Into the Woods with the Animal Marionettes
The curtain rises on a story from the pastures and woodlands where the Satoko Takemura Porcelain Marionettes come from. Read all about their adventures in this story of friendship and courage.
A Party Fit for the Pasture
At a party fit for the pasture, velvet-red curtains seem to part on a lively gathering of animals. Music and laughter fill the air as Sheep approaches White Rabbit with delight.
“What another lovely party, White Rabbit!” cooed Sheep. “I brought my finest carrot cake for the occasion.”
“Why, thank you, dear,” replied White Rabbit warmly. “We’re so lucky to have a lovely pasture to admire and entertain the neighborhood in. Isn’t that right, my darling?”
Panda Rabbit began slicing the cake, passing pieces among the dancing animals. “And a safe one at that! We need to always keep close together, to keep our pasture safe and free from those pesky woodland creatures.”
Nearby, Chicken flapped his wings in agreement. “You’re so right! The Wolf and Fox are sneaky ones, ya’ know! I hear they lure in other pastures’ animals and EAT THEM!”
Sheep gasped.
“Speaking of,” Chicken continued, “have you seen Goat come in from grazing, yet? He’s been awfully late today…maybe the Wolf got ‘em!”
“Baaaa! Stop trying to scare me,” Sheep said. “He’s always late. Just listen for his bell. That will tell you he’s close by.”
Just then, faintly, a bell rang from outside the pasture.
The animals turned to see Goat near the fence, but he wasn’t alone. Beside him stood Fox, an acoustic guitar slung across her back. She strummed softly and sang:
“Oh my dear new friend~ what wonderful pastures you roam! But don’t forget the Woodlands are a beauty to behold~ Wolf and Fox just want to be friends and join your soiree~.”
The pasture animals rushed forward.
“Get out of here, you pest!” snapped Panda Rabbit. “You are not allowed here on Pasture lands!”
“Goat! Get over here!” cried Sheep. “They want to eat you!”
“We don’t eat animals!” Fox replied. “We only want to be friends with you fine folk.”
Sheep lowered her head, preparing to charge.
“Okay! I will be leaving,” Fox said, backing away. “But we just wanted to join forces for a fun party…”
“We would never have a party with the likes of you or Wolf!” White Rabbit declared.
Fox’s tail drooped. From deep within the woods, a pair of glistening silver eyes watched, and a distant howl echoed. Leaning in close, Fox whispered to Goat:
“Dear friend, please join us tomorrow for our own party. There are plenty of peaches. A rare fruit not found in the pastures. Just ring your bell three times, and I’ll lead the way.”
With that, she disappeared into the woodlands.
The party ended early as the animals ushered Goat back inside the fence. But as the night settled, Goat lingered on a single thought.
“Hmm…Peaches.”
The Disappearance of Goat
Early the next morning, before the others stirred, Goat wandered out to graze. The pasture was quiet.
“Peaches…peaches,” he murmured. “I wonder what a peach tastes like.”
He glanced toward the tree line, then back at the safety of the pasture, and once more toward the woods.
“One visit to the Woodlands can’t hurt, right?”
With a small wag of his tail, Goat stepped beyond the fence and rang his bell three times.
Almost instantly, Fox appeared at the edge of the trees. “My dear friend! You came! Oh, Wolf will be so happy to see you.”
Together, they disappeared into the shadows.
Moments later, Chicken emerged, ready to wake the others, but froze when he noticed Goat was gone.
“The Goat! The Wolf must have taken the Goat!” he clucked frantically.
The pasture animals rushed out, still half-asleep.
“Come now,” said White Rabbit calmly, “you know Goat has to graze beyond the fence on Thursdays. He’s probably just on the other side of the pasture. He’s always back in time for the party.”
“Baaaa! Just listen for his bell,” Sheep added.
But no bell rang.
The silence spread quickly into panic.
“I told you!” Chicken cried. “He must have been goatnapped by the Fox and Wolf! They’re going to eat him!”
Sheep began to cry.
