Once upon a time...(A local fable)

...there was a little girl by the name of, well, let's just call her Jane. Jane was a special kid. She was smart and more than a little precocious. But Jane was also very careful. She was aware that if she mouthed off too much, she would call attention to herself and that would mean that the neighbourhood bullies, Paddy, Adam and Paul would come round knocking. Heads that is.

Paddy, Adam and Paul were bad news. They spent the day bullying the local kids and stealing their sweets and lunch money. Kids would spend days in traction after a run in with the trio.

Time passed as Jane and the other kids in the neighbourhood had clandestine meetings, out of sight of Paddy, Adam and Paul. They avoided the trio like the plague and scattered as quickly as their little legs would carry them when the bullies were spotted. It was a good existence. Life was almost peachy.

Months went by and the bullies grew bored. Their rule of the streets was getting monotonous and there seemed to be no kids to beat up on anymore. (Except for that strange bespectacled boy who seemed to keep yelling at them whenever he saw them...Paddy, Adam and Paul had a lot of fun beating on that kid...) They decided that enough was enough and they announced a truce with the kids in the street. They declared their club open to all who wanted to join and they would let them participate in the mischief that once was their exclusive domain.

The local kids were naturally suspicious and despite the apparent sincerity of the three bullies, were hesistant about the invitation. The bullies cajoled and pleaded, promising that they had turned over a new leaf but still the kids were wary.

Finally Jane stepped up to the plate. It was high noon when she finally met with the bullies as the local kids watched in fear and trembling. The place was in the middle of the street they lived in so that all could see (so the bullies claimed) and the sun was burning down on the asphalt. The bullies welcomed her with open arms and they started chatting happily. The local kids let out their collective held breaths as they started climbing out of their hiding places. It all seemed OK.

Then, the unthinkable happened. As soon as the bullies saw the kids, they turned on poor Jane, knocking her to the ground and kicking her in the stomach. As Jane lay there gasping, the bullies beat her, all the while yelling at her and calling her names. The kids watched in horror, too scared to dash forward while at the same time too terrified to run. The beating went on for 10 minutes.

At last the bullies walked away, satisfied. They sneered at the kids, spitting on the ground as they did so. Jane lay there for the longest time, bruised and bleeding.

Jane and the kids in the neighbourhood never mentioned the incident in their lives and it faded into legend.

Moral: Never stick your neck out to play with Paddy, Adam and Paul unless you want to be beat down. Either keep your views (and your neck) to yourself or move out of the neighbourhood.