The old Ojitchi smiled his withered smile as the young ones clamoured around him, begging for a story.
His name was Erik, and he had been telling stories to the sleepy little group since he had first turned into a Mametchi, and later an Ojitchi.
"Pwease, Eiwik?" pleaded a small Shirobebetchi, snapping him bak to reality.
"Alright, alright. Here you go. What about a story of .... humm....what about Maria and her snake?"
"Huh? What's that?"
"Oh, yes, I haven't started the styory yet."
He leaned back in his old chair and began.
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"Once upon a time, in a far away land, there lived a king and queen who had never had a child. The queeen prayed every night to have a child, even if only a snake. And so it came to be that she gave birth to a baby girl.
On Maria's twentith birthday, when she turned into a Mimitchi, an old queen died. Her husband, a greedy and ugly Maskitchi, was told by her to marry again, but marry only whoever her wedding ring fit. After about two years, he had tried every princess in the world; but Maria. He had not heard of her as yet.
One bright sunny morning, there came a knock at the door of Maria's castle. Her parents opened the door and there was the old Maskitchi!
'It is a great honour,' said her father as he bowed.
'I have come to see Maria, ' he said.
Maria was horrified to find the ring fit! Her parents were delighted, because the king was very rich. She
challenged him to find three dresses: a dress with a field and all its flowers, a dress with the sea and all its fish, and a dress with the sky and all its stars. The old Maskitchi smiled sneakily and brought three dresses from under his cloak. They were right!.
So that very night, Maria ran and stowed away on a boat. She would go to a place where he could not find her. And so, she ended up a poultry maid in another fine castle.
One night, she heard the prince was having a ball. She made up her mind to go,and selected her dress with the field and all its flowers. When she went to the ball that evening, the prince couldn't take his eyes off he. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find out her name.
He held a second, and third ball and each time Maria came dressed in one of her three dresses. At the third ball, he came to her and gave her a ring. She blushed, but didn't say anything.
The next morning, tyhe prince smiled at the poultry maid as she gave him his breakfast. As he was eating the cereal, his teeth crunched on something hard. What was it? He spat it out. Oh! It was the ring he gave the beautiful Mimitchi the night before! He rushed through the castle, shouting, 'I'm going to marry the poultry maid! I'm going to marry the poultry maid!'
Well, his parents were a bit peeved at this choice, but when they found her family history,, they immeadiatly agreed, And so, they lived happily ever after."
*******************************************************************
The children started to yawn. Erik smiled.
"I think it's somebody's bedtime," he said.
"Another story tommorow night?" asked the Shriobebetxchi.
"Another story tommorow night." agreed Erik.
The End for now. Next time, Erik will tell a story about Anasazi and Man-Crow and a boy called Jack.
His name was Erik, and he had been telling stories to the sleepy little group since he had first turned into a Mametchi, and later an Ojitchi.
"Pwease, Eiwik?" pleaded a small Shirobebetchi, snapping him bak to reality.
"Alright, alright. Here you go. What about a story of .... humm....what about Maria and her snake?"
"Huh? What's that?"
"Oh, yes, I haven't started the styory yet."
He leaned back in his old chair and began.
************************************************************************
"Once upon a time, in a far away land, there lived a king and queen who had never had a child. The queeen prayed every night to have a child, even if only a snake. And so it came to be that she gave birth to a baby girl.
On Maria's twentith birthday, when she turned into a Mimitchi, an old queen died. Her husband, a greedy and ugly Maskitchi, was told by her to marry again, but marry only whoever her wedding ring fit. After about two years, he had tried every princess in the world; but Maria. He had not heard of her as yet.
One bright sunny morning, there came a knock at the door of Maria's castle. Her parents opened the door and there was the old Maskitchi!
'It is a great honour,' said her father as he bowed.
'I have come to see Maria, ' he said.
Maria was horrified to find the ring fit! Her parents were delighted, because the king was very rich. She
challenged him to find three dresses: a dress with a field and all its flowers, a dress with the sea and all its fish, and a dress with the sky and all its stars. The old Maskitchi smiled sneakily and brought three dresses from under his cloak. They were right!.
So that very night, Maria ran and stowed away on a boat. She would go to a place where he could not find her. And so, she ended up a poultry maid in another fine castle.
One night, she heard the prince was having a ball. She made up her mind to go,and selected her dress with the field and all its flowers. When she went to the ball that evening, the prince couldn't take his eyes off he. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find out her name.
He held a second, and third ball and each time Maria came dressed in one of her three dresses. At the third ball, he came to her and gave her a ring. She blushed, but didn't say anything.
The next morning, tyhe prince smiled at the poultry maid as she gave him his breakfast. As he was eating the cereal, his teeth crunched on something hard. What was it? He spat it out. Oh! It was the ring he gave the beautiful Mimitchi the night before! He rushed through the castle, shouting, 'I'm going to marry the poultry maid! I'm going to marry the poultry maid!'
Well, his parents were a bit peeved at this choice, but when they found her family history,, they immeadiatly agreed, And so, they lived happily ever after."
*******************************************************************
The children started to yawn. Erik smiled.
"I think it's somebody's bedtime," he said.
"Another story tommorow night?" asked the Shriobebetxchi.
"Another story tommorow night." agreed Erik.
The End for now. Next time, Erik will tell a story about Anasazi and Man-Crow and a boy called Jack.
