The Sad Tale of Danny Boothroyd
So you want to hear another tale? I thought perhaps you had heard enough of these magic tales but if you insist I suppose I can tell you one more. I must add that I cannot verify this story as I did not experience it but rather heard it from a man in a bar many years ago. This is the story of old Danny Boothroyd.
Danny was a mean man. There is no other way to describe him. In all his fifty four years he had not once done a decent thing for another person. He had made a fortune on Wall Street by predicting calamities of the worst kind. I suppose he had a knack for it because bad recognizes bad. After he retired he hoarded his fortune with a fierceness that would put Ebenezer Scrooge to shame. He lived a selfish life and would go out of his way to make the lives of others more difficult because he found a twisted joy in it. However all of this would catch up to him.
One day Danny woke up and performed his morning routine of checking on his fortune and laughing at poor people. With all his wealth you might think that he lived in a mansion or on some grand estate in the wealthy part of town but you would be wrong. He had built himself a fortress in the poorest district. He derived a pleasure from flaunting his fortune to those most desperately in need. As he carried on about his day he noticed something peculiar. This day was almost identical to the day before and indeed it was. Danny had been cursed you see. The nature of this curse was that Danny would be forced to relive the same day over and over again until he managed to do more good than evil.
As Danny made his way to the park, where he would tempt birds with bread and then throw rocks at them, he came upon a cross-walk. He saw a small fragile old lady with a walker who did not have enough money for a bus fare. She looked to Danny and asked if he had any change to spare. He lied and said no. Then went to cross the street and got hit by a car. Danny died.
He woke up in his bed. He checked himself for injuries but seeing none assumed that it had just been a bad dream. He again performed his morning routine and instead of going to the park decided it might be better to stock up on some food. He particularly wanted to buy all the turkeys in the nearby area. Thanksgiving was coming up and he rejoiced in the thinking that families would not be able to find a turkey. While he was in line a young mother had her hands full with three very little children. She was buying diapers and baby formula but her card was declined. Frustrated and disheartened she turned to Danny and asked if he might be able to spare some money, it being the holidays and all. He laughed, said no and told her to move along. Danny then paid for his thirty four turkeys, he needed several carts, and left the store. As we went towards his car two thugs stepped out mugged him and shot him. Danny died.
Danny again woke up in his bed and checked for bullet holes. Noticing he was injury free he prepared to start his day over. He decided to get new clothes so went to the mall. Outside the mall there were two men dressed as Santa Claus collecting money for a children’s charity. They asked old Danny if he would contribute but Danny said no because mid-November was way too early to be dressed like Santa or for there to be any Christmas decorations. Admittedly he might have a point there but nonetheless when he went to enter a store a giant Happy Holidays sign fell on him. Danny died.
This process continued on until the end of time. You see when Danny decided to profit off of the misery of others he had unwittingly made a deal with the Devil. He was granted all the wealth he could imagine but was damned to suffer the same agony that had profited him. The devil, with his twisted sense of fairness, gave him a chance to escape. If Danny could only find it within himself to share some of the fortune that he had been granted then he would be able to move on. However this was not to be the case and was forced to suffer the consequences.