jimmy the cricket
Jimmy the Cricket
Jimmy the cricket was determined to visit the dental floss store. The trip to the store was a long one, and Jimmy was only a small cricket. However, Jimmy was tenacious. Jimmy had dreamed of visiting the dental floss store since he was a larva. If any cricket in Cricketville could make it to the dental floss store, it was Jimmy. He was healthy, strong, and eager to explore new lands.
Sadly, all was not well in Cricketville. Due to unforeseen effects of El Niño, the grass crop had withered, leaving no food for the crickets. Jimmy remembered a large tomato plant that supposedly fed their ancestors. This plant was their only hope. Some crickets said that the tomato plant is a myth; some remember tales of its bounty. A faction developed in cricket land. Between disputes and the gnawing of their little cricket bellies, the peaceful cricket community quickly degenerated into the kind of mayhem one would expect in the town of those degenerate termites down the block.
A volunteer was needed. Some cricket had to find a tomato and bring it back to Cricketville. Jimmy knew what he had to do. He had to postpone his trip to the dental floss store and save his village. He stepped forward. "I'll do it," he squeaked bravely, "I'll bring back a tomato and feed the village." An elder crickets scoffed, "Don't be too hasty, Jimmy. We don't even know if such a vegetable exists, much less where to find one." "It's a fruit," another cricket chirped. "It is not," rebuked another. Soon all the crickets were fighting again, and Jimmy slipped out of the village.
He started west, not knowing fully why, but arbitrary decisions had been one of his specialties. Jimmy was a lucky cricket. So lucky that he had no sooner stepped out of the village than he discovered the tomato plant. He looked up to see if there were any birds around, and he saw a multitude of red, bulbous objects. Jimmy had never seen a tomato before, but he assumed that those could be tomatoes just as easily as anything else. Jimmy was amazed. The entire town of Cricketville was built under a giant tomato plant.
Jimmy nimbly climbed up the plant and sat on one of the tomatoes. He began to gnaw at the top of the tomato, and soon it broke off from the plant and plummeted toward the village. It hit with a sizable thump and exploded. Tomato covered streets, houses, and pedestrians. Every cricket rushed to the remains of the tomato to see what had happened. Jimmy exclaimed, "I have found a tomato! We can eat again!" The crickets did not hesitate to feast on tomato soup, tomato sandwiches, tomato juice, and tomato soufflé.
Unfortunately, the crickets had made very little progress in the field of oral hygiene. Soon the villagers experienced a plaque buildup like they had never seen before. Much worse, they ran a risk of developing gingivitis. "This is an emergency!" the Cricketville council declared, because, as everyone knows, when crickets contract a gum disease, the world will end. Soon, Jimmy went from being the town hero to being responsible for the destruction of the earth. Suddenly, he remembered the prophecy that the aphid at Delphi had told him earlier. The prophecy stated that that he would one day find something important in the dental floss store. Jimmy realized that the time had come for the crickets to learn how to floss.
He once again set off to find the dental floss store. This time he went east. He had never wandered far from Cricketville before and was surprised by the change in scenery. The withered grass that was painfully familiar to Jimmy soon led on to different terrains. Jimmy soon discovered the joy of mud, the tediousness of sand, and the agony of molten lava. Jimmy persevered through the unexplored land and found his way to the door of the dental floss store.
His luck soon ran out when he discovered that at the entrance to the dental floss store laid a cat. Jimmy was not afraid, though, and asked the cat, "What could I give you, sir, in exchange for a container of dental floss?" The cat lazily peered at the cricket and said, "I will give you your dental floss if you bring me those two birds." Jimmy looked and saw the predators in the bush. Birds were the only things that frightened Jimmy. He hesitated. The cat stiffened and asked Jimmy. "Are you going to bring me the birds or not?" Jimmy defiantly sneered at the cat and made an obscene gesture. The cat became enraged and leapt at the cricket. Jimmy was quick and hopped out of the way. The cat tried to get his revenge, but soon exhausted himself and slumped off, defeated. Jimmy took the dental floss and started his long trip home.
Jimmy did not return a moment to soon. The crickets had horrible breath, and none of the adolescent crickets could find dates to the cricket prom. He distributed the dental floss, and, before long, life returned to normal. The world was safe. "How did you do it?" asked Aunt Bee (whom everyone suspected was adopted). "I just remembered what you told me when I was young," answered Jimmy. "What did I tell you?" Aunt Bee inquired. Jimmy looked into her tiny, segmented eyes and replied, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. I used your advice and that is how I changed the world."
