Ripley and the Oak

It was another brilliant morning in the woods of Hearthland where the girl known as Ripley woke. Dreary eyed, she stumbled from her messy bed shared with her brother, Laos, and two twin sisters, Ella and Wren. The morning was bright as viewed by the clearing in which their home resided among the trees. Work was to be done, yet the children were young and not all too interested in chores as their curiosity could often lead to the failure of a productive day.

Ripley was a wisp of a girl, with hair the color of spun sunshine that glistened as she took on the chore of gathering the water from the nearby stream. The path was long and led deep into the shady woods where, as the oldest, it was her duty to collect the pails of water that day as her Grandmother was busy tending to foods to be prepared for a special dinner that evening. Sunlight dappled through the leaves, painting the forest floor in a mosaic of light and shadow. But suddenly, the air turned heavy, and the playful chirp of birds faded. Ripley found herself before a curious line – a border made entirely of plump, red mushrooms. Her Gran had warned her never to cross the line, while whispering tales of mischievous sprites and things better left unseen. Upon a brief inspection of the direction of the path, Ripley spoke to herself "But ... if I go this way it will be a shorter route to collect the water for the day!" and so off she tramped beyond the line.

She stepped over the mushroom line and gasped. Flowers suddenly bloomed in impossible colors, butterflies with wings of stained glass flitted between them, and little figures, no taller than her knee, giggled from behind trees. A girl with hair of spun moonlight winked at her. Another, with skin the color of moss, offered a glowing berry.

Suddenly, Ripley was a whirlwind of giggles and gasps, befriending a sprite who promised to teach her to fly, a talking squirrel who swore he knew the secret to eternal youth, and a grumpy gnome who offered her a pet rock that glowed in the dark, but how did it already get to be so dark? Ripley jumped up from the games and chatter with this sudden realization. The sun had begun its descent, casting long shadows, and Ripley realized with a jolt that she was hopelessly lost.

Tears welled in her eyes. Then, a deep, rumbling voice echoed from above. A towering oak, its branches draped in emerald moss, stood before her. "Lost, little one?" the tree boomed.

Ripley sniffled. "I crossed the line. Gran warned me not to."

The oak chuckled, a sound like rustling leaves. "Fear not. I can help you find your way, but first, you must complete three tasks."

Ripley wiped her tears. "Anything!"

"First, find a golden sparrow that has fallen from its nest in my daughter's branches. Return it safely."

Ripley followed the tree's gnarled finger to a small young oak that was too young yet to speak or move like her elder. There, nestled amidst the leaves, lay a tiny golden bird, still like a clockwork unwound, its wing tucked at an odd angle. Yet this bird, could it possibly be real? It shone with the color of real gold, like the locket Gran wore around her neck to remind her of mom. Climbing cautiously, she gently cradled the sparrow and returned it to its nest, a chorus of chirps filling the air as the small bird suddenly moved and no longer resembled a toy or trinket. Life had returned to the beautiful creature.

The second task proved more challenging. The Elder Oak sent Ripley to a crystal-clear stream where she was supposed to catch a silver fish. "Oh this stream! I was meant to collect the water for Grandma!" After much splashing about and near misses, she suddenly realized a simple solution. She carefully lowered one of her water pails into the waters without creating a stir, as she did so a small fish curiously swam in with the water and she scooped it out from the tide.

With a flutter of her heart, she rushed back to deliver the meal. "For where are these Shroom children?" she asked the Elder Oak. It's branches swayed and pointed to a cluster of mushrooms clamped against a dried stump. They were of many colors and types and from a distance seemed unmoving. As she approached the smallest of the mushrooms, which were of the colors white, yellow, gray, and orange, opened their mouths wide to accept the gift. Their sharp hidden teeth waiting with glee frightened Ripley as she tossed the fish to them and they rushed forward, tilling the ground to pounce upon the fish voraciously.

Finally, the Elder Oak's voice boomed, "The most precious thing in the forest is not gold nor silver, but the unseen. Find the rock no one sees and bury it at my roots."

Ripley searched tirelessly. She turned over glittering pebbles and peered under moss-covered logs. She even reinspected that pet rock from the gnome. Yet, all seemed too significant or too dear to their surroundings, everything here seemed so unnervingly brilliant, just like the sun she had first felt when she'd awoke that morning. Finally, exhausted, she sat by the oak's roots, tears threatening to spill again. "I can't find it," she whispered.

The Elder Oak's voice softened. "It's not a rock of grand appearance, but a small, smooth stone, worn by time and overlooked by all."

Ripley noticed a tiny, grey pebble nestled among the roots. It felt warm in her hand. With a silent prayer, she buried it.

The forest shimmered, and slightly shook as suddenly a root came moving up from the ground, curled around the small stone. "Ahhh yes! Thank you child for returning to me my slipper! It has been lost for so very long!" Ripley fell back startled by the sudden movement "Is it time to go now Elder?" The tree smiled in the way it does and moved yet another root, then another, and another till it seemed it was standing on the forest floor. "I shall walk with you back to the path child. For it has become dark."

Wiping tears from her eyes and breathing a sigh of relief now that the tasks had been completed, Ripley followed the Elder Oak down the path, making sure to quickly grab her pails now heavy with water. They seemed even heavier after the tribulations of the day. Soon the two came to the same line of mushrooms she'd crossed in the morning, and Ripley could see the path home.

"Thank you so much for your help!" Ripley had turned to bow to the Elder Oak yet it was gone. As soon as she had turned her eyes from the oak to the path, the tree had disappeared and all had grown silent.

Ripley trudged with her pails slowly down the path till suddenly she could hear faint voices ahead calling her name. It was near night and the path had become hard to see, yet there appeared to be a light in the distance where the voices were coming from. "Grand!" She bolted to sprint forward til their faces came in to view.

"Ripley! Where have you been troublesome child?" Her Grandmother inquired. "I got lost" she lowered her head and mumbled as she briefly set down the pails to hug her. Ella and Wren peered from the door with the slightly older (but younger than Ripley) Laos standing over them picking at his teeth. "Hurry inside! Grandma wouldn't let us eat till you got back!" Laos sneered, the twins jeered from beside him "yeah!" "yeah!"

Their Grandmother picked up the pails and hurried them all back inside. Laid out on the table was a special meal, one to commemorate the spirit of their mother who had mysteriously passed away.

Laos grabbed 5 cups and scooped up water from the pails in each to bring to the table. A prayer was said and they began to eat when suddenly one more uncanny thing happened that day.

Suddenly the water became dry in the throats of the twins and Laos, they reached for more water to drink but their hands could no longer hold their cups. A snap was heard from one twin, a 'clink' like metal from the other, and where Laos had sat there rung a clatter. In each spot now sat an item where once there was a brother or sister. A bright yellow flower, an iron sculpture of a wren, and a small dagger with a glowing edge.

The Grandmother clasped her hands to her mouth "Child no! From where did you gather this water? Please... don't tell me it's..."

Ripley through tears replied "I gathered it from beyond the old Elder Oak, the one past the line of the red mushrooms on the path."

The Grandmother moved one hand from her face slowly down to the pendant she kept around her neck. "I fear it seems they have found a way to curse you too." she cried.

Ripley never forgot the forest, or the three tasks. The golden sparrow became a reminder of kindness, the silver fish a symbol of perseverance, and the unseen rock a reminder that true value often lies hidden in plain sight.

But three more lessons were learned this day in turn. Chores will grow as much a your curiosity. Shortcuts can be fun, but you may lose your way. And listen to warnings from your elders, because they know best the pain some actions may bring no matter how seemingly harmless.