The Wonderful World of Rudolpha: Nutmeg’s rebellion

It’s story time at the North Pole Animal Day Care. The teacher, Rudolpha the reindeer, is about to read a book called Nutmeg’s Rebellion to the class.

“Who likes candy?” she asks.

“Me!” yell Mistral the penguin, Bianca the rabbit, Snowflake the polar bear, Storm the fox and Frost the snowy owl.

“Well, in that case, you’re going to love this story,” she says, as she opens the book.

“Once upon a time there was a place called Treat Town, a wonderful village where the houses were made of chocolate and the roads were made of nougat. There, each type of candy played an important role: the Licorice Nation guarded the town against the Evil Sweet Teeth, the Candy Cane Clan cared for the children, the Caramel Society kept dust and dirt off the roads and floors and the Gingerbread People were in charge of the town’s maintenance and upkeep.

“The Evil Sweet Teeth were a constant threat, but the village was a happy one, nonetheless. However, one Gingerbread woman named Nutmeg was unhappy with her job. All day, she repaired roofs, oiled machines and swept chimneys. But she often found herself dreaming of working with the Licorice Nation, the valiant sentinels of the town.

“One day, Nutmeg had had enough. She gathered her courage and went to the town meeting to speak to Mayor Gummy Bear and the town council. During question time, she stood up and said:

“‘Mr. Mayor, for hundreds of years, the Gingerbread People have maintained our village. While this is important work, not all of us are happy. I’d like to change my job. I want to guard the citizens of Treat Town, alongside the Licorice Nation.’

“There were exclamations of shock and surprise. Mayor Gummy Bear asked his advisers for their opinions on the matter. To Nutmeg’s surprise, most of them agreed that people should be able to choose their jobs. In fact, many of them had wished to do something different as well.

“After consulting the public, the mayor made a change in the municipal bylaws. All citizens could now choose which job they wanted, all thanks to a Gingerbread woman with a rebellious streak.”

“Wow! I always thought that rebels were bad guys,” says Snowflake.

“It all depends on the situation,” explains Rudolpha. “Peaceful rebellions like Nutmeg’s can be very good for society. And now, it’s snack time. Who wants a gingerbread cookie?”

Written by Johannie Dufour and Sarah Beauregard
Translated by Cyan Caruso-Comas