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Dr Seuss Does "Offers"
or, "The Fay With the Cane"
by Merlin Missy
Copyright 1998
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The sun did not shine.
We were too sad to play.
So we walked through that park
All that cold, cold, dark day.
I walked there with Owen.
We walked there, we two.
And he said, "How I wish
I'd powers to use!"
Renard was all gone,
And Fox was real sad,
Missing all the
Lost times with her dad.
So we went to the Park to
Sit !
...Sit !
.....Sit !
.......Sit !
And we did not like it.
Not one little bit.
And then
Someone said "Puck!"
And what luck was that "Puck!"
Then we saw him standing there plain.
We looked!
And we saw him!
The Fay with the Cane!
And he said to us,
"Why do you run far away?
I know you are banished,
And that you fear me,
But we can be very good
Friends if you'll hear me.
I know some good times we could have,"
Said the fay.
"I can give you back powers,"
Said the Fay with the Cane.
"Such wonderful powers.
I will show them to you.
And David
Will not mind at all if I do."
Then Owen and I
Did not know what to say.
David and Fox were disposed
For the day.
But the Puck, "No! No!
Make that Fay go away!
Tell that Fay with the Cane
You WILL not be swayed!
You're paying the price.
You've made your own mess.
You're paying the price
Until Oberon says."
"Now! Now! Have no fear.
Have no fear!" said the Fay.
"Not one single Unseelie
Harms you this day.
Why, I've brought
A gift for you and you're in luck,
With a game that I call
'Back-to-grace with a Puck!'"
And ZAP! went the Fay!
And to our surprise,
Owen's hand turned to flesh
Before our very eyes!
"Put it back!" said the Puck.
"This is not true to form!
"Put it back!" said the Puck.
"It would mean MUCH more harm!"
"Have no fear!" said the Fay.
"I will bring you no harm!
I will put you up high
Set by my right arm.
With this isle at your feet!
And your friends nearly safe!
If you give me your oath,"
Said the Fay ...
And meanwhile in Erin,
Inside of a tree,
Her hair emerald green,
Lurked Maeve Would-Be Queen.
She waited in oak,
All that long long dark day,
For one that she knew
Would soon pass this way.
And there he was! Walking!
Step !
...Step !
.....Step !
.......Step !
He walked to the crypt
And knelt beside it.
Lugh!  Or Prometheus!
He'd come there to seek
The spirit of one
Who went knighting last week.
(And we saw Lugh last week,
Safe on Avalon,
Which is odder by far
Than I'll remark on.)
"Your boy isn't there,"
Said the Queen in the Tree,
Her long emerald hair
Pulling out free.
"He's back in the World
And causing me grief,"
And she paused in her cackle
To pull out a leaf.
"I'll allow him to live
If you join mine and me,"
And she showed him an image,
Did the Queen in the Tree,
And she laughed, and he scowled,
And he said, "Silly girl!
"Have you learned not a thing
From your years in the World?
Have you learned how to love?
Not counted cost?
Have you learned how to love
And grieved the loss?
I'll not join you!"
Said Lugh, the father,
And off Maeve stalked,
In quite a lather ...
And still in the park,
In the cold, almost dark,
Stood the Fay with the Cane,
With a smile and a Puck.
"Come join me, young Puck,
Come join me, you'll see.
I'll have all the World,
And the throne and the Queen!
And you at my side!
We are sure to win!"
"I can't," said the Puck.
With a sad little grin.
"Now please make me right!
Oh please, make me right!
For I have reports to be done
By tonight."
And so, with a huff,
The Fay in the Cane
Went ZAP!
And the hand was back to the same.
"My thanks," said the Puck,
And "Thanks" Owen said,
(Which is good as the two
Are both in one head!)
"If you change your mind,
I'll be back quite soon."
"I won't," said the Puck.
"You will change your tune.
When your friends are enslaved
And under my heel,
You'll wish, yes you'll wish
You'd accepted my deal."
"Good day," said the Puck.
"I'll give you one try."
"GOOD DAY!" said the Puck.
"Very well, then.  Good-bye."
And we stood and we watched him,
Owen and me,
Until he was far across
Central Park East.
Then we picked up the briefcase
To head to the Eyrie;
Owen quite silent
And Puck very weary.
We walked through the park,
Walk !
...Walk !
.....Walk !
.......Walk !
Past sunset we walked.
Not daring to talk.
Right into the castle,
The very top floor,
We went to the office
And closed up the door
And we sat in the office
And thought of the Fay.
The Fay with the Cane,
The things he did say!
Out in the hallway,
A noise like a mouse,
(Not Garlon -- we made sure
He was out of OUR house!)
Crept up to the door, and tapped
Tap tap tap tapping.
"Come in!" said the Puck,
While Owen was napping.
And David came in,
All a huff, all a fluster,
His feet cold and bare
And his robe maladjusted.
"Got a question for you,
Said the Dave in the Robe.
"If someone gave you
Just one chance, don't you know,
To seize on the ring,
On your heart's one delight,
Would you fake it?
Would you take it?
Would you make things all right?"
And we sat there in darkness,
Owen and me,
And Puck inside, wondering,
Which was it to be?
Take the gift and the powers,
To Oberon stay true?
What would you do,
If David asked you?

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