",
"writing": "A giant tomato crushed my truck! The story of the green beak griffin.\nStory and art by Angela King\n\n\n\tFarmer Kenny Stood on his porch and frowned as he looked out at his garden one morning. \nHis wife came out wiping her hands on a dish rag. “What’s wrong dear” she said “Did some animal get into the crops? \nFarmer Kenny sighed. “No dear” he said “it’s just that organic fruit and vegetables don’t seem to grow as well or as large as non-organic fruit and vegetables. I would just really like too win a blue ribbon for the largest pumpkin... or for anything else I grow. Every year farmer Scott always rubs my nose in it. He laughs at me and says why enter if your growing organic, organic is just a fad, you can’t grow anything big and perfect without chemicals! It just makes me wonder if growing organic is worth it. I don’t get as many fruits and vegetables and they don’t grow as large either.” farmer Kenny stands there looking sad. \n\tHis wife looks at him thinking. She leans over and gives him a kiss on the cheek. “ your dream was to own an organic farm” She says smiling. He turns to her and smiles. She take his hands. “I believe in you. You have been following everything in the books you bought maybe you should start thinking outside the box. You where always good at that in high school. You should find a new way, a better way, a different way to make your organic fruits and vegetables grow bigger.”\n\tOutside the box the farmer thought. He leans over and kisses his wife. “I love you.” he said “I have the smartest wife in the world.” \n\tHis wife smiled. “I’m going back inside” she said “I still have the pie I’m working on to finish. You will be having my soon to be world famous 4 apple pie tonight.” \n\t“That sounds good hun”. The farmer said “Its sure to win a blue ribbon at the fair this year”. Now the farmer thought, time to brainstorm and to start thinking outside the box.\n\t\n\tThe next day the farmer sat down with a slice of what he thinks will be the worlds most famous apple pie and looked at his notes from yesterdays brainstorming session. Well he thinks, I’ve been using the\nnewest most modern way to grow organic and its not working well so I think I need to look at older or alternative ways to do it. I need to got to the library for some books. At the library the farmer looks at all the books on organic farming. lt’s all the same stuff he thinks. The farmer goes to the Librarian and says \"l need books on organic farming but not the normal ones, maybe some of the older ones or odd books? \n\tThe librarian says \"hear is a list but the books are not in this library we will need to request them.\" \"Thanks\" the farmer said \"that would be great\".\n\n\tA week later farmer Kenny came in to the house for lunch.\n \"How was your day dear” his wife said smiling. \n“Ok”. The farmer said. \"Why the big grin?\" he asks. \nThe library called, your books are in.\" \n\"Great\". He said \"l’m going to go get them\" his wife gave him a stern look. What did I do now he thought. \n She raised an eyebrow and looked at him. \"Forgetting something?\" she said. \nHe kissed her on the cheek. \"l love you\" he said. He turns and grabs his keys, he looks back. She's still frowning. Oh know he thinks.\"honey\" he says \"l’m a forgetful old man. What did I forget. \n She looks at him. She say's in a stern mothers' voice \"l worked all morning on this lunch to cheer you up and now your going to leave and let it get cold for some books?\" she raises her eyebrow again. \n\"Sorry honey, lunch would be great. lt smells wonderful.\" he said kissing her cheek again. \nShe smiles \"come eat then we both can go to town.\" \n\tAfter a wonderful lunch farmer Kenny and his wife went into town. She said \"l’m going to do some shopping and visit with my friends. I’ll have one of them take me home later. Have fun with your books. \n\t Farmer Kenny went to the library. At the front desk he said \"there are some books here for me\". The Librarian brings a tall stack of thick old books over goes and comes back with more. \n \"Here you go\" she said \n\"Thanks\" farmer Kenny said. Farmer Kenny took all the books to his truck and went home. In his house farmer Kenny sorted all his books. Honey his pet sniggin came in to watch. \"Well hon\" he said \"lets try to find a new outside the box old way of growing organic plants. \n\n When farmer Kenny's wife got home she found him Surrounded by open books and balled up note paper. \"how's it going\" She said. \nFarmer Kenny sighed and rubbed his eyes \"Ok\" he said \"l have some ideas l’m going to try in the green house. So much of the info in the books is the same\". \n \"What about that big one over there.\" She points to the only book not open. \"lt looks older then the others, you where going to try some of the old way in an outside the box way.\" she said. \n The farmer looks at the book in question. \"Its full of old wives tales and myths, its not real.\" he said. The farmers wife looked at him. lt's a look he knows well. \n \"Some old wives tales hold some truth you know.\" She says \"and some of the greatest hospitable use leaches now to treat injures and its works. They where old wives tale remedies.\" \n \"Your right again luv\" he says \"l will read the book and maybe I will find something new to try. \n\n\tThe next day farmer Kenny read the big book. A lot of the stuff was silly. He almost skipped over the part about the green beaked griffins but then he saw a recipe at the end, it said if he mixed the concoction and poured it on the ground it would attracted a green beak griffin and all his plant would grow big and plentiful. He reads more. To attract a green beak griffin pour a small amount around your fields and provide a gift of fish for the griffin to encourage it to stay. lf you earn its trust it will stay and your crop will always be bountiful. The green beak griffin will not bother livestock as it only eats fish. The farmer thought the concoction was an out of the box idea. \n \"l don't think a green beaked griffin will show up but maybe the concoction would help the plants grow. What do you think hunny\" the farmer asked his pet. The sniggin looked at the farmer and blinked.\"verr..vep\" it said. The farmer laughed. \"Alright then that’s settled were going to try it. Well if the wife lets me use her pots that is\" he said looking at the ingredients. \n\n #L623875\n\n\tThe next morning the farmer got up extra early and made breakfast for his wife. He brought it up stairs. He kisses his sleeping wife. \"Morning\" he said. \"Waffles and strawberry your favorite\" he said. \n \"What did you break?\" she said with a frown. \n \"What. Can't a man make breakfast for his wife and serve it to her in bed?\" he asked. His wife raised her eyebrow. He sighed. \"l found a recipe in the big book for a concoction I want to make.\" \n \"l see\" she said \n\"it needs to be cooked on the stove.\" he said not looking at her.\" l was hoping to....\" \n She stops him with two fingers to his lips. \"after your wonderful breakfast lets look at this recipe and see what we need. \n \"you're the best wife in the whole world\" the farmer said. \n \"l know\" his wife said \"and don't you forget it.\" after breakfast the farmer got out the book and opened it to the page he marked. \"Lets see\" his wife said. We have most of this. We will have to go to town for some of it and I don’t know what these two are. We’re going to have to look this up on the library’s computer. \n “Lets go!” farmer Kenny said. Grabbing his keys. \n His wife laughed “I’m sure the teddy bear pajamas I got you will be the envy of all the men in town” \nFarmer Kenny looks down “I must be getting forgetful in my old age” he smiled. \n“Not forgetful” his wife said still laughing “just excited about this project.”\nAt the library they looked up the two ingredients. “well we know what they are called today but I’m still not sure where to find them.” farmer Kenny said. \n“We should ask the Liberian.” his wife said. \nThey asked the librarian. She said she was not sure either. \nA teenage girl returning a book overheard. She said \"you could try the store New Sage it’s on Milltown road. They sell a lot of loose herbs, you know for Wiccan spells and other stuff, and they have really great tea. He’s a real herbologist. If he doesn’t have it he could probably get it. \n“Thank you” Farmer Kenny told the girl. “ that will help us a lot.” farmer Kenny turned to his wife and said “I guess we’re going to New Sage.”\n\tAt New Sage the owner Danny knew just what the herbs where and he had them in stock too. “This is potent stuff” he said. “It was grown in a blessed garden and harvested under a full moon. You may want to use half as much.” \n“Ok.” farmer Kenny said. Thinking to himself what does that matter for fertilizer.\nThe farmer and his wife headed home. “He had some lovely teas” the farmers wife said. “I think I will get some next time.” The farmer said nothing, he was dreaming of how big his crops would grow and the blue ribbon he would win with them.\n\tAt home the farmers wife brewed up the concoction. “It says here your suppose to leave a fish when you pour it into the ground as a gift for the griffin.” the farmers wife said. \nThe farmer looked at his wife. “Well” he said “its well known fish is good for your garden, it’s the nitrate you know.” \n“Well” the farmers wife said “Do you have the fish.” \nThe farmer thought for a minute. “I have a trout from when Tom and I went fishing in the freezer. That should work. I’ll bury it near the test patch of plants.”\n “It says in the book that you need to place it on a flat rock in front of all the fields you want the griffin to help grow.” the farmers wife said. “You should at least try just the way the book said too the first time.”\n “If I do that honey or some wild animal will just grab the fish and eat it.” the farmer said to his wife.”\n “Then we will just have to keep honey inside” his wife said.\n “But...” the farmer started to say. He thought better about what he was going to say. “Alright we will try it just as the book said if you want. You know it also said to put a drop of our blood on the fish too so the griffin will bond right to the family it serves.” he told his wife.\n “I know” she said. “I have a clean needle right here.”\n Farmer Kenny and his wife went out to the garden. “I feel silly” he said.\n “Just think of farmer Scotts face when he sees how big your vegetables are at the fair.” his wife said smiling. The farmer smiled. “Ok, here we go” he said. Farmer Kenny poured the concoction into the garden and placed the fish on the rock. They both put a drop of there blood on the fish. Still feeling silly farm Kenny thought, that’s it now we just have to wait and see.