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"she's called a whispering well," said sally. the boy signed back to her, "what is a whispering well?" "every day, of every hour, i see people come to her and bend very low, as if they wanted to drown in her, and then i would see them talk to her in whispers." "what do they whisper about?" "well, they whisper to her their secrets! sometimes, i even see them giving her money too! small button coins, oh, about this big ..." she made a tiny 'o' with her hands. "why do they give her money?" he asked. sally gazed down at the dark depths of the well. "she must be very poor," sally concluded. the boy asked with his hands, "why?" this question baffled sally. she folded her forehead like paper origami, sending her thoughts into the air. "i suppose ... she doesn't have time for work. she spends all her time listening to people's secrets." the boy stared at sally and then back at the bottom of the well where he believed he caughgt a silvery glimpse of the old lady's hair. "why does she choose to listen to people's secrets?" sally was very proud of her answer, "because, she loves everyone and hates to let them down!" both sally and the boy stared for a very long time into the well's darkness. they both imagined the little old lady sitting there contently, smiling back up at them.

one day, the boy returned to the well. but he was not a boy anymore. time had aged him. time had filled the bottom of his eyes with sand. death had greedily eaten up the soft round peaches that were his cheeks. his heart had rusted over with bitterness and hatred of his own kind. but still, he stood there, remembering. slowly, hesitant at first, but then deliberately, he bent down low and spoke, as only he knew how, to the woman who lived at the bottom of the well. in his whispers he told the woman, "dearest whispering well. when i was seven, i came to you with a girl. i was just a boy then. but now, i am a boy no more. the years have taught me not to hold my faith on frivolous things. so here i am, counting my blessings on you. and here is my secret ..." and there, he dropped a dozen coins down the well. and there, he heard the woman's tinkling laugh. and there, he believed again.