I was wondering what to write about next and my son and I got talking about some of the great stories that he has written. One of my favorites is this one called the ‘Popcorn Man’. Aryan wrote this story when he was less than 9 years old (I don’t really remember the exact age he was when he did). I have often wondered whether he really understood this import than I took out from the story since was so little when he wrote it. Over time, I have learnt not to underestimate the intuitive and insightful powers of my son. So here goes ‘Popcorn Man’ for all of you to be inspired by.

The popcorn man was getting his stuff ready. He really liked making children happy by giving them popcorn. He used to charge twenty bucks for one packet of popcorn. He felt very happy when a large group of children ran towards his popcorn stand. That night, the popcorn man was deep in thought. 

When he was a little boy, his father would keep him away from hot objects like fire. The little boy always asked his father, “Why can’t I go near the fire and warm my hands like other kids?” His father never answered this question because he knew that his son would get very sad if he told him the truth.

The truth really was that the little boy was very different from others. When he was born, the doctor told his parents that the cells in his body were like grains of popcorn. If he went near a hot object, the cells in his body would heat up and turn into popcorn. The popcorn man (boy at that time) never knew this. He never went near hot objects because his father had told him not to. 

One of these days, the popcorn man felt really cold. He could not stand it anymore. He just lit up a fire and warmed himself up. The cells in his body began to pop. He was literally transforming from a popcorn man into a ‘Super Popcorn Man’. He really freaked out first when he saw himself in the mirror and screamed loudly. Then he realized he could create popcorn with his hands. 

Next day, he went to the same doctor who had told his parents about his cells. “I have turned into popcorn”, he screamed at the doctor. “Why in the world did you go near something hot!”, screamed back the doctor. “I felt extremely cold and I never knew the reason why I shouldn’t go near hot things”, replied the Super Popcorn Man. “There is no cure for this”, said the doctor sadly.

The Super Popcorn Man came on TV, the next day. He was given a lot of money by the sponsors because he had broken a world record. His poverty ended and he was very happy. “It isn’t so bad being a popcorn man, after all”, he thought!

I loved this story because I think it showed how something seen as a problem or a disability can be turned into something good. It showed the compassion the Popcorn Man had towards children and the joy he received by selling his popcorn to children. It also showed how parents do things for their children to protect them and yet it is sometimes misplaced. Loads of thoughts come in my mind when I read this story over and over again and wonder what my son had in mind when he wrote it.

What did you think of it? Do write below in the comments!