THE WAND ON THE TWELFTH MONTH


O

nce upon a time and up to this time, there lives a great giant that lives in the forest that sits beside a great mountain. 

The Giant is so peaceful and his heart is so pure that everything that he wishes to happen always comes true and everything in that place pays homage to him; the tree would bear him fruits and its leaves would give him shade; the river have plenty of fish for him to eat and clean water to drink, and the mountain would stoop to give him a ride round this dominion; and every minute of the day, a bird would sang happy songs for him.

The Giant was happy and so were the river and the mountain and the tree and the bird.

One day, while the Giant was resting, he heard the four talking.

“I have so many fruits but nobody eats them; birdie eat so little, my fruits often go to waste,” Said the tree .

Yes, I eat so little and slowly too, but that is because I took good care of my vocal chords. I want to sing happy songs with a beautiful voice for all of you, but just like you, I wish many more would hear me sing,” said the bird.

I could sing too, “ quipped the river. “ I let my water drop and bump on the stones so that whoever comes and drink from my water would enjoy hearing my music. I purposely do that so that whoever drinks my water would not leave me immediately. I love company, you know; but, just like you two, I wished there would be many more to drink on my water and keep me company. My water is so pure and nourishing and a plenty, it is a shame that sometimes they just go past you because you have your fill already,” continued the river.

The mountain who was sitting nearby could not resist joining the conversation.

May I join your conversation please?” he said as a way of entrance. “I am sad too, I wish many more would come and ride on my back. They would be happy to see our place. We have such a lovely and peaceful place, you know.” The mountain said this with such a twinkle in his voice that the rest could not help smiling.

All in the meeting agreed. They all have these happy smiles on their faces. Then suddenly the bird fluffed his wings and flew over heads and sang. “tra la la ... I got an idea … I got an idea … I got an idea ... tra la la la.” 

What is it?” chorused the others. They all looked at the bird who was flying over their heads fluffing and fluffing his wings quite excitedly.

Let us all go talk to the Master, he can do something about this,” said the bird.

Yes, yes, yes” all of them said.  And so they troop to the Giant with so much happiness and excitement and made their request known, albeit hesitantly.

Master, we thank you for the precious gifts that you gave us. It gives us so much happiness that, we …” they hesitated, not so sure how to say what they wanted to say. “We wish that there are more creatures to whom  we can share our happiness with,” all of them eventually said.

The Giant pondered on this request and then one day he took his magic wand and wished “I wish to have small creatures, who would be company to the tree, the river, the mountain, and the bird. I wished them to have mouth to eat the fruits and drink the water, ears to hear the songs, eyes to see the beauty of the place and a nose to smell the wind.”

Lo and behold! Small creatures with feet and hands and eyes and nose and ears came out of the dust from the magic wand.

The Giant was so pleased that he gave these small creatures the freedom to partake of all that is in that place, and to feel the same happiness that all of them in that place enjoyed.

When the small creatures opened their eyes and saw the fruits on the trees and the clear water of the river. They could not stop their joy and so they climb the trees and ate their fruits, then they jumped on the river and drank the pure water and splashed and bathe. They were very very happy and so were the tree and the river.

After their bath, they climbed the mountain and the mountain showed them the beauty of the whole place. While they were enjoying the view, the bird sang them a beautiful song. The small creatures could not help laughing. Their laughter echoed thru the entire place and everyone, including the Giant was pleased.

These went on for so many days, but on the eleventh month something happened. The Giant noticed that the leaves of the trees are falling in great numbers, the water in the rivers are getting dark and moves slower. There were not many fish in the water too,  and when he turned his eyes to the mountain, he saw that the mountain too, looks sad. The birds too, they stopped singing. These kept the Giant thinking.

The Giant pondered on what he saw and decided to call a meeting.

Oh Master, we do not want to bother you but … your latest creatures, they  uuh… uhm…,” the tree stammered. He is not sure if he ought to bring their problem with the master. You see, they never bothered their master before. Everything that they wanted and needed were provided even before they asked for it, in fact there never was an instance when they asked for anything except that instance when they asked for the small creatures. But the master was waiting for an explanation and so the bird continued what the tree wanted to say.

“It’s the small creatures, Master, we cannot satisfy them. It seems that there is nothing that could make them happy and contented, not even my beautiful songs," he paused, looked at the others then he lowered his head and his voice and said, "Well nothing from our end, that is.”

Yes Master. I never stopped bearing fruits for them to eat but they are not satisfied with what comes out of me naturally, they put something on my roots that makes me comes out with fruit though I am not ready yet.  They never give my body time to rest; and those that they put on my roots, Oh Master, it hurts, it really does. It sears my veins that some are useless already and it makes my leaves fell too. Oh, if they will only give us time to recover,” said the tree holding back his tears that were about to fall. He does not want to show the master his tears. He loved his master so much and he does not want him to feel sad too.

Yes, if only they will give us time to recover,” butted the river. “I gave them fish to eat everyday and even sang song for them while they were fishing, but … it seems that what I give them for a day is always not enough for them. They wanted me to produce more and more and more, there is no let up. What is worse is, they put poison on my water that they are not as pure and cannot move as fast as before. If only they will give us time to recover.

The mountain who was sitting nearby did not talk, he was just listening. But the bird and the tree and the river all looked at him. He has to say something.

Forgive me Master, but I never felt this tired before. It is always my joy to carry everyone on my back and show the beauty of your kingdom but … the small creatures, they are not satisfied with riding, they wanted more. They peel off the covering of my back that it hurts during a hot day. I worry too, that with a bare back, I cannot control the waters to give to the river during rainy days. If only they will give me rest for a while just so I can get my skin back, then everything will be like as before,” said the mountain gloomily.

The Giant was sad. He had given the small creatures so much but still they are not satisfied. And so he thought of a way that would bring back the things back as before. And so he took out his magic wand again and wished that the small creatures would be as they were when they were first created, happy and satisfied.

Lo and behold! All the small creatures were transformed to being good again. Smiles were again pasted on their faces and they only climbed the trees and fish the river when they were hungry and they also stopped peeling off the skin of the mountain. And because they stopped climbing the trees and fishing the river so many times, they now have the time to hear the song of the bird. And just like the river, and the tree, and the mountain, and the bird, they too shared with each other whatever gifts they got from the master. Laughter and happiness once again permeates the place. 

The tree had recovered, its leaves stopped falling and its veins are healthy again. The river too, it has started singing again and its water is again pure. The mountain too has regained the skin on its back and the bird started to sing joyfully again.

And so, again, everyone was happy, including the Giant. But not for long because after so many many days, on the 11th month that is, the same thing happened. The tree, the mountain, the river, and the bird were again sick. This time the Giant did not call for a meeting, he knows the reason already.

And so the Giant pondered on what to do with the small creatures.  Will he wish them to disappear? The Giant can certainly do that with just a whisk of his magic wand but then he loved the small creatures already. They may have created so much unhappiness but then, they also bring so much joy and laughter to the place. Then an idea hit the Giant and so he took out his magic wand again and wished;

“I wished that every 12th month, all the small creatures will be happy and satisfied as they were when they were first created.

And so no matter how bad they become, the small creatures would always go back to being good, happy and satisfied every 12th month.  And the tree, the river, the mountain, and the bird, no matter how abused they were, would always recover on the 12th month.

These happened many many years ago but until today, the magic of the wand is still with us.  

BACK TO HOME;            https://grandmastalking.blogspot.com/

Followers