-The Seven Deadly Sins -
Chapter One – The Seven Deadly Sins
Blathers winced with reluctantly as Sow Joan's turnips scattered across the ground. After a long moment's hesitation, he bent down to pick up a bunch of freshly gathered stalks. Sow Joan gave him an eyeful of gratefulness.
"Thank you, child. You have made an old woman very happy. Though my turnips have been recollected, I pass a doubt that anyone would buy them covered in dirt." the traveler said to him.
Blathers reached into the front pocket of his jumper. He took out several bags of bells.
"One hundred thousand bells to cover the cost of the turnips, and fifty thousand more to cover the cost of your traveling.
Sow Joan accepted the bells after flashing the owl a brief smile. She rummaged through the bag to count two hundred thousand bells.
"Kind Sir, there is nothing you have accounted for the other fifty thousand bells." she added.
Blathers grinned. "That, my lady, is for the disappointment of your wasted efforts. Please accept it."
Sow Joan winked at the museum attendant, and headed off back to the train station. Blathers watched as she shuffled merrily onto the platform.
Returning to the task at hand, Blathers continued on down to the museum. It was the first of April, and Blathers had taken time off work as the main branch of Faraway Museum sent back nothing but pieces of cheese in return of fossils on April Fool's Day. For now, he was enjoying a rare stroll through Midland. He had accidentally bumped into Sow Joan after he started appreciating the surroundings too much.
This was the one day of the year that the nocturnal creature could leave his post at the museum. He never tired of attending the fish and bugs, and never grew bored of appreciating fine art. But he did enjoy a day out.
He began to dance as a distant music came into play. Down by the Wishing Well, there was the annual April Fools Day celebration been held. It was nothing more than a time when the villagers shared jokes and received numerous false statements from the Well itself. Blathers chuckled as he remembered what the Well had told them last year.
"Every night for the next one hundred days you must take out your bed and sleep by fresh water."
Blathers giggled huskily as he remembered who had believed it. Alfonso had slept by the waterfall every night for the following one hundred days. Needless to say, by the time he returned to his home, he sounded like a walking ambassador for Mother Nature.
"You must be daffy, Alfonso. The Wishing Well will not make you sleep under the waterfall again." Cookie told Alfonso cheekily. She, amongst the other villagers, regularly teased Alfonso. The alligator simply took it with a pinch of salt.
Monique and Alli were chatting with a sophisticated manner. Blathers past the two, and approached the three regular museum patrons, Lily, Sydney and Bob.
"Blathers! You got out!" Syndey proclaimed with excitement.
"Of course!" said Blathers. You didn't think I would miss this party, did you?"
Bob wiggled his tail as he suggestively swallowed a mouthful of orange juice. He seemed desperate to mention something.
"The Wishing Well is about to make it's Fools Joke. Alfonso's nearly surpassed himself."
The four turned to see Alfonso praising the well. He was bowing on his knees.
As they shared a momentary giggle, the town bells struck. Everyone gathered around the Wishing Well with haste. The villagers watched as the bubbles rose, their frequency growing and growing, the force of the bubbles becoming more vigorous.
A hermit like creature with long hair and a country hat rose out of the Well. To everyone's surprise, he was dry. It was the spirit of the Well, Farley.
"Villagers of Midland. You have gathered here once again. According to my external sources, there was only one of you who heeded my words last year."
Alfonso nodded his head self righteously.
Farley continued in his low, droning voice. "This year, the matter is much more serious. This is no Fools Joke."
Everyone nudged the villager next to them and nodded sporadically.
"Beginning at the time the clock strikes ten tonight, you must resist the temptation to execute any of the seven deadly sins. The risk is great, the probability of failure, high. Anger, Laziness, envy, greed, gluttony, pride and lust may become your downfall. That is all I have to say."
Farley bowed before he consumed himself back into the flowing waters. The animals, Blathers amongst them, began to depart from the plaza.
"Be careful, Blathers." Sydney chuckled. "That was no April Fools Joke."
Blathers grinned back at the cheeky koala. He headed back to his post at the museum for another year of tending his dedication.
Some time later, when Midland was dark and the town was asleep, the bells struck ten. Only in the morning would the town realize that one of their number had fallen to the first, of the Seven Deadly Sins.