\n “Lets go have supper” his wife said.\n\tThe next day the farmer came in morning chores for some more coffee. “How’s the garden look?” his wife said.\n “Well something took the fish” the farmer said. “But I think it will take more then one night to see any changes.”\n “You know your going to have to get more fish.” his wife said.\n “Why do I need more fish?” the farmer said.\n His wife explained “you have to put a fish out every night till harvest for the griffin. You said you would follow the book.”\n “I know.” the farmer said “but there are no griffins, some animal is just taking it!”\n “Follow the book” his wife said.\n “Fine” the farmer sighed “I will get more fish.” \n\tEvery night the farmer left a fish on the rock and every morning it was gone. Some animal is getting fat on fish the farmer thought, but he had to admit the garden was growing fast and the plants where getting very tall. He made more of the concoction and poured it on all of his vegetable plants. He even had to cut the grass more. \n\tVery early one morning a week before the fair he was standing on the porch drinking his coffee and waiting for the sun to rise. The land look surreal, like something out of a fairy tale or myth. A mood struck him, making him feel a child like wonder. On a whim he called out into the foggy morning landscape “great green beaked griffin here my plea and make my vegetables grow bigger than any other vegetable ever. Make my pumpkins as big as a house, my tomatoes as big as my truck.” he hears a strange bird call like nothing he has ever heard before. A chill runs downs his back. I’m a foolish old man the farmer thought as he went back inside to have breakfast with his wife.\n\tThat night at supper his wife ask him if he thought any of the pumpkins would be prize winning. “No” he said “but the garden looks better than any other year. I think with some tweaking I will have some prize winning pumpkin next year.” \n“That’s wonderful.” his wife said. \n\tThat night as farmer Kenny dreamed of how big his pumpkins would be and of how shocked farmer Scott would be. As he dreamed a strange bird call floated across the farm and into his dreams. As it ended there was a rustling sound, a creek and a groan and if anyone had looked out the window at that moment they would have seen a strange site sitting near the garden. At first you might think it’s a large mammal or cat when you swish of its tail but then it turns its head and raises its wings and you see its has a beak instead of a muzzle. It was dark brown with a gray mane ending with black stripes on its rump. It had gray socks on all its feet. It had a purple belly and its lion like tail was purple with black stripes and a grey tuft on the end. Its wings where black and light blue with grey primary feathers with black bars on it. There where two long feathers coming off its head that where purple and orange striped. And a GREEN beak.\n\tA loud crash and crunch of breaking glass woke the farmer and his wife and his wife from there sleep. “What was that!” his wife said.\n “I think a branch must have fallen of the old tree and landed on the truck.” the farmer said with a yawn.\n “Oh dear’ his wife said.\n “I should of cut it down years ago. Lets get dressed and check it out.” the farmer said.\n “Breakfast first” his wife said “after all it won’t get any worst and by the time you get done eating the sun should be up.”\n The farmer finished his breakfast and looking at the window and at the lack of light around it. he said “its still dark out, must be a storm coming in. I’ll get a flash light so we can check the truck out before the storm.\n “All right, ill be on the porch” his wife said.\n The farmer heard the door open as he picked up the flash light then he heard it slam shut. He heard a muffled scream. “Hun what’s wrong” he shouted.\n “Dear, come here” she said. She pointed to the door “look out there” she said.\n Farmer Kenny looked at his wife, she was pale and her eyes where very wide. “Do I need my rifle?” he asked. “No, I don’t think so” she said.\n “Did the whole tree come down?” he asked.\n She pointed at the door again.\n He opened the door and stared in shock. A solid wall of green greeted him. large Leaves as wide as his hand and taller than his porch. Was he still dreaming. His wife pinched him. “Ouch!” he said “why did you do that?”\n “Because I know you, you where thinking, I’m still dreaming and your not!.” she said.\n The farmer and his wife stared at the wall of green. “What are we going to do?” she said.\n “We should call the police” farm Kenny said reaching in the house for the phone. “It’s dead.” He said. Hanging the phone back up.\n Just then they heard a scratching on the roof then a loud thump on the porch behind them.\n “Is it not beautiful” they heard a pleasant musical voice say.\n “Who’s there?” Farmer Kenny said.\n “A friend” the voice said.\n \tAs he turned around he saw that a colorful griffin stood on the porch, its belly was purple, its beak was\ngreen, and its body brown with dark gray sock marking on all its feet. It had stripe on its rump and a grey puff of fur on the tip of its tail and two long flowing feathers off the top of its head that where purple and orange.