Jimmy the cricket was determined to visit the dental floss store. The trip to the store was a long one, and Jimmy was only a small cricket. However, Jimmy was tenacious. Jimmy had dreamed of visiting the dental floss store since he was a larva. If any cricket in Cricketville could make it to the dental floss store, it was Jimmy. He was healthy, strong, and eager to explore new lands.
Sadly, all was not well in Cricketville. Due to unforeseen effects of El Niño, the grass crop had withered, leaving no food for the crickets. Jimmy remembered a large tomato plant that supposedly fed their ancestors. This plant was their only hope. Some crickets said that the tomato plant is a myth; some remember tales of its bounty. A faction developed in cricket land. Between disputes and the gnawing of their little cricket bellies, the peaceful cricket community quickly degenerated into the kind of mayhem one would expect in the town of those degenerate termites down the block.
A volunteer was needed. Some cricket had to find a tomato and bring it back to Cricketville. Jimmy knew what he had to do. He had to postpone his trip to the dental floss store and save his village. He stepped forward. "I'll do it," he squeaked bravely, "I'll bring back a tomato and feed the village." An elder crickets scoffed, "Don't be too hasty, Jimmy. We don't even know if such a vegetable exists, much less where to find one." "It's a fruit," another cricket chirped. "It is not," rebuked another. Soon all the crickets were fighting again, and Jimmy slipped out of the village.
He started west, not knowing fully why, but arbitrary decisions had been one of his specialties. Jimmy was a lucky cricket. So lucky that he had no sooner stepped out of the village than he discovered the tomato plant. He looked up to see if there were any birds around, and he saw a multitude of red, bulbous objects. Jimmy had never seen a tomato before, but he assumed that those could be tomatoes just as easily as anything else. Jimmy was amazed. The entire town of Cricketville was built under a giant tomato plant.
Jimmy nimbly climbed up the plant and sat on one of the tomatoes. He began to gnaw at the top of the tomato, and soon it broke off from the plant and plummeted toward the village. It hit with a sizable thump and exploded. Tomato covered streets, houses, and pedestrians. Every cricket rushed to the remains of the tomato to see what had happened. Jimmy exclaimed, "I have found a tomato! We can eat again!" The crickets did not hesitate to feast on tomato soup, tomato sandwiches, tomato juice, and tomato soufflé.
Unfortunately, the crickets had made very little progress in the field of oral hygiene. Soon the villagers experienced a plaque buildup like they had never seen before. Much worse, they ran a risk of developing gingivitis. "This is an emergency!" the Cricketville council declared, because, as everyone knows, when crickets contract a gum disease, the world will end. Soon, Jimmy went from being the town hero to being responsible for the destruction of the earth. Suddenly, he remembered the prophecy that the aphid at Delphi had told him earlier. The prophecy stated that that he would one day find something important in the dental floss store. Jimmy realized that the time had come for the crickets to learn how to floss.
He once again set off to find the dental floss store. This time he went east. He had never wandered far from Cricketville before and was surprised by the change in scenery. The withered grass that was painfully familiar to Jimmy soon led on to different terrains. Jimmy soon discovered the joy of mud, the tediousness of sand, and the agony of molten lava. Jimmy persevered through the unexplored land and found his way to the door of the dental floss store.
His luck soon ran out when he discovered that at the entrance to the dental floss store laid a cat. Jimmy was not afraid, though, and asked the cat, "What could I give you, sir, in exchange for a container of dental floss?" The cat lazily peered at the cricket and said, "I will give you your dental floss if you bring me those two birds." Jimmy looked and saw the predators in the bush. Birds were the only things that frightened Jimmy. He hesitated. The cat stiffened and asked Jimmy. "Are you going to bring me the birds or not?" Jimmy defiantly sneered at the cat and made an obscene gesture. The cat became enraged and leapt at the cricket. Jimmy was quick and hopped out of the way. The cat tried to get his revenge, but soon exhausted himself and slumped off, defeated. Jimmy took the dental floss and started his long trip home.
Jimmy did not return a moment to soon. The crickets had horrible breath, and none of the adolescent crickets could find dates to the cricket prom. He distributed the dental floss, and, before long, life returned to normal. The world was safe. "How did you do it?" asked Aunt Bee (whom everyone suspected was adopted). "I just remembered what you told me when I was young," answered Jimmy. "What did I tell you?" Aunt Bee inquired. Jimmy looked into her tiny, segmented eyes and replied, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. I used your advice and that is how I changed the world."