The Flompers of Faulderville by Cassie Sipes (best novels for beginners txt) 📖

Once upon a time there was a giant tree with branches that stretched farther than the eye could see. It was spring and each branch was covered with leaves, blossoms, and blooms. It was the most beautiful tree anybody had ever seen. This tree was more than just beautiful though, it was very very old. It was very old and it had a name. All of the woodland creatures, those are all the living things in the woods, called him Grandfather. He protected the creatures and he had for a long time. In his branches and on his leaves were his most favorite of the woodland creatures, the leaf babies. The leaf babies were born in the spring. Every spring Grandfather’s blooms would open and inside each bloom was a tiny little creature. Each one with big green eyes, and covered in fur. They were Grandfathers favorites not only because they were born of his blooms, but also because when they were old enough, they floated down to the forest floor, where they are known as Flompers, and where they help grandfather to take care of the forest.
This story isn’t really about Grandfather, but it does start with one of his blossoms… All of the other blossoms had already bloomed, meaning that several leaf babies had seen the rising of the morning sun. There was one blossom left. Grandfather was starting to worry that it wouldn’t bloom, when all of the sudden it started to open. Slowly, one petal at a time the tiny bloom began to open. All of the other leaf babies were watching waiting to see this late bloomer. When leaf babies bloom Grandfather names them. All of the other leaf babies came before the sun had completely risen, but the sun had been shining for a few hours before this one began to bloom. So when the last petal opened to show a tiny leaf baby girl with unusually blue eyes, Grandfather named her Sunshine. Sunshine stretched her little arms as far as she could and let out a tiny little yawn. Grandfather never thought of himself as being partial to any one leaf baby over another, but he couldn’t help but take a special liking to Sunshine. Over the next few months Sunshine found her way deep into Grandfather’s heart. She would sit for hours at a time listening to his stories about other leaf babies, Flomper’s, frogs, and the rupins. He had so many stories to tell, and for the most part Sunshine enjoyed them. She did not however enjoy listening to stories about the rupins.

One day grandfather was telling Sunshine another story about the rupins. Sunshine was getting upset, “No Grandfather, tell a different story. I don’t like the rupins.” Grandfather stopped, “Why Sunshine what is the problem?” “I’m so afraid of the rupins, are they real?” Sunshine questioned Grandfather. “Yes, I’m afraid so. But you mustn’t worry about them so much, Flomper Fogle makes sure that they cannot ever harm another Flomper again.” Grandfather went on, “It will only be a few more days now Sunshine. The leaves are starting to turn.” Sunshine began to look around; she realized she hadn’t looked past the branches within Grandfather much before. The leaves were a beautiful haze of red, yellow, and orange. She felt her eyes fill with tears, “I don’t want to go Grandfather, can’t I stay here with you?” “Oh, I wish you could sweet child, but every little leaf baby has to eventually fall, but know that when that day comes I will always be watching over you, and if you need anything I will still be here for you.” As grandfather reached a leaf over to wipe the tear off of Sunshine’s face it fell to the ground below. Sunshine watched it slowly fall, which began her thinking about what it would be like down there on the forest floor.
A few days had passed, and Sunshine was warming up to the idea of becoming a Flomper. Grandfather told her that the village he would send her to had another special Flomper; he said she was the only other Flomper to have big blue eyes like Sunshine. He told Sunshine that when she would land she was to ask for Flomper Lorali. “She will be your friend, and she will help you settle in.” Sunshine looked at Grandfather sadly, “But will she be as sweet as you Grandfather?” With that Grandfather smiled to himself, “Oh how you warm my heart baby, and yes, Flomper Lorali will be even sweeter than I am.” Grandfather felt a cool breeze blow through his leaves. A few of the leaf babies leaves began to break off and fall. “Goodbye Grandfather!” several of the leaf babies shouted as they made their journey to the forest floor. "Goodbye to you Flompers! I will be seeing you again.”
Sunshine looked down at the fallen leaf babies. The fur that had covered their bodies became a little sparser on the way down. Now the arms and legs of her little leaf baby friends had no fur anymore. They were Flompers now, “grown-up leaf babies.” Sunshine looked to Grandfather for help. “Please Grandfather; I don’t want to grow up. I want to stay a leaf baby forever.” “Sunshine,” Grandfather responded, “In the autumn leaves fall from all trees, it is no exception with me; and when all of my leaves fall, so to shall fall the leaf babies. If you were to climb off of your leaf and stay on my branches, it wouldn’t be safe for you. There would no longer be the protection of my leaves in the rain and soon it will begin to snow. I want the best for you, and that means that when your leaf shakes and the breeze takes you to the forest floor you will go and be safe.” Grandfather felt another breeze, “It’s going to be fine Sunshine, and there are wonderful things down there for you.” With that Sunshine’s leaf began to shake, as a single tear fell from her tiny blue eyes she whispered, “Goodbye Grandfather.” And her leaf broke free from the giant tree and began to fall to the forest floor.

