Waslene and the Forest Godmother

At one time, in a small town in Haiti, there was a girl named Waslene who had to live with her heartless and selfish stepmother. Sadly for Waslene, her father had fallen ill and was no longer on this earth. Every day while Waslene was at school, her stepmother would cook Tablet Kokoye or coconut candy to sell in the outdoor market. The stepmother would earn a fair amount of money selling these sweets, but would she share with Waslene? No! She would spend the money on herself even though she lived in the house that was now supposed to belong to Waslene. One day, at the first sign of daylight, the stepmother started to cook the Tablet Kokoye, stirring a large pot outside over a fire. The grated coconut, brown sugar, and cinnamon went into the boiling water. But instantly, the fire went out. Waslene’s stepmother was not only selfish but extremely lazy. She demanded that Waslene not go to school but instead enter the forest and gather more firewood. But you never know who lurks in a forest, even during the day. Waslene walked and walked forever and a day, looking for firewood on the ground. Then, she came to an open spot covered with perfect firewood logs. It was like magic! Waslene worked hard and gathered as many heavy logs as she could carry, but she knew that her stepmother would still complain and be angry that she didn’t bring enough. Finally, she gave up, sat on the ground, and began to cry. Quickly, an older woman appeared right before Waslene. Waslene tried her best to stop crying and greeted the older woman politely. “Bonjou, good day.” “Bonjou, my child, please don’t fret. What is the matter?” “My stepmother will yell at me if I don’t bring enough firewood, but it’s too heavy for me to carry, and my sweet father is gone from this world to help me.” “I will help you. The older woman stacked and lifted all the firewood above her head and carried the load through the forest to Waslene’s house.” “How did you do that?” Waslene asked. Before the older woman could reply, Waslene’s stepmother marched over and stood between them and said, “I have a bad back and couldn't possibly carry this heavy firewood back home." The stepmother's words had a syrupy sweet sound, but the flavor would have been bitter if you could have tasted her words. "Well, I can work for you and carry the firewood so Waslene won’t miss school again, but what will I receive in return? And don't think about offering me your Tablet Kokoye. Coconut candy gets stuck in my teeth.” She grinned while winking at Waslene. The stepmother asked, "How do you know I make coconut candy? And anyway, I sell the best candy in all the Caribbean Islands, so you are missing out!" "Humph," said the older woman. "Okay, I will give you something valuable the next time you work, perhaps a servant of your own,” glancing at Waslene in a way that alarmed the girl. The next day after school, Waslene ran into the forest looking for the older woman to warn her about her trickster stepmother and to share the fried plantains she had saved from her school lunch. She stopped at the open spot and called out, “Bonjou, helpful friend.” “Bonjou, helpful friend.” “I wish you were my godmother.” “Bonjou, helpful friend.” Quickly, the dear older woman appeared right before Waslene. “Bonjou, my child, please don’t fret. What is the matter?” “I brought you some fried plantains to thank you for helping me carry the firewood yesterday and to warn you that my stepmother will try to trick and deceive you.” “Waslene, remember, an act of kindness does not require a reward, especially between friends. You didn’t have to bring me your fried plantains, but I will eat them and thank you,”the older woman said with a smile. “Now I want you to go home, and you will see me again soon.” A few days passed, and the next time Waslene’s stepmother started to cook her Tablet Kokoye, the fire instantly went out. The older woman appeared again, carrying firewood over her head. “Ah, you returned with more firewood for me,” the stepmother said as she added the firewood under the pot and continued to cook the Tablet Kokoye. “Yes, and I may have something else you want too,” the older woman replied. The stepmother stopped stirring the coconut candy and looked up to see beautiful and shimmering dresses laid out on a rock in different shades of red. Scarlett, crimson, and ruby! Waslene hadn’t left home for school, and she dashed behind the door to watch. “I will give you a test, and if you can answer the question correctly, you can have these dresses,” explained the older woman.“But if you answer incorrectly…" “I won't answer incorrectly,” the stepmother rudely interrupted. “I not only make the best Tablet Kokoye in the Caribbean, but I am also the most intelligent. So, hurry up!” The older woman spotted Waslene watching behind the door and winked at her. "What is more valuable to you? Unlimited firewood and coconuts brought to you every day, so you never have to worry about cooking your Tablet Kokoye and selling it to support yourself and Waslene for the rest of your days? Or these magical eggs in different shades of blue– navy, indigo, and azure– that glitter in the sun?" Waslene's stepmother laughed. "The magical eggs, of course! I can sell them for money and never have to work again!" "Okay, here are the magical blue eggs and your shimmering red dresses," said the older woman. "I made the right choice! I knew I was the smartest person in the Caribbean islands," she said as she snatched her prizes. "Possibly, replied the older woman. But, unfortunately, sometimes we don't see the effects of our choices right away." As the older woman turned around to leave, the stepmother called out and said, "You can take Wasline as your servant. I won't need her anymore." "Bonjou, Waslene,” the older woman said as she waved her over. “Come along.” Waslene grinned and ran over to the older woman. “Bonjou, helpful friend. Bonjou, helpful friend. “I wish you were my godmother. Bonjou, helpful friend,” Waslene chanted as she hugged the older woman. Then they disappeared into the forest. Waslene's stepmother rolled her eyes and stomped her feet. "I am the winner," she said, and she admired her red dresses and magical blue eggs. As the weeks passed, the stepmother discovered she had nowhere to wear the red dresses because no one in the small town wanted her around. After all, she was unkind. She also could not find anyone who would buy the magical blue eggs. No one trusted the stepmother, and they demanded that she show them what was inside the eggs. The stepmother became frustrated and broke open all the eggs, one by one. Inside were hundreds of snakes, which slithered out and chased her straight into the forest. Meanwhile, Waslene was beginning to learn the ways of the forest with her newfound godmother. Best of all, the older woman was showing her the importance of working together as a team and the value of friendship and family. Crick Crack, the wire bends, And that's the way my story ends.