As everyone knows how much Lady E loves math, she decided to make her own equations! Enjoy!

Ahem.

E + Jokerfan + JelloMonster = FUN!

FUN - distance = Happiness!

Happiness + Pretzels - (School x Homework) = Free time!

Free time(E + Jokerfan + JelloMonster) = Fun with happy ladies and pigging out on pretzels!

Heehee! Ouch! Now i have a headache! THat's what I get for trying to do math! Lol.

-E

Hello, my loyal fans!

JokerFan, I was so touched by your comment, I decided to reward it with another entry. Please enjoy!

-E

            Goyo was smart, smart enough to distinguish right from nonsense…normally. Yet Father was being unreasonable.

            Goyo loved plants and animals. He couldn’t for the life of him know how Father could destroy them so easily. Yet there they were—in the outskirts of the Shungo Forest—chopping down the many trees which grew there.

           Father was a woodsman—and he was a smart woodsman. Whenever he cut down one tree, he planted one or more. Yet not all this could be solved at once, and the trees cut down were chopped up and killed for lumber.

            Stupid lumber! What happened to stone and brick? Why couldn’t people just get over inconveniences and put in that extra work for the brick and slate?

            Needless to say, Goyo wasn’t too happy his father was going to go chop some more trees down. And, needless to say again, he was unhappier his father forced him to go and learn the “family business.”

            Father was with Goyo’s uncles and their friends, all having a meal of dried meat and porridge. Goyo ate fast and asked to be excused.

            “Don’t go far,” Father said simply, turning back to his uncles and friends.

            The truth of the matter, Goyo wanted to tour the woods as much as he could—and admire the trees and wildlife—for as long as he could before they were chopped down.

            The trees stretched far—so far Goyo had to crane his neck to see the top. He watched as a squirrel screeched from the tops, as if—

            “He’s scolding you.”

            Goyo started violently with a yelp of surprise. He whipped around and saw himself face-to-face with a girl, and not only a girl, but pack of wolves!

            His first instinct was to run as fast as he could—yet he had read a book which said wolves were a lot faster than him.

            “What’s wrong?” the girl asked before he could decide what to do.

            Goyo gulped. “They won’t eat me, will they?”
            The girl laughed. “Silly boy, these are my friends. This is Kulof, and his mate, Paufo.”

            What? Goyo stared. The girl stared back. Then she started tapping her foot.
            “You know, it’s rude to stare. What’s your problem?”
            “Sorry!” Goyo said quickly, recovering his manners. “I’ve just never seen a pack of friendly wolves before. Did you tame them?”
            “Of course not. They’re my friends.”

            “Then how are they so nice?”
            “For the last time, they’re my FRIENDS. And they wouldn’t hurt anyone who isn’t hurting them.”

            “Meaning, as long as I don’t hurt them, they won’t eat me?”

            “More or less,” the girl replied with a toss of her messy hair. “But wolves don’t eat people...unless something’s wrong with them.”

            “I see,” Goyo concluded. “But why are you here?”
            “I’m here to stop some people from cutting down trees,” she explained.

            “Stop them?” Goyo said quickly, fear creeping up in his heart once again. “What are you going to do to them?”

            “I’m going to say that they’re wrong, and Forest is hurting because of their wrongs. I’m going to ask them (politely!) to stop—and we’ll go from there.”

            “Are you bringing your wolves to them?” Goyo asked.

            “Why, yes, I am.”

            “They’ll be scared,” Goyo warned. “They won’t listen to you if you bring them.”

            “Well, if I explain…” she faltered, and her face contorted into suspicion. “Are you one of them? And don’t lie,” she added, patting Kulof’s head. “They can tell if you lie.”

            “Well…” Goyo decided to tell her the truth. “My father is cutting down trees, not me. I love trees! I don’t like it when they cut them down.”

            “You and us both,” The girl said.

            The wolf named Paufo growled. Goyo took a step back.

            “Don’t worry,” the girl said placidly. “She’s not growling at you. Your people are coming. Perfect timing!”
            And, just as she said that, Father and Uncle Pota’s voices sounded from beyond.

            “Goyo! Goyo! Where are you, Goyo!”
            “Is that your name?” The girl asked.

            Goyo nodded.

            “He’s over here, sirs!” The girl called. Goyo groaned. This wouldn’t go well.

            Father and Pota came from the bushes. The moment they saw the girl and the wolves, they froze.

            “Goyo, and you girl, don’t move an inch.”

            “They won’t hurt you,” the girl told them. “They’re my friends.”
            “It’s true,” Goyo told his family. “They’re nice wolves.”

            Father and Uncle Pota stepped in front of Goyo.

            “Little girl,” Father said gently, “Who are you? Where’s your family?”
            “I’m Corine,” she said. “And my family is about ten leagues up north.”

            “Ten leagues?” Pota repeated incredulously. “Do they know where you are?”
            The girl Corine shook her head. “I snuck out,” She explained. “Forest needed my help.”

            “And so you left your parents and traveled all this way? How long have you been gone?”

            “Oh, only about a day and a half. Kulof and his pack are very efficient in emergencies.”

            Father and Pota looked at each other—as if Mother and Father would when they didn’t want to believe Goyo’s stories (which, he noted, were far more far-fetched and unlikely).

            But the truth was in the situation. The wolves were obviously partial to the little girl—and eyed all three of them with curious suspicion. Goyo had a feeling if Father and Pota took one aggressive step towards her, they would be ripped to shreds.

            Fortunately, the same thought had come to Father and uncle Pota.

            “Why did you sneak away?” Father continued.

            “Like I said, sir, Forest needed my help.”

            “But your parents…”

            “…are fine.”

            “But they must be worried!”

            Corine sighed. “It won’t kill them.”

            “But—“

            “—you’re a woodsman, right?” she finally got to the point.

            “I am,” Father replied.

            “Then, sir, I humbly ask you to stop cutting down trees.”

            Father raised his eyebrow at Goyo.

            “It wasn’t me!” Goyo said defensively. “I didn’t tell her anything!”
            Father looked back to Corine. “It’s cold,” he said finally. “And you must be hungry. Why don’t you come back to our camp with us?”

            “Sure!” she said with a smile. “We’ll come back with you. Then we can talk more.”      

            “No, I’m afraid your pets can’t come.”

            “They’re not my pets. And Why? Are you afraid of them?”

            “Well, yes. Aren’t you?”

            Corine’s face flushed with frustration. Obviously having to explain her wolves were her “friends” again and again wasn’t boding well.

            “They’re her friends, Father,” Goyo said, trying to spare her.

            “Yes,” she added. “And I’m not going anywhere without them.”

            Father and Pota sighed what seemed to be sighs of reluctant resignation. “Fine,” Father said at last. “Just don’t let them attack anyone.”