\n The farmer put himself between his wife and the beast.\n It turned its blue eye on them and the farmer and his wife heard that beautiful voice again. “Are they not as large as you dreamed them to be?” the griffin asked.\n It can’t be the farmer thought. But it was a green beaked griffin like in that old book. “You’re not real” the farmer said.\n “If I’m not real why did you summon me?” the griffin ask.\n “Is that….” The farmer’s wife asked.\n “Yes, I think it is.” the farmer said.\n “Are you happy?” the griffin asked.\n “The grass…its…” said farmer Kenny.\n “You wished the plants to be large” the griffin said.\n “But not the grass” the farmer said.\n The griffin looked thoughtful. “but you poured it on the grass.”\n “I didn’t…” the farmer started to say.\n The farmer’s wife touched his shoulder “I did.” She said. I just thought the grass should be greener.\n “Ahh..” the griffin said.\n “What’s your name?” ask the wife.\n “Seadreamer” the griffin said.\n “That’s a beautiful name” the farmer’s wife said.\n “About the grass…” the farmer started to say.\n Seadreamer fluffed his feathers and looked down. “I can’t ungrow things I can only grow them” he said still looking down. “sorry” he said.\n “Well” the farmer said “I suppose I will have to use the chainsaw on the grass then.\n “Well” Seadreamer said looking thoughtful “grass is a weed and I can kill weeds. That would kill all the affected grass and you will have to replant all of it”\n “That’s fine, I can replant it.” the farmer said.\n Then Seadreamer turned to the grass and opened his beak and sang.\n Seadreamer did not sound like anything the farmer and his wife had ever heard before, it was beautiful song. It was one the farmer remembered hearing in his dreams every night.\n “Beautiful’ the farmer’s wife said. Farmer Kenny and his wife watched as the giant grass browned and wilted. Seadreamer snapped his wings and the grass crumbled to dust. After the dust cleared farmer Kenny and his wife beheld an amazing sight. Corn plants with ears as long as cars and Giant leaves that he knew must belong to his pumpkins.\n “Are you pleased?” Seadreamer asked again with some uncertainty.\n “Yes!” the farmer said with awe. “they…” how am I going to get the pumpkins to the fair the farmer thought. If the leaves are that big and the corn is the size of a car, the pumpkin must be….. WOW! But if I can’t get it to the fair… I still can’t win with it. The farmer frowned thoughtfully.\n “You’re not happy” Seadreamer said sadly.\n The farmer continued to frowned thoughtfully not hearing Seadreamer, as he tried to plan how to get a pumpkin that big and heavy to the fair. \n The farmer’s wife elbowed him. “hmm.. what?” the farmer said.\n “Is this the garden you dreamed of” his wife asked. Looking pointedly at the sad griffin.\n “Yes! Of course it is.” The farmer said “ and so much more!”\n Seadreamer trilled with happiness.\n “We need to go to town” the farmer said “to get help with the harvest and to get the phone line fixed. The farmer was thinking to himself, I’ll need a crane and a flat bed tractor trailer truck. Farmer Kenny grabs his keys off the hook near the door and headed to his truck. Then stopped and stared in shock. “wife dearest” he calls “I think I’m in for a walk”\n His wife starts around the corner of the house to him saying “now you remember about the tree….” She starts to say “oh my!”\n “Wife” the farmer said “do you think the insurance covers tomato damage?” the farmer starts to laugh as his wife joins him. The farmer and his wife look at the truck and a giant beef steak tomato crushing it. Forget the pumpkin the farmer said I’m entering a tomato this year”\n His wife looks up “we may want to stand back a bit” she said “incase any more fall.”\n\n\tAnd the farmer won a blue ribbon that year for his tomato at the fair. Farmer Scott won the blue ribbon for his pumpkin and it was the biggest ever 50lb more then last year but no one cared. Farmer Kenny was in all the papers. People called wanting him on there talk shows. They ask him his secret and he told them it was magic. They would laugh. The farmer donated much of the first years crops to food pantries to help people who needed it. His insurance company after some confusion did cover the damage to his truck by the large tomatoes so he now had a new truck.\n\t He came home late that night. As he walked into the kitchen his wife said “what’s in that large box?”\n He kisses her and smiles “a present for Seadreamer” he said.\n “What is it?” she asks.\n “Six large salmon” he said “fresh and express flown-in” he took his coat off.\n “Lets go give it to him” his wife said.\n “Seadreamer” called the farmer “Seadreamer I have a gift for you.”\n Seadreamer appeared from the dark “a gift?” he asked\n “Yes” farmer Kenny said “some nice fat salmon” farmer Kenny opens the box as his wife looks on. \n“Thank you” Seadreamer said as he grabbed one of the fish and swallowed it.\n Farmer Kenny sat on the porch step and looked at Seadreamer and said “lets talk about next years crops.”\n\n #L623934\n\n\n Now you know the story of farmer Kenny and his giant vegetables and remember if you going to summon a green beak griffin don’t park your truck beside your tomato plants.\n\nGo confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined!\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n",
