Two Dolls Are Enough!

A whimsical protest wrapped in rhyme, heart, and handmade toys.

In Pinepaw Market’s bustling rows,

Where every critter comes and goes,

Eagleton stood on a podium stump,

Puffed out his chest with a patriotic thump.

“Too many dolls!” he barked with flair.

“No chick needs thirty! It isn’t fair!

They come from Eastwood—cheap and bright!

We’ll guard our nest from foreign blight!”

He pointed high with feathered wing,

“One hugger, one dancer—that’s the thing!

A forest child needs just a few—

And local-made will have to do!”

Maple the Goose, with feathers neat,

Spoke gently from a nearby seat:

“But dreams don’t bloom from bark alone—

Some dolls bring tales from far-off zones.”

Lantern blinked, her light aglow,

“Each gift we trade helps friendships grow.

If every stump shuts every gate,

Our forest hearts may learn too late.”

Milo the Mouse clutched coins so tight,

“My sister saved both day and night.

She wanted ‘Blossom,’ from Eastwood Creek

But now the price is far too steep.”

Traders wept near stalls of pine,

Unsold dolls in tangled twine.

“We carved and stitched with all our might

But who will buy at double the price?”

Eagleton flared: “Let costs rise high!

We’ll fly our own goods ‘cross the sky!

A forest proud must pay its way—

And learn to love what’s made today!”

But winds grew hushed, and feathers low.

“What dreams,” they asked, “must children forgo?

Can two dolls hold a dreamer’s spark,

When some chase stars beyond the bark?”

So Owliver called a forest moot,

Beneath the roots, in thoughtful suit.

With charts and scrolls and bark to write,

They weighed what’s fair in open light.

“We’ll keep our craft,” the critters said,

“But not by fear, or dreams half-fed.

Let dolls from all lands have their place—

As long as trade is built on grace.”

Moral of the Fable:

Protecting home is wise and true, but closing hearts shuts good things too.

✍️ Author’s Note

Why I Wrote “Two Dolls Are Enough!”

By Forest Moss © 2025

This fable began with a real quote from a real president who said:

“A beautiful little girl doesn’t need thirty dolls.” He used it to justify a very big rule—a 145% tariff on toys and goods from another country.

That moment got me thinking:

What happens when leaders make rules about what we “need”?

What if those rules feel fair to some… but unfair to others?

In Pinepaw Market, Eagleton the Eagle thinks he's protecting the forest by limiting choices. But Milo the Mouse, Lantern the Beetle, and Maple the Goose show us something different: true fairness includes listening. Sometimes, “protecting” turns into controlling, and what begins as a proud idea can quietly hurt the most hopeful hearts.

This story teaches that good leadership isn’t just loud speeches—it’s hearing every voice, balancing pride with kindness, and making space for both tradition and change.

Whether you're young or grown, I hope this fable reminds you:

Fairness isn't about less—it’s about listening, sharing, and letting dreams take shape.