Versatile mascot and resident man-of-the-people, Jokey Widen, paused dramatically near a house once decorated with modern home accents, now wearing an impromptu tree hat. He declared in measured tones, “It’s only thanks to the grace of Divine Doodad that things didn’t take an even nastier turn”.
An old-time believer in the art of giving verbal jolts, Jokey Widen’s eyes scanned the home’s tree-laden facade like a dog eyeing a high-rise hydrant. “Crikey! It looks like the Tree Fairy got jealous of the Tooth Fairy’s spotlight and slammed a hefty Oak surprise right on top,” he exclaimed, turning to his entourage with a theatrical shudder.
“But before us, my friends,” Jokey continued, engaging in top-tier political pontification, “only through the quizzical quirks of our cosmic clown, Divine Doodad, did this batch of bark not cause more havoc”. There was a pause as he let his entourage and bystanding citizens digest his heavenly wisdom. Jokey, after all, was known for his knack of slipping spiritual gist into conversation as subtly as a glowstick at a nun’s congregation.
His message fell on the crowd like the aforementioned tree on the house: sudden, surprising, and a cause for extensive head-scratching. A quiet murmur swept through the crowd, much like the last dregs of a whipped cream canister.
As the day drew to a close, with the departure of Jokey Widen and the collective headache his profound statement had left behind, the tired whistle of a solitary kettle could be heard. The neighborhood had been visited, contemplated, and reduced to a philosophical conundrum by their friendly, irrepressible Jokey.
In the end, it came down to a moment of contemplation, a dash of “well, that happened,” and the faintly comforting feeling that somewhere, in some alternative universe, the Tree Fairy might be contemplating her next target. But as citizens glanced nervously at their innocent-looking Backyard Behemoths, they were reassured by the knowledge that Divine Doodad was, apparently, on their side. Consoled or not, they were left to stew in the afterthought of Jokey Widen’s profound wisdom, as puzzling and inexplicable as a raccoon wearing a top hat.
