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A Guide to the Money Tree


by ibeth602

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Deep in the heart of Neopia Central, past the magnificent Rainbow Pool and just beside the infamously shaped Food Shop, lies one of the most famous icons of Neopia; the Money Tree. The huge tree branches spread out over the square, shading the space and the roads around it. You skip toward it happily, only to see... a huge crowd of Neopets and their owners scrambling about madly at its base. What on earth are these lunatics doing? Begging off of it, of course! Crazy scavengers, you think. But no, they are only wise and sometimes desperate Neopians, out to grab things from the Money Tree. The Tree has no guardian, no faerie watching over it. Nobody knows why the Tree is there or who planted it in the first place. Perhaps it was the first thing that Neopia Central had placed there when it was established.

The Money Tree holds its well-deserved name for one reason; Neopets users can go there to possibly scrape some free money from it. If they are lucky enough, of course. The Money Tree gets lots of visitors during the day, and so the items you may see, you might not get when you try to grab it. This wonderful tree also does not let you get just money. You can grab things from an old rotten right sandal, to paint brushes and pieces from the secret lab map. Unfortunately, there are some greedy people out there with sticky paws and fast hands who just might grab it before you do. That can be unfortunate, but stomping and pouting will not solve anything. The only thing that will happen is a gaggle of meepits will giggle at you. Then everybody else will point and laugh. But you don’t want that to happen, now do you? I thought not.

As you stand just behind the rapidly growing crowd, you cannot help but wonder; where do these items keep coming from? Why do they just seem to appear here so quickly? Is it magical? Could it be the works of the Faerie Queen, spreading joy and happiness through Neopia? Or could it be the evil Dr. Frank Sloth, for once with a nice plan in mind, trying to make up for his last discrepancies? Could it even be the happiness faerie, Dr. Sloth’s possible alter ego? (Nobody actually knows this last one.)

I’m just kidding. Dr. Sloth couldn’t care less about the well being of Neopia.

The items that the Money Tree guards come from the many user of Neopia! The items in the inventory that you may not want get donated. These items then are sent to the Money Tree, where those less fortunate than you can pick them up. It may seem to you as if you are carelessly tossing things away, but this is not the case. Although sometimes it is. Sometimes you just need to get rid of stuff so you can buy or receive more.

Sometimes, the Money Tree gets items and Neopoints from sources other than yourself. On rare cases, the Wishing Well takes the Neopoints that are tossed into it and donates them to the Tree. Other cases, the thing that is most hated, is a random event. In this unfortunate event, an evil Neopian ghost comes and steals neopoints from you! It can be amounts as little as ten neopoints, to high amounts, such as one thousand. Yes, it is to a good cause, but sometimes the ghosts take neopoints you can’t afford to lose! This is why you should go to the Money Tree! There is always the slim chance of grabbing it back. If you are even luckier, you can get more.

However, just because the items are there, it doesn’t mean more will be there when you get back. There are times where Neopian ghosts come and steal all of the items the Money Tree has to offer. Why? Because they can. Don’t you hate that? However, you can just come back again, since items are donated to the Money Tree so often the ghosts have no time to completely clear the Tree of its many goods.

There is not yet an avatar that you can receive for the Money Tree, although many owners (including myself) wish there was. However, you can get an avatar for donating to the Tree. All you have to do is donate a plushie. Any kind of plushie, rare or not. You must donate it from your inventory, though. Quickstock is being naughty!

You look around Neopia Central, ignoring the yells of delight, anguish, and pain coming from the large crowd. You can see Neopets entering the petpet shop, the food shop, and the NC Mall. Some are even staring at the crowd with amused looks on their faces, while others dive right in after spotting a potential item. (Don’t panic, though. This is a daily occurrence.) After several moments of deliberating, you take a deep breath and dive into the spastic pile. Scrambling and weaving through people, you manage to touch the ground once more. In sight of you are two items, once of which is titled The Life of a Double Crosser. The other item is a Wartroot Snorkle Lollypop. Practically swimming back out of the crowd, you jog over to the Kougra that accompanied you. As you hand him the lollypop, he purrs in delight when he begins sucking on it. Walking back away from the tree, you see other Neopians also leaving with their various goods. One poor Usul and its owner are straining to pull along a cinderblock fungus. A nearby Kacheek is tightly squeezing its new toy, a Von Kougra plushie. One lucky Ruki runs happily over to the Rainbow Pool, a cloud paint brush clenched tightly in his hands.

Even though some of your possible new items can be kind of disappointing, don’t be upset. Just keep going back, and soon enough, you could get the item of your dreams!

Well, that or a pile of dung.

Sometimes it works both ways.

At least it’s not a mutant kadoatie.

 
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