Drop Your Dots and Stars

[Guest guest]

Drop Your Dots and Stars

 

 

 

Once upon a time there lived a woodsman in a village beyond the hills yonder.

People called him Alex. His little pieces of creation were called Wemmicks, only

they resembled people like you and me. Some were tall; some short, then there

were others who had massive feet, and a few who had long noses. Some dressed up

in grandeur with accessories one too many, whilst some chose to stick to simple

coats. In other words, Wemmicks of all sizes and shapes constituted the village.

 

 

All that Alex did day after day was create more Wemmicks, thus mastering his

craft. He worked ceaselessly, tirelessly, silently.

 

No one really saw him around, few caught sight of him at the baker’s or the

barber’s shop. Alex just chose to be immersed in his world of wooden

creations.

 

The Wemmicks were unique not only because they were made and felt like wood, but

also for the fact that they had a rather unusual way of expressing their

opinions of one another.

 

Stars were meant for any Wemmick who looked great or beautiful or even talented.

Dots were for the ones who received unflattering remarks, basically the ones no

one really wanted to befriend or be proud of.

 

Stars were based on talent, appearance and popularity. A Wemmick received a star

from a fellow Wemmick if he could show off his speed at which he did things.

Some could jump high over heaps of furniture, while there were others who could

sing sweet songs. There were a few who were handsome, and so everyone wanted to

be their friend. One star on a Wemmick would lead to another. So, some had

hundreds of stars on them, and that made them do more and more great things to

earn even more stars.

 

You didn’t have to do much to get a dot. If a Wemmick was plain looking or

dull, it would attract a dot. Or if a Wemmick was slow at his work or couldn’t

really jump very high in the air. Here again, one dot would lead to another, and

so, some Wemmicks didn’t really feel good about having to be seen with so many

dots as part of their attire.

 

The dotted Wemmicks were objects of ridicule and all they were adorned with were

dots, reminders of their lack of self-worth and what the rest of the Wemmicks

thought of them.

 

The typical star-studded Wemmick was obviously one who could throw back his

head, walk with a swagger, and have those airs as if half the village was his.

The stars seemed to give him the feeling of confidence and the keenness to do

better.

 

 

In this Wemmick-filled hamlet, there was a certain dotted character by the name

Punilito. He was an unhappy soul as he wasn’t smart like the rest of the

Wemmicks, all people had to offer him were dots after dots.

 

Punilito felt miserable everyday, uncared for, and basically considered himself

a loser. He tried his best to do things like the others, but failed badly. He

would end up falling flat on his face and get chipped off even more, making it

easier for his neighbours to dot him further.

 

The constant negative remarks from his village folk convinced Punilito that he

was quite a picture of shame indeed. He began to live in seclusion and would

seldom step out of his house. He hated the idea of people seeing him to tell him

for the millionth time that he was a thorough waste of space, and that he’d

best leave their community.

 

It seemed that the opinions of the entire village were working as Punilito began

to sink into depression.

 

Punilito wondered for days as to what he could possibly do to change his

situation. Who would want to be in his shoes anyway, would you? He had no

friends. He was always shunned by people, unless they had to come up to him to

give him yet another dot. As his sorry state of affairs got worse, he suddenly

came upon a rare sight. A Wemmick who had absolutely no star or dot! “Am I

dreaming?†thought Punilito to himself.

 

Punilito approached this new person rather hesitantly, with his confidence

shattered to smithereens. Layla was the pleasant spectacle who had neither marks

of honour nor criticism on her. Punilito couldn’t contain his curiosity

anymore, and said aloud what was on his mind, “If only I could be like you!

How do you manage to be free from the approval or disapproval of this place?

Would you please share your secret with me? I promise to be mum about it?â€

“Well, well, dear friend, I go to Alex everyday!†replied Layla. “Oh what

do you mean? Please help me understand this better.â€

 

Layla explained, “All I do is watch Alex at work everyday! Nothing more,

nothing less really!†“What’s your visit got to do with your unique

status?†begged Punilito. “Go on and find that out for yourself, you poor

thingâ€, said Layla with a sigh.

 

So off Punilito went in search of the woodworker Alex with little faith that any

real solution could be guaranteed. Alex was seen in the company of loads of

wood, his tools, and his new creations. “Welcome, my dear Punilito! Where have

you been all this time? I’ve been thinking of you often.â€

 

“What? So do you know my name? I’ve never met you before, have I?â€

Punilito was visibly shocked beyond words. “Of course I know you, silly boy,

because it is I who created you. You are my creation. You are one of my

masterpieces. It’s not as if I don’t see you filled with dots, I most

certainly do, but that’s got nothing with how I value you.â€

 

 

Punilito began to choke and in a slight sniffle muttered, “You know, Alex,

I’ve done my best to be someone. Really. It just hasn’t worked so far, and

I’m getting tired of who I am and how others perceive me.†“Stop

apologising for who you are, my son, as what the world thinks of you makes

little difference to me. Some things can never change; you’ll always be

perfect, perfectly special to me. Could you keep that in mind always, please?â€

Alex sounded as if he meant it sincerely.

 

“But Alex, how is it that lovely Layla has no such thing as stars and dots? Is

she more special to you than the rest of us?†Punilito had many unanswered

questions, it seemed. “No, my precious. Layla cares%2