Pearl’s Gift and and a Lesson Created from a Large Prop Opossum
Pearl Finds Her Place and Her Peace as we get closer to the dramatic climax!
Hi, everyone! Even as our current work in progress is coming to an end, we hope your new year is already off to a good start!
After having set a date in February to end my “day” job, I will be retiring and writing will be my major source of income. It is an interesting time to anticipate as I join the list of “working writers” which already contains many of my good writing friends. It’s not what anyone would consider a monetarily prosperous list. (Just so you know, for each book that we have published, I usually make only about $1.00 from every copy sold—not a lot. But we do appreciate every book sale because we get a feeling that the lessons we have to share will be going out into the world to help things improve.)
In this week’s newsletter, things begin to come together for the Big Performance that our main characters have traveled half-way around the world and through time and space to deliver. Once again, the skillful martinets get much of the work done in minimal time!
Nate looked at Madame Judithe and said,” Although I just arrived and I barely know you, I have to say, Madame Judithe, I see such love in your eyes for my chickens that I must trust you with them as I trust myself. Gracie and I would be delighted to have your assistance with keeping our promises to each other.”
Pearl looked at Nate and wondered if his feeling for her would change when he found out that she had been selected to be the replacement for The Principalis Bibliothèque of The Parisian Living Library.
She knew that she would have to tell him, but she feared it would likely be the last thing she would tell him after helping his heart to heal.
But first, the big work had to begin. Monsieur Henri had arranged special admittance to the backstage areas of The Palais Garnier. Everything inside the building was spectacular and unbelievably beautiful. It took everyone at least a full working day to wander about and see everything.
“We will need to set this up as a stage within a stage,” said Nate.
“Sort of maybe it could look like our old stage back home,” suggested Gracie. “That way perhaps some of the magical feeling from back home can find its way to this grand stage.”
“I think that no matter where you dance together,” said Madame Judithe, “there will be a magical feeling for your audience.”
Nate began to slide the available spare backdrop structures around to establish a dancing area and spot for their own stage structure.
“We can set up everything here in the center,” said Nate, ”It will resemble a stage for a traveling show since that is actually what we are—a show that travels—even though no one knows exactly how we were able to travel here to Paris!”
As Nate thought out everything aloud, The Principalis Bibliothèque whispered directions to Maggie and a small group of martinets. In no time at all, they had brought in small buckets of paint and paint brushes and had begun painting scenery that matched Gracie’s vision of a truly magical garden.
Guided by their parents, even the younger and smaller martinets took part in this activity. It definitely seemed to be good practice for reaching difficult places that required aerial acrobatics. There was no complaining. All appeared united in completing the task of transforming the stage into a window into another world, with the younger martinets using smaller paintbrushes to apply the necessary details.
Using the framework of the stage set, Gracie showed everyone the plot of the ballet including the peaceful chicken princesses for each type of flower in the garden. As each different princess appeared, they did a unique dance appropriate for their dancing talents. Each princess was also accompanied by a pair of field mice carrying flowers as if they were their princess’s signature flower.
As the narrator, Nate explained that this was an annual event in the magical garden home of the chickens to select the main princess to be given the title of “The Camellia Garden Princess.” This was a shift in title to the original title of The Rose Garden Princess which Gracie approved of after Pearl had chosen pale camellia pink as the long-awaited color to be used for the ballet slippers and tutus.
The new title was quite satisfying since sitting under the shade of the camellias during the cool of the evening was a particular pleasure that Nate and the chickens had always enjoyed and one of their fondest memories of home.
The most remarkable creation by the martinets was a large mechanical opossum that was operated by Gracie’s old Biggest Scary Thing, The Sewer Rat as danced by one of the largest mice. As an evil character in the ballet, he had enslaved dozens of field mice babies to force their parents to work in his factory where they used their tiny hands to manufacture cheese cloth.
In the climactic scene of the ballet, after she has encouraged all of the chicken princesses to peck at and remove the fake fur covering the mechanical opossum to reveal the puny-looking Sewer Rat inside, Gracie is crowned as The Camellia Garden Princess and performs her pas de deux with Lefty which shifts to a solo dance where Emily appears and adds the finishing touches to a large drawing through which Pages from all The Living Libraries will fly to proclaim a triumphant message throughout audience area and beyond.
Everyone seemed very pleased with the what Gracie showed them, including the change made at the request of The Principalis Bibliothèque.
“The songbird Pages from around the world will undoubtedly make an unforgettable ending,” said Amelia. “I’d better get busy and communicate the plan to all of The Living Libraries throughout the world. There must be hundreds or even thousands of them!”
“No need to worry yourself,” said Maggie. “I will go with you. We truly only need use one of Emily’s drawings as a gateway to visit the main branches in about a dozen geographic locations. Then the main branches will share the plan with other branches nearby.”
