make an awesum graphic novel/comic.

it wood be fun to draw.

btw i saw your website, it houses by far he most striking and unique phography i have seen.

kudos!
:D