MAGIC FISH TREE
KOROR, Palau: The prisoner Viktor carved my storyboard, bought at the jail's art gallery. Fittingly, I chose one about an only child who wanders too far from home.
Like 90% of Palauan myths, it has a grim ending. His old mother carps about being hungry while he's on walkabout (or, erm, sailabout in the case of Micronesia). Enraged, he grabs a sword and hacks into a nearby tree. Voila! Mamma's favorite fishes well from the torn limb.
Good result! Until jealous neighbors chop down the Magic Fish Tree and its stump floods the whole darn village.
Moral: Don't nag your travel-happy offspring to come home for the holidays. It could go horribly, horribly wrong.
Gorgeous. Nice-looking tabby too.
ReplyDeleteAmanda, why haven't you bought your plane ticket home for Thanksgiving yet? I hope you're being good and not spending time with any more convicts.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Mom
dingobear, if you knew me better you would not try and pretend to be Amanda's mom. At best I am different and I rarely nag. When I do it is a standard line "be careful and come straight home".
ReplyDeleteAmanda lived for a couple of years on the grounds of a state hospital that had a maximum security prison across the street. The people who took care of the hospital grounds were mostly muderers on work release. They took good care of her and she was only 4 and 5. Most of her bad habits and sense of humor are from her mother. Her father is the good guy. e the real mother
oops ... Hi Amanda's mom! Nice to meet you!
ReplyDelete:-)