Tiny Tales

Loyal & Neutral

Loyal and Neutral are playing musical chairs along with Angry, Stupid, Selfish, and Mean. (Kind & Giving were playing, too, but naturally they were the first two out.)

The music stops and the scrambling starts. Stupid gets hit with an unseen elbow and calls out, “Ow! That was mean!”

Mean snaps back, “Wasn’t me, but I wish it was!” Selfish tries to straddle two chairs at once and is disqualified.

The music starts again: more jabs and jostling, and this time, Loyal takes an elbow from Angry, who gets a high five from Mean, who gets a meaningful look from Loyal, all of whom are watched impassively by Neutral.

By the time the music ends, Stupid has forgotten the rules and freezes in place. “Not it!” he cries. “Simon says ‘not it!’” Stupid is eliminated from the game.

It’s down to Angry, Mean, Loyal, and Neutral. The music runs for longer this time. The four players circle the chairs slowly, watching one another warily, ready to pounce.

When the music stops, a melee ensues as everyone dashes for a chair. Loyal finds herself between Neutral and Mean. If she goes for the chair to her left, Neutral will be closer to a seat. If she takes the one on the right, Mean will. Remembering the elbow jab and the high five, she drops into the left-hand chair. Neutral throws himself into the one beside it.

Mean pivots and lunges for the last chair, along with Angry. Angry, a fraction of a second faster, gets it. Mean fumes, his lip curling with spite. “You don’t deserve it, you know. I just let you have it.” He stalks off.

The music starts again. Loyal, Neutral, and Angry follow one another around and around and around. When it stops, Angry suddenly hooks his leg around the front of Loyal, tripping her and sending her tumbling. Loyal rolls over and looks up, wincing. The last two chairs are taken. Angry looks angry about it, somehow. But Neutral is placid, unbothered, mute.

Loyal gets to her feet, shaky and bruised. When the music starts one last time, Neutral and Angry stand up, ready to play on. But Loyal just limps off, not looking back.

”Where are you going?” calls Neutral. “The game’s not over!”

But Loyal doesn’t need to play anymore. She already knows who lost—and it wasn’t her.

BIRD AND MOLE

Bird and Mole were two friends who moved through life in very different ways.

Bird liked to fly high above the trees, cooling herself in the clouds, soaring past steeple and spire. The spaciousness of the sky filled her with a glorious sense of freedom, and from such heights she could see a perfect patchwork of farms and orchards.

Mole liked to burrow deep in the dark, in the warm, safe ground, working slowly through field and forest. The feel of the earth so tight around her was comforting, and up close she could see the beautiful underworld of root and soil.

Bird said: "If we traded places, you'd understand that everything fits together like a puzzle."

Mole said: "If we traded places, you'd know why it does.”

TRUTH AND DENIAL

Denial went walking through the woods, clutching something tightly in her hand. Truth saw her and asked, "What is it that you're carrying?"

"It's a rose," she answered. "The most beautiful you've ever seen." She unfolded her fingers to show Truth, who looked down to see a fistful of dried petals and a palm bloodied by thorns. 

Truth looked at Denial, whose eyes shone bright with pride. "Isn't it perfect?" she sighed. He smiled at her sadly.

"It was once," said Truth, "but now it's just painful. Why don't you let it go so you can heal?" 

Denial laughed and shook her head. "Oh, it doesn't hurt it all! Besides, it's very special. It's the only one of its kind."

Truth watched as she wandered off, her eyes still fastened upon the dead thing she held. So absorbed was she that she nearly bumped into Opportunity, who had come strolling along. But she didn't see him or hear him—or notice when he tipped his hat hello. 

ANGER AND OPINION

Anger and a friend sat crouched in a corner, coiled and ready to strike. Opinion came walking by, minding her own business, when she suddenly felt the sting of Anger's bite.

"Ow!" she cried, and looked down to see two tiny drops of poison beading on her skin. "What did I do to you?"

But Anger didn't say a word. He just pointed to Sadness, who stood beside him with slumped shoulders and downcast eyes.

Opinion frowned. "Which one of you bit me?" she demanded.

"We both did," they said in unison. "I was the reason," said Sadness. "And I was the rhyme," echoed Anger.

Opinion looked at them for a moment, thinking. Then without replying, she turned and walked away.

She decided not to visit that corner anymore.

PRIDE AND COMPROMISE

Pride and Compromise went walking together in the rain, not paying much attention to where they were headed. Suddenly the pair found themselves in a heap on the ground, a tangle of mud and limbs. Neither was sure how they ended up that way, but each secretly thought it the other's fault.

They spent a few moments sitting in the dirt, frowning at the mess they made. Then Compromise stood and offered Pride her hand. "I'm sorry," she said humbly. "These clumsy legs of mine! It must be quite a challenge to walk with me." Her words were cheerful, if heavy on the tongue. Once they were out, however, it was her heart that felt lighter.