"writing_bbcode_parsed": "A giant tomato crushed my truck! The story of the green beak griffin. Story and art by Angela King
\tFarmer Kenny Stood on his porch and frowned as he looked out at his garden one morning. His wife came out wiping her hands on a dish rag. “What’s wrong dear” she said “Did some animal get into the crops? Farmer Kenny sighed. “No dear” he said “it’s just that organic fruit and vegetables don’t seem to grow as well or as large as non-organic fruit and vegetables. I would just really like too win a blue ribbon for the largest pumpkin... or for anything else I grow. Every year farmer Scott always rubs my nose in it. He laughs at me and says why enter if your growing organic, organic is just a fad, you can’t grow anything big and perfect without chemicals! It just makes me wonder if growing organic is worth it. I don’t get as many fruits and vegetables and they don’t grow as large either.” farmer Kenny stands there looking sad. \tHis wife looks at him thinking. She leans over and gives him a kiss on the cheek. “ your dream was to own an organic farm” She says smiling. He turns to her and smiles. She take his hands. “I believe in you. You have been following everything in the books you bought maybe you should start thinking outside the box. You where always good at that in high school. You should find a new way, a better way, a different way to make your organic fruits and vegetables grow bigger.” \tOutside the box the farmer thought. He leans over and kisses his wife. “I love you.” he said “I have the smartest wife in the world.” \tHis wife smiled. “I’m going back inside” she said “I still have the pie I’m working on to finish. You will be having my soon to be world famous 4 apple pie tonight.” \t“That sounds good hun”. The farmer said “Its sure to win a blue ribbon at the fair this year”. Now the farmer thought, time to brainstorm and to start thinking outside the box. \t \tThe next day the farmer sat down with a slice of what he thinks will be the worlds most famous apple pie and looked at his notes from yesterdays brainstorming session. Well he thinks, I’ve been using the newest most modern way to grow organic and its not working well so I think I need to look at older or alternative ways to do it. I need to got to the library for some books. At the library the farmer looks at all the books on organic farming. lt’s all the same stuff he thinks. The farmer goes to the Librarian and says "l need books on organic farming but not the normal ones, maybe some of the older ones or odd books? \tThe librarian says "hear is a list but the books are not in this library we will need to request them." "Thanks" the farmer said "that would be great".
\tA week later farmer Kenny came in to the house for lunch. "How was your day dear” his wife said smiling. “Ok”. The farmer said. "Why the big grin?" he asks. The library called, your books are in." "Great". He said "l’m going to go get them" his wife gave him a stern look. What did I do now he thought. She raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "Forgetting something?" she said. He kissed her on the cheek. "l love you" he said. He turns and grabs his keys, he looks back. She's still frowning. Oh know he thinks."honey" he says "l’m a forgetful old man. What did I forget. She looks at him. She say's in a stern mothers' voice "l worked all morning on this lunch to cheer you up and now your going to leave and let it get cold for some books?" she raises her eyebrow again. "Sorry honey, lunch would be great. lt smells wonderful." he said kissing her cheek again. She smiles "come eat then we both can go to town." \tAfter a wonderful lunch farmer Kenny and his wife went into town. She said "l’m going to do some shopping and visit with my friends. I’ll have one of them take me home later. Have fun with your books. \t Farmer Kenny went to the library. At the front desk he said "there are some books here for me". The Librarian brings a tall stack of thick old books over goes and comes back with more. "Here you go" she said "Thanks" farmer Kenny said. Farmer Kenny took all the books to his truck and went home. In his house farmer Kenny sorted all his books. Honey his pet sniggin came in to watch. "Well hon" he said "lets try to find a new outside the box old way of growing organic plants.
When farmer Kenny's wife got home she found him Surrounded by open books and balled up note paper. "how's it going" She said. Farmer Kenny sighed and rubbed his eyes "Ok" he said "l have some ideas l’m going to try in the green house. So much of the info in the books is the same". "What about that big one over there." She points to the only book not open. "lt looks older then the others, you where going to try some of the old way in an outside the box way." she said. The farmer looks at the book in question. "Its full of old wives tales and myths, its not real." he said. The farmers wife looked at him. lt's a look he knows well. "Some old wives tales hold some truth you know." She says "and some of the greatest hospitable use leaches now to treat injures and its works. They where old wives tale remedies." "Your right again luv" he says "l will read the book and maybe I will find something new to try.
