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The Importance of Community: Lessons from Bennin Wigglebottom by Eiselle
Runner-Up for January 2023
"Herbs are a gift to us, not something we are entitled to."
Alyvia Ethereal Ritualist
7th of Shanthin in the year 100 CE.
-Dedication-
My first book is dedicated to my new family in Serenwilde. Thank you for
welcoming me into your forest. This book is also dedicated to my mentor,
who has guided me. Your wisdom and support have been invaluable, and I
am forever grateful for your guidance and generosity.
Lastly, this book is dedicated to my readers, who I hope will bring my
stories to life with their imagination. Thank you for taking the time to
read my words, and I hope they have touched your hearts as much as they
have mine.
----
Once upon a time, in a small furrikin village, there was an adorable
mouse furrikin named Bennin Wigglebottom. Now, I would say that Bennin
was small, but all furrikin are small, so it really should go without
mention. Besides, Bennin had other more wonderful features. He was a
fluffy mouse with big, round ears and the most adorable pink nose. His
fur was especially soft, and still, it gleamed as if he was always
freshly groomed. Our lovely Bennin had lovely bright green eyes that
sparkled with mischief and curiosity. Bennin usually wore denim overalls
with a blue and white striped T-shirt. The overalls were slightly big on
him, perhaps passed down from a larger furrikin sort, but it made him
look even more charming.
What about his shoes, you might ask? Well, what self-respecting furrikin
would wear shoes, our fee--I mean, their feet are just good enough!
Now Bennin does not know this, nor do you, but Bennin is both our
villain and our hero. How can that be? Bennin was curious and
adventurous. All good qualities, but like many in the village, he was
raised to believe that taking care of oneself and one's family came
first. Barely anyone understood what it meant to serve the community.
People only thought about themselves and their own needs.
Of the furrikin in the village, Bennin and his mother, Jennin, were very
well off. His mother had a very good ear for business and was quick to
act on good advice. She had a few friends in the nearby city who often
visited, telling her news. After one such day, she swooped upon Bennin
to tell him the latest she had heard.
"Bennin! My friends say there is a shortage of chervil in the cities!
They are paying top coin!" she said with a bright, eager smile.
Bennin rolled his eyes at that. "Top coin? The stuff grows everywhere
around here; I could probably find it growing out of Moudy's big
hairy--"
"BENNIN!" his mother scolded. "None of that now; pay attention. All you
have to do is gather all the chervil you can find and--"
"Yeah yeah, mom." Bennin sighed. "You don't have to spell it out for me.
Chervil equals coin, got it," he said as he pulled on the straps of his
overalls.
"I'll get to it first thing in the morning."
Before Bennin could head out to meet his friends, his mother was at his
side, pulling rather sharply at his large ear. "Now you listen here,
Bennin." she near hissed at him. "Do not go bragging to your friends
about this; if everyone is out there picking and selling chervil, it
will drive the prices down!"
"I know! I know!" Bennin said, pulling away from his mother's grip.
---
The next day, Bennin set out early the next morning to gather as much
chervil as he could find. He could not help but feel a sense of pride
and excitement. He had bragged to all his friends the night before about
how he would be rich by selling the chervil in the city.
Early the next morning, Bennin traveled through the village collecting
chervil from off the sides of the paths and walkways. Our diligent mouse
collected the fragrant herb by the armful, stuffing it in a large wicker
basket.
Out of the corner of his eye, he began to notice movement, people going
about their day. But wait. It was barely light and Father sun had yet to
make an appearance.
Oh no!
He realized that His boasting must have spread throughout the village,
and many of his friends, and his friend's friends, and his friend's
friend's friends had decided to gather chervil as well, hoping to get in
on the action and make some coin. For a moment, his heart sank, and he
began moving more quickly. He had a head start and had been out much
earlier than the others. He felt confident he could sell the chervil for
a high price and make more coin than anyone else.
Bennin gathered as much chervil as possible and set out for the city
with his heavy burden. He followed the road while carrying the chervil
on his back.
"Moo!" mooed a cow quite angrily.
Apparently, he bumped into a cow. Which is quite silly if you ask me,
how do you bump into a cow? Who would not see a cow standing in the
middle of the road?
