" oy, what do you think you are doing? Haven't I told you to leave things alone? What am I going to do about this?" Frederick's father wasn't as angry as he pretended to be. Actually he though many of Frederick's escapades were kind of funny. He also thought it was healthy the way Frederick explored everything. Basically, as far as he was concerned, as long as Frederick didn't hurt himself or someone else, there was actually little harm that could come of his antics. Sometimes, when he was trying to disclipline Frederick he had to fight back a smile or resist the urge to giggle. Without a doubt Frederick could find amazing ways to destroy something. This time is was an old clock. The thing hadn't worked in a very long time, but the point he wanted Frederick to understand was that he couldn't aimlessly go around destroying things just to find out how they worked. He had to learn respect for things that didn't belong to him. Now, Frederick's mother took a slightly different view. Above all else, she was afraid that his curiosity would get him into something one day that he wouldn't be able to get out of. She wasn't a pessimist, she was just leary of Frederick making a mistake that would affect the rest of his life. To her, there was enough myster in the world to keep Frederick occupied. But there was more than enough opportunity for Frederick to get into the wrong things. Because of that, she continually reminded Frederick's father that Frederick had to start learning about what he could do and what he couldn't; about the things he could explore and the things better left alone.

Frederick looked up at his father with another of those faces that was so innocent it made you want to smile. With clock parts scattered all over his bedroom floor, and still looking up at his father, Frederick pleaded, "I just wanted to see if I could fix it. I know where every part goes, and as soon as I find the bad part, I'll fix it and put it all back together. This time it's different I really can fix it." Fredericks father sat down beside Frederick and started looking at all the pieces. He really wanted to chuckle at the big mess, but he had to get Frederick to start accepting he had done something wrong. As much as he wanted to encourage him, Frederick's father knew he had to dole out some punishment. At the very least, he had to help Frederick clean up the mess before his mother got home. So, together they both started picking up the pieces as he began to mix in a little friendly advice. "Son, I know how much you like to figure things out, but your mother buys you all kinds of puzzles, games, and things for you to explore. You have a microscope kit, and all kinds of kits to assemble. You can build a radio or something. The point is you have got to stop taking everything apart. I just got the vacuum cleaner fixed that you took apart last week. And I don't think I'll ever get all my tools organized again. Look, I'm not angry with you, but it's like your mother says, you have to stop messing with things that don't belong to you. Why don't you start going to the bazaar and seeing what you can find. I'm sure there are lots of things you can explore and see how they work. Tomorrow is Saturday, I'll go with you and show you where everything is. We'll look at all of the different things and get an idea what's out there. How dioes that sound?" Frederick, excited by the prospect, quickly decided it was better than getting in trouble. Immediately his imagination began to run wild. Wow, he thought to himself, this is better than anything I could have thought of. Then he said, "That would be great, do you really mean it?" With a smile his father confirmed his offer and together they finished cleaning up the clock parts. And with a promise to not tell his mother about the clock, Frederick's father left him alone to finish straightening up his room.

The next morning frederick rose early, after barely sleeping. This was going to be his first trip to the bazaar and he could hardly wait. Like a cat, he lept right into the bed and began trying to stir his father from sleep. While his father groped around trying to wake, Frederick giggled and continued to prod his father. "Come on, wake up. You said we were going to the bazaar today. I'll go finish getting ready while you get up. All I have to do is put on my sandals and I'll be ready." His father, still trying to bring himself to get out of bed, lay still blinking and thinking he should have waited until today to tell Frederick about the bazaar. Gradually he managed to sit up on the side of the bed just as Frederick came running back into the room. Like a babbling brook, frederick kept talking and talking while he grabbed his father's arm and pulled. There was no use trying to buy any time. Frederick was excited, it was his fault, and now he had to "pay the piper". With a smile and a "see you two later" from his wife, Frederick's father stood and began to dress. Once he finally got awake, he began to look forward to their little outing. It was the first time he and Frederick had done something like this. Frederick's father could hardly wait to see how he would act or what he would do.

At the bazaar were all kind of vendors. You could buy just about anything. There was food, tools, clothes, and much much more. Some of the wares were just for decoration and others, well, Frederick just wasn't sure wjhat they were for. To Frederick, this was a dream come true. He had never imagined so many things. There was even a few stands that had mystical items, artifacts, and antiquities from times gone bye. Many of the items were obvious fakes and just meant to delight the eye. But some of them looked very real and the merchants swore by their craftsmanship and origins. At each stop, with almost every item, there was a story usually rooted in some old myth or legend. Tempting enough for some adults, the stories proved irrestible for children. It was a good thing Frederick's father was there to help separate the facts from the fiction. Although he liked listening to many of the stories himself, that's all they were was stories. He realized that any good salesman had to have a story, and these street merchants were some of the best salesmen in the world. Occasionally Frederick and his father would stand close by as one of the crafty peddlers would hook some tourists into buying many worthless items for a ridiculous price. Yes, they were good at what they did. It wasn't personal, it was just business. Frederick's father understood the mentality. It was prevalent in just about any culture. It mainly centered around the axiom that business was business and there were really no rules or constraints. The vendors saw absolutely nothing wrong with charging people 50 times what something was worth. To them, if someone was willing to pay the price, it was just good business to accept the money. And, if you didn't haggle about price, then you were considered foolish. It was like many say, a fool and his money are soon parted. If these merchants didn't take the money someone else would. Frederick, his father hoped, was getting a few lessons in life as they meandered through the many stands along the street. Learning by doing was always the best he felt.

