"And then Rapunzel sang the healing song in vain, hoping that somehow it would bring Eugene back."
"And did it work daddy?" asked Once-ler his bright blue eyes looking up at his father anxiously.
His father smiled, and tousled Once-ler's hair before continuing.
"A tear fell from Rapunzel's eyes, glowing with the power of the magic golden flower." He stopped when he noticed Once-ler asleep.
His father smiled and tucked him in.
"I'll read you the rest tomorrow." he whispered before walking out of the room leaving the door open just a crack.
He never did read him the rest.
As Once-ler sat in his office, staring out at the devastated forest, he wondered if his father knew what he'd done.
Deep down…he hoped he didn't, he didn't want his father to know what kind of horrible, greedy person his son had become.
The once-ler sighed and remembered that night, when his father had read to him the story of Rapunzel.
That was the last night he ever saw his father, the last night his mother had ever been decent to him again.
He sighed and buried his face in his hands, ashamed.
Then he recalled the healing song from the story, and how easily it fixed everything.
'What're you thinking, it's a song from a children's story its not going to work.' he thought to himself, but if annoying, orange forest guardians existed.
Then magical golden flowers had to exist too right?
The Once-ler got up and put on his green coat, wrapped the pink thneed around his neck and set out.
Days passed, but there was no magic flower.
Finally, he decided to just give up….what was he thinking?
The flower was just a children's story, it wasn't real, he couldn't fix his mistakes so easily.
So he collapsed to his knees,ready to give up altogether, when he noticed a strange brown marble.
He picked it up and realized… it was a seed, and not just any seed but a Truffulla tree seed.
Filled with a new thirst for life, he rushed back home to his lurkem and gently placed the seed in a box.
He would save the seed, wait for the environment to clear up and plant it.
The Once-ler sat down his hands stll firmly placed on the box, as if afraid it would disappear if he let go.
"Flower gleam and glow….let your power shine." He sang to the seed.
"make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine,"
He thought of Norma and Cindy, who he would return to, but not now not until he could plant the seed, showing he was sorry.
"Heal what has been hurt, change the fate's design."
He thought of the Lorax, and the animals of the forest whom he'd give their homes ack to.
"Save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine."
He thought of his father, whom had always believed in him, and Once-ler would do what ever he could to bring the forest back, for them
"What once was mine.: