The Determined and Happy Badger -- A Five-Minute Fiction

A badger walked along Broadway. He wore a fine coat, with tails, and a top hat, and as he walked he marked every other step by planting his cane next to his foot.

It was a glorious afternoon in New Badger City. A fine day for an outing to the theatre. The badger lifted his snout frequently to check the scents circulating in the warm spring air: the flowers from Center Park, the fragrance of the female badgers flouncing up and down the avenue (as they always did in the spring time), even the fresh dung dropped along Broadway from the passing carriage horses had a special aroma at that time of year.

Not that the badger would ever use a carriage. It wasn't allowed.

There was a sign specially posted at each carriage stand in the City: "No Badgers Allowed."

But as the badger thought about that, the fineness began to ebb from the day. He shook his head and refocused on the fresh spring air, the sunlight warming his bare nose and fur, and the new play he was about to see.

There was too much good around to waste time bemoaning the limitations of his world!