The Boy and the Squirrels
Encapsulated and sardonic, the small boy sits alone in the woods, surrounded by a
hundred shades of brown. The only sound to be heard comes from the creatures and wind
as they continually rustle through the dried leaves. He ponders the squirrels that are
before him on their daily quest for food.
In his backpack, the boy has two snacks which his mother packed for him earlier
in the day. While he could easily consume and enjoy both snacks, he wishes to share one
with his new friends - they seem so lost, as the majority of their efforts are fruitlessly
expelled. Perhaps he can make everything better.
Slowly removing his book bag from his shoulders, the boy roots through the
myriad of new belongings he has acquired along the way, only to draw out a small plastic
bag and a slightly larger plastic container. Within the bag is a small serving of nuts,
perhaps a handful or two. The container, on the other hand, is stuffed to the brim with
pieces of fresh fruit.
After seeing both, the boy soon realizes how truly hungry he is.. ..but the thought
of eating both is soon banished from his mind.. ..of course he must keep his promise to
the squirrels... Ahh, the delicious, salty nuts would be so tasty. Just the thought of them
leads his mouth to water. Meanwhile, the fruit is ripe and sweet - "they would
complement each other so well," he thought to himself, for as any child knows, any two
foods can complement each other as long as both are delicious in their own right.
Seeing how that the normal daily course of action for the squirrels results in a veritable
compendium on the variety of available nuts on the current forest market, and
that nuts result in a pleasurable, albeit oft recycled, experience, the boy initially veers
toward the nuts. They will certainly enjoy the nuts, he believes, but perhaps they will see
it as so ordinary that they needn't even thank the boy for his manners and deft attention to the
plight of the downtrodden squirrel. On the other hand, the fruit, being the xenophobia inducing
outlier, could prove a disaster.. .or a godsend. Perhaps they would hold up the
boy as a savior - no longer shall they need to consume solely in varying shades of
brown.. .or perhaps they would never visit him in the forest again.
The dichotomy between the placid known and the fear and excitement of the
unknown stand in stark contrast.
After a great deal of deep seeded contemplation, he decides that he shall indeed
share both snacks with the squirrels, for the sign of indecision hangs high over him.. .the
fear of anger or offense being directed toward him is too much to make any decision of
merit. While he may appear to be inspired by a wave of altruism, it is fear - not love -
which guides his actions.
Continuing to stare at the food before him, an experiment or two beings to form in
his mind; for why shouldn't he attempt to get everything that he can out of this isolated
moment? With that he places the closed plastic container of fruit on the ground before
him and proceeds to stand up sharply. Rather interested, the squirrels watch his every
step, as he slowly walks back and forth about 25 feet in each direction, hiding nuts in
trees and burying them in the ground as he goes. "Just what exactly is this boy doing?"
They wonder.
After a few minutes, with the plastic bag empty, the boy sits down in his original spot.
Picking up the container of fruit, he removes the lid and very deliberately places the
fruit, still in the container, a few feet from him.
"It's all yours!" He shouts out.. .but nothing happens.
"My mother gave me all of this food, but I would rather you have it. Please eat it
and enjoy!"
In a matter of seconds one squirrel darts out from inside the crook of a large old
oak. He immediately begins to search all the places he saw the boy traverse, digging up a
small nut. Then another squirrel runs up a tree where she saw the boy hide some of the
nuts. Soon a dozen or so can be seen mechanically rambling about after each and every
hidden treasure, while the boy intently watches on.
Not one of them has made any approach to the easy prey, but he notices their eyes
fall upon it now and again.
"It is just as I thought," murmured the boy to himself.. ."Just like everybody
else..."
As he begins to hang his head, he is caught off guard by what can only be
described as the ugliest squirrel nature has ever produced. The boy is immediately
transfixed, as every notion about the experiment falls away for the time being.
The ugly squirrel tries to find the nuts as well, but he is too slow. By the time he finds
one, another squirrel has taken it from him. Previously, the others had no care for
each other and simply stayed on their own course. The introduction of this misfit into the
mix throws them, for why should THAT be allowed to exist among the rest of Them?
Dejected, and slightly bloody, the misfit catches sight of the boy and their eyes meet.
Neither move, both being caught off guard by something they see within the other.
Slowly, the misfit cocks his head to the left, and the boy nods to him. With carefully chosen
steps, the squirrel proceeds towards the fruit - and the boy. The foreign
aroma of the strawberries especially strike him, for what taste could lay behind such a
sweetness? Receiving no form of disapproval from the boy, the misfit hesitatingly sinks
his teeth into a strawberry, whose green stem and leaves the boy's mother had delicately
removed.
The squirrel looks up and the boy watches as his little eyes grow quite large. As
they both smile, the squirrel digs in, helping himself to a whole new world of peaches,
grapes, pears, and, yes, strawberries. Completely satisfied, the squirrel happily returns to
his home, passing each of the others who remain on their quest for mediocrity.
Just then the boy hears his mother's call.. .it is time for lunch.
