(This is an old story that someone told me when I was little. I’m sure some of you have heard it. Also keep in mind that I don’t remember exactly how the story went, so I’ll be making up little things. But overall I know how it goes.)

There were two people. One was a woman named Karley, and the other a girl named Flora. It was a bright and perfect day. Flora’s mother had invited some of her friends over for a nice picnic, and she was telling Karley about how at school, people had spread “rumours” about some kid in her first grade class, but she couldn’t understand why they were so bad. The woman seemed to take an interest in the little story, and paid close atteattention.

Once Flora was done speaking, the lady said “Okay, how about we do something fun, hmm?”

The girl was eager to hear just exactly what game they would play. “What kind of game?” Asked Flora.

The lady responded by saying she would be right back. She had gone to a nearby store and came back with a large bag of fake features and handed them to Flora.

Flora was immediately perplexed. What was she to do with feathers? This didn’t seem fun at all . . .

“Here’s what I want you to do,” her mothers friend explained. “Take these feathers and shake them all over, anywhere you see fit.”

She was still confused, but Flora would never pass up the opportunity to make a mess. Messes were fun! And so she did exactly that. She shook the feathers everywhere and anywhere she could around her house.

At this point, everyone had gone inside to grab food. They decided to eat indoors because of the blazing heat and the fact of there being no shade.

When she was done with the feathers, she went back to Karley and told her she was done. Karley told her to wait until the next time they saw each other.

So a whole week had passed, and Karley came to visit. Flora was eager to hear what the lady would have her do _this _time. But when she asked, Karley told her to do the most unthinkable thing imaginable! “Now go pick up every single feather you dropped,” she had said.

“But I can’t!” Proclaimed Flora.

“Why not?” Asked Karley.

“Because they blew all over!” Replied the girl.

To this, the lady smiled. “That,” the lady said, “is exactly what happens with rumours. Now there are feathers everywhere in the neighborhood, and you cannot gather them back together because of how many have spread. And it would surely take very long to attempt to collect them all back again, because they have already been released. Rumours are the same way—you can spread how ever many you want, they will cause chaos and a great big mess, and you cannot take them back because the damage has already been done.”

Now Flora understood. This was less a game, and more of a lesson.