Rule 42 Just Won't Do

"Attention! Attention! All peeples must listen. This petition is from the Queen of Tiny Peeple Town please come now, all must gather around."

The peeples did as they were told and gathered around, both young and old. The Cryer climbed high upon the pedestal, clearing his throat he then spoke,

"I'm here to announce a new federal law. You must obey, or you'll be on your way." Clearing his throat once more, he craned his neck as high as it would go and with a tiny peeple's booming voice he did declare:

"ALL TINY PEEPLE IN TINY PEEPLE TOWN, MUST ALWAYS SMILE AND NEVER FROWN! FOR FROWNING IS AN INSULT TO THE JEWEL OF OUR QUEEN. THIS IS THE NEW RULE, NUMBER FORTY-TWO! FAILURE TO SMILE WILL CAUSE JUST PUNISHMENT WITHOUT A TRIAL."

Walking down the steps, the speaker hung his head, and then with a thought, he jerked it up instead. Upon his face, he wore a smile. This prestigious speaker wore it with style.

The tiny peeple began to separate. While murmuring filled the air, then upon their faces smiles appeared, though some were worn with fear.

"What kind of rule is this number forty-two, that states we must always smile?" Said an elderly gentleman whose name was Benjamin.

His tiny hands grabbed the lapels of his coat, and with an air of sophistication, he then spoke, "Don't all you fine peeple of Tiny Peeple Town, believe we should have a vote over such a code that we have been forcefully bestowed?" And then with a stark, his lips curved into an arc.

Announcement flyers were being posted everywhere! On the windows, doors, posts, and stairs. It was quite a strange thing indeed, seeing those serious policemen post such a creed.

Looking around the downtown court, tiny peeple smiled but let out a snort. They knew the rule they had to follow, but now all the smiles seemed to be quite hollow. Natural smiles could not be found for faces that were plastered with grins confound.

The once-busy streets begin to clear. As peeple were afraid of the way they'd appear. For they fraught that if they forgot and lost their smile, rule forty-two would be defiled.

As the days passed by, the business lessened. The spirit of the town dampened. The rule that was meant to keep Little Peeple's Town happy, only caused peeple to become quite sappy.

For the fear was too great, that the rule they'd break, so they stayed inside their place to hide. And through the streets empty and bare, the wind carried the flyer that was first posted by the town's Cryer.

The streets have been bare since rule forty-two came into being. For the peeple of Little Peeple Town, were afraid they'd forget to smile. Smiling was now the law, failure to do so would cause the little peep, who did not smile, to be punished without a trial!

Now, there is a senior citizen peep, whose name is Benjamin. He is held in high esteem. He has come forward to establish a plan. "This silly, ridiculous rule simply can not stand! For peeple are peeple, both in good times and bad. We can't always be happy, for sometimes we can't help but be sad. A smile loses its' charm when one is threatened with harm."

The voices of the little peeps rumbled forward like being carried on a wave. Once afraid to speak their mind, they are now determined a solution to find.

Then one little peep, the smallest of all, spoke up proud at almost a squall, "What if we all together stand, without a smile, without a frown? Just a song from our hearts, letting the queen know this rule is tearing Little Peeple Town apart."

With those words, quiet filled the room. As the peeps thought seriously of their deplume.

Then from high on his pedestal, Benjamin spoke, "Surely, if we all do not carry a smile, nor a frown, the queen will not punish everyone in town."

Murmurs again filled the space. Then a woman named Nancy took up the pace. "The law stated we had to smile but also said we could not frown. So, if we go and neither we do, would it truly be breaking rule forty-two?"

"That's right!" Boomed in the Kernel, who ran the town's daily journal. "I believe we have truly found a loophole to banish this rule! It's already caused such a worrisome toll."

Excited voices filled the air. Little peeps were smiling most sincere. Everyone was talking about supporting the plan. However, uncertainty caused nervousness which soon rippled through the klan.

What ifs started to appear. The queen's punishment was a real fear.

Benjamin once again took to his pedestal, "Dear peeps, please listen to me. We don't have much choice, can't you see? We surely can't go on living like this, for the town has turned into an abyss. The queen must realize this town won't survive if all we do is stay in our home and hide."

Now, the little peeps could not know, that the town Cryer had arrived at the castle to discuss this new rule, which had turned into nothing but a hassle. The town Cryer had noticed the town going dry, he knew he had to do something, at least he had to try.

He did not know about the town meeting. He too has been home working on his greeting. A town Cryer had not a job if there were no people for him to run his gob.

At the very time he was welcomed into the castle, for his appointment with the queen, the town's people were downtown where they continued to convene.

As Benjamin finished his speech. The crowd had decided that this was something that they must do. Life couldn't continue under rule forty-two.

"Okay," said Ted from the hamburger truck, "I understand what we're going to do. No smile, no frown as we stand in the middle of town. But what's the song we're supposed to sing? A song to our queen must not demean, especially since we're inciting against a rule that we're fighting."

Then the smallest peep spoke up once more, "Let's just make it simple, one she'd adore."


We love our queen of Little peeple town
she never ever lets us down.
Being happy is easy to do,
because our town is led by you.

Please take away rule forty-two,
for it's almost impossible to do.
We don't need it to make our town terrific,
we have you, our celestial beatific!


Deep in the castle, the queen agreed with the Cryer. Rule number forty-two must go. "All I wanted was the peeps of Little Peeple Town to be happy. I wanted them to walk around feeling quite zappy. I believed if they could not frown, that the smiles they wore would cause happiness galore. Then our town would be known far and wide for its joyful vigor, and it would make us grow bigger! Now I see this rule is unjust. Please go now and proclaim it trussed!"

As the Cryer went into town with a smile, he went to the tower to ring the bell. But as he approached the bell to gong, he noticed the town coming forward in song. Upon their faces, smiles were not present, and neither did a frown they vent. They gathered together, ready to sing when they heard the town's bell ring.

They stood and listened with jubilation that the queen had abolished the citation.

Then the smiles begin to spread for rule forty-two was finally dead. They begin to sing to the crown. Proud of the queen who leads their town.

(1,285 Words)