Clay-Lumps

Earthgum, a large sticky clay-lump, was hopping along when he came to a shop that had a picture of a jar that he liked the look of and the sign said ‘Looking for the Next Big Clay-lump’. “That’s me,” thought Earthgum as he bounded in to the shop, “there isn’t a bigger clay-lump than me.”

“Welcome to my shop young clay-lump,” greeted the potter as Earthgum peered around the corner into the workshop. “How might I be of some serve to you?”

“I saw your sign in the window,” answered Earthgum coming a bit further into the workshop, “and thought that I might be the next big clay-lump.”

Leaning over from his table the potter sized up Earthgum, “Yes, I think you might just fit one of my moulds. Get on that scale so I can see your weight.”

Earthgum jumping onto the scale, and watched as the potter balanced the other end with ounce-weights one-by-one. Once the scales were balanced, the potter went over to a shelf and selected one for the weight of the clay-lump sitting on the scale.

“Hop in my friend,” said the potter holding out the mould to Earthgum, “and we will get you shaped in mere minutes.”

Earthgum jumped in happy that the process would not take too long, because clay-lumps only live for two weeks and every second is precious. As the mould started to cover him, he felt the pressure squishing him all over. The potter shouted at Earthgum as bits of him started to stick out of the creaks in the mould. Earthgum tried his best to keep all of himself inside the mould, that grew darker as pressure continued to increase, but it hurt so much to stay inside that mould.

“Stay inside that mould till your done,” the angry potter shouted as he stuck the mould into a blast furnace, “you piece of dirt.”

After just a minute in the blast furnace, the potter pulled the mould out and tossed Earthgum out of it. Bits of Earthgum stuck to the inside of the mould, and Earthgum looked completely deformed. As the potter threw Earthgum and his pieces out the back door he snorted, “I guess you’re not the next big clay-lump after all.”

Earthgum picked his shattered pieces up allow with his broken self and inched away feeling that he would never be a pretty piece of pottery. Earthgum spent the next few days sitting in a pothole in the road.

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Another clay-lump, named Gliter-imp, was out looking for a potter that made all his pottery, but ever shop she had entered used a mould for every clay-lump that entered. Then the small clay-lump saw a shop that she had never seen before. The shop was made of stone with one door in the very front and large windows everywhere in the walls. Inside these windows pottery was displayed, but what really caught Gliter-imp’s attention was that every piece of pottery was unique to itself.

Gliter-imp awe-struck and was not quite sure what to do next, when the door opened and the potter inside motioned for her to enter. Gliter-imp felt compelled to enter and meet this potter. As she entered she noticed the sign at the door simple said ‘Welcome’.

“Welcome lovely one,” said the Potter quite courteously, “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“The feeling is mutual,” answered Gliter-imp looking up at the potters face.

“Did you like my displays?”

“Yes, each one was unique and similar at the same time.”

“Thank you, and if you want I can do something unique for you.”

“That would be wonderful,” answered Gliter-imp bouncing up and down.

“Alright then, but keep in mind that what I’ve planned will not happen within minutes.”

“Ok.”

“Good, follow me,” said the Potter as he lead the way to a courtyard in the middle of the shop.

Picking Gilterimp up and setting her onto a table directly in the sunlight, the Potter started to stretch her out. “What are you doing?” asked Gilterimp recoiling back into a lump.

“You have to trust me,” answered the Potter not showing any signs of angry or frustration. “My ways don’t always make sense.”

After a bit of coaxing Gliter-imp finally allowed the Potter to stretch her out on the table. “Now stay like that for a little while,” said the Potter as he went to answer a caller at the door, “and then we will continue.”

For the first little while Gliter-imp felt uncomfortable and did everything she could to get comfortable. Periodically the Potter would stretch Gliter-imp back into position. Eventually Gliter-imp got use to the position and felt comfortable.

Just as Gliter-imp was settling into her position on the table, the Potter came along to find her in a nice tablet shape. The Potter, seeing that Gliter-imp was now quite dry and firm, put a little bag around her before tying the ends together. As Potter started to break Gliter-imp inside the bag she cried out in protest, “Stop it! That hurts.”

“I cannot work with you till I’ve broken you,” answered the Potter compassionately.

“Why not?”

“You’re not mouldable to me yet.”

With some more coaxing the Potter persuaded Gliter-imp to allow him to continue. As each piece broke off Gliter-imp, she didn’t know how it was going to help transform her into beautiful pottery, but she trusted that the Potter did, even though she had a little bit of doubt.

