The Mushroom Fable (Part 2)
Kiye turned and jumped to the rock behind him and further into the cave. The toad moved quickly jumping from rock to rock. Zhang followed as quickly as he could but he stumbled often. For over an hour, Zhang followed the giant toad deeper into the cave through twisting caverns and across many different paths. The deeper they traveled the more light that seemed to seep from the walls. A thick, silver moss produced this strange blue light so Zhang extinguished the lantern.
On each side to the path grew magnificent mushrooms some tall enough to reach Zhang’s knee. He would have stopped to study the moss and mushrooms but Kiye moved too quickly.
The toad didn’t slow until they reached a large open cavern. The arched rock above their heads was covered with the glowing moss. They stood on a cliff with a narrow set of stairs that wound downward. Below, mushrooms of all sizes grew in an endless carpet.
Kiye jumped to a stone pillar near the entrance. “Do you like what you see? If you look straight over the edge you will see the world’s largest mushroom which is my home.”
Zhang peeked down a steep set of stairs. At the foot, was a flat mushroom cap wide enough for two people to sleep in comfort. “Yes, I have seen amazing things but the hour grows late and I am in a rush. Take me back now.”
The giant toad leaned toward Zhang. “You have been deceived. I will not take you back until you have worked off the debt you owe me.”
“I think not.” Zhang turned to the darkened cave and tried to light his lantern but he had run out of oil.
The toad let out a short mocking groan. “Fool. You have no chance of reaching the world of sunlight on your own. Like tree roots, these tunnels dip and turn with hundreds of dead ends. One of them will become your tomb if you leave without my help.”
Zhang stared into the darkness then to Kiye. He fell to knees and wailed. “But I must return! If I am gone too long the Emperor will destroy my family! I did not understand that these mushrooms were your property! Have mercy upon me!”
Kiye studied the weeping man for a moment. “Very well. I will have mercy upon you if you prove clever enough. My gold is under the largest mushroom at the bottom of these steps. Meet me there.” Kiye croaked again and began leaping down the stairs taking three at a time.
Zhang rose to his feet and followed the mysterious creature to the floor of the cavern. Under the mushroom’s umbrella was a large stone bowl filled with glittering gold coins of all sizes. Kiye sat atop his treasure waiting.
“The challenge is simple.” The toad began, “This stone bowl has become too small to house my treasure and so I wish to move it to another. I need three legs to move and can only carry gold with one. Whoever is able to carry the most gold coins with one hand wins the challenge. If you fail, moving my gold will be your first duty. Should you succeed, I will take you back to the surface and you may keep what you have picked for the small price you have paid me.”
Zhang studied the gold for a moment. He knew the toad held some advantage. “I must agree.”
Kiye gave another amused grunt then jumped to the side of the stone basin. It stretched its webbed forefoot and sank it into the gold coins. When he turned his foot up, many coins were held in place by the webbing between its toes. It gave a few short jumps to the larger bowl and dropped the money.
Zhang knew that his hands were no larger than the toad’s and without the webbing between his fingers there was little hope of holding as many coins. He stepped up to the gold and gave the coins a long, steady look.
Then he smiled. “I can meet your challenge with ease.”
Zhang found the widest coin and placed it in his palm. He began stacking coin upon coin until he was balancing a stack taller than his shin. Carefully, he turned to the larger bowl, took a couple steps then spilled his column of coins.
The gold toad leaped straight into the air. It landed hard then released an angry roar. “You have succeeded and I will succumb! We will leave immediately before my anger overcomes me.”
Once Zhang and Kiye reached the mouth of the cave, the ruby-eyed toad gave a warning. “You have stolen from me then bested me. I never want to see you in my domain again. Never return.”
With that, the giant toad leaped back into the cave’s thick curtain of darkness. Zhang took his basket of mushrooms to the palace and presented it to the Emperor.
“Oh Great Son of the Sky, I have brought you your desire but I fear my supplies have been exhausted. Once these are gone, I can provide you with no more.”
The Emperor looked upon Zhang with scorn. “My favor runs alongside your ability to please me. Once I have enjoyed the last of these mushrooms you will be returned to your place as a common bookkeeper. Consider that before you tell your ruler he is to be denied.”
Two weeks later, as the basket of mushrooms began to empty, Zhang panicked. He had grown used to the palace’s plush life and did not want to return to the toil of ink and parchment.
The day before his banishment from the Emperor’s court Zhang crept into the cave hoping to steal only a few additional mushrooms. He had gone in only a little way when his lantern light fell upon the golden toad.
“I warned you and yet you have returned! Now I will punish you for your greed.” Kiye reared back and spit a fine glittering dust at Zhang’s face.
Zhang turned and ran as fast as he could manage toward the cave’s entrance. With each step, he coughed. His lungs were filled with dust and it was hard to breath. Kiye’s mocking croaks followed him.
Zhang reached his land’s spring before collapsing. He could no longer breath and was soon dead with his basket of edible mushrooms and lantern beside him.
Beneath the cool shade of the Formosa trees, spores from the tasty mushrooms grew and spread along the spring’s bank. Along side them grew the poisonous mushrooms that consumed Zhang’s body. Nature and the spring’s cool flow spread the magic toad’s treasure bringing mushrooms to every part of the world.
May 12th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
I don’t think I can eat mushrooms ever again.
May 13th, 2008 at 10:21 am
The ending may gross out a kid or two with the mushrooms feeding off of the decomposing body. haha I liked the coin-carrying strategy… very clever.
May 13th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
I knew there was a reason I didn’t like mushrooms.