Seven-year-old Sammy walks into his garden carrying a stick. He has been reading a book about Ancient Rome. Magically, the stick transforms into a giant sword. Enchantment zips down Sammy’s arm, and he is instantaneously transformed into a mighty gladiator.
Sammy is now the fearsome and legendary Spartacus, run from the Roman arena and battling armies from the hills of his stronghold, living life on his own terms.
His sword slashes through the air, vanquishing one foe after the next. On and on they come, one after the other, but Spartacus does not flag. He is the hero, invincible.
Then up comes Sammy’s dog Maggie with a ball, crouching, growling, wanting her friend to play. Maggie is a dog with a torn ear, cut off by thugs who abused her as a puppy. She does not recognise Sammy as Spartacus, and she does not like sticks being wielded in the air near her head. They remind her of the knife that once hurt her.
Maggie growls a little more. Sammy sees not his friend, but a monster. Maggie sees not Sammy, but – from an almost-forgotten memory – the gangster who hurt her. Spartacus lunges in her direction, determined to overcome his enemy. The monster growls. Spartacus lunges deeper, for the fatal blow. The monster, cornered, jumps onto the hero’s leg, and bites his ankle.
The monster runs away, scared, and confused at what she has done – and at the boy’s loud distress. “She bit me! She bit me!” he howls. Suddenly, he is Sammy again, small, and scared. Maggie is Maggie, although still monstrous.
Sammy’s father hears his son’s cries. He leaves his home office and comes to help. “What happened, my boy?”
“She, she, she bit me!” Sammy moans between sobs.
“Are you OK? What happened?”
“Well, I was this gladiator, and I was winning against all the baddies. They were so horrible, and they wanted to kill me, but I fought them all and I was the winner. But then Maggie came, and she was a monster! She jumped at me and BIT me. It was ALL her fault! She IS a monster, and I hate her! I will never love her again and that’s that!”
More howling. The father picks up his son and takes him inside.
Seven-year-old Sammy becomes a legend — and evokes an unexpected realisation for his father
“That was a big battle,” he says. “I can see you were a very brave gladiator. You fought hard. I guess that sometimes even the best gladiators get hurt. Let’s put some disinfectant and a plaster on that bite. We’ll stay here until you feel better.”
More outrage, more protestations about Monster Maggie. Gradually, Sammy’s cries turn to whimpers. His father goes back to work and his son creeps onto his lap, making it pretty hard to use the computer.
Dad is glad it’s the end of the week, or he might have struggled to find the patience for this particular parenting job. He knows, from experience, that lectures on behaviour at this stage will only worsen his son’s anger.
Eventually, the mood shifts. Sam asks, “Where is Maggie anyway?”
“Well, I think I spotted her tail from the window, behind the trailer,” says his dad. “She seems pretty scared, still.”
“Well, she’s still a monster and she can stay here!” Sammy huffs.
But soon the boy wanders off. Monster Maggie slinks from behind the trailer and lies at the door, waiting with her head on her paws, gazing up at him.
“Hello Maggie,” says Sammy. “I don’t like you. You really hurt me. Just look at this bite! Why did you do that? You mustn’t be such a monster.”
Maggie senses reconciliation and comes to lick him. He pats her head. All is forgiven – almost.
Dad hears some of the conversation.
“It’s hard being a child,” he reflects. “So much fighting, so much ego-building to do. Glad I passed that stage long ago.”
Then, like a flash, he remembers how he, too, had felt like a warrior. Defending himself against imaginary foes, he had lashed out at colleagues in a meeting and rationalised it as self-defence. Like Maggie, they were unable to realise he was playing the game of domination. Some had become angry. Others were mutely defiant.
In playing a role, he had inflicted damage.
“If only he had seen then what I realise now.”
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