This is one of the stories in my book, Once Upon Once Again.
Appreciation
by James E Southern
Once upon a twig upon a branch of a tree, a lone fairy swung back and forth and back and forth. She was reflecting, “What is life all about?"
In a nearby nest, two robins were feeding their newly-hatched chicks. The fairy sang a song:
See the robins nesting
Such is togetherness
Hear their cheerful chirping
Why my loneliness?
In case her presence was disturbing the robins, the fairy flew off. “Helping hands make happy hearts. If I get involved helping, I may not feel so lonely.”
She heard a cry for help. On the tip of a leaf of a rose bush, she saw a lone aphid with an ant closing in on her.
The fairy darted down to the leaf. “Hop on my back,” she offered. The aphid hopped onto her back and the fairy flew off just as the ant reached the tip of the leaf.
“Thanks.” The aphid breathed a sigh of relief.
“You’re welcome.” The fairy alighted on another leaf and the aphid dismounted.
Because the leaf that they were on was ant-free, and tasty also, according to the aphid, they decided to stay for a while. The fairy settled into a comfortable position ready for the counselling sessions. The aphid needed therapy after her traumatic experience.
“Tell me how you felt when you saw the ant,” the fairy began.
“‘Oh no, not again,’ was my reaction.” The aphid sampled a new part of the leaf.
“You mean you’ve seen ants like that before?”
“Yes, too often!” The aphid resumed sucking sap.
“Tell me about your first encounter with ants.”
“We—that’s me and my sisters—were feasting on this nice juicy leaf when we spied an army of giant monsters climbing up the leaf stem. We were trapped! The ants marched right onto the leaf and started milking us as if we had no say in the matter. It was the same the next day and the next. I couldn’t take it any more so I jumped down to another leaf. It wasn't a bad leaf at all—even juicier than the last. I was alone there for a while but then an ant climbed onto my leaf. That’s when you rescued me.” The aphid's explanation required a long break from sucking sap.
“You said that you were alone there for a while. Did you feel lonely?”
“A bit, but it was a nice juicy leaf.”
“You said with emotion that you couldn’t take it any more,” the fairy continued. “Tell me about it. It’s good to get it off your chest.”
“They just wouldn’t leave me alone. Even when I was sucking sap, they would be fondling my private parts.” The aphid resumed sucking sap.
Therapy sessions continued the next day. They were both enjoying each other’s company. Neither of them was feeling lonely.
The time came, however, when the aphid seemed to withdraw as if she wanted privacy, though there wasn’t much privacy to be had on the open leaf. Then the two were no longer alone together—there were dozens of little aphids milling around their mother. The fairy felt as if she was an outsider.
It was time to move on. The fairy flew up to the leaf that the aphid had said was her home leaf. None of the aphid’s sisters were there. Neither were there any ants. They had all moved on to other leaves because that home leaf was withered with little sap left in it.
On the path by the rose bush, the fairy spied a worm crawling by. However, it was crawling along the path rather than across the path. It seemed to be in need of directional assistance. She flew down.
“If you’re looking for soft soil,” she addressed the worm, “you need to make either a left or a right turn.”
“This is the way I’m going,” the worm replied.
“Just thought I’d help.” The fairy wondered if the worm knew left from right.
Just then, in a sudden change of direction, the worm became airborne in the beak of a robin.
The fairy watched them go and thought about life. The robins would appreciate a nice juicy worm but the worm wouldn’t appreciate being eaten. Likewise, the ants appreciated the aphids but the aphids didn’t appreciate the ants. The aphids appreciated the rose bush but the rose bush didn’t appreciate the aphids.
She sang another song:
With living beings in this world
When associated
It’s better to appreciate
Than be appreciated
by James E Southern
Once upon a twig upon a branch of a tree, a lone fairy swung back and forth and back and forth. She was reflecting, “What is life all about?"
In a nearby nest, two robins were feeding their newly-hatched chicks. The fairy sang a song:
See the robins nesting
Such is togetherness
Hear their cheerful chirping
Why my loneliness?
In case her presence was disturbing the robins, the fairy flew off. “Helping hands make happy hearts. If I get involved helping, I may not feel so lonely.”
She heard a cry for help. On the tip of a leaf of a rose bush, she saw a lone aphid with an ant closing in on her.
The fairy darted down to the leaf. “Hop on my back,” she offered. The aphid hopped onto her back and the fairy flew off just as the ant reached the tip of the leaf.
“Thanks.” The aphid breathed a sigh of relief.
“You’re welcome.” The fairy alighted on another leaf and the aphid dismounted.
Because the leaf that they were on was ant-free, and tasty also, according to the aphid, they decided to stay for a while. The fairy settled into a comfortable position ready for the counselling sessions. The aphid needed therapy after her traumatic experience.
“Tell me how you felt when you saw the ant,” the fairy began.
“‘Oh no, not again,’ was my reaction.” The aphid sampled a new part of the leaf.
“You mean you’ve seen ants like that before?”
“Yes, too often!” The aphid resumed sucking sap.
“Tell me about your first encounter with ants.”
“We—that’s me and my sisters—were feasting on this nice juicy leaf when we spied an army of giant monsters climbing up the leaf stem. We were trapped! The ants marched right onto the leaf and started milking us as if we had no say in the matter. It was the same the next day and the next. I couldn’t take it any more so I jumped down to another leaf. It wasn't a bad leaf at all—even juicier than the last. I was alone there for a while but then an ant climbed onto my leaf. That’s when you rescued me.” The aphid's explanation required a long break from sucking sap.
“You said that you were alone there for a while. Did you feel lonely?”
“A bit, but it was a nice juicy leaf.”
“You said with emotion that you couldn’t take it any more,” the fairy continued. “Tell me about it. It’s good to get it off your chest.”
“They just wouldn’t leave me alone. Even when I was sucking sap, they would be fondling my private parts.” The aphid resumed sucking sap.
Therapy sessions continued the next day. They were both enjoying each other’s company. Neither of them was feeling lonely.
The time came, however, when the aphid seemed to withdraw as if she wanted privacy, though there wasn’t much privacy to be had on the open leaf. Then the two were no longer alone together—there were dozens of little aphids milling around their mother. The fairy felt as if she was an outsider.
It was time to move on. The fairy flew up to the leaf that the aphid had said was her home leaf. None of the aphid’s sisters were there. Neither were there any ants. They had all moved on to other leaves because that home leaf was withered with little sap left in it.
On the path by the rose bush, the fairy spied a worm crawling by. However, it was crawling along the path rather than across the path. It seemed to be in need of directional assistance. She flew down.
“If you’re looking for soft soil,” she addressed the worm, “you need to make either a left or a right turn.”
“This is the way I’m going,” the worm replied.
“Just thought I’d help.” The fairy wondered if the worm knew left from right.
Just then, in a sudden change of direction, the worm became airborne in the beak of a robin.
The fairy watched them go and thought about life. The robins would appreciate a nice juicy worm but the worm wouldn’t appreciate being eaten. Likewise, the ants appreciated the aphids but the aphids didn’t appreciate the ants. The aphids appreciated the rose bush but the rose bush didn’t appreciate the aphids.
She sang another song:
With living beings in this world
When associated
It’s better to appreciate
Than be appreciated