How the Potato Face Blind Man Enjoyed
by Carl Sandburg · from Rootabaga Stories
Adapted Version
It was a sunny morning. The Blind Man came to his special place. He had his music box. He sat near the post office. Birds sang in the trees. He felt very happy. He felt very lucky today.
He put out his things. A thimble was on his coat. A small metal cup hung there. A wooden mug was on his coat. A big tub sat down. A shiny pan was near it. His sign said: "I Am Blind Too."
The Blind Man played his accordion. He made happy music. It sounded like birds singing. It was happy spring music. He played and played.
Then Pick Ups came near. Pick Ups saw the things. Pick Ups asked a question. "What is your music?"
The Blind Man smiled. "It is a happy song," he said. "It is the sound of spring. It is a very glad sound. It makes people happy."
Pick Ups asked, "What is the thimble for?" "For small coins," he said. People put money in it. They can fill it.
"And the metal cup?" asked Pick Ups. "For bigger coins," said The Blind Man. "Maybe a player throws a coin. It is a fun game."
"What about the wooden mug?" Pick Ups asked. "It has a secret," said The Blind Man. "Poor people can give money. Then they get it back. It makes them feel good."
"And the big tub and pan?" Pick Ups asked. "For lots of money," said The Blind Man. "People can share their money. They can put it all here. It helps everyone."
Pick Ups asked, "Why 'I Am Blind Too'?" "I cannot see," he said. Some people can see with their eyes. But they do not see happy things. They do not see kind things. We must all try to see good things.
"Thank you," said Pick Ups. The Blind Man smiled. He played his happy music again. He played for everyone to hear. Pick Ups smiled. The Blind Man smiled too.
Original Story
How the Potato Face Blind Man Enjoyed
Himself on a Fine Spring Morning
On a Friday morning when the flummywisters were yodeling yisters high in the elm trees, the Potato Face Blind Man came down to his work sitting at the corner nearest the postoffice in the Village of Liver-and-Onions and playing his gold-that-used-to-be accordion for the pleasure of the ears of the people going into the postoffice to see if they got any letters for themselves or their families.
“It is a good day, a lucky day,” said the Potato Face Blind Man, “because for a beginning I have heard high in the elm trees the flummywisters yodeling their yisters in the long branches of the lingering leaves. So—so—I am going to listen to myself playing on my accordion the same yisters, the same yodels, drawing them like long glad breathings out of my glad accordion, long breathings of the branches of the lingering leaves.”
And he sat down in his chair. On the sleeve of his coat he tied a sign, “I Am Blind Too.” On the top button of his coat he hung a little thimble. On the bottom button of his coat he hung a tin copper cup. On the middle button he hung a wooden mug. By the side of him on the left side on the sidewalk he put a galvanized iron washtub, and on the right side an aluminum dishpan.
“It is a good day, a lucky day, and I am sure many people will stop and remember the Potato Face Blind Man,” he sang to himself like a little song as he began running his fingers up and down the keys of the accordion like the yisters of the lingering leaves in the elm trees.
“I am sure many people will stop and remember the Potato Face Blind Man”
Then came Pick Ups. Always it happened Pick Ups asked questions and wished to know. And so this is how the questions and answers ran when the Potato Face filled the ears of Pick Ups with explanations.
“What is the piece you are playing on the keys of your accordion so fast sometimes, so slow sometimes, so sad some of the moments, so glad some of the moments?”
“It is the song the mama flummywisters sing when they button loose the winter underwear of the baby flummywisters and sing:
“And why do you have a little thimble on the top button of your coat?”
“That is for the dimes to be put in. Some people see it and say, ‘Oh, I must put in a whole thimbleful of dimes.’”
“And the tin copper cup?”
“That is for the base ball players to stand off ten feet and throw in nickels and pennies. The one who throws the most into the cup will be the most lucky.”
“And the wooden mug?”
“There is a hole in the bottom of it. The hole is as big as the bottom. The nickel goes in and comes out again. It is for the very poor people who wish to give me a nickel and yet get the nickel back.”
“The aluminum dishpan and the galvanized iron washtub—what are they doing by the side of you on both sides on the sidewalk?”
“Sometime maybe it will happen everybody who goes into the postoffice and comes out will stop and pour out all their money, because they might get afraid their money is no good any more. If such a happening ever happens then it will be nice for the people to have some place to pour their money. Such is the explanation why you see the aluminum dishpan and galvanized iron tub.”
“Explain your sign—why is it, ‘I Am Blind Too.’”
“Oh, I am sorry to explain to you, Pick Ups, why this is so which. Some of the people who pass by here going into the postoffice and coming out, they have eyes—but they see nothing with their eyes. They look where they are going and they get where they wish to get, but they forget why they came and they do not know how to come away. They are my blind brothers. It is for them I have the sign that reads, ‘I Am Blind Too.’”
“I have my ears full of explanations and I thank you,” said Pick Ups.
“Good-by,” said the Potato Face Blind Man as he began drawing long breathings like lingering leaves out of the accordion—along with the song the mama flummywisters sing when they button loose the winter underwear of the baby flummywisters.
Story DNA
Moral
True blindness is not a lack of sight, but a lack of awareness and understanding of the world around you.
