There was once a man who sat on a hill<\/p>\n
Who believed he could force time to stand still<\/p>\n
So he called out to the sun; \u201cDo not rise<\/p>\n
Morning come!\u201d Not hearing it say: \u201cBut I will.\u201d<\/p>\n
One cool October morning, a little boy named Andy wandered off of his mother\u2019s ranch and trod into the vast and balding forest not too far off. His mother had always told him to keep away from the forest, as in it lived the wolves who were very deceptive and quick, the bears who were very strong, mean and loved to eat little boys, and the owls \u2013 who were very old and wise, but often told lies and supposedly would feed innocent travelers to their young. There was once a man who sat on a hill Who believed he could force time to stand still So<\/p>\n
\nBut Andy loved adventure, and being a mischievous boy who was seven years old and wanted to show that he could take care of himself, he scrambled off when his mother was milking the cows and baking a pumpkin pie, keeping in mind to come back for story-time and snacks in the afternoon.
\nHis little legs carried him for what felt like hours! (And what was truly only fifteen minutes). His yellow goulashes were muddied and stuck with leaves and the hat on his head (his very least favorite as it was brown and green with a large puffball on the tip) was growing damp from the wet air. Soon however, he came to a clearing with a very nice wooden cabin.
\n\u201cThat\u2019s funny,\u201d Andy mumbled. \u201cMama never said people lived here.\u201d And it was true \u2013 making it especially odd that the windows were glossy and clean, and that smoke bubbled out from the chimney.
\nAndy was a very brave and curious little boy however, so he waddled up to the cabin and knocked on the door, scratching at the itchy hat that covered his ears as the door opened to reveal that \u2013 indeed no people were living in this house! A wolf looked down at him, standing on its hind legs as it held the knob!
\n\u201cHello there!\u201d The wolf said, with a rather scratchy but overall nice voice, \u201cWe don\u2019t usually get any visitors!\u201d Andy did not respond, but rather saw behind her that there were many wolves in the home! A wolf reading a paper, and two little wolves playing, and an old graying wolf \u2013 knitting!\u00a0But then Andy realized that if\u00a0his mama was there she would be very cross that he hadn\u2019t even said hello to someone who opened the door for him.
\n\u201cHello,\u201d he said shyly. \u201cI\u2019m Andy; I live outside of the forest. I didn\u2019t know that anyone lived out here.\u201d He paused. \u201cYou have a very nice house.\u201d The wolf barked a few times, and Andy panicked before realizing that she was laughing.
\n\u201cOf course! Wolves have to live somewhere! We have a bad reputation ever since some hooligan tried to eat a little girl and her grandma, but it\u2019s nice to see not everyone is scared of us.\u201d And the wolf lowered her paw and Andy shook it. \u201cWould you like to come in?\u201d
\nAndy thought about it, as it smelled very nice in there, and it was cold outside, but he thought better of entering a stranger\u2019s house.
\n\u201cI have to go some more places,\u201d He replied. \u201cBut I\u2019ll come back!\u201d And he waved goodbye before continuing his adventure. They didn\u2019t seem so bad at all!<\/em>\u00a0thought Andy, walking carefully on large tree roots \u2013 but not careful enough, as he tripped and fell on a big root covered in leaves.
\nJust as he landed, a bellowing roar beat down on his head, and he covered his ears.
\n\u201cWho crosses my fortress? Who dares to tread on my home?\u201d
\nA large, muscly black bear with a muzzle covered in purple juices and some shiny sticky stuff, plodded out from a den right behind Andy. He hadn\u2019t tripped on a root at all; he had tripped on the bears\u2019 home!
\n\u201cDon\u2019t eat me!\u201d Shouted Andy \u201cIt was an accident; I didn\u2019t mean to do anything!\u201d
\n\u201cEat you?\u201d The bear said in a deep, grumbly voice. \u201cAre you a berry bush?\u201d
\n\u201cNo, I\u2019m Andy, and I\u2019m seven.\u201d
\n\u201cI don\u2019t eat Andys that are that old. I eat berries that are just ripe! I eat fresh fish! I eat honey!\u201d And the black bear licked his chops. \u201cYou should be careful not to cross me though; bears have no code of honor.\u201d This alarmed Andy, before the bear started to laugh. \u201cI have no reason to harm you, child. So long as you don\u2019t take my things and don\u2019t wake me up, I have no quarrel with you.\u201d
\nAndy did not know what that word meant, but the bear did not sound angry, so he relaxed. \u201cBe on your way now, I am going to sleep soon, so I need to finish gathering my meal.\u201d
\nAndy waved goodbye to the black bear, and continued on.
