Once upon a time there was a man who strayed from his own country into the world known as the Land of Fools. He soon saw a number of people flying in terror from a field where they had been trying to reap wheat. “There is a monster in that field,” they told him.

He looked, and saw that the “monster” was merely a watermelon. He offered to kill the “monster” for them. When he had cut the melon from its stalk, he took a slice and began to eat it. The people became even more terrified of him than they had been of the melon. They drove him away with pitchforks, crying, “he will kill us next, unless we get rid of him.”

It so happened that shortly afterward another man also strayed into the Land of Fools. But instead of offering to help the people with the “monster,” he agreed with them that it must be dangerous, and by tiptoeing away from it with them he gained their confidence. He spent a long time with them in their homes until he could teach them, little by little, the basic facts which would enable them not only to lose their fear of melons, but eventually to cultivate melons themselves.

by Brian Cavanaugh

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 A great warrior was riding home from battle when he came upon a small monster. The warrior decided to rid the world of this tiny creature and began to battle with it. But the more he struck it the bigger it became, until it was too large to deal with. Another warrior came along and the first warrior asked the second warrior for his help. The second warrior looked at the creature which seemed small in his eyes and said, “Why should I make such a small problem into a big one.”

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In looking for an image for the first story, I came upon the tiger carved out of watermelon and became entranced in the art.

Watermelon art, like pumkin carving, takes talent and an artistic eye

 

remember when your mother said, “Don’t play with your food!”

Do or do not, there is no try! … ~Yoda

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watermelon tiger (link)    penguins carving (link)    monkey and boy carving (link)    horse and cyclist carving (link)  valentine swan (link)