Episode 31: The Druid and the Sea Shanty Sprout

The bell above the door jingled as a druid entered the shop, carrying a tiny potted plant with a wide grin on her face. She looked like she'd just wandered in from a forest, her clothes covered in moss and leaves.

Felix raised an eyebrow. "What can we do for you today, oh leafy one?"

The druid beamed. "I require a magical plant companion—one that sings sea shanties. But it has to be special. No ordinary singing plants for me!"

Zira raised an eyebrow. "Singing sea shanties? Are you sure you don't mean a sea creature, like a siren or something?"

"No, no! A plant! I've heard rumors about a rare breed that sings the old sea songs," the druid replied, practically bouncing with excitement. "A plant with soul… that can perform sea shanties!"

Felix sighed, rubbing his temples. "Sea shanties from a plant... Alright, I'll see what I can do."

---

Ten Minutes Later...

Felix returned from the back, holding a small, scraggly vine with a tiny flower sprouting from it. The flower's petals had an odd glint to them, as if they were made of polished seashells.

"Here's the Singing Sea Sprout," Felix said, handing it over. "It's enchanted to sing. It's… well, a bit of a work in progress. It only knows one line of a sea shanty, though."

The druid gasped in delight. "This is perfect!" She cupped the tiny plant in her hands, staring at it eagerly.

The flower vibrated slightly, and then it opened its tiny mouth, letting out a raspy, somewhat off-key voice:

"Oh, the wind blows... so, so, blowin'... the wind blows... oh, blowin'..."

Felix winced. "Yeah, that's the whole song. It gets stuck on that part."

The druid's face fell. "That's… all?"

Zira, who had been watching the whole exchange, couldn't help herself. "Well, you know, it's a very committed line. It's a plant, not a full-blown sea shanty choir."

The druid gave it a few more hopeful shakes. "C'mon, you can do better, little sprout!"

The plant responded by letting out a pathetic "BLOWIN'" and then fell silent.

The druid sighed, looking at Felix. "This isn't exactly what I had in mind."

Felix shrugged. "Yeah, plants aren't great with lyrics, and, uh, the sea shanty genre? Pretty advanced for a leaf sprout. But hey, if you want it to sing a song about how it's constantly frustrated with its own lack of vocal range, I think that would be a hit."

Zira grinned. "It's got potential. If only the plant would stop humming the same two words."

The druid gave a thoughtful look, then sighed dramatically. "Maybe I'll try teaching it to sing the entire shanty myself."

Felix handed her a small booklet. "You might need this. How to Teach Your Plant to Sing—a beginner's guide. Step one: patience. Step two: bribes with sunlight."

The druid nodded, glancing at the singing plant with newfound determination. "Alright, little one. You and I are going to rock the sea shanty world. Or at least get past the first line."

As she left, the plant gave one last shout of "BLOWIN'!" and then seemed to go into a contemplative silence.

Felix shrugged. "I guess that's the sound of potential."

Zira leaned against the counter, laughing. "And possibly the sound of a new musical genre: shrub rock."