Apparently, Bennin, I suppose, because along the way to the city, he
seemed to bump into several other cows. Why were they standing on the
road instead of on a farm somewhere? Who knows. Anyway, on with the
story.
Finally, he reached the city and made his way to the marketplace. His
quick work had paid off. He was very pleased to see that he was the
first one there with chervil to sell. He quickly set up shop and began
to sell his herbs at a high price, knowing there was a shortage. The
buyers in the city were delighted with the high-quality chervil, and
Bennin could sell all of it at a good price.
As the other furrikin began to arrive at the market with their own
chervil to sell, Bennin was already returning to his village, a bag of
coins jingling in his pocket. In the city, the rest of the furrikin
could barely sell their chervil at a low price. Many of them walked home
with very little coin for their hard work.
When Bennin arrived back home, his mother was very happy! They had
enough coin to live lavishly. They ate the best food, wore the finest
clothes, and had the largest house built for them. Life was good, and
they were well respected in the village. They had everything they could
want.
I am sure it is painfully obvious that their good fortune was not meant
to last. Within the next few weeks, Jennin was soon unexplainably weak
and grew weaker each day until she fell ill with a terrible bleeding
sickness. It was a disease known to pass from cows to furrikins, and
many in the village had contracted it after coming into contact with
infected cattle on the road. Jennin's condition quickly worsened, and
she became bedridden. Every little bump would cause her to bruise
horribly, and any cut could risk her bleeding out fatally.
Despite the best efforts of the village healers, Jennin's condition
continued to deteriorate, for there was no longer any chervil in their
village, and when Bennin went to the city to attempt to buy back some of
the precious herbs, they were selling far higher than even Bennin could
afford.
Bennin was devastated by his mother's illness. He spent all his time at
her bedside, trying to care for and make her comfortable. He could not
bear the thought of losing her.
Unfortunately, Jennin was not the only one who fell ill. Throughout the
village, the sickness spread, devastating the entire community.
As the days passed, and more and more people died, Bennin realized that
their wealth could not save Jennin or the rest of the community. He
learned that sometimes, no amount of coin could buy health or happiness.
It became clear that taking all the chervil for himself and not thinking
about the community's well-being had led to this situation. He wished he
could go back and change his past decisions. However, it was too late;
his mother's condition was irreversible, and she eventually passed away,
leaving Bennin alone with guilt and regrets until he, too, succumbed to
the illness.
---
Oh dear, what a horrible ending. This was supposed to be a children's
story! However, even children, especially children, must understand that
selfishness and thoughtlessness can have dire consequences.
Now, children, do not cry or be sad, for this story was not real, simply
a cautionary tale; however, it would be untruthful if I said there were
not similar stories throughout the Basin.
The story of Bennin and his mother, Jennin, serves as a powerful
reminder to us that the choices they make have the potential to
affect not only ourselves but also the people and the environment
around us. Bennin and Jennin teach us that it is important to think
beyond our needs and wants and consider those around us. Bennin and
Jennin took far more than needed from the environment, which led to
short-term gain but long-lasting consequences that will affect the
entire community for generations to come.
If you are reading this, little children and adults, you can rejoice!
You can learn from this tale and ensure your story and communities live
happily. All you need do is care for others, look beyond yourself, and
realize that every life is connected, from me to you to the chervil
growing along the roadside. Learn to work with others in your community
and cherish the value of life around you.
The story of Bennin and his mother, Jennin, should help you develop a
respect for nature and understand the importance of love, empathy,
compassion, and generosity. Living and acting with these values can
create a happy and thriving community.
Also, it teaches that someone needs to do something about all the cows
on the road. It really is an eyesore.
---
-About the Author-
Eiselle is a new furrikin author who is currently still trying to find
her place in the world. She loves to talk to people and to learn about
different cultures and history, which inspired her to write stories
about the world around her.
Eiselle is a great listener. She enjoys hearing people's stories and
perspectives and incorporating them into her own stories. If you ever
want to talk to Eiselle, please reach out. I'm sure she'd say, "My ears
are your ears!"