When the Potter stopped breaking Gliter-imp, he emptied the bag out onto a pan. The potter then filled the pan with enough water to just cover all of Gliter-imp. Again Gliter-imp protested, “What are you doing? That’s cold!”

“You first need to soak in what I’ve poured out for you,” answered the Potter still not showing any signs of rage, “before I can mould you.”

Gliter-imp then relented to the Potter’s will again, before take a better look around the court yard as the Potter prepared for the night. She noticed that a lot of other clay-lumps were also going through some drying, breaking, and soaking.

As the night closed in the Potter put up lamps so those still drying could finish and for those soaking in the water to stay warm. He also went around and comforted those who were broken telling them everything would turn out alright. All through the night the Potter stayed with them while they slept.

In the morning, the Potter came to Gliter-imp, “Are you ready to become what I see you being?”

“Oh yes,” answered Gliter-imp a bit sleepy, but still enthusiastic about becoming something beautiful.

The Potter picked Gliter-imp out of the water and drained the excess water off. He then took her inside and put her onto his potter’s-wheel. As the wheel started to turn Gliter-imp felt dizzy, but after a while she got use to the spinning. The process for the next hour was quite repetitive; the Potter would shape her with his hands and keep her standing straight.

Once Gliter-imp was in the shape the Potter wanted, he put her in a pan and put it into a preheated oven.

As the heat from the oven got hotter Gliter-imp protested, “It’s too hot in here! Let me out of here!”

“Don’t worry,” answered the Potter, “I will bring you out in good time.”

“But I want out now!”

“This is part of my plan for you. Please, stay the course and you be something beautiful.”

“But it is so hot in here, isn’t there another way?”

“No, but I won’t let the heat overwhelm you.”

“Well . . . all right then,” signed Gliter-imp, “I’ll have it your way.”

After what seemed forever to Gliter-imp the Potter pulled her out of the oven and inspected her for cracks. Finding none the Potter then moved her over to another workbench where dozens of paint brushes and cans of paint sat. The Potter opened several cans of paint before selecting one. The Potter dipping a wide brush into the blood red paint and covered Gliter-imp with it. When the paint was dry, the Potter took a thin brush and a dozen other paints, and carefully decorated the outside of Gliter-imp.

With a sign of contentment the Potter put down his brush, picked up a mirror, and held it up to Gliter-imp.

“There you go,” said the Potter with a smile, “now you see what I saw when you first hopped in to my shop.”

“What are you talking about,” asked Gliter-imp, “I didn’t look anything like this on that day.”

“The state you were in didn’t matter to me; I knew what you could be.” Picking Gliter-imp up the Potter moved to the front of the shop, “Now let’s show how wonderful you are so more clay-lumps can get properly shaped.”

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After spending the night in a ditch by the side of the road, Earthgum awake from his troubled sleep as the first rays of little started to shine over the mountains into the valley. The air was still cold and wet from last night, and a small stream now cut through the ditch.

Earthgum gathered his pieces up and started to crawl beside the little stream. As the sun climbed higher in to the sky, he continued to trudge along the stream till he came to a group of excellently made vessels filling themselves at the waterfall that fed the stream. He turned to leave and hide himself from these successful clay-lumps, but they had already spotted him. 

“Get out of here broken pieces,” one jeered.

“What wheel did you fall off of?” said another as those around him laughed.

The laughing stopped as one vase hopped over to Earthgum, “Hello what’s your name?”

“Earthgum,” he replied as he turned to leave.

“Don’t go,” said the vase, “you look like you could use some fixing up.”

“No one can fix me,” answered Earthgum gloomily, “I’m completely broken.”

“I know someone that can fix you,” the vase said quickly to stop Earthgum from hopping away, “and make you more than you thought you could be. I’ll even take you to him, if you want.”

Earthgum liking the idea of being repaired, “Alright I’ll come with you.”

“Great. Oh, my name is Gliter-imp,” said the vase as she took the lead.

“Nice to meet you, Gliter-imp,” answered Earthgum.

“Nice to meet you too, Earthgum,” responded Gliter-imp.

The two hopped past the other vessels standing by the waterfall as the jumped towards a set of stairs beside the falls. Gliter-imp helped Earthgum carry his pieces up the stairs. The stairs continued till they came to an open door at the top. Gliter-imp entered first.

“Potter,” called out Gliter-imp, “I brought a broken clay-lump with me.”

Instantly the giant man was in the room bending down and looking at the two of them with his kind eyes. Focusing on Earthgum, the Potter asked, “Do you believe I can fix you.”

“Now that I see you, sir,” answered Earthgum as he held out his pieces, “I want you to have me.”

“Then come with me Earthgum,” said the Potter, “I’ll make you new in no time.”