CLASH OF THE CLANS DEUX

In the beginning, Hippie and Honey were Seasonal Travelers to The Hill & Valley, going back and forth between their old teepee and new. After three years, Hippie could stand it no longer. She was tired of feeling like she didn't really belong in The Valley of Friendly Weird People. She had heard many a tale about these people, and was certain that they would be most accepting and neighborly. She told Honey that she was going to plant her stake permanently on the side of The Hill, and hoped that he would follow soon after.

A short time later a messenger came, bearing news of a Powwow. He told her that once a year all of the people on the front of The Hill gathered around the campfire, and she and Honey were welcome to attend. They were so very excited, and anticipated much fun. At last they would meet their neighbors. At last, they would belong!

Upon arriving, they were surprised to see not happy faces, but serious faces. This was not a fun powwow, it was a business powwow, and there was much to be discussed. Her neighbors were very distressed because one teepee had unsightly items in their yard, and another had built a fence that was at least three inches over the line. Most of all, they were distressed because people from Back-of-the-Hill were using our road!

The road down the back of The Hill had been abandoned by developer, county and state, and with no one to repair it, it had gradually turned into The Road From The Underworld. Woman-With-Most-Persuasive-Tongue did most of the talking at The Powwow. When Hippie and Honey said they had experienced The Road From The Underworld, and didn't blame the back-siders for wanting to use our road and were happy to share, Woman-With-Tongue said "You know not of what you speak, for you are but Seasonal Travelers." In her most persuasive voice, she told us that if we had been here as long as she had, and lived on the main road as she did, then we too might know The Truth. She told many scary tales of horsemen riding through our neighborhood with wild abandon, almost forcing she and her dog to fall into The Rushing Creek. She demanded that we all must protect our property by erecting a barrier between the two clans, then called for a vote.

Hippie and Honey did not agree with this plan. They thought, "There must be a better way! A Weird-Friendly way!" They wanted to be good neighbors to ALL, not just to those on the front of the hill. But, they were so very tired of being Seasonal-People-Who-Do-Not-Belong. When they saw every hand around the campfire but theirs go up, in favor of building the barrier, they hung their heads in shame, and raised theirs too. (to be continued)