To jeering crowds, the Lettuce Head directed his tirade, calling for African Violet extermination.

Stewing a Redemptive Stew fable Excerpt

Stewing the Redemptive Stew is a fable in the Story Cookbook, “Feasts and Fables from the Planted Kingdom.” Many people find discussing racism difficult with children. The fable, “Stewing the Redemptive Stew helps to broach this serious, sensitive problem. The fable concludes with love and redemption offering a delicious world vegetable stew. Semaj utilizes this fable and others to infuse simple lessons of morality, what is right and what is wrong. In the Planted Kingdom these vegetables are ALIVE and are deeply rooted in plant justice.

Stewing a Redemptive Stew fable Excerpt

“I have a surprise,” his voice played like the resonating tones of a silken cello.  I whispered, “Gratitude is my heart,” breathing poetry into his ear.

With great haste, I unraveled the gift that was decorated with pink satin bows and dotted-Swiss wrapping to find an adorable petite flower… a dainty African Violet peeking up from the bough of the package.

Planted Kingdom Problem:  

To jeering crowds, the Lettuce Head directed his tirade, calling for African Violet extermination.  The twisted faces rallied, hoisting signs and banners: “Death to Violets!”…”African Violets Responsible for Global Warming”…”African Violets Destroy Rain Forest”… “African Violets Cause all the California Mudslides!!!”  I feared that everyone had lost all common sense as they spat pejorative remarks about those no good African Violets that had stolen their jobs…

Planted Kingdom Solution:

“ …To be honest, I did not know that I had it in me… the stewing kind of anger, that is. It’s ideal for lifting cars, or pushing over buildings or rescuing the underdog in superhero comics.  But, it is even more perfect for stewing up a restorative, redemptive stew, a hallowed stew, not your mundane boil and simmer pot, but a stew that marinates justice with orange Tomatoes, Eggplant, and equity, a stew that contemplates character while chop, chopping Carrots,  a stew that scrubs Celery with reason, and razor shaves truth from Parsnips.  Oh, a stew, one which crushes Garlic, not people (or African Violets), one of minced sage wisdom, where an Onion ringlet will dare to ring the bell for liberty and for dinner.

Stewing the Redemptive Stew Discussion


Q : Why was the decomposing Iceberg head of lettuce angry?

A : We learned in the fable Eating Purple, Iceberg was jealous because it didn’t
have the nutrients of greener lettuce.