A week had past since the beginning of spring. The sky was painted the most vivid shade of blue and the sun's gentle warmth soothed every crevice of the valley. Everything serenely danced with the melodic movement of the breeze. Within the hour this tranquility would be broken, for there was to be a great contest held in the center of the forest. Every year, a race is opened to Green River Valley, the reward being the hand of the most beautiful creature in the forest. The creature this year was Arri; she was a gorgeous fox who just happened to be princess of Green River Valley. Not only would the winner of this race win Arri's soft fur and sapphire eyes, but an eventual crown as well.

Many creatures of the forest placed their bets on a bear by the name of Troy. Troy towered majestically above everything that surrounded him. His brute strength alone doubled that of all the other creatures' combined. Troy was as greatly admired as he wa

A spider monkey named Shamar spent many of his carefree afternoons relaxing in the trees of Green River Valley. He never took part in any community chores or activities for he thought that would be better suited for one of less brainpower. This was one of his many ordinary afternoons until he caught word of the festivities occurring within the center of the forest. Shamar discovered that not only was this a race where strength was required, but perhaps intellect as well. There were many barriers along the raceway that perhaps through some thought could be crossed without as much physical exertion.

All of a sudden, Shamar's eyes lit up with fear as he came to a halt in his run. Shamar destroyed the only bridge that could take him into safety. A shot rang out that deafened the world. Shamar let his greed get the better of him. Not longer would he live to see his prize. His body fell, to what seemed like an endless journey below. The creatures of Green River Valley did not rejoice that day, but realized the horridness of greed.

Shamar continued the race but was shocked when he discovered his bride was not at the finish line to congratulate him. In fact, not a soul stood in the vicinity of where the race ended. "Did I get lost?" he thought. A crackling and snapping sound was made behind of Shamar. He

Some common words found in the essay are:
Green River, River Valley, Valley Shallow, Troy Troy, , Shamar Shamar, green river, green river valley, river valley, finish line, shamar discovered, center forest, destroyed bridge, shamar race,
Approximate Word count = 882
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)