Banished Prince Charming

Chapter 21 - The Humble Bamboo

The children rushed to their parents to welcome them back and by then they had already received the news that I was making a sign for the settlement. The went to see the workmanship made by the children and was happy to find that the children were able to produce such a good piece of work.

The bamboo was then piled in the clearing and I got to see how it actually looked like up close and personal. The baskets that there were carrying contained bamboo shoots and it could be made into a kind of salad. Back then in the Royal kitchen, a spicy pickle was made from bamboo shoots and it was great to be eaten with meat or fish. It was simply delish!

Another basket was filled with unripe bananas while another was filled with banana tenderlings. The children were then directed to plant the banana shoots along the riverbanks instead of the usual me.

"Young Master, do you intend to hold a class for the children sometime in the future?" Frank asked as he scratches his head and looked at my face for answers. "The children did ask me when I had completed making the clay signs. Besides, learning the basics as well as learning how to count would be great am right ?"

I replied and the replies I got not only from Frank but the rest of them was very positive. "A class don't need to be held in a classroom or a school. It could even be done here by the fireplace. Looking at the situation we are in right now, learning how to count would be best."

"At least the children would learn how to become a tradesman in the future. Recognising the numbers and learning simple calculations would be a great start. At least then someone asked them how much would a 5' by 5' woven mat costs, they would be able to calculate in the minds and gave the answer in a jiffy."

"Do you think its a great idea? Of course Heather would be around to assist me if I have other matters to attend to right now, ain't that right?" I looked at Heather and she nodded apprehensively.

"Alright, we can talk about education later on. Let us take a look at the bamboo." I continued as I approached the bundles of bamboo that they had harvested and most of them looked very sturdy.

Heather came close and explained that the bamboo was handpicked by Gwen as she wanted to make a few sets of bows as well to sell or exchange in barter trade. "At the meantime, she would make a dozen bows and would be teaching us how to use them as hunting bow as well as a ranged weapon."

"That's a pretty neat idea. I was thinking of getting a bow myself and hoped to be able to use it for practice. Who knows it might come in handy." I supported the idea of having a bow for myself especially if I wanted to venture out of my comfort zone.

This particular thought had been gnawing at my sides for some time and I wished to see for myself what I would be able to discover if I were to venture out myself.

"Oh yes... I've been thinking about this. Have you seen any mine deposits or any minerals around here during your hunting days? There should be some indications somehow. I'm not particularly sure." I looked at Gwen but unfortunately, she doesn't know what the mineral deposits look like.

I reached out and subconsciously rubbed my temples at the answer that had given me a dead end. I guessed it's much more beneficial for us to look forward to the task at hand.

Gwen and Kayla began narrating to us the benefits of bamboo as it would not be just made into hunting bows or pickled salad.

Bamboo could be made into pathways after being quartered and held down to the ground securely. As a whole, it would be able to make a very strong floating bridge.

Bamboo would also be used as a main single material of a building and it could even be built as high as a second or a third storey building. It would be complete with floors, walls, windows and doors. Bamboo is lighter and its easier to transport too.

Bamboo could also be made into hemp and then be made into clothing. If one is creative, they would be able to turn these bamboo products into accessories such as rings, necklaces and so on.

This humble plant is able to be turned into furniture such as kitchen prep table, dining table and chairs as well as beds. This furniture would be the next addition to our homes soon.

Bamboo could also be turned into utensils such as spoons, ladles, stirring paddle, mugs and saucers. It's lighter and won't break easily unlike the clay ones.

Furthermore considering that I am tending to the farmlands, bamboo would be used to transport water to it by using a water runway concept. The bamboo would be halved and the insides would be cleaned near the ribs. From the river, the runway would be raised while it would be interjoined to meet at the planting bed.

Once the water had been poured, gravity would help to transport the water down. This eliminates the carrying of endless buckets of water. A groove in the planting beds ensures that when water reaches down it would be able to flow from one end to the other, thus moisturising the soil thoroughly.

If the outer skin of the bamboo is being stripped and removed, it could be used as a form of paper instead of using the reed as mentioned since the process is quite tedious.

Not only does the bamboo could be made into hunting bows but it could be made into a barricade with sharpened ends to deter animals or even humans rampaging the outer perimeter. It could also be made into staves and pikes too.

Last but not least I could be used as a raft to travel across large bodies of waters such as streams or rivers that would not be affected by undercurrents and large and waves.

At the mention of using it as a raft, I posed a question to them, "Would it better for you to ti them down securely and then let them float down instead of carrying them back on your shoulders. It would be able to float back here right?"

When they heard it, Ben slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "Oh me gosh! Why didn't we fnk abaaaht that? We should not be tirin' aaahrselves in carryin' deese bamboo back just like aaahr young master 'ad mun'ioned. We should be doin' dat on da next trip."

Everyone roared with laughter and had never thought of that before. It might be that during the midst of discovering the bamboo as well as the fruits, it seems everyone's mind had gone simply bananas. Hahaha.

I only managed to put on a smile on my face as I recall on how their simple lives had been and yet they had forgotten how to make the available resources to the best of their advantage. Besides, we should be able to get more bamboo out of the current bundles that we have right now.

"I was just hoping the river would not be too far away from the bamboo clumps, so at least you would no have to walk away too far to deposit the next batch of bamboo into the river," I remarked to them as part of the reminder too.

We then proceeded for our meals before we continue the preparation of the bamboo process. Gwen then set aside a few of the suitable bamboo and set it aside to be stripped and made in a normal and a recurve bow.

We gathered around before we embarked on the construction of the floating bridge. Everyone contributed to the designs and structure of it by using small sticks and twigs to construct a miniature model. In the end, we decided not to construct a floating one but one that would be elevated at least three feet from the surface of the river.

It would be a standard crossing bridge that would be at least 8 feet wide and had two elevated slopes on both ends. The width would allow ample space for the horse and wagons to cross over without many difficulties.

Since the whole construction was made of bamboo, it would definitely be light and very durable. Pretty soon, everyone armed themselves with bowsaws, machetes and coils of ropes as they set down to work. The initial form of the bridge looked somewhat a bamboo raft from afar.

Since there were 8 of us handling the project, the platform was ready before mealtime and everyone took and break and headed to the fireplace where hot tea was already waiting for us.

The meal that we had for breakfast earlier was heated up along with some additions of potatoes as well as other tubers were roasted besides the fire. Everyone sat around the fireplace and were busily discussing the progress of the project while enjoying the meal.

Gwen suggested that everyone would involve themselves to produce short and longbows since it would be an addition to their livelihood. Everyone welcomed the suggestion since there would be an addition to their income in the future.

Besides that, Ben who was previously employed as a carpenter before the downfall of Darlington suggested that he would embark on building 2 long tables and some long benches so that we would have a proper dining place.

He also proposed that he would be planning to construct a kitchen prep table and other sets of furniture. Hearing that Ben would be making furniture, I suggested that this furniture could also be sold.

Everyone liked the idea as it made everyone look forward to the development of GraceHaven. Even though it might be slightly significant to the lives of the settlers, nevertheless, this was the hope that they would be looking forward to.