The first group of children, led by Caera, was ushered toward Kina and Dama’s booth, their laughter and excitement complimenting the tone for the day.

  Kina’s booth stood in an open space near the edge of the festival grounds, where a small wooden fence sectioned off a patch of grass. Inside the enclosure, five farm animals stood waiting—each one selected for today’s lesson.

  A stout brown cow swished its tail lazily, a plump white chicken pecked at the ground, a curious goat nibbled at a wooden post, a fluffy sheep stared off into the distance, and then there was Dorsey, the animated chestnut-colored horse who seemed to relish the attention, bobbing her head up and down as if greeting the approaching group of children.

  Kina, standing with her hands on her hips, smiled as the children gathered in front of the booth. Dama stood beside her, Mumu and Nina just behind him, who watched the kids with visible excitement.

  “Alright, everyone!” Kina’s voice rang out cheerfully. “Welcome to the Alder Farm booth! I hope you’re ready to learn about some of the most important animals and crops that help keep Enohay going strong!”

  The children nodded eagerly, their eyes darting between the animals with excitement. Some of them giggled as Dorsey stomped her hooves, ready for some sort of interaction.

  Kina stepped forward and gestured toward the cow first. “Let’s start with this big girl right here. Her name is Buttercup, and she's a cow! Cows have been a part of Enohay’s farms since the village was founded. They give us milk, which we use to make things like cheese and butter. Without them, we wouldn’t have some of our favorite foods.”

  One of the kids gasped. “No cheese?!”

  Kina chuckled. “That’s right! No cheese.” She moved on to the chicken. “And this little lady here? Henretta! She's a chicken! Chickens give us eggs, and eggs are a great source of food, especially protein and other valuable nutrients, for everyone in the village.”

  She continued, pointing to the sheep. “Sheeps, like my little trooper Ramsey, give us wool, which we use to make clothes!" Kina then pointed to the goat. "Now, when it comes to goats, like Daisy over here, you can think of them like a combination of cows and sheep! Goats also provide milk, just like cows, and they can be sheared for their fur, which can be used for clothing, just like sheep!”

  Finally, Kina turned to Dorsey, who dramatically flicked her mane as if she knew it was her turn to shine. “And this troublemaker here is Dorsey!” Kina said, smirking. “Horses like Dorsey help us transport goods and supplies. Our ancestors used them to travel long distances before the village became self-sufficient. Plus, they’re great at plowing fields!”

  Dorsey neighed in agreement, causing the children to laugh. Kina gave her a pat on the neck before stepping aside. “Now, my part’s done for now. Dama, care to continue?”

  Dama nodded, stepping forward as the children turned their attention to him and the massive plush bear and fox behind him.

  “Mumu and Nina aren’t like the other animals here,” Dama began, “but the animals they represent—bears and foxes—do live around Enohay. The difference is, the real ones aren’t as friendly as these two.”

  The children listened intently as he continued. “Bears, like Mumu, live in the forests. They’re really strong, walk on all fours, and while they usually don’t want to bother people, they will attack if they feel threatened or challenged. That’s why if you ever see a bear in the wild, you should never run away—because they’ll chase you.”

  The children's eyes widened. “What do we do then?” One of them asked.

  Dama smiled. “You make yourself look big and back away slowly. If you have food, you should drop it and keep moving. Most of the time, they just want an easy meal.”

  Mumu rubbed his stomach, trying his best to help out with the explanation. Dama then turned to Nina. “Foxes, like Nina, live up in the mountains, but sometimes come down to the valley. They’re much smaller than bears, but they’re really smart and sneaky. They don't usually attack people, but they might try to steal food if you leave it out.”

  Nina nodded along, as if confirming his words. “So, remember—Mumu and Nina are friendly, but the real animals they represent can be dangerous if you don’t respect them. If you ever see a wild animal, it’s always safest to leave it alone.”

  The children murmured amongst themselves, clearly taking in the lesson.

  With that, Kina stepped back in. “Why thank you, my special little helper. Now, let’s talk about crops! Farming is just as important as raising animals, and thanks to the rich soil here, Enohay grows all sorts of things, like cabbage, wheat, oats, peas, carrots, apples, and pears. Fruits like apples and pears grow in orchards, while vegetables like carrots and cabbage are grown in fields.”

  As soon as she finished explaining, a small girl in the group puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms. “So you’re the reason we have to eat vegetables?”

  A murmur of agreement rippled through the group.

  Kina blinked, momentarily taken aback. “Eh? W-Well…yes?” She stammered out with a nervous shrug.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  The children all began talking amongst themselves, their expressions ranging from disappointment to outright anger. Kina, overwhelmed by the sudden rebellion, looked to Dama for help.

  Dama smirked, stepping forward with a glint of mischief in his eye. “I get it, you don’t like vegetables. But tell me something—do you know how Mumu got so strong?”

  The kids paused, suddenly interested. “How?” One of them asked.

  Dama pointed at Mumu. “He eats a lot of vegetables, of course!”

  Mumu tilted his head in confusion, but Dama subtly nudged him. Understanding the assignment, Mumu straightened up and raised his arms, flexing dramatically. He then puffed up his arm muscles, making it look like he had enormous biceps.

  The kids gasped in awe. Nina, playing along, nodded in approval.

  “If Mumu didn’t eat his vegetables, he wouldn’t be able to carry entire trees by himself!” Dama added. “He knows he needs to be strong to help and protect everyone in Enohay!”

