The Yellow Fables

By Spencer Henderson

Pink tigers, flying pianos, amphibian hairstylists, card-playing mice, a crafty cactus, an adventurous housefly and even an apple-headed boy.

 

The Yellow Fables brings together eight eccentric and emotive tales, which will inspire readers to think more deeply about the world around them. Through magic realism, young minds can s

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pink Tiger Publishing
• Release date: Oct 6, 2022
• ISBN: 9781738727315

Spencer Henderson

Spencer Henderson is a Canadian author, writing from the curious and small town of Cobourg, Ontario. The Yellow Fables is his first collection of stories. He hopes these progressive fables will bring joy to young readers and help them stay ever present in life.

Book preview

One

Woohoo!!!! and the Cactus

Perhaps the nimblest person in town, Woohoo!!!! (pronounced with four exclamation marks) bounded up the many staircases that filled their gothic pink tower.

While leaping back down five or six steps at a time, Woohoo!!!!, who was always barefoot, landed on a tiny cactus. The poor cactus’s clay pot exploded, leaving behind a pile of red dust. Woohoo!!!! cried out, My foot! I shall never jump again!

Woohoo!!!! clutched their swollen foot and sobbingly listed all the nimble things they would never again be capable of. Backflips, cartwheels, puddle diving …

Oh, your foot will be just fine, The cactus reassured. My prick may sting but only for an afternoon.

Overcome with glee, Woohoo!!!! quite uncontrollably leaped into the air and landed with their good foot on the cactus. Again, they broke out in sobs.

You really must watch where you land, said the cactus, coughing on the pot dust. It picked itself back up. Thank goodness I’m hydrated.

Not hearing the cactus over their own wails, Woohoo!!!! rocked back and forth on the floor, holding their swollen feet.

The cactus, always one to think a few steps ahead, scurried away to Woohoo!!!!’s colossal cathedral-style kitchen, collected a teacup, and scurried back to the sobbing wreck at the foot of the staircase. Dragging the teacup along the floor, the cactus ran to and fro, capturing as many of Woohoo!!!!’s tears as possible.

That should do it, the cactus declared and heaved the contents of the full teacup onto the pile of red clay dust.

Woohoo!!!!, meanwhile, wailed on. Never again will I wrestle with the tigers, dance on the clock tower, or kitesurf with the seagulls ….

Slowly pouring the cup of salty tears into the dust, the cactus set to work, massaging the mixture into shape.

Oh, I hope my old home can be of some good, the cactus said to itself. Now for some heat. It filled its tiny cactus lungs and blew warm air onto the clay mixture over and over. (Many people do not realise that cacti have very warm, sunny breaths).

And some cooling, the cactus thought aloud, fanning the warm mixture with a spinach leaf that had been lying on the floor—Woohoo!!!!, unsurprisingly, often spilled food as they hopped around their home.

Come now, the cactus called out to the blubbering Woohoo!!!! Look here.

Woohoo!!!! halted their cries. For me?

Nothing better for a pair of aching, swollen feet, the cactus said proudly. An old desert trick.

Woohoo!!!! hunched over and picked up the pair of freshly-crafted red clay shoes, made to size. (Swollen size that is). As they slipped on the shoes, an immediate cooling sensation ran through Woohoo!!!!’s toes and down to their tender heels.