The Saucy Boy
A long time ago, there was a wise old writer who was very skilled at creating beautiful poetry. He was one of the best poets of his time.
One evening, while the old poet was sitting in his cozy corner by the fireplace, a big storm started outside. The rain was pouring heavily, but he was safe and warm inside. He even had some apples roasting by the fire.
He said, “The poor people outside in this heavy rain will get completely wet. Their clothes will be soaked through.”
A small child outside in the heavy rain was crying and knocking on the door. It begged, “Please open the door! I am freezing out of a cold and completely soaked.” The wind was so strong that it was making all the windows shake.
The poet felt bad for the little boy and stood up to open the door. The boy was standing outside without any clothes, and his long, blond hair was dripping with water. He was very cold and shaking. If the poet hadn’t let him inside, he might have died in the storm.
The poet felt sorry for the little boy and held his hand. He said, “Come closer to me, I will warm you up. I’ll give you some wine and an apple because you are such a handsome boy.”
The little boy was indeed very handsome. His eyes shone like two bright stars, and even though his blond hair was wet and dripping, it still looked very nice and curly.
The little boy looked like a tiny angel, but he was very pale from the cold, and shaking all over. He had a beautiful bow in his hand, but the rain had ruined it. The colors of the pretty arrows had mixed together because they got wet in the rain.
The old man sat back down by the fire and pulled the little boy onto his lap. He squeezed the water out of the boy’s hair and warmed his hands with his own.
After that, he made some hot and spicy wine for the little boy, which quickly made him feel better. His cheeks turned red, and he got so energetic that he started dancing around the old man.
The old man said, “You are a happy little boy! What is your name?”
The little boy replied, “My name is Cupid. Don’t you recognize me? That’s my bow over there. I use it to shoot arrows. Look, the weather is getting better now. The moon is shining brightly!”
The old poet said, “But your bow is ruined.”
The little guy said, “That would be bad,” as he picked up his bow and examined it. “Oh, it’s completely dry and undamaged. The string is tight, so I’ll try it out.” Then he pulled back the string, took an arrow, aimed, and shot the old poet right in the heart. He said, “See, my bow was not ruined!” and then ran away, laughing loudly. How mischievous of him to shoot the kind old poet who had taken him into his warm room, been so good to him, and given him delicious wine and the best apple! The kind old man fell to the ground and cried. He was really shot in the heart! He said, “Oh no! Cupid is a very naughty boy! I will tell all the good children about him so that they are careful and don't play with him, in case he hurts them too.”
The kind old man who was shot by Cupid warned all the good boys and girls about the naughty boy who played tricks on people. Even though he told them to be careful, Cupid is very clever and continues to fool people. When students finish their classes and leave the classroom, he walks next to them carrying a book and wearing a black coat, but they don’t realize it’s him. Sometimes they think he is a student and take him by the arm, but he is actually Cupid. He shoots an arrow into their chest when they least expect it. He is also there when girls go to church to receive the sacrament of confirmation. This guy is always chasing after people. He likes to hide in a big light in the theater and shine really bright like a lamp, but when people get closer, they realize it’s not a lamp at all! This person likes to walk around in the garden and on the paths near the castle. But be careful, because a long time ago, he shot and hurt your mom and dad right in their hearts. If you ask people about Cupid, they will tell you that he’s a bad boy. He likes to chase after everyone and cause trouble. So, you should never try to be friends with him or get involved with him. Can you believe it? Cupid once shot an arrow at an old grandma, but that happened a really long time ago. Her wound has already healed, but people still remember it because it was a big deal at the time.
So now you know that Cupid is a terribly bad boy.
