There Will be Sardines

Baby Pierre rolled back towards the Grosse Horloge, the closest place he had to a home. He looked for his bowl. It had gone. He rolled over the road to the gypsies, who were getting ready to leave La Rochelle.

Where's the bowl? asked the tall gypsy.

Don't know, said Baby Pierre. I left it over there. I 'm no good at begging. I needed a dog.

Haha! laughed the gypsies. He needed a dog!

You wouldn't laugh if you knew my story, said Baby Pierre.

Tell us your story, said the tall gypsy, gesturing with his claw made of horn.

The gypsies gathered round.

Another stone has taken my place in the heart of my friend, and the comfortable bag that I lived in, said Baby Pierre.

The comfortable bag that you lived in? For shame! said one of the gypsies.

What is the name of this stone? asked the tall one.

Ouvert, said Baby Pierre.

A curse on Ouvert! said the tall gypsy, with a dramatic swish of his cloak. May he fall out of favour with your friend. May he stifle himself in the bag. May he choke on a sardine! May he grow two faces!

Hee hee! said Baby Pierre. He already has two faces. Two mouths anyway.

Whoooaaaah! said the gypsies, with a communal intake of breath.

 One by one they melted away, into the dark.

They were easily scared, said Baby Pierre to himself. Now what? There's a curse on Ouvert, but that doesn't help me.

He wandered over to the sardine shop on the corner. It was closed. The window was full of beautiful tins of sardines. A colourful poster caught his eye. It was advertising the Fete du Porte de Peche, which was to take place tomorrow. There would be free buses to take you there, leaving every half hour from the Place de Verdun.

I bet they'll be going tomorrow, said Baby Pierre. With dear little 'Ooovert'. And there will be sardines....

He rolled over the road, through the stone archway under the Grosse Horloge and all the way down to the Place de Verdun.