The boys wait. Bella waits. Anansi waits. They all want more story. Uncle Junior continues his story.
“The box sat in front of the unpainted house, the home of those dogs Rolly and Pully who resemble two mops.”
“Scout, the dog with the big head who keeps neighbors awake at night, slowly crept to Hudson’s house. Hudson, with hairs that stand straight up like a lion, did not come running as if to attack. Hudson did not make ferocious noise. Hudson was afraid.”
“Hudson and Scout made their way carefully to little Sasha’s house. Hudson and Scout and Sasha huddled together. They did not head to Rolly and Pully’s unpainted house, where the box lay.”
“They did not look at Rolly and Pully. Instead, they walked a circle around Rolly and Pully and the box, and stepped over to the blue verandah of Old Raffy, who has lived many years and gained much wisdom. Raffy had no wisdom to share today. Old Raffy had never before seen dogs in such fear. This box had brought such fear.”
“Anansi crept into the road. Anansi edged toward the box, nose sniffing and ears pointing. Anansi watched for any movement and listened for any sound. There was none.
Anansi’s nose pushed the box. It had no weight. Anansi stood back to consider this. No sound, no movement, no weight?
What was in this box? Anansi’s nose pushed it again. It moved very easily, as if empty. Anansi pushed again with more force. The box tumbled over, easily. It was indeed empty!”
“Anansi looked at Rolly and Pully. They still did not move. Anansi looked at Scout and the others on Old Raffy’s verandah. They too were frozen in fear, still refusing to look at Rolly and Pully.”
Uncle Junior pauses at the end of this story. There is quiet.
“Why did they fear an empty box?” asks Justinian. “It was nothing!”
The boys ponder.
“Did they fear it because it was new to them?”
Uncle Junior adds a question, “Why do we fear what we do not know?”
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