How Two-Legged Su Saves the Day by Nilofar Ansher

8/9/2019 How Two-Legged Su Saves the Day by Nilofar Ansher

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How Two-Legged Su Saves The Day

With a Little Help From Apricot Flowers and Magpies

In the snowy mountain regions of Phyrgis, far way in the eastern parts of the Earth,lies the village of Sumeran. The people of Sumeran were jolly ones, for they foundhappiness in the most smallest of things. For six months of the year, January to

June, the men would work hard at the corn fields, making the best of the cloud-

strained sunlight. The women would tend to the berries, cherries and bright, red

tomatoes, all of which grew in abundance in these cooler climes.

Picture 1:

Village of Sumeran

Once July paid them a visit, the village would be covered in darkness till December

as the Sun bid them goodbye to visit his friends in the western regions of Earth. The

Sumerans would use these six months to mend their homes, weave fur mattresses

and quilts made from fox and jackal skins, and prepare berry jams and cherry

syrups from the pickings of the last season. The children would go to school for sixmonths of the year and when darkness covered their village, the kids would learn

music and dance and craft making from their grandparents at home. It was well into

June now, and the men and women of Sumeran were hurrying up with their field

work and jam making, making sure every home was stocked with food and fruits to

last them the dark six months.

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Picture 2:

Mayor Tiliguns Office/House

In the heart of Sumeran, Tiligun, the mayor, held office. He lived and worked in a

one-storey building made from wood and bamboo and terracotta tiles and thick

bundles of hay for the roof. During the day, Mayor Tiligun would meet the village

folks in his tiny office on the ground floor, helping them solve their little troubles.

Oh, the white fox attacked our hens at night, mayor,, The pine tree fell on our

roof today, mayor,, Suleh and Khorsan are very naughty at school, what do we

do,, were some of the troubles the villages folk would share with Mayor Tiligun. He

was more like a Wisdom to them, a wise one who would listen to their worries and

smooth away the wrinkles and frowns with a simple advice and light laughter.

Picture 3:

Mayor Tiligun with Corn Fries and Cherry Juice

At night, after patrolling the village in his horse-pulled, wooden-wheeled juggy cart,

the mayor would go up to his home above his office and relax with his corn fries and

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cherry juice left him there by his cook. Mr. Mayor sat down on his ancient rocking

chair and took a sip of his juice when suddenly someone knocked his door. Mayor

Sor, Mayor Sor, please, Laitung Su is in trouble. We need your help. Please Mayor

Sor, open the door. That sounded like Khaptung La, the village carpenter, said the

Mayor aloud, and made his way downstairs.

What is it Khaptung La, what happened, asked the Mayor. Sor Mayor, something

has happened to Laitung So, she isnt to be found anywhere at home. Su was

Khaptungs 9-year-old daughter and the reason why Khaptung was so worried was

because Su had a bit of trouble with walking since her fall from the tall, purple-

flowered Moghair Tree four months ago right in the backyard of their house. The

Mayor knew this and was surprised that little Su could be anywhere other than

home, in her wheelchair reading a book. But where could she have gone Khaptung?

When did you last see her? questioned the Mayor.

Picture 4:

Su-Lai watching her father go to the fairground

Khaptung started crying. Sor Mayor, today morning Laitung Su was being really

troublesome. She kept crying to take me to the village fair with her. But how could I,

Mayor Sor, she is in wheelchair and I cant carry her all the way past the rock-strewn

road, across the Japa River and the steep climb ahead of that to the Village

Fairground. Khaptung was agitated and inconsolable. He felt something terrible has

happened to his little Laitung Su. The carpenter shook uncontrollably with his

crying, forcing Mayor Tiligun to shake him by his shoulders. Khaptung, calm down.

Nothing has happened to Su. Tell me what happened when you came back home.

What did Beowun La tell you? Beowun La, Khaptungs wife.

Khaptung looked at the mayor, Mayor Sor, after I left for the fair, Beowun took Su-

Lai to the road touching the boundary of our house. Since the tree-falling accident,

she likes to sit there, waiting for the school bus or other juggy carts to pass by so

she can wave to her school friends. Beowun promised Su-Lai a ride to the Village

Fairground on a juggy cart soon. Mother called Beowun to the house to finish up

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with the tomato picking work and she went back home and when she looked

through the window of the kitchen after some time, Su-Lai was gone!

