//------------------------------//
// Diary, Part One 
// Story: Property of West Wind 
// by OleGrayMane 
//------------------------------//

 
My dear friend West,

These blank pages are for you to write stories of your own.
Happy Hearth's Warming Eve!

Tick Tock


—❦—


Wednesday, 27 December
Mr. Tock gave me this book and a box of pencils and said I should write. I don't know quite what to do, but I will try. I guess I should start by thanking him for the present and for letting me stay here.

Thursday, 25 January
Again Mr. Tock asked me if I'd put anything here. I was honest and told him no. He got frustrated, but in the nice sort of way that he does. No yelling or anything.
I asked what type of things I should write because I just don't know, and he told me I need to write about things that happen. Ordinary thing. Nothing special. Well, nothing special happens around the shop at all, so I should have plenty to write about. Ha Ha.
I work and live at Mr. Tock's shop. I don't do much, just keep the place clean and do some cooking. Mostly I keep Mr. Tock company. That's hardly work at all. I don't work on clocks. Only unicorns like Mr. Tock can do that. There are too many tiny gears and springs for an earth pony to work on.
I live in this old room upstairs. Mr. Tock gives me a few bits whenever he can. It's not like a real job or anything I guess, but I have plenty of food and it's out of the cold. That's good enough for me. Plus, Mr. Tock is real good company.

Friday, 16 February
Nothing much has been happening at the shop, but that's not news at all. No customers have come in for a while. Mr. Tock say that nopony likes going out in miserable, cold weather. He told me not to worry about it. Thing will pick up when the weather gets better. I sure hope that's true, because it's pretty boring around here.
I think Mr. Tock is bored too. While I tidy up the shop, he just sits in his study drinking tea and writing letters. In the evening, he'll tell stories or read his books. He's been nice enough to let me read some of them. When I ask, he'll pull a couple from the shelf and send me off with them. The bad part is when he wants to talk about them later. It feels like I'm back at school when he starts asking questions. But reading's a good way to pass time while nothing is happening. And without those books, I think I might go stir-crazy.

Wednesday, 28 February
We're finally getting that big snow here in Fillydelphia. For the past week we've been reading in the newspaper about how it’s been moving north and burying towns. Yesterday we went shopping to stock up on food. The stores were crowded like it was Hearth's Warming Eve again. Guess everypony had the same idea. Mr. Tock and I rushed about getting everything on his list. It was a little tiring, but helping Mr. Tock feels good.
With the way the snow has been coming down today, we certainly aren't going to have any customers for a while. But I don't mind so much, because when it stops, there will be plenty of shoveling for me to do. It may be work, but at least it will be something new.

Thursday, 1 March
I woke up early this morning like a little colt. I watched the snow come down all day yesterday and wondered if it would still be going this morning. It was, and it didn't stop util right after noon. I put on my cap and scarf and went out to shovel the walk in front of the store.
The snow wasn't too heavy, but there was a lot of it. After I was done with our walk, Mr. Tock asked me to do the walks of the stores next to us. On one side is a second-hand clothing store run by a pegasus mare. She's about my age, maybe a little older, and is real nice. While I was working, she came out with a cup of hot cider for me. It was fun to talk to her for a bit, but she got cold and need to get back inside. I got back to shoveling.
The shop on the other side is one of those long, narrow hardware stores where you can find just about anything you want. The unicorn that runs it stood behind his door staring at me like I was trespassing or something. He didn't even come out and say thank you or nothing. When I asked Mr. Tock about him, he said to pay him no mind because he's always grumpy. We had a good laugh at that.
It was practically dark by the time I finished. I was tired and surely frozen. Mr. Tock made our supper tonight, and all the hard work made it taste better than it should have. I may be tired, but it was satisfying to do real work today.

Tuesday, 6 March
We finally got a customer! Late this morning the bell that hangs on the front door jingled. There was this pony standing in middle of the shop, and he said he was looking for something for his little niece's birthday. Mr. Tock said he had just the thing. He went up and brought out the little clock in the front window.
It's one of those clocks where tiny wooden ponies move around in a circle every quarter hour. That clock was special to me, because it got me here at the shop. When I was out on the street, I saw it in the shop window. I had no better place to be, so I sat down and watched it a few times.
When I heard somepony call “Hey, you” I started to move off, since what usually follows is “get moving.” Instead Mr. Tock, because that's who said it, told me to wait because he wanted to talk to me. He asked if I had a place to stay and I said no. He asked if I wanted to help out in the shop, even if he couldn't pay much of anything. A place to live before winter started, room and board, how could I not say yes?
So, thanks to that clock, I ended up at the shop with one of the nicest bosses I've ever had. But Mr. Tock's not quite a boss. More like a nice old uncle or something.
I'll miss that little clock.

