"Tornado Alley"

There's a little island in the middle of the ocean. It was a crowded island , but worse than crowded, it was poor. Its three inhabitants, a farmer, a gardener and a butler, knew nothing of richness nor even the kingdoms that thrived in their distance. Their meager existence consisted of a horse, a cow and some flowers.

The farmer living on the right of the island, loved his cow and drank it's delicious milk daily.

The gardener living on the left of the island, inhaled the fragrant perfumes of his beautiful flowers.

The butler living in the middle, rode wild and free on his marvellous horse.

The inhabitants were content, at least at first. For each knew nothing else but their one possession. Unfortunately, this changed one day when a large tornado named Windy-Lou blew in from the sea.

She twisted and turned, roaming the island often. So often, the islands three inhabitants made it law that whatever blows on your property, stays on your property and is yours to keep. This made for some interesting situations, for the inhabitants were blown either the cow, the horse or the flowers. One thing was for sure, they could always count on getting one of them. The farmer and gardener liked the change and spent their entire day waiting for Windy-Lou.

The butler on the other hand loved whatever blew his way. When he owned the cow, he sighed, " delicious, scrumptious, there's nothing smoother than cool delectable milk! " He'd hold a glass high, then gulp it down like a delicious waterfall.

When he owned the flowers, he'd take a deep breath and whisper, "Oh what elegant fragrances! I feel I'm inhaling happiness itself! " Closing his eyes, he savoured their enticing perfumes.

When he owned the horse, he'd wash and groom her till she glistened in the crystal sky, then ride in the breeze to his heart's content. Happy to be alive he smiled and prayed, " Thank-you God for blessing me. I am healthy, have food and am warm. I have all I truly need! "

Windy-Lou's winds kept the farmer and gardener happy, blowing things back and forth. Although they never seemed truly happy but rather looked over the fence at their neighbour, the butler, jealous of his happiness.

One day windy-Lou grew old and tired and retreated to the high mountains for a long needed rest. The farmer, gardener and butler were stuck with what had blown their way. The farmer receiving the cow moaned, "Where is Windy-Lou? I'm sick of milk. All I ever drink around here is milk, milk, milk."

Eyeing his neighbour, the butler, he schemed, "if only I had his horse. I could ride again like the wind."

The gardener receiving the flowers grumbled, "Where is Windy-Lou?" I'm sick of smelling flowers. All I ever do is smell flowers, flowers, flowers. "Eyeing the butler, he too schemed, "if only I had his horse, I could ride again like the wind."

The gardener and farmer looked at each other. Each could tell by their sinister eyes they were thinking alike. So they plotted that night to take the horse.

Nevertheless, evil words being lighter than good words, spread like feathers and floated to the ears of Windy-Lou high in the mountains. Windy-Lou quickly descended to see where evil was stirring. Blowing soft winds into the island, she discovered the butler's contentment but became enraged by the farmer and gardener's sinister plot.

"Swish! Swosh! Swooze!
Here jealousy abrews!
I'll fix those two just right.
I'll suck them up and blow them far.
To lands beyond the nearest star."

Her heart did stir and the wind did roar and round and round she came
She first blew left and then blew right,
Then with a twist took aim.

Windy-Lou seeing the farmer and the gardener had already started stealing, twisted even harder, sucking the farmer, the gardener and all they had. In her rage she even sucked up distant kingdoms with riches and armies. Unfortunately, it took all Windy-Lou's strength to carry her load and soon she tired, happily dropping everything on the butler's land.

The butler hearing the heavy thud rushed from his house. He couldn't believe it. The butler, the farmer, kingdoms, even armies, they were all his. Soldiers took post around their new king. The butler was truly rich and powerful.
The farmer and gardener kneeled before him, his slaves. The butler though, just like before, took pleasure in what he had.

On the other hand, the farmer and gardener still grumbled and jealously snickered thinking, "It won't be long before Windy-Lou will blow these kingdoms to our land again." Little did they know that Windy-Lou, exhausted from carrying the extra load, would never blow again but rested happily in the mountains knowing justice had been done.
The End

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