THE ANGEL AND THE PAUPER

The Angel glided across the skies. O'er meadows she flew, through puffy clouds she passed. She flew with her angel friends. With grace she flew. With poise she flew. She flew without a care or worry. The pauper down below watched her sail through the clouds in awe.

The pauper...

The pauper was miserable. In shambles he was. His clothes were were torn and tattered. They had patches sewn all over. He was shabby and dirty. His hands and legs bore bruises from an incident that happened long ago. The hair on his head was sparse, his beard unkempt and untidy. He was unhappy with what others called "life". He was unhappy.

But whenever he saw the Angel, a smile shone bright on his broken face. He'd watch her for hours. Sometimes he'd watch her from the corner of his eye, lest he scare her. But he could never take his eyes off her. He admired her, nay..he adored her. He Loved her. He forgot all his worries when he saw the Angel...HIS Angel.

One day he thought of speaking to HIS Angel. He mustered enough courage and called out to her.

"Yes", she asked him curiously.

"Well", said the pauper with lips that trembled nervously, "I really adore the way you fly in the sky so high...you make the sky seem even more beautiful than it actually is. You make the whole world seem A WONDERFUL PLACE, when in reality, it isn't exactly all that great. Not for me atleast."

The Angel smiled gently.

The pauper continued, "I want something from you"

"Erm...what's that?", she asked, a little perplexed.

"You won't get angry, will you?". The pauper fumbled.

"Well...no...I won't...now tell me", she was worried now.

"That glittering gem that you've hidden under your sleeve...can you give it to me? Please?"

The Angel let out a gentle laugh. She felt a little awkward, but she gawked at the innocence of the miserable pauper. "I'm so sorry, I can't...it's...it's my heart...I need it to survive." She smiled gently again, sorry that she couldn't help.

"Ohh...is there any way I could get it? Any way at all?"

"Well, its got to be earned. Maybe if you were an Angel yourself, and if I knew you well enough and trusted you enough to spend eternity with you..."

"Aww...I am but an ordinary mortal...I'm no angel...what do I do now?"

The Angel paused to think. She'd realised by now that the pauper genuinely meant what he'd said...

"I really don't know what to say. I think I'll need some time to think about your request. Could you wait?", she asked of him sheepishly.

"Of course, of course I can wait!", he said, happy that he'd finally told her, and relieved that she wasn't upset.

"Well then, see you around", she smiled.

"Yeah, see you", he managed to murmur, all the while looking into her eyes, without batting an eyelid.

She soared back up into the skies, surprised at what had happened just moments ago. She wondered why she had even promised to think about it. Could she ever give her heart to a mere mortal...

Her heart? Could she? Wasn't it too precious to give away? Giving it away, wouldn't it mean giving your life away?

She reached below her sleeve to check on her heart.

She felt her heart beat.

But she also felt something else.

She felt around for it, and found something else pounding within her.

She pulled it out.

It was torn and tattered, and had a patch sewn over it to keep it together.

It was a heart...

She smiled. Because she now knew whom it belonged to...

Down below, the pauper waited eagerly for an Angel.

HIS Angel...