Carlos the Horse-fly or Carlos the Bull-fly
A wood cut illustration by Kurt accompanied his story in the Carmel Pine Cone newspaper.
By Kurt von Meier, Grade 7
I will begin this story, as all stories must have a beginning, at the beginning. Once upon a time there was an egg, a very small egg. Inside that egg was Carlos. Well, not exactly Carlos because he wasn't born yet, but after he was born, sure enough, it was Carlos.
Now Carlos, even though he was a horse-fly, was not a horse-fly. He was a bull-fly. He was a small bull-fly because he did not get enough "vitamin F." All flies that have not enough vitamin F are undernourished so they are pushed out of the way by bigger flies. Carlos was pushed out of the way.
He never had a chance to sting El Toro de la Comisso, the biggest, maddest, fiercest, fightingest, killingest bull in all Mexico, which is where Carlos lived. Only the biggest flies with the strongest, stingingest stingers would have this grand privilege.
Carlos went through life stinging calm, sweet, melancholy, loving, dainty bulls who would not even flip their tails when stung. But El Toro de la Comisso! He would snort fire! He would give a fierce lunge at the fence. He would stare with fiery eyes and beat the dirt with steel-edged hooves.
Today was the day! El Toro de la Comisso was going to be fought by the greatest matador in all Mexico, Carlos Sanchez. Carlos, the fly, was going to watch the fight as usual, too. Imagine, two Carloses in the same ring! The clock struck the hour. It was time. The gates were open and Carlos Sanchez was out in the ring ready for El Toro de la Comisso. He, El Toro, came rushing down the runway underneath the stands for the bulls who were going to fight, snorting, panting and pawing the cement floor. Carlos Sanchez was waving his brilliant red cape violently.
El Toro de la Comisso came rushing toward the ring but he did not get very far because just as he was about to rush out into the arena the gates were slammed shut. The picador, Alvarado Cortez by name, was not ready. He, the greatest picador in Mexico was not in the ring. What was the reason?
For inquisitive readers, he was having trouble with his wig! Here he comes now. He is waddling out into the ring in his best manner and the girls are throwing butter‑cups to him. He is going over to the gate. Is he going to open the gate himself ? Carlos Sanchez calls to him. He turns around. He backs up to the gate and is stuck by a pair of horns sticking through the gate and out comes a blood-curdling yelp of pain! Yes, the horns belong to El Toro de la Comisso.
El Toro was going so fast when he hit the gate that his horns went right through it and stuck. Every‑ one tried to push El Toro's horns through the gate, but in vain. Then, out of a clear blue sky, came Carlos, the bull-fly. With his mighty stinger, he stung! The bull went rushing into the arena but soon collapsed because of the mighty sting. Yes, little Carlos, our own little Carlos, has killed the bull that was the greatest bull in all Mexico, El Toro de la Comisso.