\tThe next day farmer Kenny read the big book. A lot of the stuff was silly. He almost skipped over the part about the green beaked griffins but then he saw a recipe at the end, it said if he mixed the concoction and poured it on the ground it would attracted a green beak griffin and all his plant would grow big and plentiful. He reads more. To attract a green beak griffin pour a small amount around your fields and provide a gift of fish for the griffin to encourage it to stay. lf you earn its trust it will stay and your crop will always be bountiful. The green beak griffin will not bother livestock as it only eats fish. The farmer thought the concoction was an out of the box idea. "l don't think a green beaked griffin will show up but maybe the concoction would help the plants grow. What do you think hunny" the farmer asked his pet. The sniggin looked at the farmer and blinked."verr..vep" it said. The farmer laughed. "Alright then that’s settled were going to try it. Well if the wife lets me use her pots that is" he said looking at the ingredients.
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\tThe next morning the farmer got up extra early and made breakfast for his wife. He brought it up stairs. He kisses his sleeping wife. "Morning" he said. "Waffles and strawberry your favorite" he said. "What did you break?" she said with a frown. "What. Can't a man make breakfast for his wife and serve it to her in bed?" he asked. His wife raised her eyebrow. He sighed. "l found a recipe in the big book for a concoction I want to make." "l see" she said "it needs to be cooked on the stove." he said not looking at her." l was hoping to...." She stops him with two fingers to his lips. "after your wonderful breakfast lets look at this recipe and see what we need. "you're the best wife in the whole world" the farmer said. "l know" his wife said "and don't you forget it." after breakfast the farmer got out the book and opened it to the page he marked. "Lets see" his wife said. We have most of this. We will have to go to town for some of it and I don’t know what these two are. We’re going to have to look this up on the library’s computer. “Lets go!” farmer Kenny said. Grabbing his keys. His wife laughed “I’m sure the teddy bear pajamas I got you will be the envy of all the men in town” Farmer Kenny looks down “I must be getting forgetful in my old age” he smiled. “Not forgetful” his wife said still laughing “just excited about this project.” At the library they looked up the two ingredients. “well we know what they are called today but I’m still not sure where to find them.” farmer Kenny said. “We should ask the Liberian.” his wife said. They asked the librarian. She said she was not sure either. A teenage girl returning a book overheard. She said "you could try the store New Sage it’s on Milltown road. They sell a lot of loose herbs, you know for Wiccan spells and other stuff, and they have really great tea. He’s a real herbologist. If he doesn’t have it he could probably get it. “Thank you” Farmer Kenny told the girl. “ that will help us a lot.” farmer Kenny turned to his wife and said “I guess we’re going to New Sage.” \tAt New Sage the owner Danny knew just what the herbs where and he had them in stock too. “This is potent stuff” he said. “It was grown in a blessed garden and harvested under a full moon. You may want to use half as much.” “Ok.” farmer Kenny said. Thinking to himself what does that matter for fertilizer. The farmer and his wife headed home. “He had some lovely teas” the farmers wife said. “I think I will get some next time.” The farmer said nothing, he was dreaming of how big his crops would grow and the blue ribbon he would win with them. \tAt home the farmers wife brewed up the concoction. “It says here your suppose to leave a fish when you pour it into the ground as a gift for the griffin.” the farmers wife said. The farmer looked at his wife. “Well” he said “its well known fish is good for your garden, it’s the nitrate you know.” “Well” the farmers wife said “Do you have the fish.” The farmer thought for a minute. “I have a trout from when Tom and I went fishing in the freezer. That should work. I’ll bury it near the test patch of plants.” “It says in the book that you need to place it on a flat rock in front of all the fields you want the griffin to help grow.” the farmers wife said. “You should at least try just the way the book said too the first time.” “If I do that honey or some wild animal will just grab the fish and eat it.” the farmer said to his wife.” “Then we will just have to keep honey inside” his wife said. “But...” the farmer started to say. He thought better about what he was going to say. “Alright we will try it just as the book said if you want. You know it also said to put a drop of our blood on the fish too so the griffin will bond right to the family it serves.” he told his wife. “I know” she said. “I have a clean needle right here.” Farmer Kenny and his wife went out to the garden. “I feel silly” he said. “Just think of farmer Scotts face when he sees how big your vegetables are at the fair.” his wife said smiling. The farmer smiled. “Ok, here we go” he said. Farmer Kenny poured the concoction into the garden and placed the fish on the rock. They both put