The Shovel’s Tale

Last week, the shovel said, “Hey, come over here.”

I went because I really like shovels.

I said, “What?”

The shovel said, “Let’s dig a hole.”

I asked what we would put in it.

The shovel said, “Me.”

I asked why.

The shovel said, “I’m tired of digging holes for others. I’d like to dig one for myself, and be buried in that hole.”

I said, “But what would you do while underground?”

The shovel said, “I think the metal part of me would break down and return to the earth as minerals, and the wood part of me would sprout and become a tree again.”

I said okay, dug the hole, put the shovel in it, and used my hands to fill the hole back up with dirt.

Everyday, I’ve been watering the spot where the shovel was buried. I actually check the ground for a sprout. I know it’s only been a week, but I’m prone to impatience.