The day was bright and sunny, with a light breeze blowing. It was the kind of day that made you just want to kick off your shoes and go wading in some water.

It seemed, in fact, that the egg had just that idea in mind. It had settled on top of a log that lay across a stream. It was quite a precarious position, and the egg had been lucky enough to appear where a knot in the tree could hold it in place.
However, the egg did not seem to be pleased by this. After all, the cool stream was rushing past just below.
It wobbled back and forth, ever so slightly, trying to wiggle its way to freedom.

A fortitous breeze gave it a little help, and PLUNK.
The egg was free, and floating away with the current.
-------

Matcha, the tea seller, sat on the river bank, dutifully scrubbing at a large lacquered box.
He was on his way home from another tea party, which had went well all things considered. He had sold quite a bit of tea, and they seemed to have enjoyed it...
Then the cakes and dishes started flying, and Match had barely made it out of there unscathed. The beautiful box he carried all his tea in, however, was not so lucky.

There didn't look like there was any serious damage, but he scrubbed furiously at the icing and tea that had splattered across it.
Turning to rinse the cloth out, the Sawsbuck's ears flicked towards an unusual sound. His eyes soon followed, and what a curious sight indeed.

Bobbing along in the river was an egg!

Matcha stared with wonder, and then annoyance.
"What is this, Peach Boy?"
Surely HE wasn't expected to go save the egg. There was no place for such a thing in his life.

He turned resolutely back to his box, but his few scrubbing motions were half-hearted.
What if the egg was dashed against a rock downstream? Or went over a waterfall? Or worse yet, was picked up by one of the less stable members of Diamonds?

With a curse, he stood up and hiked his robes up to wade out into the water.
Just in time, he retrieved the egg before it would have slipped away into faster waters.

Returning to shore, Matcha hefted his tea box up with one hand, and cradled the egg with his other.
-----

Once he was home, Matcha set both the egg and his box down on his wide kitchen table. With a sigh, he lowered himself into a chair and stared balefully at the egg.

"What am I to do with you?"

He didn't trust anyone else to take care of the egg. With any luck, it'd end up being part of a food fight at the next tea party.
Nope.
He saved it. He was responsible for it now.

The egg rocked back and forth, bumping affectionately against Matcha's hand.
Matcha reached up to steady it, but he had a faint smile on his face.

He unlatched his tea box, and began sorting out the different blends, taking inventory on what had went well, and what hadn't.
Maybe things wouldn't be so bad.