Once upon a timeâthough not so very long agoâthere lived a boy named Ryu. He wasnât quite like the other boys in the Charcoal Village. While their hair was the color of autumn leaves or morning toast, Ryuâs hair was a wild, spiky mane of electric cobalt blue. It stood up like it was excited to be alive! He had skin the color of warm cocoa and a thin, silvery scar shaped like a lightning bolt on his forehead. Can you guess what he was? Thatâs rightâRyu was a wizard-in-training.
Ryu was lithe and agile, moving like a cat through the edge of the Whispering Woods. Usually, his hair just gave off a tiny, faint shimmer, like a distant candle. But Ryu had a secret. He was a very good listener. While others walked through the forest shouting and singing, Ryu listened to the trees. Lately, the trees werenât singing. They were coughing. A-hem! Hack! Sputter! The ancient branches looked dusty, and the ground was cluttered with things that didnât belong there: rusty tin cans, torn bits of paper, and forgotten glass bottles left by messy travelers.
One Tuesday, Ryu saw a shiny candy wrapper caught in the roots of a grumpy-looking oak tree. Ryu knelt downâshhhhkâand picked it up. Suddenly, something wonderful happened. Ping! A bright flash of blue light erupted from Ryuâs head! His hair pulsed with a brilliant, glowing sapphire light. He blinked. He picked up a discarded soda canâClink!âand his hair flared even brighter, lighting up the forest floor like a neon lantern. âOh!â Ryu whispered. He realized his magic wasnât about throwing fireballs or flying on brooms. His magic was connected to the heart of the world. Every time he cared for the earth, his inner light grew stronger.
But the Whispering Woods were very, very big. Ryu spent the whole next day picking up trash. Snap, crackle, plop! into his bag it went. But for every bottle he found, there were ten more hidden in the ferns. He grew tired. His athletic legs felt heavy. As the sun began to set, his cobalt hair started to dim, flickering like a dying battery. Thatâs when he felt itâa cold, itchy breeze. Out from the shadows crawled the Grumble-Shadow. It was a grey, mucky creature made of dust bunnies and old logic. It didnât have a face, just a heavy, sighing voice.
âWhy bother, little blue-top?â the Grumble-Shadow groaned. âThe forest is huge, and you are small. One boyâs spark canât light up the whole dark woods. Just go home and let the dust settle.â Ryu looked at the massive piles of litter still left and felt a lump in his throat. Might the shadow be right? He touched the silver scar on his forehead, a mark of a time he had fallen and gotten back up. He realized he didn't have to be the only light in the world. He just had to be the first one.
The next morning, Ryu didnât go to the woods alone. He went to the village square. He was usually shy about his scar and his strange blue hair, but today, he stood tall. âWho wants to see a magic trick?â he called out. A girl named Mina and several other children gathered around. Ryu picked up a piece of crumpled paper from the cobblestones. Whoosh! His hair blazed so bright that the children gasped. âIf you help me,â Ryu said, his amber-gold eyes sparking, âI think the magic might find you, too.â
At first, the children were nervous. But Mina reached down and picked up a glass jar. As soon as her fingers touched the litter, a spark of blue light jumped from Ryuâs hair and landed right on Minaâs shoulder, making her skin glow with a soft, protective shimmer! âLook at me!â she laughed. Then came the others. Pick it up, lickety-split! Toss the trash, donât you quit! The children marched into the Whispering Woods. It was the Great Tidying!
They moved through the glades like a river of light. Crinkle, clank, thud! Every piece of junk they removed made the forest breathe easier. As they worked, the Grumble-Shadow tried to hiss and dampen their spirits, but it couldn't stand the sound of childrenâs laughter. When a hundred hands work together, a shadow has nowhere to hide. With a final Pop!, the Grumble-Shadow dissolved into a thousand harmless, white butterflies that fluttered up into the canopy.
By the time the moon rose, the Whispering Woods were pristine. The trees began to hum a deep, melodic tune that vibrated in the childrenâs chests. Ryu stood in the center of the Heart-Root Glade, his cobalt hair glowing so fiercely it looked like a crown of stars. He realized his lightning-bolt scar wasnât a mark of being hurt; it was the place where his courage broke through.
From that day on, the children of the Glow-Village (as they were now called) looked after their woods. And if you ever go for a walk and see a flash of bright blue between the trees, donât be scared. Itâs just Ryu and his friends, keeping the world bright, one small act at a time. And thatâs how it all turned out just right.