Another of Phyree's Phinal Phantasy Phables.  Ph!Follow

I dedicate this story to Lilpea, who, if any of you have played with her, will know her gentle spirit and quaint way of speaking.

BIG ADVENTURE, LIL' PEA

CRITERIA:
Requested by: Phyree
Subject(s): Lilpea
Genre: Adventure
Setting: East Sarutabaruta

*****

The sun had been all of an hour in the sky. Dew shimmered on the blades of savannah grass and would soon evaporate upwards into the blue expanse. White fluffy clouds drifted lazily without a care in the world. Under this massive celestial stage, a small tarutaru emerged from her house.

Her name was Lilpea.

Lilpea, dressed in field clothes and a kerchief on her head, set out in the early morning hours. She was ready to set out into the fields and gather some wheat for flour to make her delicious homemade bread. Humming a tune through a smile, the half-sized harvester set out to the fields of Sarutabaruta.

"Hmmm," Lilpea started after an hour of walking, "me no see where me can harvest. Me so sad!" Little lips pouted.

Undaunted, the tarutaru continued on in her search for a few clumps of wheat. It was nearly nine o'clock in the morning now and Lilpea had found a clue! A seam of savannah grass that might otherwise have gone unnoticed shook a bit. The curious 'Pea went to investigate. Two small hands parted the stalks. From the rough, a rarab bolted past.

"Me no hurt you," shouted the tarutaru reaching her hand out, "me real nice!" It was no use, the rarab had fled.

Fortunately for Lilpea, that same patch of grass had a bushel of wheat just waiting to be harvested. She giggled at her fortune and thanked the rarab for showing her its secret. Cutting the stalks with care, 'Pea sang a song she made all by herself:

Me wake up
to sun wave hi.
Sun smile at me
as he pass by.
Wif his help
me finds the wheat.
To make me bread
a tasty treat.
If it burns
den me will cry.
'Cuz me likes me bread
to satisfy.
Reap and grind
and mix to smush.
Knead the dough
wif pull an' push.
All dese things
me do for you.
To bake me bread
for anywho.

Fully-laden with all the wheat she could care to collect for the day, Lilpea bundled it with linen thread and started back home so she could have bread ready for supper. Little did the tarutaru know that as she walked, a tiny mandragora was following her!

'Pea was so content to be out in the warm sun (and looked forward to preparing a small stew for lunch) that she didn't at all feel the tugs coming from her back. The tiny mandragora had taken an interest in the bobbing slack of the thread and pulled it enough to cover itself in freshly harvested grain. Lilpea, seemingly in her own content world of sunshine and yummy food, never felt a thing even as her load was lightened.

A two-leaf bud sprouted from the thresh followed by a bulbous white head. The tiny mandragora scanned the area. It realized what had happened and, as a mandragora can best do, showed concern. It began to gather the strewn wheat and chase down clumps that had caught the afternoon breeze.

Not too long after she was relieved of her harvest, 'Pea stopped. "Me think something wrong."

She twirled left. Then right. She looked up in the sky using her hands as a visor and she bent forward to look low and even between her feet behind her. What she saw through the bow-legged window frame of her short legs was a clump of wheat on the path a ways back. "Oh botherwother." She started back to gather her grain for the second time today.

The tiny mandragora, meanwhile, had gathered all the grain it could, bunched it in its leafy arms, and began walking toward where it last saw the tarutaru. It bent to one side to see in front of itself and saw Lilpea approaching. The mandragora panicked as it saw the sickle on her belt and started running in the opposite direction!

"No, wait, you have me wheat! Come back, me needs it to make bread!" Lilpea gave chase.

The mandragora was in such a rush and had an obstructed view, it crashed into a starfruit tree. Lilpea caught up just as a fruit fell on the mandragora's head, bonking it. The tarutaru couldn't help but to laugh at the sight. She gathered the wheat and attempted to scold the mandragora. But, she gave it up as 'Pea was never the type to get angry for long. She helped the plantoid creature up and shooed it off. As it ran away she waved goodbye and smiled.

Lilpea got back home with enough time to prepare herself the stew as a late lunch. She then began to grind the wheat to bake her evening loaves of bread later.

Her dinner consisted of some roasted mushrooms and a fruity yagudo drink to satisfy her "sweet teefs" ("'cuz dey are all wanting to make me eats sweets, not just the one toof!"). Before settling into bed, Lilpea recalled her grand adventure for the day. She smiled and pulled the covers up to her chin.

"Me had lots of fun today! I wonder what me do tomorrow? Dere's always more bread for me to make..."

With visions of her baked goods filling her body with a warm feeling, she yawned and began her journey to the dream world where perhaps another adventure lay in wait for the wee farmer-baker.

Peewee, you and Xaeon are next. You know what I'm talking about. ^_~* Look for it tomorrow!

P.S. (not directed at Peewee unless it applies) - If I get rated down, at least tell me why so that I can get better! Please? =( Thank you...

._.,

I think it's simpler than that. Some people are just complete jerkheads.