by Wayne Leon Learmond

Created on: September 18, 2011   Last Updated: October 04, 2011

The Toymaker

{Somewhere to Stay}

{Year 1897}

And they all came, in time. The rich and the poor - those who were heavy-laden with possessions they already had, and again, those who were not. All desiring their beloved dolls or 'other' items repaired - or desiring much, to purchase the dolls - and other toys that were within his Antiques and Collectibles shop. Indeed the Toymaker would watch those who came into his shop with great interest. All manner of humanity he would study, through his round-rimmed spectacles he wore at the end of his long nose.

Whether they be the dregs of society, or whether they be those ’dregs’ who thought that they were higher up in the evolutionary scale - it made no difference. Indeed he would watch them. and study them closely. For you see, the Toymaker showed a very keen interest in human behaviour. For, when all is said and done, then whether a fellow be rich or poor they all had one thing in common…a soul to barter.

And a soul was the one thing, indeed the only thing ladies and gentlemen, that he would accept for his precious dolls, toys and items - that were upon his top shelf, see?  Never, in the whole history of humankind, had such a premise been seen before. No, for I tell you truly, that this shop was special. Special in a way that the things purchased from it - from the top shelf  - always found their way back, one way or another to the Toymaker.

You see, although the Toymaker would accept money for his ‘normal ‘ toys and items’ - toys that you could find within any other shop - it was his ‘special’ toys, see?  These were the ones that he paid close attention too. These were the ones that he’d work on, see?During the hours of darkness, and by candlelight, he'd be found within his workshop, sitting at his table, carving an arm or a leg -creating hair and repairing skin.

Replacing an eye that had been lost, or fixing a whole body, see?  ‘Cause, although the Toymaker, worked on other things, like dolls houses, rocking chairs, fine timepieces, like clocks, watches and such like, his specialty, was in dolls, mannequins and so on and so forth -they'd always be his specialty.

And so as he’d work at his table, or his spinning wheel by candlelight, creating the garments that he’d put upon his precious dolls, he’d talk to them. Oh yes, he’d talk to them as if they were alive

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