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Embers from the Fire
A weekly blog by Deacon Dan Wagnitz for the Quad Parish Community

Black Cauldron – 6/5/2020

The apple trees in the back yard blossomed this week. That got me thinking about the
apple tree across the field when I was a boy. That apple tree was the focus of the “big dare”. I
grew up as the youngest of my family. I was also the youngest of the boys in my neighborhood.
That is my excuse, or at least my explanation as to why I was always so anxious to prove myself.
That made me especially susceptible to the bid dare.

We lived on what was then the outskirts of Green Bay’s west side. Just past our house it
was all field to the west. But across the field to the north there was an old house. The house
was where the witch lived. We had never met her, but we knew that she was a witch. It was
simple deduction. There was a large black cauldron in her backyard. Obviously, the only use
for a huge cauldron was to boil little boys. The guys and I speculated how many boys had met
their fate in the black cauldron.

Right next to the black cauldron there was an apple tree. It was full of apples. They
looked pretty tasty. Even at that young age I knew about forbidden fruit. I suppose that should
have meant the story of Adam and Eve, but I think it was more likely the story of Hansel and
Gretel that was on my mind. It wasn’t worth the risk of getting caught, because getting caught
meant getting boiled.

I don’t remember whose idea it was. But one day while playing hide and seek in the tall
grass somebody blurted out the big dare. Maybe we were hungry. I don’t even remember why
everyone was looking at me and waiting for my response. I could prove I wasn’t scared if I went
to the witch’s house and brought back a nice big apple for each of us.

Of course, when it comes to considering any level of dare, the thing to do is to not think
too hard. In fact, I probably didn’t think at all. I don’t remember answering, but I do remember
heading across the field toward the witch’s house. “I would show them!” I thought.

About 100 yards from the apple tree I crouched down in the tall grass and sized up the
situation. Everything was quiet. No one in site. I crept forward. Now I was at the edge of the
backyard. The apple tree was only 10 feet away. I planned my way up the tree. There were big
branches pretty low down. This was going to be easy. One last look and I made my break. I
scampered up the tree with ease. I grabbed an apple and took a bite. It was delicious. I began
stuffing apples in my sweatshirt.

“Good, aren’t they?” I looked down to see a man looking up at me. My heart dropped.
“Don’t move”, he said and he headed to the garage. I turned to look back at my gang. Surely,
they would be coming to my rescue. Instead, to my horror I saw them running away as fast as
they could. The man returned with a ladder. He situated it under me. “You can have all the
apples you want, but use the ladder. I don’t want you breaking any branches, or falling out and
getting hurt.” He smiled and held the ladder steady for me. He helped me finish stuffing my
shirt full of apples. “You want to make sure they all get one.” He smiled at me, patted me on
the back and headed back into the house.

I’d like to say that was the start of a friendship, but I never went back. Somehow the
adventure was gone. I wonder what they really used that black cauldron for?

His Peace,
Deacon Dan