Disclaimer: I do not own Adventures from the Book of Virtues. It is TM of PBS. No profit is being made from this story.
"Good morning, Zach" Annie Redfeather smiled brightly as she greeted her best friend at the Spring Valley School front entrance.
"Hi Annie" Zach Nichols replied. He smiled back but his voice sounded tired.
Annie peered at him more closely and noticed that he had bags under his eyes. "Are you okay? You look like you didn't get any sleep last night."
A look of embarrassment appeared on his face. "Yeah, I got so caught up in playing my new video game I forgot to do my homework. I had to stay up half the night to finish it."
Annie sighed and shook her head. "Zach, did you forget the stories Plato told us about the importance of self-discipline?"
"I didn't forget. They just kind of slipped my mind, that's all" he protested. "Besides I still did my home…" His words were cut off as his mouth opened wide in a yawn. "Sorry."
"It's okay" she replied. "Let's just hope you don't fall asleep in the middle of class" she added playfully.
"Come on Annie" Zach complained. "I'm not going to…" Another yawn interrupted him.
She laughed. "Come on sleepyhead."
He pretended to glare at her but he couldn't keep it up and after a few seconds he laughed too.
They went to class and Zach handed in his homework, hoping that he hadn't made too bad a job of it. The lesson passed with agonizing slowness for Zach as the teacher, Mr. Paul, graded each paper while the students studied their textbooks.
Finally, the papers were returned. Zach sighed in relief as he saw he'd gotten a B+. That was worth losing a night's sleep over. He glanced over at Annie and she gave him a thumb's up which he returned.
"Well done class," said Mr. Paul. "You all did very well. Now I have a surprise for you all."
"Cool. What is it?" Zach asked.
There was a knock on the door and Mr. Paul opened it. "Come in Adam."
A teenage boy with black hair and blue eyes dressed in stylish designer clothes entered the room.
"Class, this is Adam White, a student at Spring Valley High School. He's a member of his school's "Say No to Drugs" committee and he's here to tell our class about some of the harmful effects of drug abuse."
"Thanks Mr. Paul and students," said Adam. "I'd like to talk to you about a serious problem facing communities all across America. Drug use has crept into every level of society, from the rich to the poor. Even kids your age are into narcotics. And there are numerous types. Marijuana, PCP, cocaine. And all of them are damaging to your mind and body. Even marijuana can be dangerous under certain circumstances as it slows reflexes and reaction times. And people who start out on drugs they think are harmless often move on to harder ones."
Adam went on to describe how drug abuse had ruined the lives of people in his school, including one boy who had died of an overdose. As Zach listened, he felt a growing anger burning away his tiredness. Anger that there were people who were profiting off of causing such misery. Without realizing, he clenched his fists under his desk.
Adam finished by saying, "Remember, the only answer to any kind of drug abuse is no. Thank you for listening."
"Thank you, Adam, for that splendid speech," said Mr. Paul. "Let's give him a cheer."
The class all cheered loudly and Adam smiled.
"Now, on a lighter note, I have an important announcement to make," said Mr. Paul. "Our class has been selected to operate the Spring Valley School science exhibit at the county fair. Zach Nichols and Annie Redfeather have been chosen to help the science teacher set up the exhibit tomorrow afternoon."
"All right!" Zack exclaimed, his anger momentarily leaving him. He and Annie high-fived while the class cheered.
That afternoon Zach and Annie rode their bikes up to Plato's Peak and met up with their animal friends at the entrance to Plato's cave. Aurora was perched up on a tree branch, Socrates was lounging on the grass, Plato and Aristotle sat on the steps leading into the cave. All of them listened as the kids told them the good news.
"Well done, both of you." said Aurora. "We're all very proud of you."
"Yes indeed. You must have done very well to be chosen for such a task" Aristotle agreed.
"Thanks guys" Annie said happily.
"Yeah thanks" Zach added, but there was a clear lack of enthusiasm in his voice and his mind seemed to be elsewhere. His initial excitement had completely disappeared.
Annie looked at him in concern. "Are you still feeling tired Zach?"
He shook his head. "It's not that. I just keep thinking about what that Adam guy said today about drug abuse. How can anybody make stuff like that and sell it to kids?"
Plato sighed. "I wish I could answer that question Zach. There are many people in this world who care only about sating their own greed, regardless of the suffering they cause."
"Yeah, some people are straight-up bad news" Socrates agreed.
Zach scowled. "It's not right! People like that should be locked up and have the key thrown away! I hate them!" He angrily picked up a stone and threw it into the river with a splash!
"Zach, take it easy," said Annie as she put a hand on his shoulder. The tension left his body and he calmed down.
"Sorry. It just makes me mad that people can do something like that" he said.
"It's understandable to be angry at those who hurt others Zach, but don't be too quick to condemn" said Plato gently. "Sometimes even a bad person can change for the better."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. In fact, I'm reminded of a story in which a man committed a terrible wrong but was able to find redemption."
Socrates looked up curiously. "Redemption? What's that?"
"Redemption is the act of making amends for the wrongs one has done" Aurora explained.
