> Desert Wind's Fables and other Short Stories > by Phoenix Heart 27 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The sky was dark and grey with thick storm clouds. The rain was coming down hard as Melody Star sighed and walked away from the window. She and her two friends, Desert Wind and Midnight Dream were officially stuck inside until the storm passed. She walked into the living room where her two friends were busy tuning their guitars and playing Solitaire. "Girls' I'm bored!", Melody cried out in exasperation. The other two fillies looked up from their activities and groaned as well. The three of them silently agreed that today was going to be a long, slow, boring rainy day. Then out of nowhere, Midnight levitated her saddlebags over and pulled out her lyric book. "We could write a new song?", The unicorn suggested. Both pegasi shook their heads. They had already written 3 that day alone. Melody Star had an idea and went up to her room and grabbed her Karaoke machine. She came back a few minutes later with her karaoke machine resting against her wings and pulling a big dress-up chest down the stairs. "We could have a showcase? With dressing up and everything!", Melody said as she set the chest and machine down. "Maybe later. That seems like a lot of work right now, plus we don't have an audience.", Midnight explained. Desert Wind decided that, while those two argued over what to do she would look on their bookshelves for anything interesting. Row after row of books she looked through until she spotted one she had read before and liked. Holding it in one wing, she approached her friends. "Hey girls, how about I read us some stories?", Desert Wind suggested. The other fillies mulled that thought over for a bit. It did sound like a good idea. That and it gave them an excuse to not be quite as bored as before. Smiling, they agreed. "Well alright then. I suppose we can take turns reading them. I'll go first.", Desert Wind said happily. The three friends then gathered three cusions and put them in a circle. Melody went to the kitchen and returned with some popcorn and apple juice for them. They all sat down as Desert opened the dusty, old book. "Okay. First story: 'The Earthpony and the Apples'.", Desert read. > The Earthpony and the Apples (read by Desert Wind) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Once, a earthpony walked into an apple orchard. He eyed the fruits carefully until he saw the tree that was just right for bucking. He bucked hard into the tree but the apples wouldn't budge. He tried many more times and each time the apples still clung to the tree. After a while he gave up and turned away from the tree, muttering "Those apples were probably all rotten anyways". > The Chicken that laid the Golden eggs (read by Midnight Dream) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Once there was a Stallion and a Mare. They owned a magic chicken that would lay 1 solid golden egg per day. Although that chicken made them very rich, The stallion noticed that it took SO long for at least 1 egg (at least a day). So the mare devised a plan to cut open the chicken ("surely it's made of gold on the inside", she said to the stallion one night). When they finally cut it open, they were disappointed to find that it was like any other corpse! No gold! Then they realized their mistake of cutting open the chicken. For now not only did they no longer get richer, but they no longer had the means of getting their daily profits. Moral of story:Much wants more but loses all > The Manticore and the Mouse (read by Melody Star) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Oooh! This one's my favorite!", Melody Star exclaimed as she began to read. A Manticore asleep in his den was awoken by a tiny mouse running on his wing. Losing his temper he seized it with a paw and was about to crush it. The terrified mouse begged for her life to be spared. "Please let me go," she cried, "And one day I will return the favor!" The idea of such a tiny creature being able to help amused the manticore so much that he spared her life, out of humor. But the mouse would soon get ber chance to show her worth. One afternoon the Manticore got trapped in a trappers' snare and the mouse recognized his growls of despair and ran to the spot. Without hesitation, she set to work gnawing at the rope with her teeth and in no time, set the manticore free. "There!" said the mouse, "You laughed when I said I'd help. Yet now you see, even a mouse can help a manticore." > The Tortoise and the Bunny (read by Desert Wind) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Okay, my turn again." Desert Wind said as she flipped the page. "Yay! My favorite one!" she exclaimed. A white bunny was one day making fun of a tortoise for being so slow moving. The tortoise, getting annoyed said "Wait a minute long ears, How about we settle this with a race. I bet I'd win" he finished. The bunny clearly amused by this challenge good-humorously agreed. They decided that their Collie friend would set the course and judge. The day came for the race and they started off together, but the bunny was soon was rather far ahead. He was so sure that he was going to win that he decided to take a nap to rest up. So he found a nice spot on a hill and fell asleep. The tortoise slowly kept plodding along, passed up the bunny and soon reached the finish line where his friends were waiting. The bunny finally woke up from his nap startled and rushed off to the finish line. Only to find the tortoise had already crossed and won the race. The moral of the story: Slow and steady wins the race. > The Colt who cried Timberwolf (read by Midnight Dream) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- There once was a shepherd colt who watched over a flock of sheep. Of course over time he found the job rather boring. Deciding to have a bit of fun, he got up and hollered 'Timberwolf!' 