Picture 5:

Su-Lai on her wheelchair watching her school friends in the bus

Khaptung wept harder, cursing his fate for putting his daughter in trouble and

cursing his own stupidity for not having paid his little Su a little more attention. Oh

ho, Khaptung, crying now is not helping the matter. You must give me some clue.

When did Beowun discover that Su is missing? How long before she checked fromthe windows? Did Su leave behind something? What was she wearing? And If I am

right, her wheelchair has gone too? asked Mayor Tiligun.

Khaptung closed his eyes to think and said, Yes, Mayor Sor. The wheelchair has

gone. And I dont remember what Su-Lai was wearing. Please come home Sor,

Beowun would be of much help. Mayor Tiligun was worried himself. It was past six

in the evening and not much of daylight left. With the snow falling thick and fast, it

would be difficult to look for Su if she was far from home. Let me get my torch light

and stick, said Mayor Tiligun, turning toward his office cabinet.

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Picture 6: Su-Lais neighbors help her grandpa look for her

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At Khaptungs modest, but warm home, Beowun La was crying on Sus grandmas

lap. Grandpa was out with the two neighbors, searching for Su in the fields behind

their houses. Fear of an accident or a forest animal attacking Su was topmost on

their minds as they combed the corn fields with the help of torches and thick

bamboo staffs to ward of an attack.

Beowun La rushed to her husband the moment he came through the door with

Mayor Tiligun. Tung-La, they havent found my Su-Lai yet. Where is she? Its getting

by nightfall soon, and my dear Su-Lai is out there, alone, hungry, with no one to

wheel her around, Beowun sobbed on Khaptung Las shoulders, waiting for some

news about her daughter. Khaptung looked at the Mayor helplessly, silently

pleading with his eyes for some hope. Mayor Tiligun rubbed his 60-year-old hands

together. Beowun take me to the spot where you left Su-Lai this morning.

Beowun, Khaptung and the Mayor went down the steps, toward the bamboo gates

of the house straight ahead. Sus mother paused just inside the gates. This iswhere I left her, Mayor Sor. From here, she can see all the village folk coming and

going in their juggy carts and also her school friends who would be returning home

at 4 oclock. She misses her school friends so much and since the accident, she has

been unable to meet them, said Beowun. Once Su-Lais grandma called me back, I

went home and didnt check up through the window till at least a half hour had gone

by.

Mayor Tiligun scouted the area. The gates were sturdy enough, made from sun-

hardened bamboo sticks. The road outside was kaccha, a mixture of mud, clay and

snow fall and wide enough for a small school bus, juggy and cattle to pass. Anyone

passing by, would be able to see Su-Lai sitting on the other side of the gates. Hetook his staff and plodded the wet snow and mud area around, looking to see if Su-

Lais wheelchair had left any tyre tracks. He scooted down and saw that there were

indeed one set of tracks coming down from the house toward and gate, and another

moving through the gate and beyond. Whats this, Su-Lais wheelchair tracks go

beyond the gates, the Mayor said aloud. Immediately, Beowun and Khaptung

locked terrified gazes at each other and turned toward the Mayor. Oh Great Sun

God, please keep our Su-Lai safe, they prayed together.

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The Mayors mind was racing. Su couldnt have opened the gates by herself. The

gates opened inward and she would need to wheel sideways away from the gate

and at the same time pull open one side of it. There would not be likely for a 9-year-

old. So, someone had to open the gates. Mayor Tiligun became a bit worried. Did we

have a thief or rogue here, who could have taken little Su? And where could they be

now? Something colorful in the mud-snow ground caught the Mayors eye just thenand he crouched down to see a rosy pink Apricot flower partially buried in the mud.

The Mayor picked up the slender stalked flower and found another two buried just

beneath the one he picked up. He turned to Beowun and Khaptung, looking around

their house for any Apricot trees. There was just the Moghair Tree behind the house

and the Willow and Cyprus standing as guard posts on either sides of the gateway. Did Su

pick up Apricot flowers from somewhere or did grandma or grandpa give some to

her this morning? asked the Mayor. Beowun shut her eyes in concentration, trying

to remember if there were any flowers on Su-Lai this morning. No, she replied, At

the opening of dawn, grandpa went out for his walks, but didnt come home with

any flowers, save for a cherry blossom twig.

