totis viribus
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Jimmy looked around at the small crowd that had gathered, and then at the long, padded mallet in his hands. It was heavier than he thought it would be, but he was strong. Even if the bigger kids said he was weak, he knew he was strong. Besides, this would not be too hard. The strength test game was only a little taller than he was.
“Let’s give him a round of applause!” The announcer called. The people clapped politely. Most of the sound came from the rest of the carnival and his parents, who stood by watching and smiling. “Remember kiddo, three tries to ring the bell and win a prize. Give it a go.”
Jimmy raised the mallet and brought it down quickly. The hopper jumped a little bit but fell quickly. The announcer told him it was a good try, and to keep going. Jimmy raised the hammer and took a deep breath. That was only his first try, and he had not put much into it. This time would be better.
He swung with everything his arms could bring to bear. The hopper rose a lot higher this time. It went almost halfway up the game but did not reach the bell. Jimmy was getting scared. What if he could not do it? What if he was as weak as the bullies said he was? No, that could not be. He knew he was strong, his dad said so. And dads were never, ever wrong.
He looked over at his dad, who smiled and nodded. Jimmy watched the man lean back a little, and then pat his stomach. Jimmy thought about that for a moment. Was his dad giving him a hint? And what did it mean? His brow furrowed as his thoughts raced. Then, as he watched his dad doing the same thing again, he understood. Or at least, he thought he did.
Jimmy turned back to the game and took a deep breath. He raised the mallet high over his head and leaned back much as he could. Then he tightened his stomach and used it to help his swing. He brought it down with every bit of strength he could muster. This time, when the mallet hit the metal pad, he felt the hit in his arms. And he heard it. A tinny little ding.
He had done it! He had hit the bell!
“And we’ve got a winner!” The announcer called. “Nice work, kiddo. Now here’s your prize.”
The small audience clapped. His parents clapped louder than anyone. Jimmy broke out in a huge smile as the announcer handed him a huge stuffed dog. The toy was almost as big as he was, and Jimmy hugged it close.
His parents led him away from the game. His dad offered to carry the stuffed dog for him, since it looked heavy. It was, but Jimmy wanted to hold it. There was no need for his dad’s help this time. After all, he was strong enough to handle it.
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It's the simple things in life, you know? The little things that just make life all the better, no matter what else happens.
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