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Of course hes miserable, moaned Wesleys
mother. He sticks out.

Like a nose, snapped his father.
of shelter. He had no friends, but plenty of

tormentors.
Fleeing them was the only sport he was good at.
knew they were right. He was an outcast from the
Each afternoon his mother asked him what hed
He alone in his town disliked pizza and soda,

alarming his mother and the school nurse. He
found professional football stupid. Hed refused to
shave half his head, the hairstyle worn by all the
other boys, despite his fathers bribe of five dollars.
Passing his neighborhoods two styles of
'-
rightWesley alone dreamed of more exciting forms
Listening through the heating vent, Wesley

civilization around him.
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housinggarage on the left and garage on the
learned in school that day.

That seeds are carried great distances by the
wind, he answered on Wednesday.
That each civilization has its staple food crop,
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he answered on Thursday.
That schools over and I should find a good
summer project, he answered on Friday.
'.
As always, his father mumbled, Im sure youll

use that knowledge often.
Suddenly, Wesleys thoughts shot sparks. His eyes
blazed. His father was right! He could actually use
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you dont get those weeds out, warned his neighbor.

Actually, thats my crop, replied Wesley. In this
type of garden there are no weeds.
what hed learned that week for a summer project
Following ancient tradition, Wesleys fellow gar-
that would top all others. He would grow his own
deners grew tomatoes, beans, Brussels sprouts, and
staple food cropand found his own civilization!
nothing else. Wesley found it thrilling to open his
The next morning he turned over a plot of
land to chance, to invite the new and unknown.
ground in his yard. That night a wind blew in from
The plants shot up past his knees, then his waist.
the west. It raced through the trees and set his cur-
They seemed to be all of the same sort. Wesley
tains snapping. Wesley lay awake, listening. His
couldnt find them in any plant book.
land was being planted.

Five days later the first seedlings appeared.
(%
Youll have almighty bedlam on your hands if
Are those tomatoes, beans, or Brussels sprouts?
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asked Wesleys neighbor.
(&
Pulling up a plant, he found large tubers on

None of the above, replied Wesley.
Fruit appeared, yellow at first, then blushing
to magenta. Wesley picked one and sliced through
the rind to the juicy purple center. He took a bite
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the roots. These he boiled, fried, or roasted on the

family barbecue, seasoning them with the plants
highly aromatic leaves.
It was hot work tending his crop. To keep off the
and found the taste an entrancing blend of peach,
sun, Wesley wove himself a hat from strips of the
strawberry, pumpkin pie, and flavors he had no
plants woody bark. His success with the hat inspired
name for.
him to devise a spinning wheel and loom on which
Ignoring the shelf of cereals in the kitchen,

Wesley took to breakfasting on the fruit. He dried
half a rind to serve as a cup, built his own squeez-
he wove a loose-fitting robe from the stalks soft

inner fibers.
Unlike jeans, which he found scratchy and heavy,
ing device, and drank the fruits juice throughout
the robe was comfortable, reflected the sun, and
the day.
offered myriad opportunities for pockets.
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His schoolmates were scornful, then curious.

Grudgingly, Wesley allowed them ten minutes
apiece at his mortar, crushing the plants seeds to
collect the oil.
This oil had a tangy scent and served him both
as suntan lotion and mosquito repellent. He rubbed
it on his face each morning and sold small amounts
ber of petals on the plants flowers.

Hed adopted a new counting system as well,
based likewise upon the number eight. His domain,
home to many such innovations, he named
Weslandia.
up his own. These were designed for a single player
per bottle.
and used many different parts of the plant. His
mother one day.

Wesley admitted that he no longer wore it. He
told time by the stalk that he used as a sundial and
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Uninterested in traditional sports, Wesley made
to his former tormentors at the price of ten dollars

Whats happened to your watch? asked his
()
had divided the day into eight segmentsthe num-
spectators looked on with envy.

Realizing that more players would offer him
more scope, Wesley invented other games that
would include his schoolmates, games rich with
(*
strategy and complex scoring systems. He tried to be

patient with the other players blunders.
August was unusually hot. Wesley built himself
a platform and took to sleeping in the middle of
Weslandia. He passed the evenings playing a flute
hed fashioned from a stalk or gazing up at the sky,
renaming the constellations.
His parents noted Wesleys improved morale.
Its the first time in years hes looked happy, said
his mother.
Wesley gave them a tour of Weslandia.
What do you call this plant? asked his father.
(+
Not knowing its name, Wesley had begun calling it

swist, from the sound of its leaves rustling in the
breeze.
In like manner, hed named his new fabrics,
games, and foods, until hed created an entire
language.
Mixing the plants oil with soot, Wesley made a
passable ink. As the finale to his summer project, he
used the ink and his own eighty-letter alphabet to
record the history of his civilizations founding.
In September, Wesley returned to school...
He had no shortage of friends.
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(,

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;^Xi^dciZaahi]Zhidg^Zhd[^bV\^cVgneZdeaZ

Of course hes miserable, moaned Wesleys

mother. He sticks out.

of shelter. He had no friends, but plenty of

knew they were right. He was an outcast from the

Each afternoon his mother asked him what hed

He alone in his town disliked pizza and soda,

rightWesley alone dreamed of more exciting forms

Listening through the heating vent, Wesley

housinggarage on the left and garage on the

learned in school that day.

As always, his father mumbled, Im sure youll

you dont get those weeds out, warned his neighbor.

what hed learned that week for a summer project

Following ancient tradition, Wesleys fellow gar-

that would top all others. He would grow his own

deners grew tomatoes, beans, Brussels sprouts, and

staple food cropand found his own civilization!

nothing else. Wesley found it thrilling to open his

The next morning he turned over a plot of

land to chance, to invite the new and unknown.

ground in his yard. That night a wind blew in from

The plants shot up past his knees, then his waist.

They seemed to be all of the same sort. Wesley

tains snapping. Wesley lay awake, listening. His

couldnt find them in any plant book.

land was being planted.

Youll have almighty bedlam on your hands if

Are those tomatoes, beans, or Brussels sprouts?

asked Wesleys neighbor.

Pulling up a plant, he found large tubers on

the roots. These he boiled, fried, or roasted on the

and found the taste an entrancing blend of peach,

sun, Wesley wove himself a hat from strips of the

strawberry, pumpkin pie, and flavors he had no

plants woody bark. His success with the hat inspired

him to devise a spinning wheel and loom on which

Ignoring the shelf of cereals in the kitchen,

he wove a loose-fitting robe from the stalks soft

ing device, and drank the fruits juice throughout

the robe was comfortable, reflected the sun, and

offered myriad opportunities for pockets.

His schoolmates were scornful, then curious.

ber of petals on the plants flowers.

and used many different parts of the plant. His

mother one day.

Uninterested in traditional sports, Wesley made

to his former tormentors at the price of ten dollars

had divided the day into eight segmentsthe num-

spectators looked on with envy.

strategy and complex scoring systems. He tried to be

Not knowing its name, Wesley had begun calling it

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