Week 13 Story

     This is the second part in a two-part portfolio project story so you may want to read the first part just for continuity. It can be found here on my portfolio website: A Tale of Two Fruits. I'll go ahead and provide a quick summary paragraph though:
     "Dave, the grand apple-shaped red banana, had just abandoned his life in the Great Kiwi Republic following an ominous warning he was given in the form of a fortune cookie. The cookie was provided to him by his two adoptive and loving red banana parents, who were given said cookie by a shady cantaloupe, who himself was originally given the cookie from Carl. Carl, a plum, was Dave's best fruit friend. A veteran of the devastating Pluot War, Carl took refuge in the GKR, likely in hopes of retiring until the end of his days. He was a master of disguise, able to transform himself into any other food convincingly. However, one fateful day Carl was taken from his fruit basket home upon ripening past his expiration date. Dave was naturally devastated as his best friend was taken from him. This all occurred shortly before he was given the fortune cookie. Upon receiving the fortune cookie and realizing he was in grave danger, he left the kingdom, fleeing to the great forest of the Brocc..."

A seemingly dense forest of broccoli... Source: Wikimedia

     Every food group knew of the stories revolving around the chief flower, Cauli, who dwelled in the Brocc forest. His pure, white head, which has a Hausdorff dimension of roughly 2.8, seemed to emit a faint aura of light and stuck out in the forest of flowering Brocc trees. It is said by the wise Chow Mein noodle-people that every fruit and vegetable that has ever gazed upon his head ripened within minutes, though still noticeably slower than an avocado. Dave could not believe these stories - they were absolutely bananas! How could a vegetable be a fractal? Absurd. Still, he must enter the great Brocc forest, for his life depends on it. Perhaps he will encounter this flower known as Cauli and at last know the truth. And so, with a core filled with courage and a determination unmatched by even the most resolute of Radishes, Dave took his first steps into the dense forest of tall broccoli trees.
     In a rather strange turn of events, not even 50 centimeters into the Brocc forest, Dave heard the siren call of none other than Blueberry Cabbagepatch. Dave turned to face him in amaizement. He was here, in the forest of Brocc, researching a role in an upcoming fruity film he was starring in. You may already know him in his roles in such films as "Star Fruit: Into Deliciousness" or "Doctor Strawberry." Dave was taken aback by Mr. Cabbagepatch's appearance. He was such a huge fan! But fine words butter no parsnips here. Mr. Cabbagepatch provided Dave a piece of strawberry pie and insisted that Dave leave the forest immediately with him so that he can escape the wrath of Cauli, who became aware of Dave's presence as soon as he wobbled into the Brocc forest. It would be too dangerous to romaine here. Dave was in quite a pickle now. He knew Mr. Cabbagepatch, naturally being cooler than cool beans, was not full of them. Yet, he knew deep down he could not return - great danger awaited him in the GKR, greater even than Cauli, Dave reckoned. Dave must press on.
     But it was not meant to be. Wobbling only a single stem-length further, a bright light filled the Brocc forest. Dave's core was similarly filled with despair - the stories were wrong, Cauli is far more powerful than he could have ever known. But what came next was not Dave's demise. Instead, a comforting pealing spread over Dave. The light diminished and lo, in Blueberry Cabbagepatch's place was none other than Carl, the Carliflower. Like puzzle pieces, everything began fitting together in Dave's sweet, delicious interior. The 3 million dollars, gained no doubt through Carl's roles in his filmography. The fortune cookie, an expensive luxury in the fruit kingdom, clearly gained through his connections with the Chow Mein people. His mastery of deception likely a result of much practice as Blueberry Cabbagepatch, Cauli, and many others. But Dave was not angry that Carl had deceived him. Instead, Dave was peachy! He rejoiced at the return of his best friend, ecstatic that he did not perish like he had thought. Carl embraced Dave and told him there was no need to enter the Brocc forest now that he was here. Together, they began their journey back to the GKR to face the hidden danger that threatens Dave's very existence.

Author's Note:
     This story is my own adaptation of PDE Mahabharata: 22 Bhima and Hidimba by C. A. Kincaid. There weren't as many puns this time around :( The basic idea of that story was that the Pandavas brothers and Queen Kunti escaped the burning palace (The not so on-fire GKR here) and entered the forest nearby, where it was said that in this forest lurked a dangerous Rakshasa chieftain and his sister. This chieftain sent his sister to find the brothers and their queen. However, the sister fell in love with Bhima upon finding the brothers. So, instead of taking them to her brother, the sister insisted Bhima leave the forest with her. However, Bhima refused and the chieftain came looking for them. In the Mahabharata, the chieftain found them and his sister, who was in human form at the time. Realizing she betrayed him, he attacked Bhima. The sound of the battle actually woke the other Pandavas brothers and Queen Kunti, who were sleeping at the time because it was late and they were tired. Luckily, Bhima slew the chieftain, and, after some insistence from Queen Kunti, married the sister. I again took this general outline and tried to turn it into something fruity. Like last time, Dave is simultaneously the Pandavas and Queen Kunti, while Carl (who was Prince Vidura and thought to be dead in the last one) played the role of both the chieftain and his not-so-related-and-also-male sister, named Blueberry Cabbagepatch, in this tale. Likewise, I made the forest Dave fled to to be the grand Brocc forest, home of the tall Broccoli trees. I also didn't describe a ferocious battle between Cauli and Dave like had occurred in the Mahabharata between Bhima and the chief Rakshasa. Instead, I had Carl return, and together they will march back to the fruity kingdom, similar to the Pandavas return to society.

Bibliography:
"PDE Mahabharata: Bhima and Hidimba" by C. A. Kincaid. Web source 1; Web source 2.