Mayor Tiligun was surprised. No Apricot fruit trees in sight and three Apricot flowers

on the ground. Where did they come from and why are they on the exact spot that

Su was on. His gaze once again went to the wheelchair tracks and he opened the

gate to follow them on the uneven road beyond. Beowun and Khaptung followed the

Mayor wondering if their worst fears had come true Su-Lai was stolen from them

by a rogue and taken to the Birishthi Forest on the other side of their road. The track

marks went a bit haywire on the road, looking as if the wheelchair had no control.

The road gave way to mud and slush and then the woods began.

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Walnut and Pine trees welcomed the trio to the forest. Khaptung turned once to see

if grandpa and his neighbors had returned from their search. He could see no one

except his mother framed against the pink curtains of his home window. The fruit

trees lessened to reveal dense Pencil Cedars, Elms, Willow and Cyprus trees. The

evening sun was subdued here and only faint sunrays passed the barrier of the

elderly trees. The forest contained many wildlife, including the ferocious snow

leopard, and Sus parents feared the worst for her safety as they saw lesser but

clear treads of the wheelchair tyre just a few yards into the forest.

Beowun recalled the many scary tales her mother would tell at her bedtime aboutthe wild beasts in the forest. Usually, there was no need for the field-loving village

folk to enter the wilds, except for the hunters and skin traders who needed to hunt

the jackals, foxes and leopard for their fur, and sometimes, for their meat. Stories

abounded about even huntsmen being afraid to venture well into the forest for if the

ferocious predators didnt take them down, the twisting, gnarling branches of the

ancient trees surely would.

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Mayor Tiligun kept looking at the ground, but the fading sunlight did little to help

them track the tread marks anymore. Khaptung suddenly yelled, There-ah, I can

see another Apricot flower. The Mayor and Beowun followed Khaptung to the

flower lying on the forest floor, right beneath an Elms tree. Hmm, curiouser and

curiouser, thought the Mayor to himself. Is this some kind of clue we are supposed

to follow or is it just happenstance? They started walking left from the directionwhere they found the flower and very soon, heard the gurgling sound of the Gunjan

Spring ahead. The Mayor and the husband-wife duo looked at each other. Even if it

was believable that Su-Lai could have come this far on her own, working the

wheelchair, surely she wouldnt be able to cross the shallow but rock-strewn stream.

They walked faster toward the sound and soon the trees cleared out as if in a hollow

opening, to reveal the inky blue stream, so named for the musical sound it made

during the first half of the year when snow was melting.

As they stepped on the banks of the Gunjan, the Mayor looked about for a

wheelchair or any tread marks. But in the rock filled valley, this was next to

impossible. The sunlight was well down on its way to saying goodbye and the Mayor

turned up the brightness on his torch. Khaptung looked about for a twig to strike a

spark. Finding two flintstones, he rubbed them against each other to produce

sparks. Beowun held a sturdy stick of a fallen Elm Tree branch and Khaptung got a

slow flame working. They moved to where Mayor Tiligun was looking about for any

clues, when a piercing cry rent the dusk sky. That sounded like the Eagle Owl, said

Khaptung, clutching the hands of Beowun, and recalling how his gentle farmer

father had taught him to differentiate between the sounds of birds, which he learnt

from his father, a hunter. The Mayor looked around him, wondering if the Eagle Owl

had screamed on finding a prey for its meal or in fright of a larger predator looming

near.

Suddenly, two blue winged Magpies with white colored chests and red markings on

their crowns appeared in the night sky above the Mayor and Sus parents. What was

most amazing were the Apricot flowers they were holding in their tiny beaks. The

trio looked at each other and wondered if the Goddess Dawn was helping them

through these birds. The birds continued to twitter in the air, beating their wings

rapidly as if signaling the humans below to look at them. Beowun, Su-Lais mother,

didnt need any further encouragement. Holding her husbands hand, she led the

way, moving along the stream, with Mayor Tiligun following closely behind, holding

his torch up high to light the way ahead.

Picture 7: Magpies Help Su Lais Parents to look for her

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The birds fluttered speedily, pausing in between to check whether the humans were

following them through the now dark and inky black forest. Soon, stars twinkled

overhead in the blue-black skies and Goddess Moon took her place in the inky sea of

space high above. The bright moonlight helped light the path for the seekers andvery soon, the stream slowed down to a trickle, revealing big, sand-colored rocks

and smooth, white pebbles on the stream bed. There, in the midst of the slush of

the ground, white pebble stones and the little wet earth, lay Su Lais wheelchair!

