As the eve of the feast drew near, Plucky's mother decided she would make her hearty potato and vegetable stew. This meant that Plucky would have to stand on a stool on one side of the pot, and with both paws, stir the stew with a wooden spoon nearly as tall as he. Meanwhile, his mother would add the peeled and diced potatoes, carrots, onions, broccoli, tomatoes and peas, and her secret combination of spices to the mix.
This was Plucky's least favorite part of the Harvest Feast, because his arms always grew heavy from all the stirring and mixing. On the contrary, his favorite part of the celebration came soon after: eating the food. After what seemed like an eternity, his mother signaled for him to stop. The last step of his mother's recipe was to let the stew simmer overnight.
It was now time to finish cleaning up the rest of the kitchen. Plucky's mother often sang to him while they worked. She had the most beautiful voice he had ever heard. His mother was one of the founding members of the choir, and made it a point to sing every Feast. When they sang, Plucky noted all the birds and insects stopped their chirping to listen. This evening she sang:
Another year has come and gone. We're thankful for our lovely home.
May tomorrow bring peace and joy to every girl and every boy!
Blessed be this special day, that we may wipe all tears away,
And if sorrow should cross our path, may happiness be ours at last.
It was now very late, so Plucky was sent to bed while his mother finished up in the kitchen. Plucky picked out his favorite set of blue overalls, which he would wear to the feast. He draped them over his chair, then changed into his sleeping clothes - a plain brown undershirt which hung down to his knees. He climbed onto his paw-carved wooden bed and tucked himself underneath his blue and green patchwork quilt (his mother sewed it before he came into the world).
Every night, Plucky would lay in bed and look out his window, to gaze at the stars and try to piece together images and faces from whatever stars were visible that night. He did this until his eyelids grew heavy. With his right paw, he grasped his ruby pendant, and whispered, 'Good night, Father.'
Before Plucky knew it it was morning, and the first rays of sun peeked around the edges of the curtain, creeping along until they shone on Plucky's face. As if on cue, Plucky woke, eager to start the day. Having twisted the quilt around his legs he tumbled out of bed before finding his footing. He quickly reached for his overalls and had one leg in when his mother reminded him to bathe before getting dressed. Plucky groaned but pulled his leg out and obeyed his mother. Still in his sleepwear, he made his way through the kitchen and before he made it out the back door, his mother handed him a towel. Once outside, he rubbed his eyes, adjusting to the daylight. To his left was a wooden barrel. He saw his mother had already poured warm bath water into it. He undressed and climbed in. The water was still warm. After bathing he jumped out and dried himself off with his towel. Wrapping his towel around his waist, and forgetting he was not allowed to run through the house, he scurried through the kitchen, and nearly crashed into his mother (already dressed), who could only shake her head and smile.
Once Plucky had reached his room, he quickly dressed and went outside to see the transformation of the lea. The process always amazed him. Already Plucky could see his friends and neighbors hard at work, for there was much preparation to be done.
There were beavers polishing and wiping down log benches. There were bears carrying tree stumps and boulders to be used for seating. Plucky saw mothers of his friends raking up and gathering fallen leaves scattered across the lea. Others passed out paw-made tiaras woven from vines, branches and flowers. There was much hustle and bustle above Plucky as well. He could hear and sometimes see birds and squirrels hanging streamers made from vines and leaves, as well as other decorations from branches.
The larger bears were also responsible for moving tree stumps and boulders from the sides and corners of the lea to line them up alternating boulder and stump in the north part of the lea. Yet others set up torches, but did not light them just yet, as there was plenty of daylight remaining. On the other side of the lea, across where the tables were, Plucky saw his mother among other members of the choir, already warming up and practicing for their performance. Plucky's friends called him over and they ran off to fish in the river. They turned it into a challenge to see who could catch the biggest fish. Some hours passed and it became evident that Mondo (a tiger cub), and the oldest of Plucky's circle of friends won the contest, though Plucky came in a close second. They returned to the lea with their bounty. Plucky was thankful he didn't have to clean and cook the fish.
It was well into the afternoon before the first dishes began appearing. Plucky could smell roasted vegetables, desserts, and even the fish cooking over an unseen fire. Others brought out pitchers of various fruit juices and infused waters. He saw it was time to bring out the pot of his mother's stew, so he made his way back to his home and slowly heaved the stewpot out the front door and onto the field. Seeing Plucky struggling with the pot, Mondo ran up and helped Plucky move the stewpot to its final resting place, about a log's length from the serving table.
The sun was nearing the visible end of its journey across the cloudless winter sky. Already the moon was visible, though its blue glow was not very apparent. Plucky couldn't help but stare at the blue moon for the first time in his life.
Once everything was in place, everyone found a seat and quieted down. Not a heartbeat later, the Harvest Flight began, marking the beginning of the celebration.
