295 tale 16
Learn languages (via Skype): Rainer: + 36 20 549 52 97 or + 36 20 334
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After work, the father
wanted to buy something and had asked a friend to help him with his advice.
But for some reason the friend didn’t come. Then, a stranger helped him. This
then gave him the idea for the evening tale.
Best friends, relatives
and family
Gilbert the monkey sat on
his favourite branch and looked at the clear sky. He was studying the stars
and planets circling above him. “How wonderful!” he thought, “this must be
the work of gods. A god for the day, another for the night, and then, there
is the water and the woods. There must be gods everywhere. We should build a
big temple for all of them to praise them!”
The next morning, he went
to the hollow tree trunk, took two big sticks and began to beat the trunk in
a steady rhythm. “Tam-tam, tam-tam-tam, tam-tam, …….” This was the sign for
all animals that something important has happened, was happening or was going
to happen and to gather in the great forest clearing. There was the hollow
trunk towards the west, a big rock towards the south and the river towards
the north.
When the animals arrived,
the monkey had marked a large square on the eastern side of the clearing. The
fish watched from the water, the birds sat on the rock and trees, his
brothers the monkeys, his relatives the lion and elephant and his best friends
the buffalo and rabbit were standing and lying in the grass. Then, Gilbert
the monkey began his speech, “yesterday, I was observing the stars in the sky
and asked myself who could have put these brilliant lights up there or how
else did they get there. I concluded that they must be gods. The sun gives us
light at daytime and the stars make us dream at night. We should be very
grateful! We must express our thanks by building them a temple where we can
praise them and pray to them!” A murmur went through the ranks. Gilbert the
monkey waited for a moment and continued, “I have already marked the place
for the temple,” and he pointed with his hands around him. Everybody was very
excited and enthusiastic about the project and when Gilbert had told them
which material was needed, the animals disappeared in all four directions to
look for it.
For months, the animals
worked on the construction of the temple, but in fact, it was only Gilbert,
the frog, snake, turtle, spider, fish, crocodile and bird, others like his
brothers the monkeys, his relatives the lion and elephant and best friends
the buffalo and rabbit couldn’t be seen much at the building site. The
turtle, fish and crocodile brought timber and stones on the waterway. The
spider spun and weaved nets to carry stones, timber and straw. The snake
served as rope and thousands of birds put the material in place. The pedestal
was laid in stone, the walls in timber and the roof in straw and large
leaves.
Finally, when the temple
was ready, the monkey invited everybody to a big party. At first, there was
an inauguration ceremony and Gilbert the monkey showed the animals how to
praise the gods. Of course, his brothers the monkeys, his relatives the lion
and elephant and his best friends the buffalo and rabbit were in the front
row. Gilbert made a small fire in front of the temple and put some nice
smelling herbs and dried fruit on the fire. He knelt down, kissed the earth,
then lifted his hands to the sky and said in a loud voice, “dear gods! Thank
you for your kindness to have given us the world around us!” After the
ceremony, everybody gathered around the large table of food, and again, it
was his brothers the monkeys, his relatives the lion and elephant and his
best friends the buffalo and rabbit eating the most. The fish in the water
couldn’t get to the table and the frog, snake, turtle, spider and bird were
pushed aside as the elephant, buffalo and lion were much bigger. His brothers
the monkeys, his relatives the lion and elephant and his best friends the
buffalo and rabbit got so drunk of the fermented fruit drink that they were
zigzagging around or fell to the ground and slept snoring loudly.
The days, months and
years after the feast, it was anew only the frog, snake, turtle, spider,
fish, crocodile and bird attending the temple to praise the gods. Gilbert the
monkey was not really sad about it because he thought that at least his
brothers the monkeys, his relatives the lion and elephant and his best
friends the buffalo and rabbit wouldn’t disturb the good company and prayers
of the frog, snake, turtle, spider, fish, crocodile and bird.
The children understood
the sense of the tale and promised to be even more attentive to their
friends, relatives and family members because they should be the closest
people.
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Friday, 1 November 2019
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