One:

Ignorant of the worlds on the other side of canvas flaps — of performing dogs slipping free from circuses, themselves chasing the road end — was Brian Mudd of Crete, New Jersey.

At the finish of the penultimate week of the school year, Brian's class split into teams to capture the flag of the other. He kept watch of his castle, in which Roger schemed to steal Brian's flag.

"Brian, your jail is empty and our jail is full," said Roger. "Ooga booga booga. Think about it."

"Hush, Young Roger," said Brian. "The need to think further today is not mine. My tightly-coiled reflexes thwart your escape. I navigate the invisible forces in which you are helpless. Accept your disappointment. Surrender your infantile beliefs."

"Me infantile?" said Roger. "Me older than you. You're the youngest kid in our class."

"I speak not of calendar age, little boy," said Brian. "Consider instead authentic measures of maturity. Like... nutrition."

"...here we go," said Roger.

"Vitamins," said Brian. "Minerals. Food groups. Topics discussed among the worldly. Your capture is merely an inevitable stage in the Cycle of Life."

"I will always be astonished how quickly your mind can lose track of what you're doing," said Roger. "Do you even remember where you are? What is the sound of one hand clapping? What sound do trees make?"

"These schoolyard trifles are no substitute," said Brian. "No substitute for establishing the proper nutritional base for life's victories. Take you for example. I have seen you eat. When was the last time you had a banana? They are high in potassium. Besides, you won't run. You never run. Not unless someone else from your team has been tagged first. You hate to go to jail by yourself."

"—look," said Roger. "Check out the peg-legged guy with the weird dog."

"Do you think you can trick me?" said Brian. "I have to be careful, because, unlike lying for fun, using deception to win a game is not considered immoral. We instead call it bluffing."

"Brian, you talk like when you grow up you'll read shampoo instructions for a living," said Roger. "You'll find a job where you can talk like this: 'After you lather the shampoo in your hair, rinse it out. Then lather and rinse it from your hair again.' You'll do this in the supermarkets where they sell the shampoo. They will pay you to go away."

"Some guy with a peg leg is watching our game," said Brian.

"Yes, Brian," said Roger. "That is what I've been trying to say."

"And he has a weird dog," said Brian.

"—while he's distracted," said someone at the border.

"I hope you like a crowd," said Roger. Brian followed Roger into the swarm of invading children. Roger was within his reach. However, when Brian closed his hands, he held not his trophy, but a be-crowned little dog.