Before the Artful Dodger

You've got to pick a pocket or two

"Oi! Nancy! 'Oo ya bwought back?"

"Go on Nance, 'oo's the little 'un?"

"'E's dressed like one of 'em posh 'uns, isn' 'e?"

"Look at 'em pearly whites! Not a patch of soot in sight......"

One of the boys, about the same age as Jack, give or take a few months, walked up to him. He had a rather long nose, curly brown hair, and the was not an inch of him that was clean.

"'Ello! Yer look bit shocked. 'Ow old are ya?"

"Me fourth birthday today, innit?"

"Nice! I turned five couple o' weeks ago. My name's Charlie, by the way. Charlie Bates. Wot 'bout you?"

Smiling, Jack replied, slightly more confidently than before: "Jack Dawkins. Why are you 'ere?"

"Well, I was left 'ere when I was a babe, wasn' I?" 

"You were?"

"Yeah, dat's da deal wiv most of us, though. And you?"

Not really wanting to relive what had just happened to him, Jack just shrugged. "Yeah. I guess...kinda da same...... So, erm, Nancy was tellin' me 'bout dis-"

But the boy was interrupted by the entering of the room, of an exceedingly tall man, dressed in a fern-green greatcoat, and a rather squashed hat. He had fire-coloured hair, thin, all over the place, with a beard to match. He looked to be in his mid or late sixties.

"'Ello, Nance....wot we got 'ere?"

"Well Fagin, I found 'I'm in da gutter, I did, sobbin' 'is sweet li'le 'eart out! From wot 'e says, 'e's been through a lot today."

"Yes, yes, my dear, yes...." Turning to Jack, he reached out his gnarled hands. "May I, my dear?"

Jack nodded, although, as the man Nancy had called 'Fagin' pulled at his cheeks, poked him here and there, he realised he may not have had a choice.

"Now, what might your name be, my dear?"

Raising himself to his, not very considerable height, Jack said "Jack Dawkins."

"Ah, now then Jack, we just need to give you a tiny leetle test, OK? Good. Now watch this. Bill!"

Bill Sikes rushed up to him. Fagin clicked his fingers, and the gangly teen fetched a small box. He opened it, and the old man took from it: a handkerchief, what looked like a real pearl necklace, and a clearly expensive wallet. As Fagin turned around, Bill gave an attempt to grab one, but the man spun and slapped his hand away. He snatched up a stick and walked about the room. Bill, Charlie, Nancy and the rest of Fagin's gang followed suite. Charlie quickly collected the necklace by tripping over, and crying out. As the greying man leant over to see if the boy was alright, Charlie wrapped his arms around Fagin's neck, undid the necklace, removed his arms, and stowed the valuable in his pocket. Two of the other boys went up to Fagin, and asked the way to the nearest ice-cream shop. Meanwhile, Bill crept up behind, and eased the wallet out of the man's pocket. Nancy took possession of the handkerchief, by simply skipping past, singing a silly song, and whipped it out of Fagin's pocket.

"Oom pah-pah, oom pah-pah," she sang. 

"Alright Nance, that's enough. Let's see if Jack can pull it off." He brought out a new kerchief, stuffed it in his pocket with a bit hanging out. Again, Fagin strutted around the room. He stopped, bent over, apparently interested by some invisible book. Jack recognised his chance. He crept over, held the cloth with one hand, and gently pulled. It was then he realised he would be there for a while, as it was not one handkerchief, but numerous ones tied together. He eased them out, one by one, placing a finger here, two fingers there, and, somehow brought the last of it out. Jack turned, trotted back to sit with the others.

"Boy, this is your chance," he hissed.

"'E's gone an' got it already, 'asn't he!" yelled Bill, full of excitement.

This made everyone cheer, louder than anything. 

The old man, seemingly shocked, could only murmur, "Well.....well I never...."

💩'Ello me flash mates! Emojis are back! But, ne'er mind dat. Wodya reckon? Comment, will ya? Gonna go get some kip now, but I'll be back soon! So long fair thee well, pip pip, cheerio, I'll be back soon! 💖💋