The Pardon Parade of January Stumps

A Forest Fable of Accountability & Encore Misdeeds

1

On brittle January Stumps, spotlights blizzarded bright;

Peacock Plume rolled in atop a gilded wagon’s height.

He strutted like a neon crown, megaphone in claw:

“Feel FREE, my rowdy renegades—tonight we cancel law!”

2

Out spilled the Rabble-Raccoon Riot, tails knotted with stolen twine,

Still sticky-pawed from sacking last year’s Council Tree shrine.

They waved cracked-acorn trophies, chanting, “Smash again!”

Plume winked: “Encore, patriots—my pardons work like pens!”

3

He flung a plume—turbo-sparkled—each quill a VIP pass:

“Behold your Get-Out-of-Nest-Free ticket—void where morals last!”

Confetti cannons boomed so loud the squirrels mistook for thunder;

The raccoons live-streamed vandal-selfies tagged #ForestBlunder.

4

Owliver the Grey swooped in with scrolls of leafy law;

His words cut through the glitter like sleet across a saw.

“Beneath those rhinestone feathers lurks decay the roots can’t bear—

Mercy isn’t merch, young plume, and justice isn’t flair.”

5

Peacock twirled a disco plume: “Old bird, you’re such a bore!

These noble rogues are patriots—just read the nest décor!”

He pointed where the raccoons burned the bylaws into dust.

A pardon isn’t party gear—its weight is wrought in trust.

6

With every quill delivered, chaos climbed a steeper grade;

Berry carts spun bumper-cars; nest-doors became parade.

Badgers hawked “riot memorabilia” from barrows braced with splinters;

Ferrets sold stump seats to hype more rule-free nights this winter.

7

Fireflies flashed emergency code across the midnight sky;

Milo Mouse crashed copper pans—“Help!”—but aid scrolled idly by.

Plume’s traveling light-show drowned the pleas beneath a chant:

“If everything is legal now, then NOTHING can be scant!”

8

The Elder Tree, bark trembling, sighed a centuries-old groan;

Its rings had witnessed riots past—but none live-streamed by phone.

Saplings wilted; Lantern dimmed; the air reeked burnt with fear;

Forgiveness turned cheapened gift and poisoned atmosphere.

9

Owliver unfurled the parchment—rain-inked letters flared:

“A pardon heals a hurt wing best when guilt is truly shared.

Blank checks for chaos breed a binge that swallows future days;

A blister left to fester births wildfires set ablaze.”

10

Yet raccoons howled “FAKE NEWS!” and head-butted Beaver’s stand;

What’s sweeter than rule-free nights? A lawless wonderland!

They hijacked Beaver’s water-wheel and spiked the cider keg;

Plume snapped a selfie, hashtagged: #FeatheredLegacy.

11

At dawn the clearing lay in shreds; even crows ignored free crumbs.

“This mess? Mere stage décor,” he squawked—then felt the silence thrum.

Peacock’s diamonds dulled to dandruff; ego rattled dumb;

Applause is hard to monetize when every debtor’s numb.

12

Tail deflated, Plume addressed the Council’s smoldering log:

“My magic quills were meant for show—I never sought this slog.”

Owliver’s stare cut deeper than a branding iron’s scar:

“Pardons without penance leave their giver lower than tar.”

13

They gathered quills like toxic shards and locked them under stone;

Inscribed fresh clauses limned with ash: “Grace walks with Justice—one.”

New buds burst on broken twigs; green hope peeked through the gray—

Proof a forest heals much faster when wrongdoers help repay.

14

So mark it, kit and counselor, when slogans glitter hot:

Mercy hawked as souvenir soon wipes the memory slot.

A pardon pitched for ratings births encore acts of wrong;

True clemency requires a cost—then harmony grows strong.

🌲 Moral

Pardons peddled as party favors turn tomorrow into yesterday’s riot—louder, messier, and monetized.

✏️ Why I Wrote This

I watched public figures flirt with granting blanket clemency to those who stormed democratic halls on January 6, and the proposal chilled me more than any mid-winter wind. My own grandchildren asked why grown-ups who break rules sometimes “just get away with it,” and I struggled to explain that real forgiveness comes only after making things right.

So I turned to the Forest—my safest stage for big, thorny questions. By casting a preening peacock as the pardoner-in-chief and mask-faced raccoons as the riot crowd, I could keep the imagery playful enough for children while letting adults hear the unmistakable echoes of our headlines. Rhythm and rhyme make the lesson memorable; satire makes it sting just enough to start a kitchen-table debate.

In short, I wrote The Pardon Parade of January Stumps to give families a story-sized tool for talking about accountability: mercy is noble, but mercy without restitution invites the chaos to return—louder, meaner, and monetized. If one young listener finishes the tale believing that “sorry” and “fixing the damage” must walk hand-in-hand, the fable has done its job.