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Beowun cried out loud and truth be told, no one was sure if it was a cry of distress

or relief. Relief, to have finally discovered that Su-Lai was here, and may be alive so

far. And distress because, without her wheelchair, Su was as good as helpless. But if

she survived the dangerous forest, the wild beats, the rough trees and the hundreds

of poisonous insects in there to come this far, then surely Su-Lai would be fine,wont she? The Magpies now dropped the Apricot flowers over the three humans

and chirped a final tweet before heading off higher up to the cliffs overlooking the

stream valley. Khaptung shouted, Wait, where is my daughter. How did you find

us, but the birds paid no heed. Mayor Tiligun walked toward the wheelchair through

the rocks, taking the help of his bamboo stalk for balance against the sharp edges

and smooth curves of the slippery slopes. He reached the wheelchair, which was

sitting on its side, as if someone has kicked it hard, and bent down to check for

more clues. Here again, he found two Apricot flowers. The Mayor tapped his chin

with his right index finger, lost for a second in deep thought: What were these

flowers doing here? How did the Magpies find us? Why did they help us? Is there

someone helping us reach Su? Is Su in danger?

A light caught the mayors attention. Across the dried stream bed, a fire was

burning at the entrance to the cave hidden by the overhanging shadows of the cliff.

Sus parents also spotted the light and they all wondered the same thing: Is Su-Lai

inside that cave? They made the difficult path through the dried stream bed,

holding on to each other for support, and avoiding the sharp, jagged edges of the

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small rocks. Very soon they came upon smooth sand and made their way to the

cave. At such short distance, they could see that the dark cave was quite big in its

mouth and the light, orange, warm and inviting. They could not make out if anyone

was inside and no sound or noise greeted them as they came near the entrance of

the cave.

A rather strange sight greeted the trio as they cautiously stepped into the cave.

Beowun and Khaptung shouted out aloud in joy as they saw Su-Lai sitting on top of

a rocky ledge, formed low on the ground. But what was strange about the moment

were the snow leopard, fox, jackal, yak, Ibex, blue sheep, big-horned sheep, wild

ass, antelope and other small animals of the region sitting around their little Su-Lai

quietly, their heads cocked as if listening to something she was saying. Su-Lai saw

her parents and immediately exclaimed in delight, Mamoosa, Papoosa! All the

beasts turned in one to see who had entered the cave. Su Lais parents actually

took a step back and banged into the Mayor, who was standing right behind them

taking in the spectacle of so many wild animals sitting down calmly with Su looking

as if she had been talking to them!

Mamoosa, Papoosa! Oh! I have missed you guys! Were you looking for me? Have I

been gone for long? I have been having a wonderful time here with Su-Lai trailed

off as she saw that everything was not quite right between her parents and the

now, stirring beasts. Oh no, thought Su-Lai, my mamoosa and papoosa dont look so

happy. Su-Lai, you come down right here to us, what are you doing here? And what

are all these wild things doing here with you? There was pell-mell immediately. The

beasts roared in one, creating a booming effect within the cave and all the animals

stood on fours, ready to attack the intruders. Su-Lai felt helpless without her

wheelchair and couldnt talk to her parents in the midst of all the confusion.

Mayor Tiligun stepped forward, trying to make sense of what the noise was all

about. He used his stout bamboo staff, pounding it dramatically on the cave floor

boom, boom, boom! All the animals immediately backed away, snarling beneath

their breath. Su, come to us child, its dangerous animals you are sitting with. Su-

Lai shook her head, looking from the beasts to the parents and Mayor Sor. From the

cave entrance came another sound. They all turned to see a tall man, with thick

wavy hair, ruddy skinned, dressed in sheepskin shirt and trousers, and wearing a

coat made from bamboo straw and lined with fur. Oh, I see we have more visitors,

said the man, entering the cave holding a sheepskin water flask and making his way

to Su-Lai. Su-Maat, are the forest dwellers good learners? asked the man,addressing the terrified Su-Lai with a gentle tone and bowing his head in respect.

Beowun and Khaptung and the Mayor looked at each other in confusion: why did the

sheepskin man address their Su-Lai as Maat, which meant wise teacher in Sumeran

and talk with such respect?

Su-Lais parents made a small move toward her and immediately the beasts turned

to them, snarling ferociously. Peace, my friends, they are Maats birth givers. They

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mean us no harm. Let them forward, the man addressed the wild ones calmly.

Khaptung ran for his daughter and swung her into his arms with relief, at the same

time ensuring that she wasnt hurt or bleeding or had any bite marks on her. Mayor

Tiligun approached the tall, sheepskin man, Son, tell us what is happening here,

and why are all the beasts of the forest in this cave with Su?

