r.Fihbothhandsonhishipspugnaciously.

    “ImeanwhatIsayandneverregretmyownwords.”DwarfMickeyrepliedresolutely.Notbeingabletogethiswaythroughthreatsandintimidation,Mr.Fingergedtactics.Hethrewhimselfonthegroundandbeganrollingaroundthumpinghishandsa,allthewhilewailingandgwithtearsandmucusalloverhisface,saying,

    “Ah,poorme!Howpitifulmylifeis!Idon’tknowwhhtmeontothisworld…Iamsosmall…IlyletmyselfbebulliedbyanyonebiggerthanIam…Ah,poorme…WhereareyouDimitri?equicklyandhelpme,Ibegyou…Ibegyou…”DwarfMickeywasafearlesssoulwhowasnotafraidofanything,buthefelthelplessagainstMr.Finger’srascallybehavior.Hispitifulwordsabouthissmallstaturesomehowgainedhissympathy,sohesaidtohim

    “Alright,alrightIsurrender.I’lltryandthinkofawaytogetyousomeliquor.Willyoustopnow?”HearingthatDwarfMickeywasbeginningtoturnaround,Mr.Fiooppedhiswailing,gotontohisfeetandopeninghiseyeswideasked,

    “That’sgreat!That’sgreat!Iwon’tcurseyouanymore.FromnowonIwon’tcallyouanoldson-of-a-bitcheither.Iwillcallyou‘white-hairedMickey’instead,how’sthat?Goquicklyamesomeliquor,otherwisethewinebugsinmystomachwillbecausingariot!”

    “Letmethink”saidDwarfMickeyrollinghiseyes.Thenhesaid,“Getmeapieceofpaper,anypaper.Iwillshowyouoneofmymagictricks.”Mr.Fingerwalkedalroundlookingforscrapsofpaperbutcouldnotfindanyinthenearbyarea.Suddenlyhiseyeslightedonadirtytissuesomeonehadusedandthendiscarded.HepickeditupgingerlyandgaveittoDwarfMickeysaying,

    “Justmyluckthatthereisn’tasingleshredofaperaroundwhenIneedohere’sonlythisdirtytissue.Willitdo?”

    “Noproblem”saidDwarfMickey.“Solongasit’spaper,itwilldo.”HegrabbeditfromMr.Fingerandclosedhisfistoverit.Thenheopenedhishand.Loandbehold!Lyingonthepalmofhishandwasacrispy,brandnewhundreddolrbill!DwarfMickeyroudofhisabilitytogedeagic.HegncedsidewaysatMr.Fingerandasked,“Didyouseethat?Nowareyouvinypowers?”Mr.Fingersnoddedhisheadrepeatedlysaying,

    “Sure.Sure.Iampletelywonoverbyyicalpowers.But…he-he…Ifyoucoulduseyictocreatealittlewomanjustmysizeforme,Iwouldbemorethhlyvinced.InfactIwouldkneeldownandkow-towyou,he-he…”DwarfMickeywastakenabackthatMr.Fingerwouldasksuchathingofhimandsaid,

    2

    “Don’tbesogreedy.Gettingsomemoobuyyouliquorisquiteenough.Idonothavetheabilitytojureupawomanforyou.Sorry.”

    Therewasaliquorstoreheentrahenarrowalley.Ayounggirlwasstandingbythetertalkingtotheowner.Sheairofold-fashionedfadedbluedenimjeanswhichshowedoffhersuaveandslenderfigure.ShehadonasleevelessT-shirtandherhairwasshortandsassy,emanatinganauraofyouthandvitality.DwarfMickeywalkedtowardstheyounggirl,butbecausehewassoshort,theywerenotawareofhisapproachatall.

    “Thiseiturnhasreallyharmedalotofpeople”shesaid.“Inthisclimateitisoimpossibletofindajob.”Flippingtheneerinherhandtotheseonjobopportunitiesshesedovertheads.

    “Yht.Mybusinessishurting,too.Whydon’tyoubuyalottoticket?There’sohahugeprizeingupinadayortwo.Ifyouarelucky,allyourproblemswillbesolved.”

    “Goodidea”saidthegirl,gettiedovertheprospect“I’llbuyone.”DwarfMickeywasgettingimpatient.Hejumpedupanddownshouti

r.Fihbothhandsonhishipspugnaciously.