“My map-making skills can still be helpful, can’t they?” asked Amelia.
“Indeed they will,” said Maggie. “And you will be able to add all of these new places that you’ve likely never visited to that remarkable map you keep safely in your head so that you won’t need me to accompany you next time.”
“I can do my own kind of solo, just like Gracie does with her ballet dancing,” said Amelia.
“The performance should end with one final trip through Emily’s drawing as the performers take our final bows and curtsies and follows me back to our garden home where we belong,” said Gracie.
“All but me,” said Pearl. “There’s something I haven’t told you yet.”
Everyone looked as Pearl.
“I’ve been asked by The Principalis Bibliothèque to stay here and train to be her replacement because she values my willingness to take chances and look at things in a different way. She would also like for Tippity to stay back as well because she values Tippity’s fresh and youthful thinking.”
“That is all true,” said The Principalis Bibliothèque, “But you left out one important detail.”
“You left out the part concerning your ability to see people as they really are, Pearl, and to heal the hearts of people and help them to be whole again with the guidance of The Great Gardener. From the very beginning, that has always been the chief purpose of The Living Library.”
“And I’d like to start with you, Nate,” said Pearl.
Nate looked at Pearl, not knowing what he should do. He was unsure if he should pick her up and hug her or stroke her feathers to help her relax.
As it turned out, all Nate needed to do was listen to Pearl after she flew to the top of the fake Opossum prop that the martinets had finished building.
“Just as this represents The Biggest Scary Thing in Gracie’s ballet. It also represent the biggest scary thing for people too. And what is The Biggest Scary Thing for people? It is The Absence of Love and The Absence Life. In other words, Death itself.
“But there is something magical about those who have been born or hatched. We are true flesh and blood, not the fabricated flesh and blood of those who come from magic and incantations. True flesh and blood is like a costume, a covering that contains spirit. That spirit never dies as long as it has a name. It is like my Blanche who died. Because she had a name given by Nate, even though she became sick and left us, she didn’t really leave us. The Great Gardener’s son came, called her by name, and took her away to be with himself. I know because I saw this happens. My Blanche is still sustained to this day by his love for her and our love for her.
“There is one more thing you need to know about real flesh and blood that contains spirit—As long as that one is loved and remembered by those who remain, that one never truly leaves. That one lives on and still reaches into our hearts and helps us.
“Nate, that is true for your grandparents too. They never left you. They have always been as close to you as your own heart. They have helped you make it this far, and they will help you with what you need to do the most.
“And I can tell you most assuredly that once you realize these things, your heart will be healed and you can go back and face your Uncle Buddy and whatever other challenges you may come across in the world of ‘good, normal boys and men.’ I know these things because they are the truth. What I have told you is the first and most important thing I have to say as someone training to replace The Principalis Bibliothèque.
“This is my proclamation to you and to all people. Be healed. Be whole. Be loved for who you have been created to be,” said Pearl.
And with those words all of the chickens piled onto Nate and embraced him with their wings.
Until Next Time
If you have any comments—good or bad—please share them on Substack or you can also reach me directly at John.Spiers@yahoo.com. We are looking forward to sharing with your exactly what happens next as the last details are prepared for the debut world-premiere performance of Gracie’s The Rose Garden Princess.
Our Best Advice for the Days Ahead: Remember that problems are not always what they seem to be. Whether it’s a “Big Scary Thing” or “The Bride of Professor Accipiter,” a problem always seems to be bigger and more potentially disruptive than it truly is. Likewise, the solutions we invent to deal with those problems likely seem more perfect in our imagination than in real life. Finally, remember the irresistible pull of a promise—or a delicious dish—made with love.
We will close with a “sneak peak” of what we are working on for you next! This is something that has been rambling around in the back of my mind for some time, and is inspired by a wonderful “working writer” friend of mine, Matt Hampton. (You can read some of Matt’s work here on Medium.) When he once helped a group of children work on their writing skills, the advice he took away to share with others was basically, “When you are unsure what to do, throw in a ninja!” I’ve already shared with you how much my chickens enjoy listening to the stories written by another “working writer” friend of mine, David Perlemutter. (You can read some of David’s work here on Substack. His superhero tales of action and adventure are equally inspiring. And the results? My own Amazing Miss Pearl and her Powerful Ninja Flying Kicks! Anyone with evil intentions out there, get ready! There’s a new Superhero flying into the neighborhood!
Based on my own experience, Amazing Miss Pearl will have shorter stories and many more exciting illustrations in color!)
Thank you for reading!
John, Gracie, Bessie, Pearl, Blanche, Emily, and Amelia
I love your creativity and the wisdom you have received from “the great Gardener.”
“You left out the part concerning your ability to see people as they really are, Pearl, and to heal the hearts of people and help them to be whole again with the guidance of The Great Gardener. "
Yes, the best part we all can learn from your stories. Happy New Year to all.