Burrwake Orchard Wardens — Woodland Anthro Character Sheet

The story of Burrwake Orchard Wardens

A fictional story inspired by the artwork.

The oldest tree in Burrwake Orchard produced exactly one pear each autumn. The wardens held a drawing to decide who would eat it. This year the winner was a mouse who asked for a knife, a notebook and six saucers. Everyone had expected her to ask for a spoon.

She cut five thin slices and offered one to each of her companions. On the sixth saucer she placed the core. The badger tasted cloves. The squirrel tasted rain. The hedgehog recognized the flavor of a pear her grandmother had grown before the eastern orchard froze. She ran to fetch a twig from its last surviving branch.

The boar steadied a ladder while the stoat made a careful graft. By dusk they had attached the twig to a healthy rootstock beside the old tree. The mouse recorded the date, the weather and the peculiar flavor of the fruit. Then she carried her untouched saucer to the edge of the orchard.

Three springs later, children found a row of small pear trees growing beyond the wall. Each bore a different fruit. The grafted tree kept the grandmother’s pear true, while the seeds had discovered flavors of their own. The wardens still hold their drawing. These days the winner gets the first slice and the pleasant duty of filling five more saucers.

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