Humpty Dumpty (by the Cover)

Humpty Dumpty

 "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.

 Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

    All the king’s horses and all the king’s men

   Couldn’t put Humpty together again."

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            I was patrolling the east wall for the third fortnight of my short career as a militant man. It was a cold night, and my steamy breath caressed my face as I rode my horse forward, moving parallel to the stone wall. Up ahead was a section of the blockade that I honestly dreaded passing.

There was a young man of about fifteen years that I truly believed must have been dropped on his head as an infant. Those in town called him Humpty Dumpty, and he apparently thought it was a good idea to stack crates against the wall, climb up, and settle himself there while the town was sleeping.

Normally, I would ignore the brainless lad. I, after all, had better things to worry about. There were other groups that wished to raid our city. It was the whole reason the king had felt inclined to station men to watch the border.

I could not ignore the boy though. Whenever I would pass him, he could lean forward and back precariously, waving and laughing to me all the while. I tensed every time, worried for his safety. It was not a short fall, by any means, and if he were to lose his balance, there was little hope for his continued health. Speaking of the stupid child, I could see and hear him whistling just meters ahead.

“Sergeant Cooper, still doing the work of lesser men I see.” Humpty taunted, tilting back and laughing. I gripped my reigns tighter as he wobbled.

“I would highly advise getting off the wall. It is in no way safe.” I replied dryly, pointedly acting as if I had not heard his rude remark. At least I was of a higher status than this rag boy.

“Are you kidding? I can see the whole city from here!” He shouted, throwing an arm carelessly into the air. It was at that moment that he lost stability, and he plummeted to the dirt road, face first.

I called out for assistance as quickly as I could as I dismounted my horse. Running over to Humpty’s limp body, I checked for any signs of life. A crowd formed near the scene. By the time the others had arrived, and a doctor had been summoned, Humpty Dumpty was dead.

Once a coroner had carried the body off, people began to fade back to their homes and return to their rest for the night. I kicked the dirt around to be sure that no blood would be visible in the morning. After taking one last look around, I remounted my horse and continued to make my rounds.