Leaving behind his new friend, the boy watches the woods recede into pavement,
as the blue 2001 mini-van ambles sludgingly off to the nearest fast-food restaurant,
passing each of the others who remain on their quest for mediocrity.
hundred shades of brown. The only sound to be heard comes from the creatures and wind
as they continually rustle through the dried leaves. He ponders the squirrels that are
before him on their daily quest for food.
In his backpack, the boy has two snacks which his mother packed for him earlier
in the day. While he could easily consume and enjoy both snacks, he wishes to share one
with his new friends - they seem so lost, as the majority of their efforts are fruitlessly
expelled. Perhaps he can make everything better.
Slowly removing his book bag from his shoulders, the boy roots through the
myriad of new belongings he has acquired along the way, only to draw out a small plastic
bag and a slightly larger plastic container. Within the bag is a small serving of nuts,
perhaps a handful or two. The container, on the other hand, is stuffed to the brim with
pieces of fresh fruit.
After seeing both, the boy soon realizes how truly hungry he is.. ..but the thought
of eating both is soon banished from his mind.. ..of course he must keep his promise to
the squirrels... Ahh, the delicious, salty nuts would be so tasty. Just the thought of them
leads his mouth to water. Meanwhile, the fruit is ripe and sweet - "they would
complement each other so well," he thought to himself, for as any child knows, any two
foods can complement each other as long as both are delicious in their own right.
Seeing how that the normal daily course of action for the squirrels results in a veritable
compendium on the variety of available nuts on the current forest market, and
that nuts result in a pleasurable, albeit oft recycled, experience, the boy initially veers
toward the nuts. They will certainly enjoy the nuts, he believes, but perhaps they will see
it as so ordinary that they needn't even thank the boy for his manners and deft attention to the
plight of the downtrodden squirrel. On the other hand, the fruit, being the xenophobia inducing
outlier, could prove a disaster.. .or a godsend. Perhaps they would hold up the
boy as a savior - no longer shall they need to consume solely in varying shades of
brown.. .or perhaps they would never visit him in the forest again.
The dichotomy between the placid known and the fear and excitement of the
unknown stand in stark contrast.
After a great deal of deep seeded contemplation, he decides that he shall indeed
share both snacks with the squirrels, for the sign of indecision hangs high over him.. .the
fear of anger or offense being directed toward him is too much to make any decision of
merit. While he may appear to be inspired by a wave of altruism, it is fear - not love -
which guides his actions.
Continuing to stare at the food before him, an experiment or two beings to form in
his mind; for why shouldn't he attempt to get everything that he can out of this isolated
moment? With that he places the closed plastic container of fruit on the ground before
him and proceeds to stand up sharply. Rather interested, the squirrels watch his every
step, as he slowly walks back and forth about 25 feet in each direction, hiding nuts in
trees and burying them in the ground as he goes. "Just what exactly is this boy doing?"
They wonder.
After a few minutes, with the plastic bag empty, the boy sits down in his original spot.
Picking up the container of fruit, he removes the lid and very deliberately places the
fruit, still in the container, a few feet from him.
"It's all yours!" He shouts out.. .but nothing happens.
"My mother gave me all of this food, but I would rather you have it. Please eat it
and enjoy!"
In a matter of seconds one squirrel darts out from inside the crook of a large old
oak. He immediately begins to search all the places he saw the boy traverse, digging up a
small nut. Then another squirrel runs up a tree where she saw the boy hide some of the
nuts. Soon a dozen or so can be seen mechanically rambling about after each and every
hidden treasure, while the boy intently watches on.
Not one of them has made any approach to the easy prey, but he notices their eyes
fall upon it now and again.
"It is just as I thought," murmured the boy to himself.. ."Just like everybody
else..."
As he begins to hang his head, he is caught off guard by what can only be
described as the ugliest squirrel nature has ever produced. The boy is immediately
transfixed, as every notion about the experiment falls away for the time being.
The ugly squirrel tries to find the nuts as well, but he is too slow. By the time he finds
one, another squirrel has taken it from him. Previously, the others had no care for
each other and simply stayed on their own course. The introduction of this misfit into the
mix throws them, for why should THAT be allowed to exist among the rest of Them?
Dejected, and slightly bloody, the misfit catches sight of the boy and their eyes meet.
Neither move, both being caught off guard by something they see within the other.
Slowly, the misfit cocks his head to the left, and the boy nods to him. With carefully chosen
steps, the squirrel proceeds towards the fruit - and the boy. The foreign
aroma of the strawberries especially strike him, for what taste could lay behind such a
sweetness? Receiving no form of disapproval from the boy, the misfit hesitatingly sinks
his teeth into a strawberry, whose green stem and leaves the boy's mother had delicately
removed.
The squirrel looks up and the boy watches as his little eyes grow quite large. As
they both smile, the squirrel digs in, helping himself to a whole new world of peaches,
grapes, pears, and, yes, strawberries. Completely satisfied, the squirrel happily returns to
his home, passing each of the others who remain on their quest for mediocrity.
Just then the boy hears his mother's call.. .it is time for lunch.
Leaving behind his new friend, the boy watches the woods recede into pavement,
as the blue 2001 mini-van ambles sludgingly off to the nearest fast-food restaurant,
passing each of the others who remain on their quest for mediocrity.
