Mr Thirty Knock-Outs
Mr Thirty Knock-Outs :
Badger was a naughty boy. Studying was not his cup of tea. Reading and writing bored him. His parents always asked him to read books and gain knowledge. But Badger paid no heed to them.
Sometimes he did realise that his parents were right. So, he would make up his mind to study. But before he could pick up a book to study some naughty idea would come to his mind and take him away to play some mischief.
He was dull at studies but his brain was sharp. His mind picked up things easily.
Badger often went to the shop of his father in the evenings to help. It satisfied the father that at least his son would run his business well even if he remained ill educated.
Badger had entered into 15th year but he was lean like a beanpole and looked a kid. He wished others to treat him as an adult and pay respect.
Once, a boxing bout was organised in that town. Badger wished to enter the ring and knock out some boxer. Then people would get scared of him, he imagined. He fancied his father becoming famous as great boxer Badger’s dad.
Badger started doing exercises regularly. He ate eggs and drank a lot of milk to fill out his boy. He didn't tell his parents about his preparations for a boxing bout. He entered his name for a bout. On the appointed day he entered the ring. He had got no proper training of boxing. One punch sent Badger down on the floor of the ring.
Badger had dislocated his ankle. The organisers carried him to his home on a stretcher. His condition pained his parents. The parents thoroughly reprimanded him.
Badger recovered in a month's time and he began going to his father’s shop regularly to work as an assistant.
One day, his maternal uncle came to visit them from another town. He took Badger with him to his town for a few days. He liked the town and was enjoying his stay. One day, he went to market and saw a gym. Inside the gym, he saw a muscular person hitting the punch bag. His uncle informed, ‘That guy is known as Mad Bomber, the most famed boxer of our town. He has knocked out dozens of his opponents.”
That revived Badger's old desire to become a boxer. He again started dreaming about it.
One day, he was waiting for his lunch at dinner table. A few flies were hovering over the table. Badger swung his hand and is one swipe knocked down a couple of flies. His aunt peeped into the room and asked. ‘What was that"?"
She had heard a swishing sound and a grunt.
Badger announced, “I have knocked out two"
The aunt saw it and giggled, ‘Already”? And what else are you upto?'
“I will go on knocking them out till I don't get my lunch. There is nothing else to do."
The aunt served lunch as soon as she could. In the evening, she joked about it and told her husband that Badger had knocked out seven enemies.
The next day, Badger bullied a boy. "Do you know I have knocked out seven? Want to become 8th?'
The boy was impressed. He stammered, 'really’? Make your 8th in someone else ’
That pleased Badger mightily.
Now it becomes his pass time to knock out flies of his uncle's house. One day, the uncle announced that they were going back to his parents. Badger quickly got ready. He now looked a robust young man. The new town had proved healthy for him
On the way, the uncle joked, ‘How many did you knock out in all?"
Badger laughed, 'Thirty… You can call me Mister Thirty Knock-outs.”
Back home, at the dinner table, the uncle joked to his sister and her husband, 'Do you know there Badger knocked out thirty?'
The parents of Badger looked at him in great surprise. The uncle said with a smile, ’Ask Badger if you don't believe me.'
The father looked at his son with concern, “What's he saying, son?"
Badger kept up his brave face and informed, 'That's true. I have knocked out thirty. Now I am Mister Thirty Knockouts.’
The parents looked really worried. So, the uncle told them the real story. They were very relieved. Somehow rumour spread that Badger had become Mister Thirty Knock-outs. Badger himself made no effort to scotch the rumour. He was enjoying himself going around as Thirty knock-outs. The people showed respect to him. Other young men were scared of him. Badger had now a muscular body. So, no one suspected it. Badger got so carried away that he hung a big board outside his father's shop “Mr. Thirty Knock-outs' to announce his presence. The father didn't object to it because it was proving good for his business.
The people who owed him money promptly paid back. Thus, Badger had become a great fighter without landing a punch.
The people of the town also helped in giving air to the Badger’s greatness. They felt pride in telling others that they belonged to the town where great Thirty Knock-outs lived. The visitor to the town often went to the shop to shake hands with Badger.
Badger was having a great time. Wherever he went the people respectfully saluted him.
Once robbers struck at a jewellery shop in the neighborhood of Badger’s shop. The robbers had stormed in and they were filling their bags with all the jewellery items the shop had. Someone ran to Badger and informed, 'Mister Thirty Knock-outs' The jeweler Mr. Gotdy's shop is being looted. He sent me to you asking for help, sir. Five robbers they are.”
Badger felt a chill. It put him in a fix. He didn't even know how to hold a gun and he never had punched even a bag. If he did nothing he would die of shame. He wore his boxing gloves and went as there was no other way. He had to try to bluff to protect his name.
Outside the jeweler’s shop, he gathered courage and shouted, ‘Thirty Knock-outs has arrived. Who is in there? Come out and let me see.’
The robbers had heard of the deadly Thirty Knock-outs. They got frightened and ran off through the back door leaving behind the bundled up loot.
They were happy to skip away alive from Thirty Knock-outs. The jeweler Goldy came out and fell at the feet of Badger. He gave a box of jewellery to Badger and said, 'Mister Thirty Knock-outs sir' Accept this small gift for saving me from ruin.'
He accepted the box and departed happily.
That is how Americans found out the power of advertisement.
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