'A Timberwolf!'. The townsponies heard the colt's hollers and came running over with sticks and spears. The colt seeing this reaction, burst out laughing. He then explained that there wasn't a Timberwolf and the townsponies left. The colt found this to be hilarious and way better than watching sheep. He decided to continue doing so multiple times and each time he'd laugh his head off while the townsponies angrily left. One day a real Timberwolf showed up and stalked the herd. The colt became scared and started screaming "HELP! A Timberwolf!, A REAL TIMBERWOLF IS IN THE FIELDS!" But this time the townsponies did not come running with sticks and spears. The colt watched helplessly as the Timberwolf fell upon the sheep one by one. Soon the wolf decided he wanted something more then sheep. Then he fell upon the colt and ended his life swiftly. The moral of the story: Don't cry for help, unless you really need it. > The Phoenix and the Pitcher (read by Melody Star) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A thirsty phoenix found a pitcher filled partially with water in it. But there was so little inside that no matter how she tried, she just could not get to the water. No matter what her beak just wasn't long enough and it seemed that she'd pass out from dehydration upon sight of the remedy. At last she had an idea. She began dropping emeralds into the pitcher and the water began to rise. Soon it was high enough for the phoenix to drink her fill. The moral of the story:Necessity is the mother of invention > The Mice in Council (read by Desert Wind) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Once upon a time all the mice in a clothing boutique met together in council to discuss the best possible way to secure themselves against the big persian cat that would pounce on them and kill off their generations. After many suggestions a mouse of higher ranking suggested they fasten a bell around the cat's neck. That way the mice would be warned of the cat's approach.This idea was met with a great applause. An older and wiser mouse then felt the need to point out one flaw. "My friends. The idea sounds fine, but only one thing has crossed my mind. Who is going to bell the cat?" the old mouse asked. > The Dog and The Sow (read by Midnight Dream) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Once, a Collie bitch and a Pot-bellied Sow were arguing about whose offspring were superior to any other animal. "Well", said the Sow at last, "Mine can see at any rate when they come into the world and hear! While yours are born blind and deaf.", she finished. The bitch only had a smirk on her muzzle and replied, "At least Mine grow up to be champion herders, while yours grow into Manticore and Timberwolf food!", the Collie replied and with tail held high she left. > First Intermission > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Midnight stopped reading when she heard the front door open. The three fillies were then met with the, rather wet forms of Melody's mama and baby sister. "Hoo nelly! Girls I am glad you aren't out there. It's raining cats and dogs out!", Moondance said as she removed her raincoat and Starlight's umbrella hat. The two fillies giggled as Melody helped her sister out of her stroller and onto the floor. Starlight Sonata simply giggled and tried to pull her big sister's wing. "Hey now." Melody started before making small gestures with her wings and fore hooves. (She asked in Sign language "Do you want to fly Starry?") to which Starlight nodded as she again pulled at her sister's wing, then pointed to her wings. "Fly! Mel fly! Star fly too!" Starlight said in broken half equestrian half toddler talk. Moondance smiled at her daughters as she went into the kitchen to fix lunch. Midnight levitated a sign book over and after a few attempts she managed to ask Starlight what she wanted for lunch. Starlight, being a toddler only made out the words 'eat' and 'food' which was good enough because she stood in take off position and squealed in happiness. "Appas! Appas please!", Starlight squealed as she signed 'Apple' repeatedly. Desert got up from her seat to go help Moondance fix lunch while Midnight, Melody and Starlight stayed in the living room. Midnight watched as the two pegasi floated around the room before she joined in by levitating herself and the three friends flew and flipped around. Pretty soon Desert and Moondance returned with daffodile sandwitches and hay fries for the fillies and mare and cinnamon flavored applesauce for the foal. Soon everyone sat down to a nice lunch. > The Gingerbread Mare (Read by Melody Star, end of first intermission) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After lunch, Moondance put Starlight down for her nap before asking Melody and her friends to listen out for her while she headed back out. They agreed but soon found that "foal sitting" wasn't all that exciting. "Okay...Starry's