POINT OF VIEW:

I

He perched upon the surprisingly narrow wall. Looking down made him dizzy, but he had to look down if he were ever to return to his friends below. Friends, indeed! They were the cause of his being here now in this dangerous position -- mocking, jeering, daring him. "Climb the wall," they said. "Climb the wall, chicken!" So he climbed, his feet feeling leaden, his hands slippery with sweat, his heart thunderously pounding in his ears. But he reached the top. The view! He hadn't realized! In the distance he could see trees, like those in the park where mother used to take him. Trees and a far, blue horizon. But below, the distant earth and the white, upturned faces of his now silent friends. He slid both feet into the void and rested one on a slight protrusion in the sheer plunge of the wall. He suddenly felt the ancient mortar crumble, felt no weight in his body, saw the top racing away from him. A smashing, numbing blow. "But the blue trees," he thought. Then blackness.

II

We interrupt this program to bring you a special news bulletin. An unidentified person has just fallen from the top of a high wall at the corner of Vermont and Mediterranean Avenues. The walls in that vicinity are over fifty feet high. No report of the accident victim's condition has been received. A large crowd has now gathered, and Police Chief Little urges all citizens to stay away from the scene of the accident, so as not to create a traffic problem. It has just been reported that the Royal Emergency Squad is on its way to the scene. Stay tuned to this station for further details. We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

III

"We got there as quickly as possible, but it was too late. The crazy crowds held us up. They swarmed all over the place, vicious thrill seekers. They probably yelled at him to jump. We finally had to go round by way of Boardwalk to get there. Had to really push our way through. He lay there all crumpled up. Real bad case. We did all we could, especially Sergeant Blue. Good man. Tried everything we could, there on the spot. Plasma, morphine, respirator. Nothing helped. Just a young kid, really. Even had to fight the blasted crowd to take it away!"

IV

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the King's horses and all the King's men
Couldn't put Humpty Dumpty together again.

 Select another nursery rhyme and re-tell it from differing points of view.

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