    “ImeanwhatIsayandneverregretmyownwords.”DwarfMickeyrepliedresolutely.Notbeingabletogethiswaythroughthreatsandintimidation,Mr.Fingergedtactics.Hethrewhimselfonthegroundandbeganrollingaroundthumpinghishandsa,allthewhilewailingandgwithtearsandmucusalloverhisface,saying,

    “Ah,poorme!Howpitifulmylifeis!Idon’tknowwhhtmeontothisworld…Iamsosmall…IlyletmyselfbebulliedbyanyonebiggerthanIam…Ah,poorme…WhereareyouDimitri?equicklyandhelpme,Ibegyou…Ibegyou…”DwarfMickeywasafearlesssoulwhowasnotafraidofanything,buthefelthelplessagainstMr.Finger’srascallybehavior.Hispitifulwordsabouthissmallstaturesomehowgainedhissympathy,sohesaidtohim

    “Alright,alrightIsurrender.I’lltryandthinkofawaytogetyousomeliquor.Willyoustopnow?”HearingthatDwarfMickeywasbeginningtoturnaround,Mr.Fiooppedhiswailing,gotontohisfeetandopeninghiseyeswideasked,

    “That’sgreat!That’sgreat!Iwon’tcurseyouanymore.FromnowonIwon’tcallyouanoldson-of-a-bitcheither.Iwillcallyou‘white-hairedMickey’instead,how’sthat?Goquicklyamesomeliquor,otherwisethewinebugsinmystomachwillbecausingariot!”

    “Letmethink”saidDwarfMickeyrollinghiseyes.Thenhesaid,“Getmeapieceofpaper,anypaper.Iwillshowyouoneofmymagictricks.”Mr.Fingerwalkedalroundlookingforscrapsofpaperbutcouldnotfindanyinthenearbyarea.Suddenlyhiseyeslightedonadirtytissuesomeonehadusedandthendiscarded.HepickeditupgingerlyandgaveittoDwarfMickeysaying,

    “Justmyluckthatthereisn’tasingleshredofaperaroundwhenIneedohere’sonlythisdirtytissue.Willitdo?”

    “Noproblem”saidDwarfMickey.“Solongasit’spaper,itwilldo.”HegrabbeditfromMr.Fingerandclosedhisfistoverit.Thenheopenedhishand.Loandbehold!Lyingonthepalmofhishandwasacrispy,brandnewhundreddolrbill!DwarfMickeyroudofhisabilitytogedeagic.HegncedsidewaysatMr.Fingerandasked,“Didyouseethat?Nowareyouvinypowers?”Mr.Fingersnoddedhisheadrepeatedlysaying,

    “Sure.Sure.Iampletelywonoverbyyicalpowers.But…he-he…Ifyoucoulduseyictocreatealittlewomanjustmysizeforme,Iwouldbemorethhlyvinced.InfactIwouldkneeldownandkow-towyou,he-he…”DwarfMickeywastakenabackthatMr.Fingerwouldasksuchathingofhimandsaid,

    2

    “Don’tbesogreedy.Gettingsomemoobuyyouliquorisquiteenough.Idonothavetheabilitytojureupawomanforyou.Sorry.”

    Therewasaliquorstoreheentrahenarrowalley.Ayounggirlwasstandingbythetertalkingtotheowner.Sheairofold-fashionedfadedbluedenimjeanswhichshowedoffhersuaveandslenderfigure.ShehadonasleevelessT-shirtandherhairwasshortandsassy,emanatinganauraofyouthandvitality.DwarfMickeywalkedtowardstheyounggirl,butbecausehewassoshort,theywerenotawareofhisapproachatall.

    “Thiseiturnhasreallyharmedalotofpeople”shesaid.“Inthisclimateitisoimpossibletofindajob.”Flippingtheneerinherhandtotheseonjobopportunitiesshesedovertheads.

    “Yht.Mybusinessishurting,too.Whydon’tyoubuyalottoticket?There’sohahugeprizeingupinadayortwo.Ifyouarelucky,allyourproblemswillbesolved.”

    “Goodidea”saidthegirl,gettiedovertheprospect“I’llbuyone.”DwarfMickeywasgettingimpatient.Hejumpedupanddownshouti