Carlos

"Ew, that's gross!" said one.

One declined politely, another didn't respond.

Really it's an honor to be invited to participate in the Artists' Miniatures exhibition, and Carlos was pleased. You know how the Artists' Miniatures exhibition works. It's a fundraiser for the museum. Twenty artists are asked to donate a new work no larger than 5x7". The works are displayed each with a little box underneath. Patrons buy tickets for $5 each and cast votes by placing tickets in the box beneath their favorite miniature.

The tickets have a space on the back for name and address, and a winner is drawn from the votes for each miniature.

Carlos was pleased to be invited to submit a miniature, and he set to work right away. He had to—carving on rice takes a long time, and Carlos was a rice carver. He might not be able to see the whole world in a grain of rice, but he could depict a very lovely scene. And Carlos had special plans this year—to put MST Bus #55 on a toenail clipping from his right big toe.

"Ew, that's gross!" said the first winner when informed by telephone.

The second plead a diminished immune system, and the third didn't reply at all.

The final winner just laughed and laughed.