Uncle Wiggly and the Red Cow

This is not the cow you remember from

This is not the cow you remember from

Nursery Rhymes. Not the one that jumped

Nursery Rhymes. Not the one that jumped

over the moon. Not some silly cartoonish

over the moon. Not some silly cartoonish

figure. This is a red cow, the color of

figure. This is a red cow, the color of

earth, of rust, of ancient temple

earth, of rust, of ancient temple

bricks. She stands in a field of green

bricks. She stands in a field of green

grass, and from it she creates white

grass, and from it she creates white

milk. that milk becomes yellow butter

milk. that milk becomes yellow butter

spread on brown bread. You see, alchemy

spread on brown bread. You see, alchemy

is everywhere, all around us. No complex

is everywhere, all around us. No complex

explanation needed. It just is. Now,

explanation needed. It just is. Now,

let's go into the woods. Our hero, Uncle

let's go into the woods. Our hero, Uncle

Wiggly, the rabbit gentleman, was on a

Wiggly, the rabbit gentleman, was on a

pilgrimage.

pilgrimage.

He carried a molasses jug in his paw,

He carried a molasses jug in his paw,

sent by nurse Jane on a sacred mission

sent by nurse Jane on a sacred mission

to get syrup for the ginger cake rights.

to get syrup for the ginger cake rights.

He hopped along with a clear purpose,

He hopped along with a clear purpose,

but he had a feeling, as he often did,

but he had a feeling, as he often did,

that his journey was about to be

that his journey was about to be

interrupted,

interrupted,

and he was right. From a nearby meadow,

and he was right. From a nearby meadow,

a sound rose up, a mournful, distressed

a sound rose up, a mournful, distressed

moo, double quotes. This wasn't a casual

moo, double quotes. This wasn't a casual

sound. This was a call of deep trouble.

sound. This was a call of deep trouble.

Uncle Wiggly left the path and went down

Uncle Wiggly left the path and went down

into the field. There she was. The red

into the field. There she was. The red

cow, large and dignified, but her eyes

cow, large and dignified, but her eyes

were clouded with worry. "What's wrong?"

were clouded with worry. "What's wrong?"

The rabbit gentleman asked kindly. "I

The rabbit gentleman asked kindly. "I

have lost my cud," she said, her voice

have lost my cud," she said, her voice

heavy. Without it, my inner balance is

heavy. Without it, my inner balance is

completely disturbed. My milk might turn

completely disturbed. My milk might turn

sour. Now, you need to understand

sour. Now, you need to understand

something important. The cut isn't just

something important. The cut isn't just

a lump of grass. It's a process. It's

a lump of grass. It's a process. It's

reflection. It's the slow, deliberate

reflection. It's the slow, deliberate

digestion of experience.

digestion of experience.

The cow explained her sacred inner

The cow explained her sacred inner

workings. how food moves from her first

workings. how food moves from her first

stomach to her second. The constant

stomach to her second. The constant

cycling of what she takes in and what

cycling of what she takes in and what

needs to be re-examined, rewed, and

needs to be re-examined, rewed, and

understood. It's a rhythm of intake and

understood. It's a rhythm of intake and

contemplation. But then she had laughed.

contemplation. But then she had laughed.

A moment of pure joy, but in that moment

A moment of pure joy, but in that moment

of distraction, she lost the very thing

of distraction, she lost the very thing

she was still processing. This is how it

she was still processing. This is how it

happens to us, too.

happens to us, too.

One moment of care callousness and

One moment of care callousness and

something great to Leon from I don't

something great to Leon from I don't

know she said if it fell into the grass

know she said if it fell into the grass

dot dot dot or if it went down before

dot dot dot or if it went down before

its time she was worried about a kind of

its time she was worried about a kind of

spiritual indigestion.

spiritual indigestion.

Uncle Wiggly listened and nodded. He

Uncle Wiggly listened and nodded. He

understood more than she knew. To lose

understood more than she knew. To lose

your cud is to lose your center, to lose

your cud is to lose your center, to lose

your connection to your own inner

your connection to your own inner

process. He carefully placed his

process. He carefully placed his

molasses jug on the ground and began to

molasses jug on the ground and began to

search. He didn't laugh at her problem.

search. He didn't laugh at her problem.

He didn't tell her to just get over it.

He didn't tell her to just get over it.

He respected her worry and joined her in

He respected her worry and joined her in

the search. He hopped in ever widening

the search. He hopped in ever widening

circles through the tall grass, along

circles through the tall grass, along

the edge of the brook, around the little

the edge of the brook, around the little

disturbances in the mud made by frogs.

disturbances in the mud made by frogs.