Dozens of multicolored birds of paradise lifted off from their respective branches and flew in an interweaving pattern they had rehearsed especially for the Feast. It was truly a magical sight to see. In mid flight, the birds began singing:
The Harvest Feast, the Harvest Feast,
For every creature, doe and beast!
The time has finally come at last for this, our annual repast!
Let us all sing with hope and mirth,
Remembering our values and our worth.
We shan't regret, we shan't despair,
Let's only bring our dreams to share!
The Harvest Feast will soon begin!
All eyes towards the Lions' Den!
While the birds were singing, the torches were lit. At the word 'Den', everyone stood with heads bowed as the Seven Lions advanced one by one towards the boulders and stumps. These were no ordinary lions, as might be seen today in zoos or in the wild. These Lions were easily twice as large. Their manes were also different, as under sunlight, they would glisten, making it seem as if their manes were on fire. The sight of this brought terror and awe to all who witnessed it.
The first Lion on the far left began the procession. He was the Lion of Earth. His skin and mane was a ruddy brown and he came to rest on a boulder.
The second Lion to come forth was the Lion of Air. He had a single blue streak in his mane. He floated forward and came to rest on a tree stump.
The third Lion was the Lion of Water. His unique characteristic was his mane, which was constantly soaked, regardless if it had rained or not.
Then, to the right of the center stump, the Lion of the Sun appeared. His mane shone a bright yellow. He was followed by the Lion of the Moon, whose mane glowed blue. He came to rest on the final tree stump. The sixth Lion to come forth was the Lion of the stars. His mane and skin glowed a soft white.
As one, the six Lions bowed their heads. Then, taking his place upon the center tree stump, was the Great Lion, the Lion of Life. He stood a head taller than the other six Lions. He let out a mighty roar, sending all the small creatures and birds within earshot frightened for their lives. Plucky put his paws over his ears to no avail.
At length the roar faded into utter silence. In unison, the six Lions raised their heads and stood with their fore paws on their respective seat. A slight breeze blew across the lea, causing the flames of the torches to dance in reaction.
The Great Lion, with a stoic pose, began in a clear, crisp voice:
"It was on this night, eight years ago that the Harvest Moon last shone upon us, and this is why we are gathered here on this very night. We must also recognize and remember how truly precious peace is, for there was once a time when peace hung by a spider's thread. It must never be forgotten how the witch nearly succeeded in covering our world with an eternal blanket of shadow. We all suffered greatly by her hand, but fate smiled on us one more time and we emerged victorious. Our past does not define who we are as individuals, and as families. If we let our past define us then the Witch has yet won. Today is a day of remembrance, when we honor our loved ones, those who gave their lives in defense of this, our beloved forest. How then can we honor their memory? Their courage? We do this by never giving up on ourselves, just as they never gave up when they found themselves fighting for their lives. We must never give up, so long as we draw breath in this world! Today is a day of celebration. The Harvest Feast was never meant to dampen our morale. We are gathered here to honor our loved ones, not by mourning their absence, but by celebrating their lives and the impact they have had in our own. Today, above all, is a day when we who inhabit our forest strengthen our bonds with each other. So long as we are united in spirit, we will prevail over any evil we may encounter. Let the Harvest Feast begin!"
Upon hearing this, the six Lions lifted their heads and joyfully roared; their combined roar could not compare with that of the Great Lion. Everyone cheered, chirped and squeaked as loud as they could. Plucky, as quietly as he could, snuck away from his mother, hoping to be among the first ones to eat. He met up with his friends, who had made it a tradition to try to be the first in line. This time, Plucky came in fourth from the front. His mother was not far behind.
The sun had set, trading its light for the lesser light provided by the torches as revealing the fruits of their labor in all its splendor. The sight of all the decor drew 'oohs' and 'aahs' mixed with joyful clapping.
It was then that the Great Lion tensed up, sniffed the air and turned his gaze to the east. The other Lions followed suit. The elders of the forest were among the first to notice the change of mood. The chattering abruptly stopped. It was only then they heard two things: a low rumbling punctuated by an occasional trumpet blare.
The rumbling grew louder and soon one could hear the various and distinct barks and yips of a large number of hyenas. The sound of this caused a great deal of panic, while the Lions sternly shouted for everyone to gather their children and return to the safety of their homes. Clay dishes clattered and the stew was all but forgotten. The Lion of air floated all the birds' nests away from danger.
In the confusion, Plucky cried out for his mother. She found him first, scooping Plucky up with one paw and rushed back to their treehouse. She then put Plucky down, barred the front door and drew the curtains shut. Plucky tried to peek outside through the window but his mother pulled him away before he could do so. He grasped his pendant as she held him close. The noisy hyenas and trumpets quieted down, giving way to a terse silence.
