RogueSummersLover: Hi everyone... It's me again. I'm not dead. Don't worry. I'm still working on my other stories, slowly but surely. I wrote this little short for an English project. It's based off of something from Fruits Basket... To All who have seen and/or watched the manga, you should recognize this short. Just pretend that this story takes place before Tohru's dad dies, before everything. Uhm. Was Tohru's father's name ever mentioned? I can't recall it if it was. Just let me know if anyone knows his name. Thats all. Have a good day/night everyone.
The Thankful Traveler
"Grandpa! Grandpa!" A little girl of 5 years old cried out in excitement. "Grandpa!" An older man across the room chuckle.
"Hello Tohru." He got up from his lazy boy chair and walked over to his granddaughter. He bent down and smiled at the little girl. "And how are we today, Tohru?" The Grandpa asked. He shot a look up at the woman that little Tohru was standing in front of.
"Kyoko, how are you?" The grandpa asked, pulling himself off of the floor to face his daughter-in-law.
"I'm fine, just running a little late today. Do you think you and Dottie can watch him today? Jimmie and I are working late and the baby-sitter isn't available." Kyoko sighed. Grandpa smiled.
"We always have time for our favorite granddaughter. Don't worry about it, Kyoko I'm sure we can find something to keep her attention while you and Jimmie are at work, right Tohru?" Tohru smiled and jumped up and down.
"Ooooh, Grandpa, can you tell me one of your stories? Pwease?" The grandpa chuckled and nodded.
"All right, I see that you two have bonded over your stories. I'll be leaving now, Tohru." Kyoko bent down and kissed the little girl on the head. She scrunched up her face in distaste.
"Mommy." She whined. She laughed and smiled.
"Bye Tohru. You be a good girl for Grandma and Grandpa, ok? I love you." Kyoko kissed the top of her head. She said good-bye to the Grandpa and then let herself out.
"Dottie, guess who came to stay for awhile?" The grandpa smiled and led the child into the kitchen. The woman poked her out from the kitchen and smiled.
"Oh, Tohru! How wonderful. Would you like some milk and cookies?" The little girl nodded, eagerly. "Why don't you go sit down in the study and have story time while I make the cookies?"
"Ok!" Tohru ran into the study with her grandpa following behind.
"Come on Tohru." The grandpa patted his knee as he sat down on his chair. Tohru jumped onto his lap and beamed at her grandpa. "Did I ever tell you the story of the Thankful Traveler?" The grandpa looked down at his grandson. She shook her head. "No? Well, I should tell you then. First and foremost, This isn't an ordinary tale, but a tale filled with animals instead of mankind. One cold fall day...
One cold fall day in the town of Red Oak, there was a traveler who had wondered into the town hoping to find a place to stay for a night. The traveler's name was Momiji. Like the meaning of his name, Momiji was a very kind and caring young rabbit. He was virtuous and selfless. He was the perfect animal that one could ever ask for, except, he had one fault.
"And do you know what that fault was, Tohru?" The Grandpa asked. The little girl shook her head. "He was kind and caring."
"But, Grandpa, why was that bad?" the little girl asked, confused.
"It wasn't a fault to him, but to everyone else. No one understood him, except a small rat.
One day, as Momiji was walking on the dirt trail he was stopped by Ayame, the snake.
"Why hello there Traveler. I couldn't help but notice you walking down the trail. Are you alone?"
"Hello Sir. Yes, I am traveling alone. Do you need anything, Sir?" Momiji asked generally concerned for the snake's well being.
"Well, you see, young traveler, my wife is home trying to make clothes for our business. But neither she nor I have the money to buy fabic." Ayame said with fake sorrowfulness.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Here take this." Momiji frowned and pulled out 10 silver coins and 20 gold coins. He gave Ayame all of his coins. "I hope this will help you and your wife. I wish you happiness." The rabbit gave the snake a smile. The snake flicked his tongue at Momiji and ran off.
Momiji watched as the snake ran off in the opposite direction. With a shrug of his shoulders, he continued with his search. Soon after his stomach grumbled alerting him of his hunger. I should stop for lunch since I didn't eat breakfast. The rabbit stopped by an oak tree and dug into his bag. He pulled out a loaf of bread and wine. Just as he was about to bite into his bread a little rooster appeared.
"Sir, May I have that loaf of bread? My master is sick and the only way to heal him is through a loaf of bread and some wine. I tired looking in the town, but no one could spare a loaf." The rooster said with tears in his eyes.
"What's your name little one?" Momiji asked so stricken with the rooster's words.
"My name, Sir? It's Kureno."
"Here you go. Please help your master, Kureno. I wish you both happiness." The traveler handed the rooster the wine and load of bread. The rooster left with a grin on his face. Momiji smiled as he watched the rooster go.
He picked himself up off of the ground and was forced to continue with his travel. To pass the time he . . .
"Come on you two! The cookies are done. Get them while they're warm!" Dottie's voice rang out, interrupting the story.
"Aw, Grandma, you messed up the story." Little Tohru whined.
