Stone Monster

      -   Shabana Chowdhury Ahmed, Belgium

Long long time ago before the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors the Amazon rainforest was inhabited by numerous indigenous tribes. 

These populations made a significant impact on the environment by their knowledge of how to cultivate plants and trees. They even knew how to create landscapes.

The story teller tells her tale.

The Achuar tribe lived in a village deep inside the Amazon rainforest. The tribe was ruled by a wise man called Necoma. He taught the older people how to grow fruits and vegetables from the seeds. The young men were told  to hunt for small animals. The girls were taught how to cook and keep their houses neat and tidy. 

Necoma had a wife and a lovely young daughter named Catawba. Necoma also had a good knowledge of herbal medicine with which he would cure the villagers of their illnesses. All was well till one day a wounded  traveller came to the village and fell to the ground. The horrified villagers carried him to Necoma's house. Necoma immediately cleaned the man's wounds and applied his herbal medicine on it. After a long time the traveller regained consciousness. Catawba nursed him day and night. The wounds healed and the man regained his strength back.

The man introduced himself as Aletar the wizard, who seeks out stone monsters and destroys them and after their deaths their hidden treasures are revealed. He gave a ring to Catawba and told her to rub it three times when in trouble and he will come to rescue her. Catawba gave the wizard food and wine for his journey and waved him goodbye. 

Days passed and one day Necoma told Catawba that he was going into the jungle to look for herbs to make his herbal medicines. In the jungle he found the herbs and while returning he lost his way home. Night was falling and he was tired and hungry. Suddenly he heard heavy footsteps coming toward him. He became petrified with fear when he saw a huge stone monster coming towards him. Meanwhile Catawba says her ring given by the wizard turns red. She knew that her father was in danger, so she rubbed the ring three times. The wizard appeared before the stone monster and strucked it with his magic sword! The monster crumbled to the ground. Next moment a huge box of precious gems appeared on the ground. The wizard took Catawba's father and the treasure box to his village. He told Catawba to distribute the gems among the villagers. The wizard flew away to seek other stone monsters.

Believe in magic and magic appears!

It is the satisfaction of heart and soul.