Novels2Search
Nin the Seeker
39 - Nin and the Four-leaf Clover

39 - Nin and the Four-leaf Clover

Here is a story from the time when Nin lived at home, and was a still a prince among rabbits:

Nin was playing with the other young rabbits in the meadow, hopping without care or worry, without counting his misfortunes or his blessings. One of the smaller rabbits approached the prince and showed Nin his treasure: a perfect four-leaf clover.

The young rabbit explained that his four-leaf clover brought him luck, and that he kept it with him at all times.

Nin, intrigued by the idea, decided to acquire his own good luck charm. He searched and searched until he found a great patch of clover-covered meadow. Then he set to work. He lowered himself to the ground and started sniffing all around. It took him most of the afternoon, but eventually Nin found what he was looking for: a beautiful, deep green four-leaf clover.

He felt very pleased with himself, and quite lucky. But what chance! On his way home Nin spotted another four-leaf clover. And this additional prize prompted Nin to stop and think. Finding a lucky clover was in and of itself lucky; perhaps finding the second clover was due to possessing the first?

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

This made sense to the young prince, it was simple addition. One is good, two is better—

So Nin began a great operation to amass four-leaf clovers. He ordered his servants to pick them, he bribed his fellow younglings to gather them, he begged his parents to buy them. Soon Nin found himself sitting atop a throne of clovers and he felt very lucky indeed.

But then he realized the transient nature of his bounty. Clovers were plants like any other, and he had no way to preserve them. They would eventually rot away. All his luck would rot away!

Panicked, Nin began devouring his stash of clovers, hoping in some way that by eating them, they would pass their luck onto him, imbuing him with their power—permanently! He gorged himself, for three days straight he ate nothing but four-leaf clover.

Of course this was far too much clover for one small rabbit, and no sooner did he gobble down the very last one then did he vomit up the entire bunch.

He tried again to stomach the mess of sickly clovers, but only made it halfway through the pile before vomiting once more.

By now his belly hurt and his eyes were wet with tears. He tried a third time to down the mass of clovers, but grew ill at the mere prospect.

Nin rested. He felt miserable, and not very lucky at all. Perhaps, Nin decided, the luckiness of four-leaf clovers was somewhat overstated. But he was certain, at least, in that old adage, that there could indeed be too much of a good thing.