009

Adam felt a little uncomfortable knowing that he couldn't start learning to read yet, but with a smile on his face, he took the gold page out of his pocket:

—Look what I got, Dad!—Adam said proudly as he held up the gold page.

His father, seeing the page, got upset and slapped it out of Adam's hand, while he watched it carefully as if wanting to see if it was false or not.

—Where did you get it?!—His father asked with concern.

—A bookshelf told me that it had a secret in one of his books and I found that inside,—Adam replied with some fear for his father's state

—Did he tell you anything else? Give me all the details, boy!—His father yelled violently.

—No, nothing more—replied Adam nervously—he just told me to buy me some new shoes and candy.

Upon hearing the first part, his father seemed less nervous, but upon hearing the second he became upset again, but still more violently than before. He threw himself on top of Adam, pushed his tunic off, and stared at the shoes for a long time.

—Take off your shoes and put them near a mushroom—his father ordered.

Adam listened, he didn't know what he had done wrong. But seeing his father so upset made him feel bad inside.

—You notice something, my eyes are already too blind to see something strange —said his father when he saw Adam looking at the shoes with the light of the mushroom

—They're dirty—Adam said, but he started to touch them and I noticed the problem—And the sole is kind of peeling off, they're a bit scratched.

His father grabbed him by the shoulders and made him look into his eyes while he yelled at her:

—Never! Never! Talk to that bookshelf again, you heard, boy! No matter what she tells you or what the other bookshelves on the floor tell you, ignore her!

—But it seemed to be a good bookcase, I even advise you to be careful—Adam answered, wanting to defend the bookcase that had helped him.

—He realized that you are a child and to top it off, an unprotected one—said his father, now less nervous. Now he had to persuade the boy not to see that shelf anymore — Repeat what I told you the day I showed you the passageway because it seems to me that you did not fully understand it.

—If I'm a bad boy, I can't get in the door, —Adam said nervously; remembering that that day his father was also very upset — If I read a magical book, I can't enter through the door and if I take one of the books to read it, the shelf will ask me to answer the question.

—Very good, boy—said his father, patting him on the shoulder—Now I know you remember what I said by heart, but more importantly: do you understand why I wouldn't let you in and what each sentence means?

—The first is because if I'm good: some bookshelves like me— Adam began to answer, but it was difficult for him, he took his time with each of the rules — The second is because the old man gets jealous… The third is because he's a grumpy old man.

—You only understood the least relevant phrase—said his father with some fear due to the boy's ignorance— The first is correct: it is the whim of the shelf to open the passage, the second is the rule of the shelf to open the passage and the third is the bookshelf rule to take one of his books. What is the difference between the word rule and whim?

Adam was silent, he didn't understand where his father wanted to get to. On the other hand, his father was getting more and more nervous when he saw the boy's ignorance.

—Do you remember the phrase I taught you?—Asked his father, trying to stay calm—What are the good shelves?

—The good bookshelves are the ones that always follow their rules—Adam answered as if it were a recipe.

—Well—his father commented with some irony—We're back to the same thing, you remember the phrase by heart, but what does it mean? It means that you can only trust bookshelves that follow their rules, and never order books from bookshelves that don't.

Adam was silent, listening to his father. He knew that talking would lead to more lectures, and he wanted to get down to reading his yellow book.

—Remember well, child—his father continued—There are no shelves that don't have rules and those that don't follow them; it is because they are trying to trick you. Go to the upstairs market tomorrow and buy yourself a new pair of shoes for your class. Ask the eyeless old man for directions, not some unfamiliar bookshelf upstairs. And don't buy candy, save the rest!