"One moment please," said Aristotle. He reached into a nearby hole and after rummaging around for a few seconds produced the Book of Virtues. He flipped through the pages until he found the one that he was looking for. "Is this it?"
"Ah yes, that's the one. Thank you," said Plato.
Zach and Annie sat down on the grass and listened as he began to read.
"Many lifetimes ago there lived two brave warriors. Their names were Spotted Eagle and Black Crow. They were the best of friends, as close as brothers. But both of them were in love with a woman named Red Bird. She favoured Spotted Eagle and that made Black Crow unhappy and jealous.
One day Black Crow went to his friend and suggested that they go on a war party against their tribe's rivals, the Pahani, in the hope of getting some new horses. Spotted Eagle agreed and they rode out against their enemies.
The raid was a disaster. Not only did Spotted Eagle and Black Crow fail to capture any more horses, they also lost their own mounts and were forced to flee on foot. They were forced to hide beneath the surface of a lake, breathing through long, hollow reeds. Eventually the Pahani gave up the hunt and they were able to get away. But on foot the trip back was long and hard. At one point they came to a high cliff. On a ledge far below, they saw a nest with two young eagles in it.
Black Crow suggested that they should go down to the nest and get the eagles so that the trip would not be a total loss. Since the rock wall was too sheer to climb down, he took his lariat, tied it around Spotted Eagle's chest and lowered him down to the ledge. But once Spotted Eagle was on the ledge, he threw down his end and walked away without looking back or listening to his friend's cries. He returned to the tribe and told them that Spotted Eagle had died in battle against the Pahani. There was much wailing and sorrow for Spotted Eagle was well-liked. Red Bird slashed her arms with a knife and cut her hair to make her grief plain to all. But as life must go on, she married Black Crow.
Spotted Eagle did not die on the ledge. The young eagles grew to accept him and the parent eagles brought food which he shared with the chicks. It was a precarious existence, for the ledge was narrow and he had to tie himself to a rock so that he wouldn't fall off in his sleep.
Eventually the young eagles were big enough to practice flying. At this point Spotted Eagle had an idea. He prayed to the Great Spirit that it would succeed. He took hold of the young eagles' legs and said, "Brothers, you have accepted me as one of your own. Now we will live together or die together. Hoka-hey!" And he jumped off the ledge.
With a mighty flapping of their wings the young eagles broke his fall and they all landed safely. Spotted Eagle said a prayer of thanks and also thanked the eagles. He promised that one day he would return with gifts in their honour.
Spotted Eagle returned to his tribe where he was greeted with much rejoicing. Everybody asked how he had survived but he would not tell them. "I escaped, that's all" he said. He saw his love married to his treacherous friend and bore it in silence. He was not one to bring strife and enmity to his people. Besides, what happened could not be changed, so he accepted his fate.
A year later the tribe were attacked by a great war party of the Pahani. Spotted Eagle and the other warriors were outnumbered ten to one. Victory was impossible, all they could do was fight a rear-guard action so that the non-combatants could get away. Eventually Spotted Eagle and Black Crow were the last two left. Spotted Eagle told his former friend that if he fought to the finish, he would forgive him whether or not he died.
And so Black Crow fought bravely. Many Pahani fell before he was finally slain. Only Spotted Eagle witnessed his end. When he returned to the tribe, he told Red Bird that her husband had died well.
After some time had passed Spotted Eagle married Red Bird. Much later he told his parents and no-one else how Black Crow had betrayed him. "I forgive him now" he said. "Because once, long ago, he was my friend, and because he died as a warrior should, fighting for his people, and also because Red Bird and I are happy now." After a long winter he travelled back to the cliff where he kept his promise to the eagles, giving them choice pieces of food and fastening small medicine bundles to their legs as a sign of friendship. He then returned home with deep contentment."
With his story finished, Plato looked up at his friends.
"Wow. Even after Black Crow betrayed him like that, Spotted Eagle still forgave him," said Annie.
"Yes. Because despite what he had done, in the end Black Crow redeemed himself" Plato replied. "Spotted Eagle understood that. It's important that we keep ourselves open to the possibility that even one who has committed evil acts can someday see the light."
"I guess you're right" Zach said as he stood up. "Anyway, I have to go. I need to get ready for tomorrow."
Annie also stood up. "I should probably go home too" she agreed.
"Oh, just one more thing," said Aurora. "I've been tracking a storm and it's heading this way. You had better take your raincoats with you."
"We will. Thanks Aurora," said Zach. "See you guys later."
"Bye" Annie called.
The kids got on their bikes and rode away. Plato and the others watched them go.
"Do you think Zach will be okay?" Socrates asked. "I'm not sure he got the message."
"He'll be fine" Plato replied. "He may not fully realize it yet, but in his heart Zach understands."
"I hope you're right about that."
The following day Zach and Annie met the science teacher at the school entrance where a school bus was ready to go. Mindful of Aurora's warning, both of them had brought their raincoats.
"Good morning" she said.
"Good morning Ms. Evans," replied Annie cheerily.
"Yeah, good morning" Zach repeated.