He searched with intention, and then he

He searched with intention, and then he

saw it. There, near the water's edge,

saw it. There, near the water's edge,

lay the lost bundle, half chewed, half

lay the lost bundle, half chewed, half

processed, waiting to be reclaimed. Here

processed, waiting to be reclaimed. Here

it is.

it is.

The cow let out a sigh of relief that

The cow let out a sigh of relief that

sounded like the whole world exhaling.

sounded like the whole world exhaling.

She gently took it back and resumed her

She gently took it back and resumed her

rhythm. Balance was restored. My milk

rhythm. Balance was restored. My milk

will remain sweet now, she said. You

will remain sweet now, she said. You

have studied me. Oh, it was nothing, he

have studied me. Oh, it was nothing, he

replied, ever the gentleman. But it

replied, ever the gentleman. But it

wasn't nothing. It was a crucial

wasn't nothing. It was a crucial

intervention that prevented things from

intervention that prevented things from

going sour. It was an act of quiet,

going sour. It was an act of quiet,

respectful help. With his good deed

respectful help. With his good deed

done, Uncle Wiggle continued his journey

done, Uncle Wiggle continued his journey

to the store. He returned with the

to the store. He returned with the

precious molasses and sat down in the

precious molasses and sat down in the

sun, warming his old romatic bones,

sun, warming his old romatic bones,

feeling the heat like a mystic drawing

feeling the heat like a mystic drawing

energy from the cosmos. But then the

energy from the cosmos. But then the

next trial appeared. The cork. The

next trial appeared. The cork. The

molasses jug was sealed shut and the

molasses jug was sealed shut and the

cork was stuck tight. It wouldn't budge.

cork was stuck tight. It wouldn't budge.

The whole ginger cake ritual was

The whole ginger cake ritual was

stalled. Uncle Wiggly tried to open it.

stalled. Uncle Wiggly tried to open it.

Nurse Jane tried. They even used his

Nurse Jane tried. They even used his

little striped crutch, a famous tool

little striped crutch, a famous tool

from many past adventures, to try and

from many past adventures, to try and

pry it loose, but nothing worked. the

pry it loose, but nothing worked. the

vessel on juten over them. The red cow

vessel on juten over them. The red cow

had returned. "I am on my way to be

had returned. "I am on my way to be

milked," she said, but I sensed an

milked," she said, but I sensed an

imbalance here. Without any fuss or

imbalance here. Without any fuss or

ceremony, she lowered her head, and with

ceremony, she lowered her head, and with

one of her horns curved perfectly like a

one of her horns curved perfectly like a

crescent, Moonshi deafly lifted the cork

crescent, Moonshi deafly lifted the cork

clean out of the jug. There was no

clean out of the jug. There was no

breaking, no spilling, no drama.

breaking, no spilling, no drama.

affected him. See was complete favor

affected him. See was complete favor

balanced. She had recovered her inner

balanced. She had recovered her inner

rhythm because of his help. He had

rhythm because of his help. He had

recovered his sweet molasses because of

recovered his sweet molasses because of

hers. This is reciprocity.

hers. This is reciprocity.

This is the unspoken law that runs

This is the unspoken law that runs

beneath the meadow, beneath all of life.

beneath the meadow, beneath all of life.

You help another being stabilize their

You help another being stabilize their

inner process. And when your own vessel

inner process. And when your own vessel

is sealed shut, they will arrive with

is sealed shut, they will arrive with

the perfect tool to help you. Nurse

the perfect tool to help you. Nurse

Jane, who had been watching the whole

Jane, who had been watching the whole

thing, softened. "I never thought a cow

thing, softened. "I never thought a cow

could be so helpful," she admitted.

could be so helpful," she admitted.

"Uncle Wiggly just smiled." "Every

"Uncle Wiggly just smiled." "Every

creature," he said wisely, has its tool.

creature," he said wisely, has its tool.

"So what's the lesson here for us? For

"So what's the lesson here for us? For

those who listen carefully, it's simple

those who listen carefully, it's simple

but profound.

but profound.

Don't mock another person's process of

Don't mock another person's process of

digestion, their way of working through

digestion, their way of working through

their experiences.

their experiences.

Don't laugh off the things they need to

Don't laugh off the things they need to

chew on and contemplate.

chew on and contemplate.

And if you lose your own cador

And if you lose your own cador

reflection, your center, that thought

reflection, your center, that thought

you haven't quite integrated, don't

you haven't quite integrated, don't

panic. Go search for it before your

panic. Go search for it before your

spirit starts to sour. Because somewhere

spirit starts to sour. Because somewhere

in the field of your life, the thing you

in the field of your life, the thing you

dropped is still waiting for you. Find

dropped is still waiting for you. Find

it, reclaim it, and restore your

it, reclaim it, and restore your

balance. Thanks for joining me on this

balance. Thanks for joining me on this

journey. If you enjoyed this story, be

journey. If you enjoyed this story, be

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