“We must go to the Woodlands to rescue Goat!” declared Panda Rabbit.
A distant, laughing howl echoed through the trees, and faintly, a bell drifted on the wind.
“Nope!” Chicken squawked. “There’s no way I am going in there!”
Into the Woods
Soon enough, the pasture animals found themselves gathered at the edge of the unknown. The woods loomed before them—dark, unfamiliar, and unsettling.
“We must get Goat back!” said Sheep firmly.
“You heard her!” Panda Rabbit added. “Let’s go find Goat and banish that evil Wolf.”
“But…we don’t know where we’re going!” Chicken protested. “What if they trap us?”
Sheep nudged him forward anyway, and one by one, they stepped into the woods.
“Stop, no! They will eat me, no!” Chicken cried as they followed the narrow dirt path.
After a few steps, Sheep looked around. “See…it’s not that bad in here…”
“Well…It’s not how I would decorate my pathway…” White Rabbit muttered.
“So, where do we find Goat?” Panda Rabbit asked. “None of us has ever traveled this path.”
“Great,” said Chicken. “Let’s go back!”
Before they could turn around, Fox emerged from the trees. Chicken shrieked and flapped so hard he toppled over.
“I can help with that!” Fox offered.
“Why should we trust you?!” Sheep demanded.
“I am the only one here who knows the way to Wolf’s treehouse,” Fox replied.
Reluctantly, the animals exchanged glances and decided to follow her.
Soon, the faint ringing of Goat’s bell reached their ears. A glowing light shimmered ahead, accompanied by another echoing howl.
“They are just up ahead,” said Fox. “This way.”
Hand in hand, the pasture animals braced themselves and rushed forward.
“Don’t eat our friend, Goat!” Chicken cried.
But what they found was not what they expected.
As the Pasture animals arrive at Wolf’s treehouse, the clearing is decorated with bright streamers, lovely flower bushes, and a large peach tree with a humble treehouse nestled in the branches. Goat is found dancing around the campfire with a peach in hand. His bell swaying from his neck. Sheep runs up and hugs Goat.
“You made it!” Goat beamed.
“Goat! Thank goodness we found you!” Sheep cried, hugging him. “Why are you here?!”
“Fox told me about this amazing fruit called a ‘peach,’” Goat said. “Wolf here grows them herself. She let me have some and threw a party!”
“So…you weren’t going to eat Goat?” Chicken asked nervously.
Wolf let out a laughing howl. “Eat? Why goodness, no! We’re vegetarians! We just love how fun your parties look every night, and we really wanted to join, but we didn’t think you would like us in the pasture.”
“Oh my,” said White Rabbit, intrigued. “You admire my parties?”
“Yes!” Fox said eagerly. “We heard they were the best of all the pastures! We wanted to share Wolf’s peaches sometime, but we never got an invite…”
“Peaches, peaches! You must try the peaches!” Goat insisted.
Sheep took a bite and her face lit up. “Baaa! This is the tastiest thing I’ve ever had. You gotta let me take some and bake a cake!”
“You can have peaches,” Fox said with a smile. “But on one condition…you invite Wolf and me to your parties.”
All eyes turned to Panda Rabbit and White Rabbit. Wolf stood quietly, her tail tucked between her legs nervously.
The rabbits exchanged a glance. Then White Rabbit gave a small wink.
“You both…may join in on our parties,” Panda Rabbit announced.
Wolf’s face lit up as she let out a joyful howl.
“Wha…what about the Pasture rules?” Chicken asked.
“The Pasture rules have been updated,” Panda Rabbit declared. “I hereby announce the friendship between the Pasture and the Woodland creatures.”
“Yippee! I’m so happy!” Wolf exclaimed.
“Now, Wolf dearest,” White Rabbit added, “you must tell me where you got these party streamers!”
And so, beneath the glowing canopy of the woods, with their newfound friendship, all the animals begin to dance around the campfire. Their shadows are cast about the lush, green woods as they gleefully party.
Not all wolves are big and bad. Some humbly grow peaches, hoping to share them with friends.