"Oh, come on now. Grandpa can tell you the rest of the story after you have your snack."
"Aw ok. Come on Grandpa, lets get some cookies." Tohru got off of her grandpa's lap and ran into the rustic style kitchen. The grandparents exchanged a loving smile before following the girl into the kitchen.
"Grandpa? Can you finish the story?" Little girl asked with her eyes blinking innocently and her lower lip covering the top lip, forming a puppy dog face. He chuckled and took a seat next to his granddaughter; Dottie followed his actions.
"All right, Tohru, all right." Grabbing an cookie, and taking a bite, Grandpa situated himself so he could continue on with the story.
To pass the time he whistled a little tone. He walked on and on until he came upon a sheep sitting on the ground, head in his hands and sobbing. Momiji, being the one who thinks of others first, went to the sheep and asked what was wrong. The sheep lifted up his head and smiled at Momiji.
"Sir, we don't have money for planting our seeds for this years crop season. My family hardly gets by with what we do grow. It's so horrible." The sheep buries his head in his arms and snickered so quietly it looked like he was sobbing. To Momiji, it looked like the sheep was so distraught that he bent down so he was eye level with the sheep.
"Don't cry, Please don't cry. Here, take my bag. Surly you could get some money with it." Momiji watched the sheep's eyes dry and brighten. He took the bag from the rabbit and ran off down the road. The traveler smile a small sad smile.
"I wish you happiness." He called after the sheep. What was he do now? He couldn't pay anybody for a place to stay, Momiji decided to stay in the woods. I'll just find an old den or a cave to sleep in. Momiji changed his direction of path and headed into the dense forest. Momiji walked with the wind in his face and his head hung low.
"Sir?" Called a tiny voice so tiny that Momiji that it was the wind whispering. Momiji looked up as heard a louder "Sir?"
"Hello? Is any one there?" Momiji asked, and heard a little squeak of a response.
"I'm down here, Sir." Momiji followed the voice and saw a mouse sitting on a rock.
"Hello. . ."
"My name is Yuki." The mouse answered Momiji's unmentioned question. "I called to you because you were going to walk all over me." Yuki continued.
"Oh my! I'm so sorry. I didn't even realize it. Please forgive me, Yuki." Momiji hung his head in a show of self-humility and respect for the mouse."
"It's all right. Where are you heading so late in the night and in the woods?" The mouse asked.
"I was traveling on the road, but some animals needed things and I came they everything except the clothes off of my back. I'm glad I could help them out. I was looking for a place to stay. I would have asked them, but they all left before I could finish my sentence. I came to the woods hoping to find some abandoned dens that I could sleep in." Momiji explained his adventure to Yuki.
"What is it that you desire?" The mouse asked. Momiji blinked.
"What I want? I've never really thought about that. I suppose, a warm place, with friends and family surrounding me. I think, I think that's what I want." Momiji sat down on a rock.
"Good, very good. Everyone deserves to have what they want, especially you. You gave all those animals what they wanted, not what they needed. But you did it with willingness. That is the greatest gift, giving. But now, You will be granted something you so desperately want. A home with friends and family surrounding. Come with me and live with me and my family. They'll be happy to meet you." The mouse said with wisdom.
"Oh, thank you Yuki, but I don't know if I could except your gracious offer. I would be implying on you and your family."
"Nonsense. Come, We'll be one big family." The mouse lead the thankful traveler to his new home. . .
"And as the traveler fallowed his new friend and family member home, he thought back on everything he did. He truly was thankful." Grandpa fished telling the story. He looked down at Tohru, who was still picking at the cookies. "Well, Tohru, what did you think of the story?" Grandpa asked.
"I thought it was good. But why did the traveler give away all his things, and never got anything in return?" Tohru asked.
"Because he was a kind person and his greatest gift was giving and not receiving." Grandpa responded.
"Just like at Christmas time when you like seeing other people happy when they open your gifts." Dottie explained. Tohru looked thoughtful for a moment as if she was trying to piece together the whole story in her mind. She must have gotten it because her face brightened.
"Tohru, your mother and father will be here shortly." Grandpa said softly.
Tohru whined, "Aw, but I don't wanna go. I wanna hear another story." The grandparents exchanged a laughing glance.
"Next time."
"Tohru! We're back!" Kyoko and Jimmie's voice called from the living room.
"I guess they're here already." Dottie commented. Tohru got up from her chair and ran into the room and jumped on her mother and father.
"Guess what?" Tohru giggled at her father's face.
"What?" Kyoko answered.
"Grandpa told me a story."
"Really. Why don't you tell us in the car, hmm?" Jimmie smiled down at his daughter and turned to his father.
"Thank you, Dad." Grandpa smiled.
"Ya, ya. now go on and get before that daughter of yours decides to stay." Grandpa's eye were filled with pride and love.
"You heard Grandpa. Go on and say goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa." Mattie ushered the child off. They all said their goodbyes and Jimmie, Kyoko and their daughter went on their way.
THE END