As they got on board the bus Zach looked up at the sky. It was covered by a thick layer of dark clouds and looked as if rain would start pouring down any second.
"Looks like Aurora was right about the weather" he whispered to Annie.
"She always is" Annie agreed.
Sure enough, as the bus drove away it began to rain. At first it was just a faint drizzle, but by the time they arrived at the county fair science hall it had become a heavy downpour. Ms. Evans parked the bus in front of the entrance where thankfully there was an awning.
"I'll let you both out here while I park the bus" she said. "No need for us all to get wet."
"Thanks Ms. Evans" Zach replied. He and Annie took shelter under the awning as the bus drove around the corner. "Whoa, that rain is coming down hard."
Annie looked up at the cloud-covered sky and spotted something. "Zach, isn't that a plane's landing lights?"
He looked in the direction she was pointing. There was indeed a utility aircraft coming in for a landing. He recalled that the county airport runway was close to the science hall area.
"Yes, it is. Hey wait a sec, something's wrong. It's coming in way too fast."
"It's going to crash!" Annie exclaimed.
They followed the plane's descent as it approached the runway. It landed hard, one wing hitting the ground and buckling before it finally came to a halt, its tail pointed up at the sky.
"They could still be alive. We've got to help," said Annie. She dashed out from under the awning into the pouring rain and towards the downed aircraft.
"Hey! Wait for me!" Zach called as he ran after her.
They reached the chain-link fence, climbed over it and ran over to the crashed plane. As they got closer, they saw that smoke was rising from the wreck. Worse still the fuel tank was leaking. The kids knew that they had to hurry.
Thankfully the cockpit door hadn't gotten jammed by the crash and they were able to yank it open. Inside were two men. Both were out cold but thankfully they were still breathing.
Zach took hold of the pilot's right arm while Annie took the left, and they pulled him out of the cockpit. The man groaned faintly.
"We've got to get him away from the plane," said Zach. "Annie, you get his legs, I'll get his torso."
"Okay."
Between them they lifted the injured man up and carried him out into the downpour. Zach glanced over and saw that people were starting to respond but there was no time to wait for them. The plume of smoke from the crashed plane was getting thicker.
Annie realized the same thing. "We've got to go back for the other one" she said.
"Right."
They set the pilot down at what they hoped was a safe distance and hurried back to the plane. Once again, they were able to haul the man out of the cockpit and carry him away, setting him down next to the pilot.
By now emergency service vehicles were rolling up, including an ambulance. Zach and Annie stepped back as paramedics started loading both men into it. An airport security member turned to them.
"That was very brave. You kids showed a lot of guts."
Zach started to reply but before he could speak there was a deafening BOOM as the plane exploded. Thankfully nobody was hurt as they were all far enough away from the blast and the emergency vehicles shielded them.
The sound seemed to rouse the pilot. He groaned again and opened his eyes. "Ugh… drugs in wing-tip… call airport security…"
"Wait, did he say there were drugs on the plane?" Zach asked. His fists clenched and his anger began to rise.
We just risked our lives to save drug smugglers? I ought to…
"Zach" said Annie, her voice cutting through the red haze clouding his mind. "He just confessed."
His hands opened as he realized she was right. The man could have just stayed quiet and they'd have gotten away, but instead he had come clean.
He watched in silent disbelief as the ambulance drove away.
The science fair went off without a problem but the kids decided to wait until the next day to go to Plato's Peak. They had already had quite a day.
And so, after school the following afternoon, they visited their animal friends and told them all about what had happened.
"You were right that bad people can change Plato," said Zach. "On the news this morning it said that when those guys woke up, they made a full confession and agreed to tell the police everything they know."
"Well sometimes a brush with mortality can make a person realize the error of their ways" Plato replied.
Zach went on. "And not only that, with the information the pilot gave them the police were able to arrest the ringleaders of a drug racket in a nearby city!"
"Zach, Annie, we are so proud of you" said Aurora warmly. "You not only saved those two lives, but many others as well."
"Yeah, you both did great," Socrates agreed. Aristotle and Plato both nodded.
"Thanks guys," said Annie. "Just like Black Crow, those smugglers did a terrible thing but they saw the light and redeemed themselves."
"Quite right Annie" Plato replied. "I'm reminded of a poem that describes the importance of redemption."
Zach, Annie and the others listened as he recited the poem.
When the blossom from the sun
Turns its head away,
Not for it do sunbeams run
Through the shining day.
When the blossom turns again
To the Sun's bright face,
The forgiving sunlight then
Pours its golden grace.
When the round Earth turns aside
Into winter's cold,
How the merry blossoms hide,
How the world grows old!
When the Earth again in spring
To the Sun returns,
How all Heaven's pardoning
Leaps and laughs and yearns!
So when hearts of humankind
Turn from God away,
Gloom and misery they find
Darkening the day.
But if they turn again
And their God adore,
As in nature so in men
All is well once more.
Zach and Annie smiled. Zach relaxed as the last traces of the hostility that had burdened him faded away.
Author's Note: Spotted Eagle and Black Crow is a legend from the Lakota tribe
The poem is Turning Back by Amos Russel Wells.