The Untold True Story of the Once-ler

I’m sure y’all have heard of the Lorax. He’s always depicted as the good guy, the environmentalist, and the Once-ler is always depicted as the evil capitalist who doesn’t care anything about the environment.

But, that never sat right with me. Why would a business man cut down of all his trees?

So, I decided that I had to find the truth that I know was hidden by the good Dr. Suess.

On a dank midnight in August, I started my search hoping and praying that the Once-ler wouldn’t leave me in the lurch.

The Grickle-grass surrounding his house was incredibly tall, and it looked like it was about to fall. But at least it was still there, and I thought I saw his eyes peering out from a window way up in the air.

I called out begging him to speak. But, he didn’t make any noise not even a squeak. I knew my attempt had failed, but my search for the truth would not be derailed.

I tried to find the Lorax like many before me but it was not to be. So, I sought a Swomee-Swan or Brown Bar-ba-loot or even a Humming-Fish, and as luck would have it, I found one that was dealing to dish.

He was a Brown Bar-ba-loot named Smold, and oh, what a story he told.

“The Lorax is a liar, a con-man, and a crook,” he said as he shook. “He said he could make the Once-ler go away, if we were willing to pay. So, we gave him all of our checks, coins, and cash and pretty soon realized that his words were trash. The once-ler did not leave. In fact, his Super-Axe-Hacker continued to cleave, and he continued to make more and more thneeds.”

“It wasn’t long before we were all getting the crummies, and the Lorax promised he knew a place where we could find food for our tummies. We gave him our last pennies for a map with a bright red X, and we started our arduous trek.”

“But, when we arrived where the X should be, there was nothing we could see. No trees, no grass, not even a stream. Oh, let me tell you my blood began to steam. I promised that day that I’d find the vile Lorax and make him pay.”

“I searched far and wide. I searched everywhere I thought someone could hide, but I failed,” he said with a wail.

“Do not cry,” I said as a placed a comforting hand on his thigh. “I will make sure the world knows what you told me just now.”

He looked at me with his big sad eyes and simply said, “How?”

“I am not sure, but I can promise you the truth will endure.”

I left him hopefully feeling a little less blue because I knew exactly what I had to do.

I raced back to the Once-ler’s lair, and I shouted, “I know you’re up there!”

But, his house stayed dark and silent, which made me want to do something violent.

So, I shouted, “And, I know the Lorax is your dad!”

I think I expected him to be mad or maybe just maybe glad. But, I was truly surprised, when his stuck his head out of his window up high and said simply, “I know.”

I was befuddled. My thoughts were quite muddled. But, suddenly it hit me, and I shouted, “And he’s not the hero they made him out to be.”

A small, smile splashed across the Once-ler’s face, and he said, “Would you like some coffee? I know a good place.”

Of course, I said, “Yes,” and he opened his door. I hesitated at first thinking we were going to a store. But then, I hurried up the stairs to his small little lair.

As I walked in the door, he said, “I gave you one spoonful of sugar, but let me know if would like more.”

I told him one spoonful was good, and we settled into two lovely rocking chairs made of wood.

After taking a sip of his coffee, which was scrumptious, I said, “This is quite unctuous.”

He said, “Thanks,” with a slight smile and continued. “I have become rather obsessed with coffee as of late, but I imagine you have come here from far away, so please tell me what you’d like to know.”

“You sound different than I expected.”

“Yes, that is one of the many liberties the man you know as Dr. Suess took with my story.”

“What else did he get wrong?”

The Once-ler sighed and said, “I really don’t know why I let you in. Maybe, I’m getting soft in my old age,” with a rueful shake of his head.

“Maybe you just want the truth to come out.”

He gave a little smile, and said, “Maybe,” then trailed off.

“You were going to tell me what Dr. Suess got wrong about your story.”

“It’s less of what he get wrong and more of what he didn’t say. Like, he doesn’t mention that he actually spoke with my father before he spoke with me.”

“And, by your father, you mean the Lorax?”

“Yes, his actual name was Lou. The Lorax was just one of the many lies he liked to tell, but I digress. Dr. Suess had spoken with my father, which is actually the only reason I agreed to speak with him, but in hindsight, that was a rather large mistake. My father was a charmer to put it politely, and I should’ve realized Dr. Suess was never going to believe me over him, which was especially problematic because so much of what happened was due to my relationship with my father.

I suppose I need to briefly summarize the basis of our relationship. He was not a horrible father in that he wasn’t violent or mean, but he was undoubtably a horrible husband. My mother was a young woman when she met him, and due to his charm he was able to take complete control of her heart. Her love for him never waivered despite his numerous dalliances and misdeeds, which I will not detail. So, when he finally left us, her heart left with him.

She didn’t last long after he left, and I blamed him fully for her death, which I now know was not entirely fair. But, I was young and angry and needed revenge.

My father did always love nature, and after a long search, I found him here amongst those marvelous Truffula Trees. Those trees were amazing. Their tufts were unlike anything I had seen before. So, I realized I had to make something out of them. I hadn’t planned on that. I had come just to confront my father, but they were just too great.”

He stopped then, so I asked, “Did your father come and talk to you?”

“He did, but he didn’t actually care that I was cutting down the trees. He thought I was wasting my time making my Thneeds. He wanted me to help him with a scheme he was working on, and inevitably we got into an argument about my mother. So, I threw him out and swore that I’d make my Thneeds into something amazing.”

“Which you did!”

“Which I did,” he said sadly.

“You sound sad about that?”

“Of course, because I ruined it.”

“By cutting down all the trees?”

“Yes. My brothers and uncles and aunts all told me I couldn’t cut down all the trees because my business would die, and I knew that deep down. But, when my father came back again and told me I needed to stop. I just couldn’t.”

“So, you cut them all down out of spite?”

“Basically, but I’m not trying to blame him. It was my foolish decision to cut down all the trees, and I never had a desire to hide that. But, I guess now, I do want people to know why I did it, and understand that my father really didn’t do anything to help the trees. If he would’ve actually taken some responsibility for what he did to my mother and me ,or even just tried to have a real conversation with me, I think, at least I hope, I would’ve stopped cutting down the Truffala trees.”

“But at least you kept some of the seeds, and there are now new Truffula Trees.”

“How do they look?”

I said, “Gorgeous,” and he smiled.

So, that’s it. The Once-ler was not an evil capitalist. He was just a confused and troubled young man. That’s why you should to always hear both sides of a story.

The End.