a drop of there blood on the fish. Still feeling silly farm Kenny thought, that’s it now we just have to wait and see. “Lets go have supper” his wife said. \tThe next day the farmer came in morning chores for some more coffee. “How’s the garden look?” his wife said. “Well something took the fish” the farmer said. “But I think it will take more then one night to see any changes.” “You know your going to have to get more fish.” his wife said. “Why do I need more fish?” the farmer said. His wife explained “you have to put a fish out every night till harvest for the griffin. You said you would follow the book.” “I know.” the farmer said “but there are no griffins, some animal is just taking it!” “Follow the book” his wife said. “Fine” the farmer sighed “I will get more fish.” \tEvery night the farmer left a fish on the rock and every morning it was gone. Some animal is getting fat on fish the farmer thought, but he had to admit the garden was growing fast and the plants where getting very tall. He made more of the concoction and poured it on all of his vegetable plants. He even had to cut the grass more. \tVery early one morning a week before the fair he was standing on the porch drinking his coffee and waiting for the sun to rise. The land look surreal, like something out of a fairy tale or myth. A mood struck him, making him feel a child like wonder. On a whim he called out into the foggy morning landscape “great green beaked griffin here my plea and make my vegetables grow bigger than any other vegetable ever. Make my pumpkins as big as a house, my tomatoes as big as my truck.” he hears a strange bird call like nothing he has ever heard before. A chill runs downs his back. I’m a foolish old man the farmer thought as he went back inside to have breakfast with his wife. \tThat night at supper his wife ask him if he thought any of the pumpkins would be prize winning. “No” he said “but the garden looks better than any other year. I think with some tweaking I will have some prize winning pumpkin next year.” “That’s wonderful.” his wife said. \tThat night as farmer Kenny dreamed of how big his pumpkins would be and of how shocked farmer Scott would be. As he dreamed a strange bird call floated across the farm and into his dreams. As it ended there was a rustling sound, a creek and a groan and if anyone had looked out the window at that moment they would have seen a strange site sitting near the garden. At first you might think it’s a large mammal or cat when you swish of its tail but then it turns its head and raises its wings and you see its has a beak instead of a muzzle. It was dark brown with a gray mane ending with black stripes on its rump. It had gray socks on all its feet. It had a purple belly and its lion like tail was purple with black stripes and a grey tuft on the end. Its wings where black and light blue with grey primary feathers with black bars on it. There where two long feathers coming off its head that where purple and orange striped. And a GREEN beak. \tA loud crash and crunch of breaking glass woke the farmer and his wife and his wife from there sleep. “What was that!” his wife said. “I think a branch must have fallen of the old tree and landed on the truck.” the farmer said with a yawn. “Oh dear’ his wife said. “I should of cut it down years ago. Lets get dressed and check it out.” the farmer said. “Breakfast first” his wife said “after all it won’t get any worst and by the time you get done eating the sun should be up.” The farmer finished his breakfast and looking at the window and at the lack of light around it. he said “its still dark out, must be a storm coming in. I’ll get a flash light so we can check the truck out before the storm. “All right, ill be on the porch” his wife said. The farmer heard the door open as he picked up the flash light then he heard it slam shut. He heard a muffled scream. “Hun what’s wrong” he shouted. “Dear, come here” she said. She pointed to the door “look out there” she said. Farmer Kenny looked at his wife, she was pale and her eyes where very wide. “Do I need my rifle?” he asked. “No, I don’t think so” she said. “Did the whole tree come down?” he asked. She pointed at the door again. He opened the door and stared in shock. A solid wall of green greeted him. large Leaves as wide as his hand and taller than his porch. Was he still dreaming. His wife pinched him. “Ouch!” he said “why did you do that?” “Because I know you, you where thinking, I’m still dreaming and your not!.” she said. The farmer and his wife stared at the wall of green. “What are we going to do?” she said. “We should call the police” farm Kenny said reaching in the house for the phone. “It’s dead.” He said. Hanging the phone back up. Just then they heard a scratching on the roof then a loud thump on the porch behind them. “Is it not beautiful” they heard a pleasant musical voice say. “Who’s there?” Farmer Kenny said. “A friend” the voice said. \tAs he turned around he saw that a colorful griffin stood on the porch, its belly was purple, its beak was green, and its body brown with dark gray sock marking on all its feet. It had stripe on its rump and a grey puff of fur on the tip of its tail and two long flowing feathers off the top of its head that where purple and orange. The