Once her leaf finally landed, Sunshine was unsure of what to do. She stood up and looked around. Everything looked so different from down here. She was afraid, “Grandfather?” she said hoping he could hear her. “Yes Sunshine, I am still here… It’s okay my child, Flomper Lorali is on her way here, I can see her now.” Sunshine smiled, still unsure of what was to come. She heard something. She stood very still looking toward the toadstool where she heard the noise. “Hello…” Sunshine said, waiting for an answer. She could see a figure starting to look around the stem of the toadstool at her. “Hi… are you Sunshine?” The figure walked out from behind the toadstool, she was a very pretty little Flomper. Her fur was golden blonde in color and she had the brightest blue eyes Sunshine had ever seen. “Yes, are you Lorali?” Sunshine asked the little Flomper. As Lorali stepped closer to her, Sunshine could see that Lorali was quite short, standing only as tall as Sunshine’s shoulders. “Yep, that’s me” she said with a big smile.
The two Flompers were walking hand in hand as Flomper Lorali led Flomper Sunshine to Faulderville. This was to be Sunshine’s new home, and the Flompers who lived there were to be her new family and friends. Lorali began to tell Sunshine a few things about Faulderville. “First of all, the Mayor of Faulderville is Brett. He keeps the rules of Faulderville and the rules of the forest. Sheriff J.R. enforces the rules and with the help of his trusty Grasshopper ‘Big Green’ keeps the good Flompers of Faulderville safe.”
Sunshine stopped, “Faulderville sure is a long way away from Grandfather,” she said. Lorali turned around to see Sunshine’s eyes filling with tears, “No matter how far it seems,” she took Sunshine’s hand and climbed up onto a nearby rock, “Grandfather is always within sight.” Lorali pointed up just above the other trees and there he was, Grandfather. Sunshine smiled, “I didn’t know, we aren’t that far away!” This cheered little Sunshine up very much. “Okay, where is my new home?”
Just beyond a tree with leaves of bright yellow Sunshine finally caught a glimpse. Before she could say anything a large grasshopper bounced and came to a stop right in front of her. “AHHH!!” Sunshine yelled… “Wow ‘Big Green’, Hello you must be Sunshine. My name is JR and I am the sheriff of this fine town.” “Nice to meet you,” Sunshine said quietly, unsure still of this giant creature that she had never seen before. Another Flomper came walking over, “I’m Brett, the mayor of Faulderville. And I remember being new to the forest floor myself. This big guy,” Brett pets the neck of ‘Big Green’ “is a grasshopper, completely harmless.” He gave Lorali and Sunshine a big welcoming smile. “Okay, nice welcome boys, time to show you to your new home…” Lorali led Sunshine into the town and through several more greetings from several more Flompers, until she stopped. “This is it… Your new home.” Lorali said. Sunshine looked ahead to a beautiful Sunflower. “Oh, it’s perfect.” Sunshine said. Lorali smiled, “Grandfather told us you would like it. It’s not really a sunflower, look closer.”
Sunshine walked up to her new home and realized that it was made of wood and colored to look like a sunflower! “It is the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen!!” Lorali smiled, she was very happy to have made her new friend so happy. “Do you need to rest a little?” “Oh no, I don’t think I could ever sleep again. I am so excited to be here.” Sunshine said almost yelling and waving her arms around like she was going to do a cheer. Lorali started to laugh, “You wanna see something?” “Yes!” Sunshine was ready for anything at this point. So the