Sohum's Stories

Once upon a time, in a faraway, cold, barren tundra now known as Canada, there was a kingdom where most animals lived in peace. In this frozen expanse lived a moose named Moose, a content and strong creature with sturdy horns and long legs. 

The Animal Council ruled over the Animal Kingdom, consisting of Unicorn, Pegasus, Dragon, Centaur, and Phoenix. This kingdom was the origin of all animals before they spread out across Earth. All animals in the Animal Kingdom were peaceful, but sometimes the most dangerous ones were sent out into the world. Those animals were not friendly. 

One day, the water source for the kingdom was getting low. Nobody panicked until the water source was nearly depleted a few days later. The Animal Council decided to send what they thought were their strongest or smartest animals who could defend themselves easily. They chose Moose, Wolf, Beaver, and Ant. 

“The one who finds the water shall be gifted with treats. They will be an idol to our kingdom. If you fail to find water, you will be cast out forever,” the Council said. 

This was the first time animals had been allowed out of the kingdom in millions of years. Moose was restless that night and climbed down to the river to think. He surveyed his opponents aloud. 

“Wolf is the fastest of all the animals. He is clever and cunning but loses his temper easily and is very egotistical. Beaver has robust teeth and is nimble, quick, and resourceful. Ant is an ant. He is profitable in food and bribed the Animal Council into letting him scavenge. The animals in the wild are crazy. They will do anything to kill someone. They are angry at the council after being cast out.” 

As Moose weighed his options, he heard a loud, female voice.

“What is the matter, little one?” asked the voice. 

“W-who are you?” stammered Moose. 

“Don’t you recognize your own mother? I am the Moon God, of course!” said the Moon, angrily. 

“Oh!” exclaimed Moose. You see, Moon is the creator, Sun is the destroyer. Moon is their mother, and Sun is their father. “Moon God, I am scared. The Council of Animals will send me into the wilderness tomorrow to find water. They will never let me back in if I don’t find water.” 

“Don’t worry, my child. I will grant you a gift to keep you from harm. It is called a Dewlap. Just go to bed. I will do the rest.” 

Moose climbed up the hill into his bed. He slept until the next morning when he awoke to find a small sack underneath his chin. When he felt it, he could feel something was inside, but he couldn’t tell what it was. 

After breakfast, the Animal Council sent the animals out into the wilderness. Moose quickly separated from the others.

As Moose ran, looking for a clean, sustainable source of water, he tripped over a… well, he wasn’t sure what it was. As he looked closer he realized it was a small mushroom house growing in a tree. This was a clear sign of Gnomes living here. Gnomes had been sent out a long time ago. No matter how cute and cuddly they looked, under the fluffy coating was a vicious demeanor. 

Moose needed to run or the Gnomes would attack. He ran, but he wasn’t fast enough. A Gnome came out of the house and started yelling very aggressively while doing jumping jacks. It started running after Moose. 

You may not know this, but Gnomes are unusually fast, and Gnome caught up to Moose quickly. Gnome opened its mouth and bared its vicious teeth. It closed its jaw just as… 

“Beaver?!” cried Moose. Beaver gnawed at Gnome, leaving his arms ruptured and his ability to do jumping jacks deformed. Beaver had saved Moose from harm!

Beaver and Moose continued looking together for water until they found a cave. Since caves often have water inside, they decided to check the interior.

At first, there was nothing but rocks and stalactites.

Then there was pain!

A diabolical Hydra had sunk her fangs deep into Beaver’s flesh. Hydras were the first to be cast out. The breath of a Hydra is highly poisonous, and even the stench of its body odor is likely to sicken you for at least a week.

Moose knew this and held his breath for as long as he could. He grabbed Beaver and threw her deep into the scales of the Hydra.

He missed.

Moose obtained Beaver and ran. He escaped, but barely. The Hydra lunged at them again before the cave crumbled and fell onto herself. 

“You will regret thissssss, Moose!” she rasped. Even though the hydra is a massive dragon with seven heads, it was now stuck and Moose and Beaver escaped.

Moose put Beaver on his back and told him to stay there. Moose kept walking until he found a nice clearing. It was nearing night, so he decided to sleep in the clearing.

He gazed up at the Moon and thanked it for keeping him from harm. He kept Beaver near him so Beaver could stay safe.

Moose woke up to see a half-bull, half-human abnormal abomination. He recognized it as Minotaur, Centaur’s much more dangerous brother.

Minotaur gazed at them, with his mouth full of grass, before squinting his eyes and yelling, “GET OUT OF MY CLEARING!”

Minotaur charged at them, enraged and hangry, with a mouth full of plants and a mind full of profanities. 

Moose ran for his life, with Beaver on his back, who was riding for her life. They were frightened. until they found water, so they rushed to get back to the Kingdom, but they were lost until they nearly stepped on Ant, who paid to get a map of the wild from Eagle.

Ant was also running, but unlike Moose and Beaver, Ant was running from Wolf. Wolf was chasing after Ant to try and get the map from Ant, and if it meant losing Ant’s life in the process, so be it. 

All the animals rushed back to the kingdom, Wolf and Minotaur included. 

When the animals returned, the guards quickly stopped Minotaur from getting in. Minotaur’s rage was only contained by the walls of the Animal Kingdom.

The Council collected the subjects together to ask who found the water. 

Moose didn’t confess that he had discovered a water source because it meant saying goodbye to his new friend, Beaver.

Beaver stared at him blankly, with a dead look on her face. 

“Moose did,” wheezed Beaver.

Wolf was now enraged. All he had ever worked for his entire life was being thrown away with two words: “Moose did.”

Wolf, very angrily, swiped his claws at Moose’s face. He missed and hit Moose’s dewlap. Bright, burning stars leaked out and spread across the night sky. The once glorious sack was now just a little flap of skin under his chin.

From then on, the course of the universe was changed forever.

The Animal Kingdom collapsed because no animals knew if they could trust one another. The fallen kingdom’s name remained but in a different way.

The wolves howl at the Moon. We can’t speak their language, but they are asking the Moon God to help them fix their amends and for the once glorious Animal Kingdom to return.

The Council of Animals fought greatly against the cast-outs, and they all became extinct. This is why legends of unicorns and Hydras exist.