The Man Without A Shadow

He took to wandering late at night.

Once there was a man who sold his shadow to the highest bidder. A creature robed in red entered the auction house and outbid all: a bottomless wallet of gold. 

The man was delighted but soon found himself unable to sleep. As everybody knows, it’s impossible to sleep without a shadow. It’s where you go when you sleep. With nowhere to go, he took to wandering late at night.

One night he saw his shadow dancing on a wall, performing for people. It cost a fortune to watch the performance, but with his endless gold the man could pay. He took his shadow back and bade it let him sleep. But the world was too delighted by his shadow, his shadow too happy to entertain. When they got home and the man fell into blissful slumber, his shadow closed itself and went back to entertain the passers-by. The man is still inside, watching the audiences through the dark mirror of his shadow. Without a body, his shadow will never die.