How Milo the Mushroom Found a Home in a Rock

There was once a small mushroom named Milo, Milo Toadstool. He was a part of a long line of Toadstools. They were an ancient, but not royal, coterie. The only thing Milo wanted in the world was water. His ideal water would come from a delightful dungy place. It would be damp and musty. He dreamt could just sit down and grow for his long and fungal life. Maybe he would even spawn some small toadstools of his own.

Milo lived under an old oak tree named Terrius. They spoke every day, and Milo would tell his tree friend how pleasant and dark the shade he provided was. However, Milo always hoped for more darkness from the tree. The old tree never understood why the little mushroom avoided the light that shone on his green leaves.

One rainy day, Milo’s favorite kind of day, he spoke to Terrius about his dream of living in a delightfully dingy place. The tree told him that the darkest and dampest homes were under the rocks.

“The rocks, unlike us trees, don’t have holes in our shade,” he said in his robust tree voice.

“You’re right,” Milo slowly replied while he pondered the suggestion. “Additionally, their shade doesn’t wither in the cold winter months either,” he added in thoughtful exuberance. After this realization, he left the tree’s gray and dismal shade to find damper darker shelter under an ancient rock.

For months Milo traveled across the forest floor.

He moved slowly, hiding in the shade of one strange tree to another. Finally, after many rainstorms, he found a perfectly smooth and damp rock.

“Hello Rock,” Milo said in his dreary mushroom voice. The rock replied with nothing. Milo persevered and asked him, “Do you mind if I stay in you beautifully dreary shade?” Again no reply.

Milo assumed the best and settled down under the rock’s peaceful shade. For months Milo sat under the Rock. He would talk to the stone occasionally, but he never had conversations like the ones he used to have with Terrius the old tree.

Despite the loneliness, Milo found plenty of things to enjoy about his new home. Milo’s favorite thing about the Rock was the constant drip of water he could enjoy. Even on days that there wasn’t rain he was splattered by a few drops of the ceiling’s condensation.

After a long week of rain the sun finally came out and the day was a hot and sunny day. Milo was pestered by the sun’s rays continually staring at him, and he heard many drops of water from farther into the cave.

He Explored Deeper

To avoid the sun, he followed the sound and journeyed inward. The cave was dank and musty the further he traveled. When he finally got to the noise, he couldn’t see a single thing. There was no sun, and everything was shaded in darkness, he loved it.

Then, upon his entrance to the darkest part of the cave, he heard a gentle and feminine voice. “I was wondering how long it would take you to venture back here.”

“Rock, is that you?” Milo asked. He had never expected something as massive and dense as Rock to have such a soft and caring voice. Then again Rock did protect him from the sun with care.

“No, I’m not the rock. The rock doesn’t speak to us. He cannot live or grow as we do.” The voice said. “I am Melanie, and I am a mushroom just like you. There are many mushrooms like you here in the dark. Along with moss, algae, and mildew. We are a sort of family down here, and we bring life to the Rock since he brings water and shade to us. Do you want to join us?” She asked.

“I would love to!” Milo replied with excitement. “It’s brilliant and lonely in the opening of the cave. Back here is delightfully dungy. Is there water around?”

“The best and dampest of waters all around,” Melanie replied, and Milo knew he had found a home with friends that understood how incredible the darkness could be.

Photo Credit: Karen Neoh, Katja Schulz