Saturday, 10 March
The weather is getting better, and we get a trickle of customers now. Mr. Tock says it's this way every year. One fellow even dropped off a pocket watch for repair. Mr. Tock put on his special glasses and used his magic to pop off the back. I watched as he cleaned up the insides and got it all adjusted. It runs like new.
It was a marvel to behold. He did it all without moving his hooves. I sure wish I could do something like that. I can do a lot of things, and I have, but what Mr. Tock can do is remarkable. It must be nice to have talent like that.

Friday, 16 March
Today, Mr. Tock got another letter from his sister in Manehatten and was all excited. His nephew is going to come to live and work at the shop. As the weather gets nice, Mr. Tock figures the place might get a little busy, and he could use a little help now and then.
I don't think he needs any help. I've watched him work, and I know he's doing just fine, even if he does say he is getting slower. Things are just fine here, and I can help him if he needs it.
He says his nephew is a good watchmaker and a nice pony. He's sure I'll like him. I hope so.

Wednesday, 21 March
Mr. Tock's nephew, Main Spring, lives with us now. I guess he is okay. He doesn't say much to me, but that's probably because he and his uncle are busy catching up. The two of them did all the talking at supper tonight, while I just sat there listening.
His nephew wants to make the business grow, but I think Mr. Tock likes it just the way it is. The shop's just the right size for Mr. Tock. It doesn't need to be any bigger.
After supper the two of them went to his study to talk. I asked for a book first and then I came back here to my room. Once I laid down, I didn't feel like doing any reading. I think I'll go to bed now.

Tuesday, 27 March
Mr. Spring is getting on my nerves. Every time I say something, he cuts me off like I don't count for nothing. He's nice and polite to Mr. Tock, but he ignores me. I don't know what I've done wrong for him to act like that. I know I'm not as smart as he and Mr. Tock, but that's no reason to be rude.
Maybe he's one of those unicorns who thinks earth ponies are useless. I don't know if it's better for him to not like all earth ponies or just me in particular. I asked Mr. Tock if that's the case and he got mad. He told me I wasn't thinking right. “No decent pony thinks that way anymore,” he said, and certainly nopony in his family.
I don't know if that made me feel any better. I guess I'll take Mr. Tock's advice and give his nephew some time to come around.

Saturday, 31 March
I've been doing a lot more reading since that Mr. Spring arrived. It's not because I want to, but because Mr. Tock and his nephew spend the evenings talking in his study. I'm left out.
I brought in tea the other night and Mr. Spring got all quiet. His eyes followed every move I made. It was like having one of those shopkeepers watch you, where they expect you are going to pocket something if they turn their back for a moment.
After I put down the tray, I asked Mr. Tock for a new book. He picked out a real hard one, one written in old-fashion language. It ended up being too hard and I gave up on it.
Tonight, I went to return it. I apologized for interrupting and told Mr. Tock I just couldn't read that book. He said he had problems reading it the first time too and it made me feel better. That's the decent kind of fellow he is. He pulled out a new one that's just fine. Before I left, I said good night and made sure to smile at Mr. Spring.
That didn't help one bit, because, after I left, I could hear Mr. Spring talking in an angry voice. Now I know for sure he doesn't like me. I think he wants to throw me out, but I don't understand why. Sometimes I think I should just go in there and ask him what's his problem. Even if things went bad, at least I'd know why he hates me. But Mr. Tock told me to give him more time. Mr. Tock's a smart pony, so I'll listen to him.

Friday, 6 April
Mr. Tock and his nephew argue most every night now. There's no doubt it's about me being here. Supper time is quiet. When it's over I come up here and hide, because I know the fighting's going to start. I can hear them arguing down there right now.
I want to stick my head under my pillow like when I was little. Of course, that didn't make Ma and Pa's yelling go away. I couldn't stand it back then and I can't stand it now. Why does there always have to be so much fighting?
It was fighting that drove me from home. Must be thirty years ago. One morning I packed my things, took some food from the kitchen, and left. If only I'd known better, but I was too young and didn't.
Last night I thought maybe that's what I should do. I could wake up early, take a little food, and leave this place. But Mr. Tock is such a nice pony and things are good here. At least they were until his nephew showed up. I don't want to leave because there's nothing I've done wrong. Mr. Spring is the one that should go away, not me.

Monday, 9 April
I really screwed up today. I was sweeping in the shop and put a broom handle through the glass of a grandfather clock. Mr. Spring was right there and he saw me do it. He yelled all kinds of foul things at me. Mr. Tock sent me up here and the two of them went to his study. They've been yelling for hours now.
I can't believe I went and handed Spring a reason to get rid of me! Why do I do stupid things like this? Mr. Tock's a good pony, he knows it was an accident, but I can't trust Spring. I can hear him yelling at poor Mr. Tock.
My mind's all a mess because of this. I think I should just pack my bags and leave. The weather's pretty good now, and I can make it on the street. But then again, I think Mr. Tock will do me right. He's been good to me, and I'd feel bad about running out on him.
I'll wait until tomorrow and see what happens. If it doesn't get any better, I'll just go.