Here's a little short story I wrote that grew out of story time one evening with Leah. Enjoy!
This is the story of a humble creature named Wimple. You may be wondering what kind of creature has a name like Wimple? Well, imagine a platypus with a regular snout like a dog and with a little longer legs and you’d be very close to describing what Wimple looked like. His kind excels at digging and they spend most of their time underground in tunnels and large caves. Wimple lived in quite a curious land. There was everything you could possibly think of or imagine for topography, from deep, flowing blue seas to jagged mountains bursting forth from vast meadows. The land has one very interesting (maybe even disheartening to our eyes) feature. There is absolutely no color! Everything is black, white, or any of thousands of shades of gray in between. Wimple and all the other creatures did not seem to mind though, since they had no knowledge of color, and what possibilities it had to bring beauty.
Wimple’s one task, and also his very favorite thing to do was dig. He did it with a great steadiness and just about average speed. There were other, more powerful and speedy diggers in the village, but Wimple did well enough to be one of the “expanders” as they were called. The expanders simply kept increasing the size of the tunnel system and elaborate caves beneath the ground. Wimple dug and expanded more than 10 hours each day. This seems like a little much, I know, but Wimple was a bit of a loner and didn’t really think a whole lot of himself. He found digging and expanding as a way to lose himself in his thoughts and it at least made him feel a little useful. You see, he came from a great family. His brother, Womple, was the fastest, most powerful digger in the whole village and was always in charge of leading new expanding expeditions. His sister, Wemple, was quite beautiful and was the most popular of all the young women in the village. She was also a bit vain, and absolutely loved to talk. In fact, she talked so much that Wimple could barely stand being around her because he could never get in a word. Wimple’s father was chief of the village and was a very wise, and proud father. His mother was known for her beauty across the land and also had a wonderful singing voice. She sang so well, that every year during the Celebration of the Soil (the most important celebration all year), villages from all across the world would gather to hear her sing the Rain Song. I’m sure you can image how beautiful and joyful the Rain Song sounds.
One day, Wimple was digging away, like he almost always did (on the third day everyone rested and ate bowl after bowl of carrot soup), and he came across a very strange substance. It was harder than anything that he had every encountered on his expanding expeditions. It also had a smoothness that felt quite nice on his sore paws. He found a small piece of the substance and dug to the surface. Wimple’s world had a completely white light source very similar to our Sun and he was almost blinded by the shine of the substance he held in his hand. Wimple had never seen anything like it his whole life! But he did remember stories from his childhood of something like this. He remembered the substance was called gold. He couldn’t remember what it was used for or even what exactly it was, but he knew it had much value. It was almost a legend to his people and he had found a whole lot of it!
Wimple kept digging around the gold deposit and found that it easily was the size of the whole village square cave, plus his home cave, and maybe even another’s home cave. Either way, it was quite large. Wimple had to stop and think deeply about what to do. He knew this gold had value but he didn’t know whom he could tell about it. He knew if he told Wemple, the whole village would know about it within a day and the deposit would be destroyed or taken advantage of in some way. He thought about telling Womple, but he knew his brother would do anything to solidify his position as the next chief and he feared that Womple would take credit for the discovery himself. Wimple finally had a fleeting thought that he just barely grasped in his mind. His uncle Warple, was a village outcast and hardly anyone ever talked to or visited him because he always talked of the past and the future and knew of many strange worlds and materials. If anyone knew what to do, Warple would. Wimple followed the tunnels to Warple’s home and payed him a visit. As soon as Wimple walked in the door, he noticed there was tea in two cups on the small, round table, along with two large portions of carrot cake. Carrot cake was Wimple’s favorite desert, by far. “Uncle, how come you have tea and dessert on the table...for two?” Wimple asked. “I’ve known for many moons that you would be coming this exact day, at this exact time”, he replied. Warple was known for his ability to see the future, which caused many to fear him. His greatest gift had made him an outcast. “Come, eat with me and tell me why you’ve come,” said Warple, even though he knew exactly why Wimple visited