farmer put himself between his wife and the beast. It turned its blue eye on them and the farmer and his wife heard that beautiful voice again. “Are they not as large as you dreamed them to be?” the griffin asked. It can’t be the farmer thought. But it was a green beaked griffin like in that old book. “You’re not real” the farmer said. “If I’m not real why did you summon me?” the griffin ask. “Is that….” The farmer’s wife asked. “Yes, I think it is.” the farmer said. “Are you happy?” the griffin asked. “The grass…its…” said farmer Kenny. “You wished the plants to be large” the griffin said. “But not the grass” the farmer said. The griffin looked thoughtful. “but you poured it on the grass.” “I didn’t…” the farmer started to say. The farmer’s wife touched his shoulder “I did.” She said. I just thought the grass should be greener. “Ahh..” the griffin said. “What’s your name?” ask the wife. “Seadreamer” the griffin said. “That’s a beautiful name” the farmer’s wife said. “About the grass…” the farmer started to say. Seadreamer fluffed his feathers and looked down. “I can’t ungrow things I can only grow them” he said still looking down. “sorry” he said. “Well” the farmer said “I suppose I will have to use the chainsaw on the grass then. “Well” Seadreamer said looking thoughtful “grass is a weed and I can kill weeds. That would kill all the affected grass and you will have to replant all of it” “That’s fine, I can replant it.” the farmer said. Then Seadreamer turned to the grass and opened his beak and sang. Seadreamer did not sound like anything the farmer and his wife had ever heard before, it was beautiful song. It was one the farmer remembered hearing in his dreams every night. “Beautiful’ the farmer’s wife said. Farmer Kenny and his wife watched as the giant grass browned and wilted. Seadreamer snapped his wings and the grass crumbled to dust. After the dust cleared farmer Kenny and his wife beheld an amazing sight. Corn plants with ears as long as cars and Giant leaves that he knew must belong to his pumpkins. “Are you pleased?” Seadreamer asked again with some uncertainty. “Yes!” the farmer said with awe. “they…” how am I going to get the pumpkins to the fair the farmer thought. If the leaves are that big and the corn is the size of a car, the pumpkin must be….. WOW! But if I can’t get it to the fair… I still can’t win with it. The farmer frowned thoughtfully. “You’re not happy” Seadreamer said sadly. The farmer continued to frowned thoughtfully not hearing Seadreamer, as he tried to plan how to get a pumpkin that big and heavy to the fair. The farmer’s wife elbowed him. “hmm.. what?” the farmer said. “Is this the garden you dreamed of” his wife asked. Looking pointedly at the sad griffin. “Yes! Of course it is.” The farmer said “ and so much more!” Seadreamer trilled with happiness. “We need to go to town” the farmer said “to get help with the harvest and to get the phone line fixed. The farmer was thinking to himself, I’ll need a crane and a flat bed tractor trailer truck. Farmer Kenny grabs his keys off the hook near the door and headed to his truck. Then stopped and stared in shock. “wife dearest” he calls “I think I’m in for a walk” His wife starts around the corner of the house to him saying “now you remember about the tree….” She starts to say “oh my!” “Wife” the farmer said “do you think the insurance covers tomato damage?” the farmer starts to laugh as his wife joins him. The farmer and his wife look at the truck and a giant beef steak tomato crushing it. Forget the pumpkin the farmer said I’m entering a tomato this year” His wife looks up “we may want to stand back a bit” she said “incase any more fall.”
\tAnd the farmer won a blue ribbon that year for his tomato at the fair. Farmer Scott won the blue ribbon for his pumpkin and it was the biggest ever 50lb more then last year but no one cared. Farmer Kenny was in all the papers. People called wanting him on there talk shows. They ask him his secret and he told them it was magic. They would laugh. The farmer donated much of the first years crops to food pantries to help people who needed it. His insurance company after some confusion did cover the damage to his truck by the large tomatoes so he now had a new truck. \t He came home late that night. As he walked into the kitchen his wife said “what’s in that large box?” He kisses her and smiles “a present for Seadreamer” he said. “What is it?” she asks. “Six large salmon” he said “fresh and express flown-in” he took his coat off. “Lets go give it to him” his wife said. “Seadreamer” called the farmer “Seadreamer I have a gift for you.” Seadreamer appeared from the dark “a gift?” he asked “Yes” farmer Kenny said “some nice fat salmon” farmer Kenny opens the box as his wife looks on. “Thank you” Seadreamer said as he grabbed one of the fish and swallowed it. Farmer Kenny sat on the porch step and looked at Seadreamer and said “lets talk about next years crops.”
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Now you know the story of farmer Kenny and his giant vegetables and remember if you going to summon a green beak griffin don’t park your truck beside your tomato plants.
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined!
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