Frederick saw many things that day that caught his fancy. But he didn't select anything to take home. He told his father that he wanted to think about some of the things and maybe decide the next time he was there. His father, proud of this newly gained wisdom, told him that he had made a wise decision. Along the way, they talked about the things they had seen, about the thousands of items, about fakes, and about how funny the tourists were. It was an amazing day for both of them. It was a dya Frederick and his father would remember for a long time to come. Frederick's father wished he had taked him to the bazaar sooner. Frederick wished he had too. Now frederick had a whole new world to explore and many things he examine. There didn't seem to be any limitations for Frederick's sharp mind and ravenous curiosity. Maybe this was the best idea his father had ever had. They both hoped Frederick's mother would be as excited about things as they were. When they got home Frederick talked for hours, telling his mother about everything he'd seen. Although she was happy about his new experience, she again saw a lrge measure of danger. Trying not to let her concern overshadow the joy of the occasion, she simply remarked that Frederick should be very careful. Even though he was a local boy, there were merchants that would take advantage of his innocence. But, at least she thought, her or his father could rectify something if he was cheated or otherwise taken advantage of. So, with reservations, she gave trips to the bazaar her blessings.

For several days Frederick sifted through much that the vendors had to offer. Sometimes he would come home with some small item, but his taste was very limited. Although, like most children, he had a bad case of wants, he had never gotten everything he wanted. Desiring his father and mother to be proud of his choices, he was very careful about what he selected. Generally he brought things for his mother and father, things for the house, and sometimes things for himself. But, as a general rule, he made very prodent choices. He learned very quickly to spot cheap imitations and worthless trinkets. As a matter of fact several of the street merchants held a growing respect for him. Still, there were some that would kindle his imagination with one of their stories, but before he would make a purchase he'd listen to that little voice inside and walk away, after thanking them for the wonderful story. As he continued to learn and demonstrate sound judgement, his father and mother began to depend on him to make purchases for them. Along with his increased responsibility they also granted him a greater budget for his personal acquisitions. They were very proud of this new direction he had taken, and it seemed that he had found something to both occupy his time and help him focus all that curiosity.

One afternoon, as Frederick was reviewing some of the new wares along his route, he walked over to a stand that had only two boxes sitting on a carpet. They were different than any he had seen before. They weren't really boxes, they were more like chests. They weren't big enough to hold much, but there was something about them that kept his attention. As he further scrutinized them he noticed they weren't new. As a matter of fact thay looked very old. They were both trimmed with some kind of metal and heavily engraved. He couldn't read the engraving, but it looked like some kind of language. To get a really good look at one of them he lifted it up and turned it about holding it in the light where he could see more clearly. It seemed very light considering they way it was constructed. He did the same for the other chest, and found it to be much heavier than the first. By all appearances they looked very much the same. The only real difference between the two was the color of the large stone mounted on top. One had a bright red stone that looked like a ruby, and the other had a green stone that resembled an emerald. Just as he tried to open one to peer inside the merchant stepped into view and introduced himself. "Hello young man, I'm glad you stopped by today. My name is Gerome. I see you are interested in the Baalakim. That is what the two precious chests are called in my country. Would you like to learn more about them?" Fascinated by the genuine uniqueness of the two chests, Frederick asked the man to tell him his story and as much as he could about them. Following Frederick's last words, Gerome pulled out a very old looking parchment and began to read it to Frederick.

"The Baalakim is only for those who are seeking, for those who want and cannot find. Among the most ancient of treasures, it cannot be owned only used for a time. The time depends on the heart of the user and the time required to learn the answer." Then, removing a smaller parchment he began reading again. This time his voice was different, more penetrating, more hyptnotic. As he read, the world aroung Frederick seemed to slowly fade and all of his attention began to focus on the words and Gerome's voice.

"Not through his will or by his deeds,
Like chaff scattered among good seeds,
The quest through time a man it leads.
A warning heard to him who heeds,
Through his wants he finds his needs.

Not gold or silver or precious beads
For the man whose heart Baalakim reads.
Just as the broken musap bleeds,
The Baalkalim on desire it feeds.
Through his wants, he finds his needs.

A house of mud and bed of reeds,
For secret vows and silent creeds,
To separate the wheat and weeds.
With his own breath the man concedes,
Through his wants, he finds his needs."

Then with a penetrating smile, Gerome asked Frederick if he wanted the Baalkalim. He could already see the answer in Frederick's eyes before he asked. But he had to ask, it was part of the game. He knew that a boy such as Frederick would have extreme difficulty resisting something so unusual, so mysterious. It was easy to see how the cryptic poem had captured Frederick's imagination. In a dreamlike trance, completely caught up in his imagination and driven by his curiosity, Frederick began to press the man for more details. He wanted to know everything, and he even told Gerome how much he fancied the two chests. Oddly enough Gerome didn't seem interested in money. Every time Frederick would start talking about it, he would talk about something else. But the part that really sealed the deal for Frederick was how Gerome described the things Frederick could do with the chests. Frederick didn't listen too closely to the things he couldn't do though. Touching the chest with the red stone on top, Gerome began, "Each day you may take from the chest anything you choose. But at night, before midnight, you must place it back inside. If you choose to keep what you remove, you may replace it with something you own. But no matter which you choose to do, you must do it before midnight." Then laying his hand on the other chest, the one with the green stone on top, he he looked at Frederick with a twisted strange smile and said, "You must never open this one. You must never allow anyone else to open it. You may touch it as much as you please, keep it where you desire, but must always know where it is. And one last thing, you must open the other chest every day. If you do not, you will no longer be able to remove anything from it and must allow someone else the honor of using the chest." Frederick, now almost in a frenzy, finally talked Gerome into revealing the price for the chests. Although less than he expected to pay, he attempted to haggle with Gerome over the price. He wasn't trying to impress Gerome, it was just the way the game was played. Eventually Gerome agreed to sell at a lower price and Frederick took his prize home, along with a few other treasures he had obtained.