The Bridge of Blunderberries

Markets, Trade & Mutual Benefit - Part 4 of Economic Series

By Ross Boulton © 2025

Two forests sat on either side

Of River Wriggle, deep and wide.

Each had what the other lacked—

But neither crossed, nor even packed.

The eastern woods had berry vines

With blunderberries sweet as wines.

But tools were few, and carts were slow—

No way to ship or trade or tow.

The western trees had carts and crates

And markets filled with counting slates.

But not a single berry grew

On stony soil or morning dew.

One day, Lantern blinked midair

And said, “It only seems unfair.

They have the goods. You have the gear.

Trade could bloom if brought near!”

Maple the Goose agreed with pride,

“I’ll build a bridge from side to side!

And halfway down, we’ll meet and share—

Each giving what they’ve got to spare.”

Grizzle gruffed, “But what if they

Trade rocks for gems, then fly away?”

Crabbie cawed, “What if they cheat—

And trade us stems instead of sweet?”

Owliver nodded, “Trust takes time—

But trade, when fair, can be sublime.

Each gives what they don’t need alone,

To gain what they can’t grow at home.”

So Maple built the Floating Log,

With tied-up vines and hollowed bog.

The bridge was rough, but it held true—

And blunderberry carts came through.

The crates came back with trowels and twine,

And prices marked on every line.

One berry bought one woven strap.

Three crates? That earned a berry cap!

Soon carts and crates moved every day,

Each critter earning honest pay.

The east got tools, the west got treats—

And both enjoyed more balanced eats.

But once, a fox gave mushy fruit.

Another shorted ties of jute.

So Maple drew a market rule:

“Each trade must weigh on balanced spool.”

They carved a scale on river bark

To measure goods from dawn to dark.

And Owliver read the code aloud:

“Fair trade makes forests twice as proud.”

MORAL

Markets work best when each side offers something the other needs—and both agree on fairness, not tricks. Trade turns distance into partnership.

Why I Wrote This: The Bridge of Blunderberries

By Ross Boulton © 2025

This story is part of my Forest Economics Series—a collection of fables designed to make foundational economic ideas feel familiar, fair, and even fun. In The Bridge of Blunderberries, I wanted to show how markets and trade aren’t just systems—they’re stories of cooperation.

In the real world, one place might have minerals while another has machines. One family might grow apples while another bakes pies. Trade works when each side brings something the other values, and they agree to exchange fairly.

This fable reflects that principle. Two forests sit across a river, each with a strength—and a need. It’s only when they build a bridge and trade with trust and balance that both sides thrive. The Floating Log isn’t just a bridge across water; it’s a symbol of how exchange can connect different groups, solve scarcity, and build relationships.

Of course, trade only works when it’s fair. That’s why Owliver’s scale and Maple’s market code matter. They represent regulation, trust-building, and the value of transparent rules. This is the kind of lesson children can understand through berries and crates—and adults can recognize in headlines.

I wrote this so young readers could learn that trading isn’t taking—it’s sharing what we have to gain what we need, together.