Pride nodded primly, accepting the apology, but offering none of his own in return. "I hope the mud hasn't ruined your dress," he said. "Good evening." And with that he turned and left.

Compromise felt the sting of loneliness that came, as it always did, with arriving at a halfway point only to find herself the only one there. But it was still raining, and rain had a way of washing more clean than just dresses.

SHAPE AND USE

Two friends were walking together when one paused to shift the weight of something on her shoulder. The other frowned. "Why don't you drop that?" he suggested. "You'd get further faster."

"Because it isn't a burden," she replied. "It's a shield."

Her companion seemed confused, so she continued: "One is a problem to be solved; the other solves a problem I don't want."

After a moment she added, "Only when it's in your own arms do you know the shape and use of what you carry."

The two set forth once again, taking care to set their pace to one another—as friends do.

HABIT AND FEAR

Habit woke up one day and said, "I'm ready to change."

Immediately, she felt Fear tugging at her sleeve. "I bet you can't," he whispered. Habit ignored him.

Fear repeated himself, louder this time. "I bet you can't!" 

Habit turned to face Fear directly. "I heard you," she said. "I'm just not listening."

 ACCOUNTABILITY 

Accountability knocked hard on the door, but The Victim refused to answer. "Go away!" she cried, and stuffed her fingers in her ears. She looked with satisfaction at the arsenal of excuses that lined the shelves of her room. "I don't have to come out if I don't want to!"

"No you don't," replied her visitor. "Nor do we have to come in." And off he walked, hand in hand with Integrity, in search of another opportunity.

CONFLICT AND DIALOGUE

Conflict stormed into the room and crashed about wildly, breaking windows and glasses and hearts.

Some fled, terrified of getting cut. Some crept closer and saw themselves reflected in her mirror finish. The show didn't last long, though; Dialogue took her down with just one shot.

Impulse and Instinct

Impulses are like pretty little fish that swarm around you in the ocean. They're captivating, sure, but if you're not careful, they'll lead you astray in dangerous waters, distracting you from other potential perils. They're close to the surface; superficial. Observe them, but don't follow them.

Currents, on the other hand - those are your instincts. Always heed those. Currents we feel deeply, with the whole of our bodies. We can't ignore them. They are the underwater winds that pull us in one direction or another, warning us when we've strayed too far from shore.

Show and Tell

She wears his wealth the way a little girl wears a favorite dress. She twirls for her audience, twisting back and forth to show off all the details: the sash, the trim, the bright blue buttons. Clutch the hem. Pull it out, let it drop. Giggle. Do you see? Don't I look pretty in it? 

And we nod and smile and pat her on the head. Ooh, yes, isn't that lovely! we exclaim, because we are polite, and because sometimes show and tell is a child's strongest subject.

Blogger King

“WELCOME TO BLOGGER KING MAY I TAKE YOUR ORDER”

”Yeah hi I'd like the fame and fortune combo, but can you hold the accountability and public scrutiny and give me unconditional love instead?”

”SORRY LADY NO SUBSTITUTIONS”

 Goodwill, GRACE, Grievance & Grudge

Goodwill and Grace were strolling along, enjoying the sunshine and each other’s company. They noticed another pair coming down the path towards them; it was Grievance and Grudge.

“Good day!” called Grace.

”How do you do!” echoed Goodwill.

But Grievance and Grudge just glared, twitchy with anger.

“Good?!” sneered Grievance.

”Good?!” jeered Grudge.

”What’s good about it?!” they barked in tandem.

Grievance pointed at the clear blue sky. “Just look at that cloud,” she said. “That monstrous, beastly, stupid, puffy cloud!”

Grudge nodded vigorously towards the same patch of empty sky. “Ruining everything, it is!”

Goodwill and Grace did not wish to be rude. But for the life of them both, they could not see even the wisp of a cloud on the horizon.

”Er,” said Goodwill, casting about for something kind but true to say. “Erm…”

Grace jumped in, ever ready with one of her soft landings. “Ah yes, of course. It rained yesterday, no? That must be the cloud you’re thinking of! Beastly indeed,” she agreed, smiling. “Quite glad it’s gone now.” Goodwill sighed with relief.

But Grievance and Grudge ignored Grace. They stood staring at the bright, cloudless blue another moment then stalked off, roughly bumping Goodwill as they did. (Goodwill said not a word.)

“Horrible, terrible cloud,” they heard Grudge mutter.

”Miserable, lousy thing,” Grievance growled.

And just as quickly as they’d come, so they were gone, forgettable and unimportant as the wispy remains of yesterday’s clouds. Goodwill and Grace shrugged and resumed their stroll, each thinking to herself how glad she was that this was her companion, and not another.