Plot Summary
On a beautiful spring morning, the Potato Face Blind Man sets up his accordion and an array of unusual collection devices outside the post office. A curious passerby named Pick Ups questions him about his music and the purpose of each item, from a thimble for dimes to a wooden mug that returns money to the very poor. The blind man patiently explains each, culminating in the revelation that his sign, 'I Am Blind Too,' refers to sighted people who fail to truly perceive or understand the world around them. Pick Ups departs with new understanding, and the blind man continues to play his joyful music.
Themes
Emotional Arc
contentment to shared understanding
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Carl Sandburg was an American poet and writer known for his unique, often whimsical, style and his connection to American folk culture. This story reflects a certain American eccentricity and a focus on common people and their interactions.
Plot Beats (11)
- The Potato Face Blind Man arrives at his usual corner by the post office on a fine spring morning, feeling lucky and inspired by the 'flummywisters' yodeling.
- He sets up his various collection devices: a thimble, a tin copper cup, a wooden mug, a galvanized iron washtub, and an aluminum dishpan, along with his sign 'I Am Blind Too.'
- He begins to play his accordion, mimicking the 'yisters' of the 'flummywisters'.
- A character named Pick Ups approaches and begins to ask a series of questions about his setup.
- The blind man explains that his music is the song of 'mama flummywisters' unbuttoning their babies' winter underwear.
- He explains the thimble is for dimes, hoping people will want to fill it.
- He explains the tin copper cup is for baseball players to throw nickels and pennies into from a distance.
- He explains the wooden mug has a hole in the bottom, allowing very poor people to give a nickel and then get it back.
- He explains the washtub and dishpan are for people to pour out all their money if they ever fear it's no longer good.
- Finally, he explains his sign 'I Am Blind Too' refers to sighted people who 'see nothing with their eyes' and lack true awareness or understanding.
- Pick Ups thanks him for the explanations, and the Potato Face Blind Man continues playing his accordion.
Characters
The Potato Face Blind Man ★ protagonist
A man of indeterminate height and build, with a face described as 'potato-like,' implying a somewhat weathered, perhaps rounded or lumpy appearance, though not necessarily unattractive. His most distinguishing feature is his blindness.
Attire: A practical, worn coat, likely made of wool or a sturdy fabric, suitable for sitting outdoors. The specific color is not mentioned, but it would be a muted, dark tone like brown, gray, or navy. He wears a sign on his sleeve, 'I Am Blind *Too*.' On his coat buttons, he hangs a small metal thimble, a tin copper cup, and a wooden mug.
Wants: To enjoy life, create music, and subtly teach others about different forms of blindness and generosity, while also making a living.
Flaw: His physical blindness, though he turns it into a strength by highlighting other forms of 'blindness' in others.
The story captures a single morning, showing his consistent character rather than a significant arc. He remains a source of wisdom and gentle observation.
Philosophical, observant (despite blindness), optimistic, resourceful, and kind. He finds joy in simple things like nature's sounds and is generous in his explanations.
Image Prompt & Upload
An elderly man with a weathered, somewhat rounded face, sightless eyes, and a gentle, knowing expression. He has short, practical graying hair. He wears a dark, sturdy wool coat with a hand-stitched sign on the sleeve that reads 'I Am Blind Too'. A tiny metal thimble hangs from his top coat button, a small tin copper cup from his bottom button, and a wooden mug from his middle button. He sits upright in a simple wooden chair, holding a gold-colored accordion with worn bellows. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Pick Ups ○ minor
No specific physical description is given, implying an average, unremarkable appearance. They are simply a curious passerby.
Attire: No specific details are provided, suggesting typical, everyday clothing for a person running errands in a village.
Wants: To understand the unusual setup and philosophy of the Potato Face Blind Man.
Flaw: Initially, a lack of understanding or 'blindness' to the deeper meanings of the world around them.
They gain understanding and insight from the Potato Face Blind Man's explanations.
Curious, inquisitive, polite, and receptive to new ideas.
Image Prompt & Upload
A person of average height and build, facing forward, with an expression of polite curiosity. They wear simple, practical early 20th-century clothing, perhaps a plain coat and hat. Their hands are clasped loosely in front of them. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Corner near the Post Office
A bustling street corner in the Village of Liver-and-Onions, likely paved with cobblestones or dirt, where people pass by on their way to and from the post office. Elm trees with 'lingering leaves' line the street, and the air is filled with the sounds of spring.
Mood: Lively, hopeful, a touch whimsical, with a sense of community interaction.
The Potato Face Blind Man sets up his spot, plays his accordion, and explains the purpose of his various collection containers and his sign to Pick Ups.
Image Prompt & Upload
A vibrant, sun-drenched street corner in a whimsical, early 20th-century American village. A worn, dark wooden post office building with a small porch stands in the background. Large, mature elm trees with bright green, newly unfurled leaves cast dappled shadows on a dusty cobblestone sidewalk. In the foreground, a blind man sits on a simple wooden chair, his accordion resting on his lap, surrounded by an eclectic collection of metal and wooden containers. The light is warm and golden, filtering through the tree canopy. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
