This is my "Morning Story".
For the sake of getting my mind going.
At 4:00 am.
Chapter One
I am going to tell you a story. A story about a corgicorn, Squirt. Squirt was nothing special. Just your average corgicorn. She is plainly colored with light brown fur, marked with darker areas on her head and shoulders and mottled with white fur. She had large brown eyes, and like most other corgicorns, she had an orange-ish horn in between her rather large ears. Her legs were short, but her back was long. She was rather chubby and from a distance she could easily be mistaken for a furry, walking sausage. (This may sound like an odd comparison, though they are rare, they are a native form of wildlife in the land Illyricum, where Squirt lives.)
First we must discuss her present life in order to understand her story. She lived in a bustling town. It's not a bustling town like you and I would think, just another sleepy town on a road of sleepy towns. Though the town she lived had a few more inhabitants than the usual sleepy towns along the otiose road that runs through them all. The name of the bustling town was Anneston. It is a town founded on separation and hatred. The founder, Anne was kicked out of her hometown because of differences of belief. The councilors of her old town were completely appalled at her council concerning The One. Anne left her hometown and founded Anneston. After time creatures came from far and wide to live in Anneston due to the freedom they had in loving The One. Of course this brought war and hatred and separation, many creatures left Anneston and formed the other sleepy towns surrounding Anneston. These towns are Daszel, Darwind and Kokatto, to the north, Sliver Lake and Gwenkoe to the east. Though there were many counselors that left, there were many that stayed. Some were there solely to win people in to following them, and some stayed because they were not willing to let violence get in their way of loving The One.
Squirt lived at the Dear Hobble. This was where many other creatures stayed for a time. It was a group of tree house like structures that were strapped to each other for support. It was on the northern edge of town, this is where creatures would stay there if they were thinking of moving into town. A year was the amount of time you had to decide if you liked it in Anneston. Though Squirt was not new here, she moved to the Dear Hobble to contemplate leaving. It's not that she didn't like Anneston, she just had a restless feeling in her very soul. She thought perhaps she would find her rest if she left.
This move to the Dear Hobble was brought on by the council of the Riverside counselor Leopold. Leopold was an old folksy counselor, he valued Anne's counseling ways very highly. He was one of few who felt this way. This old otturtle was a wise creature. He swam upriver through the Crowded River that ran through the middle of town many years ago. He was often sought out by Squirt for council, among many other creatures.
Now that you know Squirt and a vague sense of her situation, let us go now to her now. We see her walking along the path that follows the Crowded River from the Dear Hobble to the center of town. Along that path there is a large tree, tall and strong. This tree has stood by the river for many, many centuries. In the roots of the tree lies the home of Leopold. He is often found gazing into the river with a look of distant thoughts. Today he was sitting with his shell resting against a root of the tree, staring into the water, without really seeing it. Squirt walked up and sat down next to Leopold and said gently, "Hello, counselor."
With a start Leopold looked over and saw Squirt, "Hello young corgicorn. How has your stay at the Dear Hobble been?"
"Well, I have seen many people leave. It is sudden and they look like so sad when they leave. Most of them leave and head north. Some leave with a lot anger and seem to spit fire when the speak. Some of them actually do spit fire. However there are some who leave into town, they are so happy and look so confident and sure of themselves. Like they know what they are doing with their lives. I want to feel like that, counselor."
After a some thought the counselor stood up and turned toward the tree, "Look at this tree. Is it not the most beautiful and majestic thing you have seen? It is strong, old and perhaps wise. This tree has grown by the river, it's source of life. Since it is so close it's source of life it keeps on living and will for a long time. In the fall it yields its fruit, and what delicious fruit it produces! It is a blessed tree, it has much life and it gives much life, for its fruit overflows and it can give generously. The creatures that you see leave the Dear Hobble with joy are like this trees, they have found ways in their lives to give as this tree gives. Their lives will be long and prosperous, for their are growing close to the river that is The One's love. However the angry and sad creatures are the ones who have chosen to grow in the desert away from The One. They are quenched and can only take life from those who give it. They get angry or sad when there is no more life for them to take, for they will surely die." after a brief pause he asked, "so young corgicorn, will you give life or take it? Will you grow or will you die?"
Now that you know Squirt and a vague sense of her situation, let us go now to her now. We see her walking along the path that follows the Crowded River from the Dear Hobble to the center of town. Along that path there is a large tree, tall and strong. This tree has stood by the river for many, many centuries. In the roots of the tree lies the home of Leopold. He is often found gazing into the river with a look of distant thoughts. Today he was sitting with his shell resting against a root of the tree, staring into the water, without really seeing it. Squirt walked up and sat down next to Leopold and said gently, "Hello, counselor."
With a start Leopold looked over and saw Squirt, "Hello young corgicorn. How has your stay at the Dear Hobble been?"
"Well, I have seen many people leave. It is sudden and they look like so sad when they leave. Most of them leave and head north. Some leave with a lot anger and seem to spit fire when the speak. Some of them actually do spit fire. However there are some who leave into town, they are so happy and look so confident and sure of themselves. Like they know what they are doing with their lives. I want to feel like that, counselor."
After a some thought the counselor stood up and turned toward the tree, "Look at this tree. Is it not the most beautiful and majestic thing you have seen? It is strong, old and perhaps wise. This tree has grown by the river, it's source of life. Since it is so close it's source of life it keeps on living and will for a long time. In the fall it yields its fruit, and what delicious fruit it produces! It is a blessed tree, it has much life and it gives much life, for its fruit overflows and it can give generously. The creatures that you see leave the Dear Hobble with joy are like this trees, they have found ways in their lives to give as this tree gives. Their lives will be long and prosperous, for their are growing close to the river that is The One's love. However the angry and sad creatures are the ones who have chosen to grow in the desert away from The One. They are quenched and can only take life from those who give it. They get angry or sad when there is no more life for them to take, for they will surely die." after a brief pause he asked, "so young corgicorn, will you give life or take it? Will you grow or will you die?"
