The Tallest Shroom Beetle A shroom beetle, lamenting its small stature, crawled to the top of a great mushroom. It gazed out over the Ashlands and cried, "Ha! There is no shroom beetle taller than I! There is nothing I cannot see!" Just then, a cliff racer swooped down and plucked the beetle from its perch. The beast grinned a wide toothy grin and said, "Had you stayed on the ground, I never would have seen you. Is it not better to be short than dead?" Alas, the beetle learned too late that forsaking one's nature brings nothing but ruin. * * * The Tale of Two Herders * * * The Friendly Alit * * *