  The children exchanged glances, their previous disdain for vegetables wavering. Then, one boy hesitantly raised his hand. “I…I want to eat my vegetables now.”

  Another followed. “Me too!”

  Soon, the entire group was declaring their newfound resolve to eat vegetables, their voices overlapping excitedly.

  Kina, still a little dazed, laughed. “Well, I wasn’t expecting that…but I’ll take it," she said before clapping her hands together, "alright then! Since you’re all so eager, how about we feed the animals?”

  The kids erupted into cheers as Kina pulled out a small wooden crate filled with various feed—grains for the chickens, hay for the sheep and goat, and sliced apples for Dorsey. She handed each child a handful of food and guided them to the fence.

  The animals, as if knowing exactly what was about to happen, perked up. Henretta flapped her wings excitedly, Buttercup trotted forward, and Daisy let out a small bleat before nudging a boy’s hand with her nose. Ramsey simply stood there until a little girl reached out with a handful of feed, at which point he gave a soft baa and started munching away.

  Dorsey, the ever-dramatic horse, stomped her hooves and bobbed her head eagerly as the children fed her apple slices. She nuzzled against a small boy, causing him to giggle uncontrollably. “She’s so soft!” another exclaimed, reaching up to stroke her muzzle and mane.

  The other kids, encouraged by his reaction, started reaching out to pet the animals. Buttercup let out a slow, contented huff as small hands brushed over her back. Daisy happily accepted head pats, though she occasionally tried to nibble on sleeves, much to the children’s amusement. Henretta, while a bit more hesitant, allowed one or two gentle strokes before strutting off.

  Once the children had gotten their fill of feeding the farm animals, Kina dusted off her hands. “Now that you’ve made some farm friends, how about spending some time with Mumu and Nina?”

  Mumu perked up at his name, his stitched ears twitching in anticipation. Nina, ever the sly one, flicked her tail before hopping closer to the children, letting out a small, playful chirp.

  One of the braver kids ran up to Mumu, his eyes twinkling at the basically plush celebrity. Mumu mouth stitches curved upward in a smile, with him spreading out his arms in response.

  The kid gasped seeing the invitation and threw their arms around his big fluffy belly. “He’s so squishy!” the kid squealed, sinking into the plush bear’s soft exterior. The other children quickly followed, giggling as they clung to Mumu, who took it all in stride, puffing out his chest proudly. Some kids climbed onto his back, and he playfully swayed side to side, making them laugh as if they were riding a wobbly cart.

  Meanwhile, Nina was darting around between the kids, allowing them to pet her soft fur before dashing away just out of reach. She would flick her tail and crouch low as if challenging them to chase her, only to bound away at the last second, never straying too far. Eventually, she let out a satisfied huff and flopped onto the grass, allowing the kids to rub her belly, occasionally kicking her legs in satisfaction.

  Dama, watching the scene unfold, put his hand on his hip with a small smirk. Mumu and Nina were clearly enjoying themselves just as much as the children were.

  Next to him, Kina laughed as she watched Mumu dramatically collapse onto the ground, allowing a pile of kids to snuggle into and jump on him. “Well, looks like Mumu and Nina are the stars of the show today." She said as she put a finger to her chin, looking up at the sky in thought. "Kind of makes me wish they were a thing when I was a little girl."

  One of the children, still hugging Mumu, looked up at Kina. “Hey hey, Auntie Kina? Where did Mumu and Nina come from? The forest and mountains like the other wild animals? Can I have my own Mumu and Nina?”

  "U-Um, well..." Kina stammered out as she rubbed her cheek, trying to think of a response.

  But Dama interjected before she could think of one. "You don't need your own Mumu and Nina, since they're not just pets or toys, they're their own individuals. Both of them are everybody's friend in Enohay, it just so happens they live with me is all due to meeting my parents first!"

  A response that seemed to both satisfy the child and surprise Kina due to Dama's quick and sensible thinking.

  Another kid raised their head from Mumu's belly and turned to Caera. "Ms. Caera, can we stay here all day with Mumu and Nina? Please?"

  Caera chuckled. “I think Mumu and Nina would love that, but there’s still so much to see at the festival! You wouldn't want to miss out on all of it, right?”

  While some kids nodded in agreement, others groaned in disappointment, but as the next group of children approached the booth, they slowly untangled themselves from Mumu and Nina, giving the plush creatures a final few pats before regrouping under Caera.

  As the first group wandered off, a little girl ran back and tugged at Dama’s sleeve. “Thank you for teaching us about the animals, big brother...” she said shyly before running back to her friends.

  Dama blinked, momentarily surprised, before giving a small nod. As the kids were led to the next booth, Kina turned to Dama with an amused expression. “I owe you alot for today.”

  Dama shrugged. “Just doing my part, Ms. Alder.”

  Kina laughed in response as she placed her hands on Dama's shoulders. “Alright, you go on and check out the other booths. I’ll take care of Mumu and Nina for now.”

  Dama hesitated, glancing at his stitched companions. Mumu gave him a reassuring pat on the back, and Nina nudged him forward with her nose. “Alright, alright, I’m going.” he said with a laugh.

  With a wave, Dama jogged off toward the next booth, leaving Mumu and Nina in Kina's capable hands.

  -

  Next: (Extra Chapter 28) Express Yourself: The Koul Way!