WOODS

The woods have held wealth dug deep in its womb waiting for some one to dig it out or for some one to accidentally come across it.

It is an ongoing growth process, part of nature’s law of Live and Let Live.

However when an outsider comes into this domain deliberately to disturb this balance, nature sometimes lifts its head and strikes to bring back justice.

Giovanni was a truffle hunter in Piedmont Northern Italy.
Unknown by many truffle were fungus.
Those who did not have this knowledge, in Italy, France and around the globe, wrongly categorised them as mushrooms.
An experienced chef appreciates its value puts its woody and earthy tasting shavings to compliment their creations and connoisseurs pay through their nose to have it in their dishes.
Growing underground near roots truffles are fruiting body of a certain type of fungus — black and the less common white truffle.
It is the most expensive food in the world and prices can be as much as £3,500 for European white truffles.
A recent two pound weighing truffle had sold for as much as $300,000.
Giovanni knew this.
Armed with his vanghetto (small Spade used for digging) his stride was filled with strive.
Dressed appropriately with a thick warm jacket and gumboots he had entered the woods which were generally a no go zone.
It was mutual respect that people had kept away from these woods in particular as they housed the graves and resting place of the 17th century missionary Jesuit Allesendro Vittie.
Giovanni was not interested in history or sanctity.
Money was his priority and God !!
Close on his heels trudging along on the end of a leash was Marco.
Marco was a truffle hog
Since 1985 the use of pigs for hunting truffles had been prohibited in Italy but Giovanni had secretly reared Marco.
Today as he delved deeper into the woods the trek got more treacherous.
It was an uninhabited area.
The leaves were damp as the mist of the morning was still hanging on them.
Walking around three hours moving deeper and deeper into the dense forestation he was suddenly jerked by the tug on the leash.
Marco had smelt something which had excited him and was moving towards the roots of a hefty old oak tree.
As Marco was busy sniffing Giovanni gave a quick workout to his vanghetto.
Suddenly glistening in the soil, where Marco had cleared with his nose, the appearance of a bumpy and wart-like white surface had appeared.
With the irregular rays of sunlight streaking through the gaps in the dense leaves Giovanni saw a glimpse of the white truffle.
Tugging Marco away from the bounty Giovanni pulled him a few yards away and finding a sturdy stump of a tree tied the leash to it.
This should keep him captive and curtail the pig eating the prize.
In ideal situations truffle hunters train dogs and take them along to keep the pigs at bay once a truffle is found.
But as Giovanni was overconfident of his truffle hunting prowess and as he was already venturing out illegally he had not bothered about the dogs.
He came back to the site and bent on his knees and carefully like an archeologist started clearing the sides of the truffle with the small spade.
Realisation creeped that he had hit a gold mine as the size of the white truffle was being unveiled.
It was a massive good quality one and would weigh at least two pounds.
He was looking at a jack pot of a few thousand Euros.
He could already feel the sky raining Euro’s down on him.
As he was busy clearing the soil and reached progress where he could now carefully lift the truffle freely off the ground he heard a loud snap.
He turned towards the direction of the sound and watched in shock as the tough tree stump that held Marco was cracking and giving way.
Not possible as it was a very sturdy stump.
(BUT NATURE WAS PLAYING ITS CARDS)
In reflex, dropping the truffle back in its home, he jumped up and ran towards the stump as from the corner of his eyes he saw Marco with the leash still around his neck hurtling towards him.
Half way through as he was getting ready to confront Marco wrestle and to restrain him Nature played its next card.
He tripped on a snarling thick root which was snaked above the ground and he fell forward face down.
As he raised his head with a bleeding hurting bruised nose he saw Marco jump over him lunging towards the glistening white truffle.
Digging his snout deep into the hole already dug out by Giovanni he bit and grabbed with his teeth the loosened truffle in a jiffy.
Giovanni gaped in horror as Marco tossed the white truffle into the air and let it tumble back down (as if in slow motion) straight into his waiting open mouth
Thousands of Euro’s worth of gourmet delicacy had just been gobbled by the pig.
‘’MAMMA MIA !!!
OH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO’’
The air was filled with Giovanni’s agonising cry.
Apart from this there was silence
However there was another sound that was not being heard —
Deep in the woods Nature was having the last laugh.