him that day. Warple told him the story of finding the gold deposit, and went into great detail of the size, feel, and smell of the gold. Wimple’s kind has a very keen sense of smell, and can pick up the scent of many materials that seem odorless to us. “What do I do?” Wimple asked his uncle. “Follow me, remember the way, and never let anyone come to this place with you,” said Warple, “I know exactly what to do.” Warple uncovered a tunnel opening hidden under his table, and before heading down the tunnel, he grabbed a very curiously shaped satchel. Warple and Wimple scurried through the tunnel and in a short time came to a large cave. In the center of the cave was a strangely shaped object, which looked like a mix between a cooking pot, a treasure chest, and a statue. Wimple had never seen anything like it in his life. The obelisk, as we’ll call it, had a shimmering quality to it, making it feel very magical. When Wimple approached it, his hair stood up on end and he felt butterflies in his stomach. Warple took out the satchel and drew a large key out of it. He walked to the base of the obelisk and inserted the key in a hidden keyhole, which only a wise creature like Warple could ever find. There was a low, rumbling sound, and then a hidden door was revealed. Strangely, it opened on it’s own, almost beckoning Wimple to walk through it. “Do not enter this door, my nephew, but take every single bit of the gold you’ve found and throw it through this door,” said Warple. “Is that it?” asked Wimple, “ Why must I do this?” Warple looked at Wimple, sighed, and said “Sometimes we must do things that are difficult and seem to have no purpose, but those are often the most valuable things we do.” Wimple and Warple left the mysterious cave and spent time visiting and sharing news of the village. Thoughts and questions about the obelisk swirled in Wimple’s head, but something inside him knew he must trust his uncle.
Wimple went back home to his village and tried to have a normal night with his family. They all could see that something was different about him, but after a few attempts to learn what had changed, they gave up. The next day, Wimple woke up with a joy that went beyond what he’d felt for a long time. He loved digging and expanding, but this was new and exciting. He quickly made his way to the deposit, careful that no one followed him. He dug and dug for hours, separating the gold from the soil and breaking it into smaller pieces when needed. It was hard work, and Wimple became very tired. He got to the point where he thought he could dig the gold no more because his claws hurt so bad. He then remembered his dear uncle’s words and pressed on. He came back day after day and became very strong from digging and carrying the gold to the obelisk. During this time, Wimple started carrying himself in a new manner. His bulging leg muscles and strong, shiny claws were hard to hide. He didn’t realize it, but he was starting to not only like himself, but believe in who he was and what he was doing. The whole village noticed the change in his countenance and there were whispers that he had learned magic or maybe found a new food that changed him. Wimple ignored the rumors and concentrated on the great task at hand. The day finally came when he had brought the last piece of gold to the door of the obelisk. He looked at the beautiful, shiny material in his paw. Just for a second, he thought of keeping some for himself, and maybe carving a handsome piece of jewelry. Then the villagers would really notice him! But, once again, he remembered Warple’s words and threw the gold through the mysterious door. All of the sudden, the realization of the task that he had accomplished flashed to the forefront of Wimple’s mind. He was quite overwhelmed, and felt a little hopeless now that he was done. The task that he had poured his life into for weeks was done. He felt emptiness, like he had lost his purpose, and started to cry a little bit. Just then, Warple walked into the secret cave and said “Son, why are you crying?” “You’ve done a great thing, and I knew you would finish this day.” Wimple replied, “I’m finished and now I don’t know what to do anymore.” Warple’s lips curled into a little bit of a smirk, “So you really think your task is done?” “You are Wimple, the son of a great leader, and greatness runs in your veins. Look at yourself now; you’re strong and confident, though you think wrongly that the strength came from the task. It’s always been inside you.” Wimple looked up in surprise and a little disbelief and said, “Uncle, I trust you and I am realizing the wisdom of what you say, but I still don’t know what to do now.” “Well there’s still one more thing that needs to be done, but it must be done with care and belief,” said Warple with a grave face. “What is it? I’ll do anything!” exclaimed Wimple. “Walk around the back of the obelisk and look very carefully at the ground. When you’re about ready to give up because nothing is there, you’ll see a large button outlined in the dirt. Press it gently, but with your whole being,” said Warple.