Forest Moss

Teacher's Aid

1. Snapshot

Item	Details
Suggested Grades	4 – 6 (adaptable 3 – 8)
Reading Time	≈ 7 min aloud
Core Themes	Accountability · Rule of Law · Responsible Forgiveness · Media Hype
SEL Links	Self-management · Relationship skills · Responsible decision-making
Curriculum Fit	Civics / Social Studies · Language Arts · Media Literacy

2. Learning Targets

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to …

1. Summarize the plot and identify Peacock Plume’s turning point.

2. Explain why pardons without restitution can fuel encore wrongdoing.

3. Compare & contrast fictional chaos with real-world examples of rule bending.

4. Reflect on a time they offered or received an apology plus a “fix.”

5. Create a class “Restitution Recipe” poster linking apology to action.

   
   

3. Quick Vocabulary

Word	Kid-Friendly Definition	Line Reference
Pardon	Official forgiveness for breaking a rule	Title & throughout
Restitution	Making up for damage done	Moral
Satire	Humor that points out big problems	Whole text
Livestream	Video broadcast as it happens	Stanza 8

4. Pre-Reading Spark (5 min)

Display the cover:

1. “What clues tell you this story might be funny but serious?”

2. “Why might raccoons be the ‘rowdy’ animal of choice?”

3. Predict what the megaphone feathers could symbolize.

   
   

5. During-Reading Prompts

Pause after stanzas 3, 6, 9, 11 and ask:

• Stanza 3: “Why are the raccoons cheering? What did they get?”

• Stanza 6: “How did things change once pardons were handed out?”

• Stanza 9: “What warning does Owliver give? Paraphrase it.”

• Stanza 11: “What finally makes Peacock Plume rethink his choice?”

  
  

6. After-Reading Discussion (10 – 15 min)

1. Cause–Effect Chain: Chart the steps from first pardon → chaos.

2. Real-World Bridge: “Can you think of times when someone avoided consequences and it encouraged more trouble?”

3. Media Angle: How do hashtags and livestreams amplify the mayhem?

4. Solutions: Brainstorm how the forest could rebuild trust faster.

   
   

9. Standards Alignment

Below is a quick‐reference grid of other Common Core State Standards (CCSS) you can comfortably hit with The Pardon Parade of January Stumps. I’ve used Grade 5 codes—they generalize well to 4-6 with minor adjustment.

Strand	Standard	How the fable meets it	Sample classroom move
Reading Literature	RL.5.1 – Quote accurately from a text when explaining what it says explicitly and when drawing inferences	Students cite specific lines (e.g., “Plume’s traveling light-show drowned the pleas…“) to prove Peacock ignores warnings	Highlight two key stanzas and have pairs pull direct evidence of cause ➜ effect
	RL.5.2 – Determine a theme and summarize	Central theme = accountability with restitution	“Write a 3-sentence summary + one-sentence moral in your own words”
	RL.5.3 – Compare & contrast two characters’ responses to events	Contrast Peacock’s denial vs. Owliver’s steady logic	T-chart of motives, actions, and outcomes
	RL.5.4 – Determine meanings of figurative language	Idioms & satire (“diamonds dulled to dandruff”)	Vocabulary log: students paraphrase 3 figures of speech
	RL.5.6 – Describe how narrator’s point of view influences story	Third-person, mock-epic voice adds humor	Discuss why a solemn tone would change the satire
	RL.5.9 – Compare stories with similar themes	Pair with Seuss’s Yertle the Turtle or Orwell’s Animal Farm (excerpt)	Venn diagram: power abuse & consequences
Writing	W.5.1 – Opinion writing with reasons and evidence	“Should the raccoons get a second pardon? Defend your stance.”	1-paragraph opinion quick-write using stanza evidence
	W.5.2 – Informative/explanatory texts	Explain how pardons work in real government	Small research task → mini essay with fable references
	W.5.3 – Narrative writing	Rewrite stanza 11 from a raccoon’s viewpoint	Students draft an 8-line rhymed stanza
	W.5.9 – Draw evidence from texts	Any of the above writings citing stanzas	Emphasize quoting lines, not paraphrase only
Speaking & Listening	SL.5.1 – Collaborative discussions	Small-group debate: “Mercy vs. Justice—can you separate them?”	Use “talk chips” to ensure balanced participation
	SL.5.4 – Report on a topic with supporting details	Students present a “Restitution Recipe” poster	1-min share-out per group
Language	L.5.4 – Determine meaning of unfamiliar words using context	Words like restitution, satire, encore	Context-clue task: underline clue words around each term
	L.5.5 – Recognize figurative language & tone	Identify satire markers (hyperbole, irony)	Color-code exaggeration vs. literal lines