Our fable begins on a small farm above a small village. If you listen closely, you can hear the distant sound of horses plowing a field and the rustle of leaves on the trees. However, if you bend down and touch the ground, you will feel that it is dry and warm.
The sun is beating down on the field as it has been for the past two months. While this has made for excellent sunbathing weather, the crops have not had enough water to grow, and the yield has been poor.
Sitting against a cobbled stone wall is Brynn. A small boy who has just turned eight. He knows that his family will not have enough food for the winter and is determined to think of a plan to help them.
One day a wandering bald man walked through the village and told the people about an ancient statue that could summon rain as much as the hand that held it wished.
Of course, all the men were excited to find the ancient statue. But most of the men were greedy, so they would not make it rain and force the village to serve them if they found it.
One boy stood among the men who wanted to find the statue. It was Brynn! He packed five loaves of bread and two apples then joined the men on their quest to find the ancient statue. Once they got to a village, they all went separately to see the statue.
So Brynn was left alone and spent many days and nights with nobody to talk to. But one day, he was left with one apple slice and a piece of bread. Two hours later, he saw an old man weak with hunger. Turns out he was ignored by the men he called friends, which left him to die of hunger. But Brynn felt pity for this man and gave him his remaining apple and bread. Soon the man was able to speak. He told him about a great temple holding an ancient statue that would summon rain.
Brynn jumped to his feet and ran in the direction of the temple. But the old man stopped him.
He said the temple was littered with traps that no one could escape. “Except me, “as he showed Brynn a dirty, ragged skin bag holding something small. It was a statue with an old man lying down on the ground with a boy giving him an apple and bread with a rain cloud over them.
Suddenly he heard thunder in the distance. Over the horizon, he saw an immense cloud with rain falling down hard. Brynn let out a whop and went to the old man to thank him, but he disappeared.
Brynn got home just in time before the rain hit his village. Everybody cried out for joy that the drought was over. Brynn was considered a hero; everybody had lots to eat over the winter.
Moral lesson: Being helpful always pays off.
About the Author
Luis Joaquin Arbon is an incoming Grade 6 student and he has been homeschooled since 2019. He is enrolled in Ben Button Online Tutorial Services (BUBOTS) from January 2022 to improve his writing skills.
He loves to read and especially enjoyed the Horrible Histories books and The Hobbit. He also likes to play board games (popular and DIY) with his sisters. His favorite is Clue.