Salem jumps off the swing. His little plastic cart rolls away on the gravel. "It rolled…"
A tall man appears in the square, and the colorful bag jingles: jingle, jingle. Salem's little shoes stay planted on the gravel.
The man bends down with a wide smile and holds out shiny candy. Salem tilts his head toward it.
The man says, "Come with me, my dear, I have something yummy!" Salem's fingers reach out, then stop at the edge of his shirt.
He whispers to himself, "Mama said: Don't go with anyone you don't know." The candy sways behind him: jingle… jingle.
Salem shakes his head: No. Left, right, left, right. Then he turns and dashes away.
Salem grabs the sleeve of the tall guard. A big lollipop slides out of the bag onto the pavement: plop!
The guard lifts Salem up onto his shoulders, above everyone. Salem wraps his arms around his neck.
The guard points and says, "You did the right thing, little one. Stay where I can see you." Salem's little shoes flutter in the air.
Salem strokes the guard's hats with both hands. The swings creak all on their own: creak… creak. He smiles and puts his finger to his lips: shh.