Wimple slowly found his way to the back of the obelisk and looked gravely at the ground. He looked at the ground for what seemed like an hour, and he was just about to give up, when suddenly, a faint outline appeared. He saw the button, paused for a moment and then pressed it slowly. He heard a humming, and the touch of the button felt like electricity in his paws. The humming grew into a throbbing sound, and it became so loud it started to hurt Wimple’s ears. He ran to his uncle’s side and yelled, “Uncle! What’s happening?” Warple yelled back, “Just wait son, just wait!” The throbbing sound was deafening by this time, so they had to leave the large cave where the obelisk stood. Just as Wimple and Warple scurried through the entrance, Wimple looked back and saw that the Obelisk was now spinning and gyrating uncontrollably. He looked closely and saw that there was a pattern to the gyration, and a rhythm to the spinning. Somehow this gave him confidence that the obelisk was designed this way, and it lifted his spirit. They finally left, and when they were making their way through the tunnel, suddenly there was a loud explosion! The shockwave ripped through the tunnels and knocked Wimple and Warple off of their feet. In that moment, Wimple didn’t understand what happened, but he knew something in his life would be different forever. “Let’s go to the surface and get a breath of fresh air,” suggested Warple. Wimple nodded, and they wearily dug their way to the surface. Wimple led the way, and when he reached the surface, he almost fell back down the tunnel and his eyes were bright and he couldn’t speak. “What is it?” asked Warple. Wimple could only point to the surface. Warple climbed up and Wimple followed. What they finally saw together was their world, but in vibrant, pulsating, glorious color! Neither had seen anything like it before, and it obviously was a breathtaking sight. Luscious greens flowed in the meadows and through the tips of the trees. Deep, rich browns filled the earth and all of the majestic trees. The greatest sight of all was the sky. The sun glowed a warm, beautiful orange and reflected off of the clouds, producing pink and blue hues that cannot even be described. Their awestruck looks turned into joyous smiles and they started dancing around. “Uncle, what happened!” exclaimed Wimple. “I don’t know son, but I didn’t see this coming. This is the most wonderful, beautiful thing my old eyes have ever seen. You did this! You’ve brought these things called colors to our world! The beauty will forever change the way our kind views the world. It’s not only for our resource, but also for our enjoyment. I realize now that we’ve been lost for a long time,” said Warple.
As they were speaking, many others made their way to the surface as they had heard the explosion that shook the ground like nothing they’d felt before. You can imagine the shrieks of wonder and excitement that followed. Many fell speechless or fainted at the sight. Many started yelling questions like “What happened?” and “Who did this?” There was a bit of fear throughout the crowd. Just then, Wimple’s father came to the surface and tried to calm the people, but he was not succeeding. Warple nudged Wimple and said “Son, it’s your time now. Be strong and tell them what you did.” So Wimple slowly made his way through the crowd to where his father stood. At first he had no idea what to say, but as he was walking something grew inside of him and all the sudden words started bubbling out. He told them the whole story, how he found the gold deposit, and how Warple knew the exact day of his coming. He told of all the hard work it was to mine the gold and bring it to the cave. He described the obelisk and the strange feeling he got when he was around it. He told of overcoming fear, of growing confident in himself and his task. Finally, he shared the guidance and wisdom that Warple shared along the journey. After sharing his story, Wimple looked into his father’s eyes and saw something he’d never seen before, respect and approval. Wimple’s father was wise like his brother and noticed Wimple’s look. “Wimple,” he said, “I see that you realize how proud I am of this great thing you’ve done. I am! But, you look as though this is the first time you’ve realized this. I’ve always been proud of you. You are such a humble, steady son. You are true to who you are, and kind to those in need. It’s taken a great accomplishment for you to realize this, but all you needed to do was look into my eyes.” Tears streamed down Wimple’s cheeks as his father spoke. Later that evening there was a great celebration. The smells and sounds of joy filled the air. There were great streamers and noisemakers that the children used as they ran around. The adults sat at great, long tables and ate a feast that never had an equal to this day. The sound of a thousand voices filled the air, as the greatest singers in the land released the joy that they all felt inside. It was almost like the songs caused more colors to appear as the sun slowly set in the Western sky. From that day on, Wimple became well liked and respected throughout the land. His uncle was no longer feared, and became a great teacher in their schools. Wimple’s family grew quite close, and had many adventures together. Wimple became a great leader and brought the village and all created beings into much prosperity and joy. He lived to see his children, his children’s children, and his children’s children’s children live in peace and happiness.
THE END.