down and out and we're bored!", Desert quietly complained. "Not to worry! For I have a Story to tell.", Melody Star said as they sat down with their apple juice. There once was a old mare who had longed for a child of her own. One day she got an idea to make some cookies. After mixing the ingredients she put the gingerbread in the oven. Once the timer went off, she went to take the cookies out of the oven. When she pulled the tray from the oven a gingerbread mare with white and green frosting jumped up and off the tray. The old mare was surprised that her cookies came too life. Perhaps I put too much "life" spice in the mix,the mare questioned herself. Then the gingerbread mare started running around yelling and having a good time while the old mare chased her around. She then decided to take to the road and ran out the door yelling: "Run. Run. Run as fast as you dare! You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Mare!" The old mare chased after the cookie right as she passed by a farm pasture full of sheep,dogs and cows who smelled the delicious scent of cookie and wanted a taste. "Wait, Gingerbread Mare! We want a taste too! the critters exclaimed as the gingerbread mare ran off yelling. "Run. Run. Run as fast as you dare! You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Mare!", she yelled as she then came upon a river. Now a fox, who had seen the gingerbread mare run towards the river thought to herself a clever plan on how to get a quick snack. The fox walked over to the gingerbread mare and offered to carry her across the river. The gingerbread mare happily agreed and climbed onto the fox's back as she waded into the water. Soon the fox's back began to dip into the water and the gingerbread mare got scared. "Quick! Climb onto my snout! You'll be drier.", the fox said. The gingerbread mare did as she was told, but soon regretted it. For as soon as she climbed onto the fox's snout, the fox tilted her head back and snapped up the gingerbread mare. "As fast as you were little cookie, what you lacked was common sense.", the fox laughed as she swam on. "Fin.", Melody said as she finished. > The Fox and the Crow (Read by Desert Wind) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Desert flipped through the book until she found a fable she knew. "Here's one!", she said as she began to read. One bright morning as the Fox was following his sharp nose through the wood in search of a bite to eat, he saw a Crow on the limb of a tree overhead. This was by no means the first Crow the Fox had ever seen. What caught his attention this time and made him stop for a second look, was that the lucky Crow held a bit of cheese in her beak. "No need to search any farther," thought sly Master Fox. "Here is a dainty bite for my breakfast." Up he trotted to the foot of the tree in which the Crow was sitting, and looking up admiringly, he cried, "Good-morning, beautiful creature!" The Crow, her head cocked on one side, watched the Fox suspiciously. But she kept her beak tightly closed on the cheese and did not return his greeting. "What a charming creature she is!" said the Fox. "How her feathers shine! What a beautiful form and what splendid wings! Such a wonderful Bird should have a very lovely voice, since everything else about her is so perfect. Could she sing just one song, I know I should hail her Queen of Birds." Listening to these flattering words, the Crow forgot all her suspicion, and also her breakfast. She wanted very much to be called Queen of Birds. So she opened her beak wide to utter her loudest caw, and down fell the cheese straight into the Fox's open mouth. "Thank you," said Master Fox sweetly, as he walked off. "Though it is cracked, you have a voice sure enough. But where are your wits?" The Moral:The flatterer lives at the expense of those who will listen to him. > The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (read by Midnight Dream) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- AN: Phoenix: *looks at last update for story* 5...YEARS?!?! SWEET MOTHER OF PEARL!?! Okay you people need not have me EVER wait that long to update a story again! Seriously, that's nuts! I originally planned on putting this on hiatus for like 3 months. Not 5. FREAKING. YEARS!!! Geeze! Anywho, onto the next fable! Flipping a page, Midnight glanced at the art for this next table with an almost spooked look. "What's wrong?", Melody Star asked. "I'll warn you guys...this is one that's definitely on the darker side of fables.", Midnight replied with a small shudder. "Oh come off it! How bad could it be?", Dessert Wind asked in a non pulsed way. "Listen and I'll tell you. It's called, The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing", Midnight sighed as she started to read. A certain Wolf could not get enough to eat because of the watchfulness of the Shepherds. But one night he found a sheep skin that had been cast aside and forgotten. The next day, dressed in the skin, the Wolf strolled into the pasture with the Sheep. Soon a little Lamb was following him about and was quickly led away to slaughter. That evening the Wolf entered the fold with the flock. But it happened that the Shepherd took a fancy for mutton broth that very evening, and, picking up a knife, went to the fold. There the first he laid hands on and killed was the Wolf Moral of the Story:The evil doer often comes to harm through his own deceit.