Harvest

Emerald is getting impatient: «When will the time come? When will all the mice stories finally go out into the world and the Emerald Theatre website be launched? We’ve been working for a long time and….»

«Slowly, slowly,» Grandma says gently, «It’s still a few moons until the harvest. The skylarks are still singing! Please, call everyone together; I want to tell you a story.»

Emerald hurries to the writing room, where some of the mice are studying ancient sea routes on a huge map: «Come everybody! Grandma is going to tell a story!»

Card players leave their decks on the table and chess players quickly make one last adventurous chess move. The mouse children close their books and hurry to Grandma's favorite spot at the foot of the oak tree down by the river.

After the dust settles and the chitter chatter stops, Grandma looks around contentedly into three dozen sparkly eyes.

«Do you remember when we heard the skylarks singing in May and Linda and Jiminy's tummies hurt so bad?» she begins. Everyone nods enthusiastically.

Grandma rubs her tummy: «I know this tummy ache well, because as children we used to nibble the young grains of corn, before they were ripe. Our wise Mother soothed our pains with chamomile tea and told us: <Remember: as long as the skylarks are singing, the grain is not yet ripe for harvesting!> Then she sent us to the edge of the cornfield and listen. A soft crackling could be heard! The corn beings were growing!»

Grandma Blue River smiles: «And now here’s a secret: right in the middle of the cornfield, very well hidden, is the skylarks' nursery. It is said that the skylarks are corn singers and corn dancers. Their beautiful songs and their powerful flight help the seeds germinate and sprout. They call the corn children to the light that way, when they are soaring high up in the sky.»

A soft breeze touches the small crowd of pricked up ears in the audience.

Grandma looks out over the slowly flowing river for a moment, deep in thought: «As soon as her children have fledged, the skylarks stop singing and then we know that the grain is ripe for harvesting! Then will also be the time for our stories to travel into the world.»

“Skylarks no longer have their safe home in the fields. The human beings have forgotten them and their stories, just as they have forgotten to sing to the plant beings. Linda and Jiminy, ask Ohio to take you with him next time he goes to the fields to sing.»