Allister trusted everyone at least one time. This stemmed from his first encounter with a stranger offering candy to Allister. The stranger, a large man wearing all black that matched his greasy black hair and full beard, handed young Allister the largest lollipop he had ever witnessed. The lollipop was so large that Allister needed both hands and all the strength in both his arms. And even with these, it was not enough. Young Allister was forced to prop himself against a tree, to use the planted strength of a thousand year old oak to support him and his newfound candied wealth. Allister took a lick and, to his last day, claimed that it tasted of the first day of summer.
Once the greasy man covered in black saw that Allister was satisfied, he climbed aboard the penny farthing from whence he came and rode off into the sunset. Though Allister was young, he still swore to whomever he met that this man did not merely figuratively ride off into the sunset. He literally rode off into the sunset.
From this point on, Allister was inclined to accept gifts from any stranger offering them. Perhaps, Allister thought, this man would manifest himself in other forms. Though the idea of constant acceptance of candy is most certainly poor advice in regard to child rearing and one must wonder where Allister's parents were during the tenure of his youth (most stories point to a long term hot air balloon excursion), it did most certainly lead to many an adventure for Allister. These adventures could be considered both good and bad, of course. They ranged from more free candy to long term kidnappings with a wide spectrum of gifts and circumstances in between these two poles (puppies, forced service in rebel armies, pen pals, new clothes, tattoos, golf outings, at least three trips down large waterfalls in barrels, a new set of parents, a span of time held captive in the stomach of a large hippopotamus, large scale games of a sport resembling modern-day dodgeball if the ball were fashioned of sharpened forks, pleasant long walks, etc, etc, etc). Allister, in turn, accepted the good with the bad. This, he surmised, was what life entailed.
Once the greasy man covered in black saw that Allister was satisfied, he climbed aboard the penny farthing from whence he came and rode off into the sunset. Though Allister was young, he still swore to whomever he met that this man did not merely figuratively ride off into the sunset. He literally rode off into the sunset.
From this point on, Allister was inclined to accept gifts from any stranger offering them. Perhaps, Allister thought, this man would manifest himself in other forms. Though the idea of constant acceptance of candy is most certainly poor advice in regard to child rearing and one must wonder where Allister's parents were during the tenure of his youth (most stories point to a long term hot air balloon excursion), it did most certainly lead to many an adventure for Allister. These adventures could be considered both good and bad, of course. They ranged from more free candy to long term kidnappings with a wide spectrum of gifts and circumstances in between these two poles (puppies, forced service in rebel armies, pen pals, new clothes, tattoos, golf outings, at least three trips down large waterfalls in barrels, a new set of parents, a span of time held captive in the stomach of a large hippopotamus, large scale games of a sport resembling modern-day dodgeball if the ball were fashioned of sharpened forks, pleasant long walks, etc, etc, etc). Allister, in turn, accepted the good with the bad. This, he surmised, was what life entailed.
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