The Kingdom of Nowt
by
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His friend with the oak on top stepped forward. “That depends upon your point of view, Ben,” he said, as he stroked the tree roots that covered his chin like a beard. “Here in Nowt we see things different from you. Have you done something wrong? Maybe yes. Maybe no. It all depends on how you glow.” Then he let out a mighty laugh, and the rest joined him, chuckling and holding their tummies.
“Good rhyme, old fella,” said a willow creature as his branches whisked along the ground like a broom.
“I don’t understand,” said Ben. “It’s you who invited me out to play, and I’m just a boy.”
“Ah,” said the giant to his companions, “he thinks he’s just a boy, again!” Once more, they all burst out laughing.
Ben’s eyes swelled with tears. He plopped down on the ground and began to sob, so strong that the trees and bushes started to fidget, and looked to each other with worried expressions on their faces. “Is he ill?” a poplar whispered to a pine.
The laughter faded. The oak giant reached down and touched Ben’s cheek, caressing his head with the back of a leaf. Ben looked up, blinded by his tears. “Dear Ben, we mean you no harm or hurt. We forget how far away you’ve been from the dirt. Come, we must talk. We have much to teach you. To awaken memories of long ago, when you walked with us, forever bold. For you are chosen, chosen and few. We need you Ben to save this land. To reawaken the people of Luan. Time is short, and soon there may not be a day to precede the night. We’ll be destroyed by those you call father and mother, sister and brother, neighbor and friend. They know not what they do. They are blind, and cannot see us, like you.”
The great oak’s words brought Ben’s tears to a halt, and he felt light, as though the breeze were blowing right through him. In his heart, expectation welled up, but he didn’t know why. “Am I dreaming?” he muttered.
“Dreaming? Oh no!” said the oak, as the brook splashed across Ben’s face. “Have you ever felt or tasted water so real in a dream?”
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About the Book
The
They have come to a young boy, Ben, who was prophesized to save them from perils of the earth’s destruction by man’s neglect. Ben agrees to save them, but first he must convince his parents that these remarkable beings exist.
Ben’s journey takes him under the earth to experience the fantastic fentubbles where everything we know in the world originates. Into the sky to fly with eagles and falcons by learning the secret chant that can help any of us to soar among the clouds. And, into the circle of light that binds treemungermen and people together.
The story culminates in Ben’s remarkable and unexpected transformation, and a seismic shift in his family and the world around him. In the end, the possibility for a new tomorrow for our planet is assured, a place where humans and Treemungermen can live together.
About the Author
Richard Stone is the author of Stories: The Family Legacy, a guide for sharing and recollection that has been used by hospice and healthcare professionals throughout the
Richard is also the founder of the Storywork Institute, and has been a pioneer in the development of story-based training programs for healthcare organizations around the country, as well as team building, leadership development, and strategic planning programs for corporate clients such as Kaiser Permanente, Mayo Clinic, Walt Disney Imagineering, Kraft Foods, and Lucent Technologies.
Most recently, Richard founded the Imagine This Company, an organization that is developing television, educational curricula, and home based games and activities based on using storytelling as a tool to enhance the literacy and imaginative skills of children ages 8 to 15. Imagine This Company’s first board game—Pitch-A-Story!—was just released and is available on the Web and at specialty retailers nationwide.
In addition, Richard has served as an adjunct professor at both the University of Central Florida and Valencia Community College teaching courses on storytelling and its applications in community life; developed the Disney Institute’s StoryArts curricula; and, has taught and spoken throughout the world on the healing power of storytelling. He currently serves on the National Board of Directors of the