The Day the Forest Stood Still

Unemployment & Economic Growth - Part 7 of economic s

By Ross Boulton © 2025

In Heartgrove Clearing, bright and wide,

The forest hummed on every side.

With carts that rolled and looms that spun,

Each critter had a job well done.

Milo baked and Rilla sewed,

Maple hauled and Lantern glowed.

Owliver taught, and Crabbie cleaned—

While Grizzle ran the jam machine.

But one crisp dawn, a stranger came,

A slick young fox with schemes and name.

He said, “I’ll do the work for free—

With shiny bots from Hollow Tree!”

The forest gasped. The bots were fast.

They cleaned and hauled and stitched and cast.

They spun ten socks, they jarred ten jams,

They piped new songs on golden clams.

“Fantastic!” cheered the forest crew.

“No need to stir, or bake, or glue!”

They sat on stumps and sipped warm tea,

While bots zipped past like honeybee.

But days grew long, and eyes grew low.

No tarts to bake, no seeds to sow.

Rilla sighed, “I miss the stitch…”

And Milo moped, “I miss the itch.”

Lantern blinked, “With jobs all gone,

The forest feels like dusk at dawn.”

Crabbie grumped, “Without a role,

I peck at crumbs and lose my goal.”

Maple called a forest talk,

They met beneath the thinking rock.

Owliver said, “True growth is more

Than doing less than done before.”

“We work,” he said, “not just to eat—

But to feel proud and whole and sweet.

A thriving place must earn and grow—

Not just be served by winds that blow.”

So bots were banned from every task

That gave a heart or soul or ask.

They cleaned the moss and fetched some logs—

But left the crafts to paws and frogs.

And once again the forest thrived—

Not just in coins, but in the lives

Of all who worked with joy and will—

To keep the clearing never still.

MORAL

True growth means more than speed or rest. It means purpose, contribution, and pride. When no one has work, the economy stops—but so does the spirit.

Why I Wrote This: The Day the Forest Stood Still

By Ross Boulton © 2025

This fable is part of my Forest Economics Series, a set of stories that turn big financial ideas into small, meaningful forest moments. In The Day the Forest Stood Still, I wanted to explore what happens when work disappears, and how that affects not just an economy—but a community’s soul.

When the forest welcomes bots to do every task, something unexpected happens: the work is done, but no one feels useful. That’s a reflection of what unemployment—or even over-automation—can do. It’s not just about lost income. It’s about lost purpose.

Each critter in the story feels that loss. Milo misses baking. Rilla misses sewing. Even Crabbie, who loves to grumble, misses having a job to grumble about. It’s a reminder that meaningful work isn’t just something we do—it’s part of how we feel connected, responsible, and proud.

I wrote this to help children understand that growth doesn’t always mean faster or cheaper. It means more people having the chance to contribute—with joy, effort, and fairness. And that balance between innovation and dignity is something every society must choose.