Barfus and Tom: The troll, the dragon, and the disciplined little squirrel.

Barfus and Tom; a fable (FIRST DRAFT) The goal is to turn this into a children's picture book fully animated and in color. So, I encourage you to use your imaginations ;-)

Under the fieldstone bridge, near the mystical wood.

Lived Barfus and Tom, friends through bad and good.

Tom: a Dragon, had fire in his heart

Barfus: a troll, made being stoic an art.

They see things differently, not just because of their height.

Let’s see where this day takes them, and what lessons come to light.

This is Barfus:

This is Tom:

One morning, as the sun peeked over the treetops, Barfus was stretching beneath the Fieldstone Bridge eagerly preparing for swim practice. He was holding a "bridge" stretch, with proper form as would be expected from a young bridge troll. Tom, on the other hand, was laying sprawled out on the grass, watching the clouds intently thinking deep dragon thoughts, or maybe he was just trying to find animal shapes in the clouds.

Tom squinted and said, “That one looks like a flying pancake,” Then muttered to himself. “Wait, nope, I think I'm just hungry.”

“Are you ready for swim practice?” Barfus asked, balancing on one foot.

Tom groaned dramatically and flapped his wings lazily.

In a whiney voice Tom said, “The weather is perfect. We should chase frogs. Or pick berries. Or write a poem about chasing frogs and picking berries. There will be another practice tomorrow.” Grinning, he glanced over at Barfus. “You go ahead. I’ll be here… doing important dragon things. Like some focused lounging. Maybe some wing yoga. Definitely not swimming laps.” Said Tom.

Just then, a squirl, who was just walking by, said in a tiny squirrel voice:

“Excuse me!”

“Excuse us. You look busy.” Said Barfus.

“No, not really, just gathering acorns.” Said the squirrel.

Barfus nodded and said, “I’ve noticed you pass by this way every day for the last few months.”

Tom squinted at the squirrel and whispered to Barfus, “He must be hungry” Tom then said softly to himself, “That acorn’s bigger than his head. That’s either ambition or a snack emergency.”

Barfus, with a smile, shook his head knowingly.

“The squirrel is right!” Exclaimed Barfus

Tom, looked shocked and confused, “What?!...”

“Let’s go!” said Barfus.

“But what about the frogs?!” Said Tom, and with a deep sigh Tom lowered his head and shuffled his feet and followed Barfus to swim practice.

At swim practice, Tom struggled… Daydreaming about clouds and berries and frogs and squirrels. At first, Tom wanted to give up. Tom wanted to go home, lay down, and stare at the clouds but then he remembered the squirrel and the acorns. Why? He thought...

Tom sat at the wall of the pool and thought for a moment. With squirrels running though his head, he took a deep breath and dove back in the water again, a little more focused this time, and before long he found himself smiling.

 “Alright,” said Tom, looking at Barfus after hoping out of the water.

“Maybe the squirrel was right. Good things, like an acorn feast in the middle of winter, take time, dedication, and a little discipline…”

Barfus chuckled, and asked, “The squirrel told you that?!”

“No, he showed me.” Said Tom

Barfus winked at Tom and said "I saw it too. He has walked by our house a couple times a day, every day for the last few months carrying acorns. All for a meal he won't enjoy for a long time…I guess sometimes you need to work now to have happiness later.”

Tom smiles and said, “A very full “filling” happiness.” And laughed a booming dragon laugh! He imagined a squirrel in sunglasses, belly round as a pumpkin, lounging in a tiny hammock with a coconut drink..”

Barfus smiled and then winked, “yes, very filling indeed!”

Back at the fieldstone bridge, near the mystical wood,

Laughed Barfus and Tom, as good friends should.

Tom: still a dragon, with dreams in his flame,

Barfus: still stoic, but smiling the same.

They learned something small that felt big and bright

That work, like the sun, brings its own kind of light.

And though they’re still different in spirit and size,

They both saw the world with much wiser eyes

The End.