CRYSTAL WHITE BANANA: INTRODUCTION

There is one place left in this world untouched by the bright lights of human evolution. It’s a place where jungle animals and forest creatures adapted and evolved a little differently than most. Not only do they walk on two legs but they dance on them as well. 

Welcome to Grass Garden Grove!

Although no human has seen Grass Garden Grove, the inhabitants created a world not unlike our own. Rooted at the heart of the island is a magical place where people dance, sing and play all day. You aren’t reading this wrong. The spirit of living in a whimsical community is alive and well inside Grass Garden Grove. 

Outside lies an unchanging wilderness... The Old Forest.

The mere mention of it leaves the jungle folk of Grass Garden Grove shaking like a banana leaf. Deep inside the dark valleys, desolate peaks and windswept crags, lives creatures too stubborn to change with the winds of time roam the woods and rocky terrains unchanged by time. 

Why the difference on such a tiny island? Well, dear readers, different ways of thinking make a world of difference. The jungle residents of Grass Garden Grove never had to work hard to live well so they spend their free time with feasts and celebrations. The forest creatures, however, spend every day working hard to live. 

One such feast that stands tail and paw above all others is The Fall Festival. Every year, the jungle animals of Grass Garden Grove celebrate this three-day feast to pay tribute to the island that grows all the things they need to play all day. All the best vegetables from the community garden are harvested by the jungle folk for potluck after potluck. And just so you know, the nutritious benefits that we get from eating our fruits and vegetables is much different than the type of nutrients found in the fruits and vegetables on the island. For the island’s produce is chalk full of mystic energy that affects not just the body and soul, but how we think about time as well.

Now, it’s easy to assume that the most powerful plants grow in the beautiful gardens of Grass Garden Grove — but that would be too easy. No, dear reader, to reach the best plants you must look high atop the wind swept peaks just outside The Old Forest. Look for the rainbows and one will find magic. 

Due to the powerful nature of this flora, it was decided long ago that the great horned owls, patrollers of the spaces between Grass Garden Grove and The Old Forest, and the monkey families would work together to secure the sacred ingredient. For the owls are the only birds strong enough to soar the wind swept peaks and rocky cliffs. And the monkeys were chosen for their honesty, bravery and, well, their climbing skills help too. 

But there was one year when the Fall Festival almost met a tragic end. The beginning is quite simple: a brave monkey named Juniper Panzee ventured through The Old Forest, climbed the jagged cliffs, saved the life of a dear friend and kept the magic alive for another year. 

And not to worry, dear reader, I may have spoiled the end but the adventure is just beginning.