\nThat wasn\u2019t very scary.<\/em> Andy thought, curling his cold toes in his rain boots. He didn\u2019t even try to eat me!<\/em>
\nA few minutes later, Andy heard a loud \u201cWho?!\u201d A large bird swooped down before him, white and brown with a sharp, heart-shaped face.
\n\u201cWho do you think you are, little boy?\u201d said the great owl, spreading her wings. \u201cHave you not heard the tales of this forest? You believe that that you are invincible like so many humans do? Have you not seen the dangers that swarm within these rotting lands?\u201d
\n\u201cYou\u2019re making things up! My mama \u2013 she said \u2013\u201d
\n\u201cInsolence!\u201d Screeched the large owl, fluffing her wings and snapping her beak. \u201cYou humans are all alike! You tell lies of the unknown and expect all to understand your miserable aspirations! The last little boy who came here grew up to chop down trees! Our trees!\u201d
\n\u201cThat wasn\u2019t me though! I didn\u2019t do anything!\u201d
\n\u201cNor did I, and yet I am the liar.\u201d Andy thought about this for a moment, peering up as the owl spread her wings once more, casting a shadow over his face.
\n\u201cAre you going to feed me to your babies?\u201d
\n\u201cOh! Revolting! Horrendous! Disgusting! Vile!\u201d Squawked the owl. \u201cI want nothing of the sort! I want one thing from you as a human and one thing\u00a0alone!\u201d
\n\u201cWhat thing? You can have my hat if you want it!\u201d
\n\u201cI want you to tell the true story of this forest. You will go back and show them proof of what you have seem, and how you were left unscathed, and perhaps then\u2026\u201d The owl ruffled her wings and bowed her head. \u201cPerhaps then we will be considered in the human conquest to fulfill their greed.\u201d
\nAndy did not understand most of what the owl said, but when she curled her head down and plucked several feathers from her right wing he reached his hand out automatically.
\n\u201cYou will show the humans. You will show them that we are not as bad as they believe.\u201d
\n\u201cOkay, ma\u2019am.\u201d Andy said, balling his fist over the soft feathers.
\n\u201cI am not ma\u2019am. I am Nela. I am the wise woman of the forest. Baron is the guardian, and Freya is the medium who dedicated herself to learning human ways, to understand why they come to this forest.\u201d Nela crooned and clawed at the wet earth with her talons. \u201cShe is too kind, and the humans do not anger her as much as they do me.\u201d
\n\u201cShe was a nice lady.\u201d
\n\u201cYou are but a child, so I do not chastise her allowance of your impertinence, she does not know all that I do, she is very young, and her naivety I worry will be the destruction of us.\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m not gonna do what you said. I\u2019ll show them your feathers and I\u2019ll help!\u201d
\n\u201cDo what you must, child. I send you off with the warning that just as you believed we were dangerous, the people of the forest see the outsiders as much worse. You have the ability to change much, but in the end it is the choices we make.\u201d With that, the owl gazed at a rotted tree stump in the distance, flourished her wings, and flew off.
\nAnd so Andy walked, and walked, and walked back to the bear, Baron, who had already been spoken to by Nela. He had silently plodded over to the little boy, held out his paw and uncurled his claws, dropping a single sharp bear tooth into his palm. Andy looked into his sleepy, black eyes and understood as his tilted his muzzle towards the front of the forest.
\nAnd so Andy kept walking, and kept walking, and kept walking! He had not noticed how long he was walking before, and when he reached Freya\u2019s home, he yawned and stared at the swollen sun being hugged by clouds overhead. A sweet smelling breeze splashed over his face as he knocked on the wolf\u2019s door once again.
\nFreya opened it up, smiled a toothy smile and handed him a fluffy piece of fur.
\n\u201cHere wait!\u201d Andy babbled before she closed the door. \u201cI want you to have this!\u201d\u00a0Andy yanked his brown and green hat off of his head and handed it to her. \u201cYou can cut holes in the top for your ears!\u201d
\nFreya laughed her bark-ish laugh again, took his offering and gave him a soft hug goodbye.
\n\u201cI\u2019ll come back one day!\u201d He shouted behind him, running back home and she closed the door behind him.
\nAfter another long fifteen minutes, Andy saw the barn growing in the distance, and sprinted as fast as his seven-year-old legs could take him.
\n\u201cAndrew!\u201d His mother scolded her eyes large. \u201cWhere on earth have you been? What\u2019s all that you\u2019re holding? What happened?\u201d
\n\u201cMama, mama!\u201d He shouted, grinning big, \u201cLet\u2019s eat some pie! It\u2019s my turn to tell a story!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"