Attila

Here is the solution:

Instead of bonsai, one may think about mastering the art of Chinese Penjing. It's much more free-form, it allows (even better: encourages) the use of figurines, and has almost no rules, except the rule of "good taste".

Once the use of figurines and accessories is allowed, the whole game changes: all of a sudden, you can tell any story. Of course, it is best to use as little accessories as possible, in order to let the trees take the front stage.
(by the way, this is what Nick Lenz does, when he feels like telling a story: use anything from old horseshoes to discarded plastic dolls).

And, by the way, the Chinese do use Penjing to tell such stories, see the story of Seven Sages in the Bamboo Grove.

Japanese bonsai is too austere and minimalistic for the above, unlike Penjing.

So now, the challenge becomes the creation of masterful and innovative bonsai lanscapes, and a very discrete use of good quality accessories.

Penjing is regarded by many bonsai purists as low-brow, or we may call it "popular art" (as opposed to fine art). Just the way popular music relates to classical music.

But, so what?
I actually have a pretty good excuse: I can do it for my 4 year-old son. I already use him as an excuse to go to the movies to see the latest Disney cartoons, since I love cartoons myself (one of the advantages of having children: you can become a child again yourself, without looking silly).