By Matthew solem
Forest of Folly
Short Story
Forest of Folly is a modern fable in the classic tradition, built around four archetypal boys whose names announce their fates. Greed, credulity, and paralyzing fear each claim a victim before the journey is done. The story moves fast, hits hard, and leaves behind a clear moral rooted in reason, trust, and the cost of ignoring good counsel.
A Rich Fable
The forest has no shortage of dangers. A patch of wild mushrooms. A sweet-voiced stranger with a warm fire and a large oven. A patch of berries that could save a life, if only fear would allow it. Each boy faces a moment that calls for clear thinking, and each makes the choice his name has already written for him.
Forest of Folly is a short, sharp fable for readers of all ages who enjoy a story with real stakes, a dark edge, and a moral worth remembering. It reads in a single sitting and stays with you long after the last page.
Reading Sample
One day four boys met to play in a nearby wood. There was Glutton, Fearful, Gullible, and Reasonable. The boys were good friends and had a wonderful day of exploring planned.
A ways into a friendly game of tag, Glutton found himself hungry. Not wanting to miss out on any of the action, he decided to forage in his present location. To his delight, he quickly found a patch of mushrooms growing at the base of a mighty oak.
The other boys noticed Glutton had stopped playing and went over to investigate. They found him plucking a particularly plump mushroom from the soil.
“What are you doing?” Reasonable asked.
“Isn’t it obvious,” Glutton replied. “I’m hungry. I’m going to eat this mushroom.”
“What if it’s poisonous?” Fearful quickly cried.
“Oh, you worry too much, Fearful,” came Glutton’s reply.
“I think Fearful is right,” Reasonable said. “That mushroom could be poisonous. Why not search a bit more? We can probably find some berries. I think I saw a patch earlier.”
“Gahh,” Glutton scoffed. “I’m hungry now and I already went to the trouble of finding these. Stop trying to dissuade me.” With that, he gobbled up the mushroom as quick as he could. After swallowing, he let out a sigh of satisfaction. “See, they’re just fine. Why don’t you come have some too? They’re delicious!”
Glutton got down on all fours and started to pick more mushrooms from the patch, gobbling them down. After a moment of consideration, Gullible started going over to join him. Fearful and Reasonable stayed put.
Gullible had just managed to pick his first mushroom when suddenly Glutton’s fervent munching stopped. He stood up, twisting to look at his friends, a panicked look on his face. He choked for a moment, grasping at his neck, before he went still, falling to the ground with a loud thump.