A Harold-ed Future
Adapting a Children’s Classic for Our Times
Harold’s small frame belied his fearless spirit.
Armed with only a purple crayon, the imaginative four-year-old boy in pajamas was able to create whatever world he wanted, simply by drawing it. A night sky too dark? He could draw a moon above to show him the way. Stranded in a scary place? He could draw a hot air balloon and go wherever he pleased. In a rush? He could draw a clock and make more time.
Such was Harold’s recipe for a happy life. An ounce of confidence, a dash of imagination, a sprinkling of hard work. And a purple stick with the word “Crayola” printed on it.
Back in those days, it wasn’t just this way for Harold. It was true for everyone in the Crayon Kingdom. They all brought a similar confidence, imagination, work ethic, and waxy-colored stick to everything they did. And because of it, their farms and factories and mines were the most productive on the planet, and their universities the envy of the rest of the world. No matter what hardships or threats befell them, Harold and his compatriots could draw their way out of it with their purple crayons. This approach to life served as a symbol of their strength and power. The people felt safe knowing they were protected by their confidence, ingenuity, and hard work.
At least for a little while.
As they grew older, after they had worn their purple crayons into nubs, the other people in the kingdom began carrying red crayons instead of purple ones. And with those red crayons, they began drawing a kingdom filled with fear towards anyone who might try to take what they had. The others outnumbered Harold, and in their fear, they drowned out his voice.
“The brown vermin over our southern border are criminals. They want to invade our land, rape our women, and steal our jobs. We must build a wall to keep them out,” the people with red crayons demanded of their leaders.
And to stay in power, their leaders obliged them and stoked even greater fears. They constructed a large and imposing wall along the southern border of the kingdom. The stone and steel edifice seemed impenetrable, towering high into the sky and stretching for miles in every direction. It served as a new symbol of strength and power. The people felt safe knowing that they were protected by the big barrier.
At least for a little while.
“A wall, no matter how high, needs armed men to guard it vigilantly. Certainly, criminals who are like rodents will try to tunnel under the wall. We must put the most skilled of sentries along the walls to keep those dirty rapists out,” the people with red crayons demanded of their leaders.
And to stay in power, their leaders obliged them and stoked even greater fears. The weapons and guards served as a symbol of their strength and power. The people felt safe knowing that they were protected by it all.
At least for a little while.
“They are extremely crafty, these vermin-like rapists and criminals. They will not just try to penetrate our borders directly. They will go around our wall first by traveling to other countries, and then by slyly slipping into our cities through ports on ships. We must extend the wall around our entire country. We must build a bigger navy to guard our coasts. And we must build out an espionage network around the globe so we can hear any plans these non-humans have for invading us,” the people with red crayons demanded of their leaders.
And to stay in power, their leaders obliged them and stoked even greater fears. The extended wall, bigger navy, and espionage network served as a symbol of their strength and power. The people felt safe knowing that they were protected by it all.
At least for a little while.
“But the crafty, vermin-like rapists and criminals are not just outside our walls looking to get in. Many are inside already. We must build a bigger police force, and we must take away some civil liberties to capture them more easily. And we must build bigger prisons so we never have to look at those sorry pieces of crap,” the people with red crayons demanded of their leaders.
“Oh, and we must arm ourselves with weapons of war in case these people escape.”
Once again, to stay in power, their leaders obliged them and stoked even greater fears. They knew just how to work the red crayon people into a frenzy.
Paying for the wall, weapons, guards, militia, spies, prisons, and police was no small expense, but the act of assembling it all put half of the kingdom’s people to work. And the act of guarding and defending it all put the other half to work.
But, after the wall was fully erected and the prisons were completely built, the kingdom had fewer jobs.
And because the kingdom spent all its resources on the wall, weapons, guards, militia, spies, prisons, and police, their farms factories, and mines were no longer the most productive on the planet. And their universities were no longer the envy of the rest of the world.
The people of the kingdom were increasingly unfed, unskilled, and unintelligent.
“This is a job for purple crayons!” Harold shouted to the others at the top of his lungs, remembering the ideals of his youth.
“But purple crayons are no longer manufactured in the Crayon Kingdom,” he was told by the others. “Those factories are now all south of the border. On the other side of a very, very, very tall wall.”
Harold dug through his pockets. After a careful and labored search, he found the tiniest of tiny nubs from an old purple crayon. Hardly visible at all. But squeezing it in between the fingernails of his thumb and index fingers, he used it to draw a picture of a hot air balloon with which to get over the wall. Unable to see much once he launched himself, he drew a moon in the sky to help him search for the purple crayon factory.
But there was not enough crayon nub left with which to draw a clock. He could only hope there was still time.
We can only hope there is still time.