The sheepskin man replied, Mayor SorYes, I know who you are. These beasts here

are not what they seem. They are cursed to be so. They were all humans like you

and me, once upon a time, and lived in the same village that you occupy today. But

they slowly lost their peace loving ways and turned against the forest and animals

that dwelt within. Their greed for honey, berries, apricots, wood and fur led to harm

of the forest dwellers. Their ignorance of the balance of nature, led them to destroy

those very things that gave them life. One night, these villagers burnt down the

forest to build more houses for their growing people. The beasts and birds and trees

and rivers asked Goddess Gaia for justice. In the blink of an eye, the entire village

men, women and children turned to wild beasts. They have been forced to dwell in

these forests ever since waiting for the curse to break.

Su-Lai, who was in her papoosas arms so far, took a deep breath then and said,

Papoosa, mamoosa, I can help break the curse! Goddess Gaia said that the curse

could be broken one day if a two-legged creature willingly entered the forest without

fear, without setting foot on it and without greed in the heart for gaining from the

forest, exclaimed Su-Lai, pointing toward the sheepskin man. Doring Jeh here is a

hunter and came across the talking beasts while hunting down the leopard one day.

Knowing their story, he has been looking for someone who can come to the forest

without stepping foot on it. Someone just like me! continued little Su-Lai.

Picture 8: Doring Jeh carrying Su-Lai through the forest

Sus parents and Mayor Tiligun looked at the little girl in surprise. Su of course, was

a two-legged creature, but since the accident she had lost use of her legs and was

confined to a wheel chair. Everyone also knew how much Su-Lai loved animals, her

pet cat Soshi always giving her company on her lap. But how did you come to cross

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the road outside our house Su-Lai? asked Beowun. Oh Mamoosa, after you left me

at the gates, Soshi came to play with me for a while but jumped out of the gate to

follow the Magpies, answered Su-Lai. The Magpies were of course a trick rolled out

by Doring Jeh, who wanted the two-legged Su to come into the forest willingly,

without fear.

Doring Jeh took up the story where Su-Lai paused. I have been observing Su-Maat

here for the last three months since that accident. She is always so kind to her cat

and as the days passed, I saw that she wasnt still able to walk. I thought Su-Maat

would be the one we were looking for after all, explained Jeh, adding, I asked the

Magpies to lure the cat to the other side of the road and once it ran into the forest, I

came forward to Su-Maat, offering to carry her over to find the cat. It was also

Doring Jeh who sent the Magpies to guide Sus parents to the cave. The apricot

trees flowers would be visible quite well in the evening snow and mud.

And as they finished telling their side of the story, one by one the beasts changed

form to reveal humans of all ages and sizes. Men, women and children were onceagain transformed into their previous states, complete with clothes, hats, coats,

shoes and scarves. They all laughed out loud, shouting praises and glory bes to the

Goddess Gaia and Su-Maat, their savior. They all turned to Su and bowed down in

respect to what she had done for them, with no fear in heart or selfishness. Su

called for Soshi, who bounded to her from behind the rocky ledge where she was

hiding, afraid of all the big, wild animals who had gathered in front of his friend Su.

Picture 9: All the Beasts Transform into People Again

What were you talking to the beasts Su when she just came in? asked MayorTiligun. Oh Mayor Sor, I was just telling them about the goodness of the forest and

why we need to protect it, is all, replied bright Su abashedly.

Su-Lai happily returned home that night, riding piggy-back on her papoosa and

holding on to the hand of her mamoosa. Mayor Tiligun followed behind with the

newly-transformed people, assuring them of shelter, food and work in their village.

Doring Jeh, would you like to work with me, helping these people settle in their

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homes? I could use an assistant in my office as I see it, said Mayor Tiligun, smiling

at the sputtering Doring Jeh, who was more than delighted to accept the good

Mayors offer.

Goddess Gaia looked down from her home in the sky, and smiled at the good

hearted Su. You, dear readers, would be delighted to know that the next morning aslittle Su-Lai woke up from her sleep and sat up in bed, she felt a tingling feeling in

her legs. She set her feet down on the floor, and laughing, ran towards her papoosa

and mamoosa with Soshi meowing behind her in delight!

Picture 10: Doring Jeh Takes Away the Wheelchair as Su-Lai can now walk

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How Two-Legged Su Saves the Day by Nilofar Ansher

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