Colonel Sebastian Faulkner, six feet six inches tall, surveyed, with disdain, the pygmy warriors surrounding him. Ankyl Bytah, their shaman glared up at the Colonel's belt, fascinated by his image in the highly polished silver buckle. The handful of warriors behind him stood their ground in ritual defence of the village. It was their custom to do this to raise the status of their visitor. There was no malice in their stance.
The Colonel, late of the victorious US Army, knew how to deal with natives. He insulted them. He mocked them. He deprecated their size. And then he pushed past them hardly deigning to glance at them. He showed them who was boss!
That night they entertained him with a feast, with dancers and with song. All washed down witl a lot of native sweet and strong beer. By the end of the evening the Colonel was quite intoxicated and became bombastic and insulted the shaman again.
Then the drums began a peculiar rythm, the whole village began to chant, eyes rolling and bodies leaping. Gradually the singing and dancing raised to a cresendo as the shaman leapt and shrieked in front of the Colonel. The shaman seemed to grow in size as he approached, his grotesque mask filled the Colonel's view. He felt odd.
Suddenly he awoke. What a headache!
Silence. Thank Goodness!
The village was deserted.
He was naked in the dawn. And alone
Or so he thought. Sitting silently immobile in front of him was Ankyl Bitah. He just sat there watching the naked White Man.
The Colonel stood up. His movements were mirrored by the shaman. They glared at each other.
Eye to eye.
Slowly it dawned on the Colonel - EYE YO EYE!!!
He stared in disbelief at his boots. They were now almost waist high.
A grating voice broke the silence, "You mocked us, you insulted our size. Now you are our size and will remain so until you bring the fruit of fabled Za'andah Tree here and present it in humility to me! If I die you remain thus forever. If you fail you will live out your life as one of us, The Great People of the Jungle." He turned and danced around the hut disappearing into the jungle. A mocking laugh drifted back to the Colonel's ears.
And the epic search began ...
20 September 2011, 02:37:06 PM