There are stories that children learn from their parents.They're folk tales, although they border on almost religious superstitions. There are a few very interesting stories. The farm boy often hears these stories from his friend's father as he lies i his hammock with his straw hat cocked over his head, his eyes closed, chewing on a piece of straw. The boy listens intently. Sometimes, while the lazy farmer talks, the boy closes his eyes and lets himself imagine these stories. The boy wishes this was his father talking to him, and not the stern, distant man he knew...

The Watching-Thing
The watching-thing is an eyeball, sprouting out of your back, in between the shoulder blades. It comes out and looks over your shoulder your entire life, watching. Right before you die, it whispers a single phrase into your ear. If you have lead the life of a hero, a virtuous human, it blossoms into a violet rose and lands on your chest.