Written by Metha Metharom

Love Stone

A Tetralogy of Love

The Rock Samurai and the Wind Maiden

Even an immovable rock will be shifted by the caress of a gentle wind" –Metha Metharom

This is the story of love, a love which cannot be broken by any sort of intervention.

On a lonely beach sits a huge boulder, surrounded by rocks, and sand, it faces the sea, with a huge cliff standing behind it. For a human it would have been a lonely life but for a rock it was the life.

Unlike any other boulder it could think, it was sentient, it had become so like anything that has survived the test of time. In its mind it wishes for nothing else, nothing but the caress of the wind, which soothes its cracks and wounds, cooling its surfaces from the ever hot sun. Its enjoyment from the wind also too was that the wind would tell it stories of far lands and places.

The wind too, its only companion, who too has been around for a long time has become sentient. It likes to travel, without any place to go but for some reason it always feel the need to come back to the lonely boulder that sits in front of a cliff face. It loves the smoothness and calmness that the boulder offers, but what it would really like to do was to become a human, for it has seen these people smiling and laughing in their delight as they meet new things. Though limited by their bodies, it only seems to make them happier, so it wishes to become human.

As time passes by the heaven becomes sympathetic to the wind, and granted its wishes but that leaves the boulder to itself alone facing away from the cliff face, saddened by the loss but happy for the wind.

The Wind Maiden who now was reborn as a human became a maiden of beauty. Her personality and delightfulness attracted many a suitor.  As a human she is a daughter of a silk merchant who travels far and wide. Her pursuit of happiness was in the arts; her main interest was sculpting, for some reason this is so because she enjoys touching the surface of the rock and to chisel slowly away its roughness to reveal its true form. It was a strange thing because she was never once taught in this art.

One day while travelling the high seas with her father and one of her many suitors, her boat suddenly hit an outcrop which brought the ship to a stop.  As the crewmen scurry about trying to fix the boat, she and her father go on a row boat to look for food and water.  As they row the boat, they came on a deserted beach. On it was a huge boulder, with many cracks, and wounds, burnt down by the sun, but aside from that it stood stronger than any man she has known. It was love at first sight.

On her insistence, she persuaded her father to get the crew to help get it back on the ship so she could bring out its true form. As their ship was repaired they continued on their way home.

Once she got back her only thought was to carve her new boulder into a form worth admiring straight away.  In her travels she had found a culture that deeply attracted her, the culture that has many honours and bravery attached to it. Within that culture were warriors known as Samurais, and within this huge rock she saw a brave and handsome Samurai who could face all kinds of hardship without being broken.

Into him she carved, all day all night, for many weeks on end ignorant of all things surrounding her, until the perfect Samurai was formed.

Like all her carvings she would set it in the studio coming back to and fro to check on it, but for some reason she felt that this Samurai was not happy where it was, so she set it in the garden.

One of her suitors, a man of great standing, one she too found strong and powerful had noticed that she longer paid him any mind but only has eyes for the rock Samurai.

From day and night she would go into the garden and admire her Samurai, no longer feeling the need to travel far from her no longer lonely stone Samurai.

It was a strange thing because ever since the Samurai had come into her life, the amount of burglary attempts has lessened as if someone or something was watching over her. In fact every night it always seems as if an ever watchful but ever warm and protective set of eyes was on her.

One night as she was walking the garden she found that the Samurai was nowhere to be found in the centre of the garden where he usually was.  The

Samurai too was surprised for he was content in watching over her from afar and not really having to be with her.  Instead of fear and surprise she realizes at long last she was in love with him, he too was overjoyed and they talked from dusk till dawn. It was a happy occasion, but eyes watched from a corner of darkness with envy and hatred, which belonged to one of her suitors. Thinking that this new appearance was a new human suitor he plotted.

One night under the cover of darkness the suitor walks to find the Samurai.  With knife in hand he plunges it as hard as he could into the surprised stone warrior. The knife broke but did not shatter on impact leaving the suitor stunned and in fear for his life.  Unluckily for the maiden, she saw the whole thing and rushed to her Samurai’s aid, still acting in fear and not thinking straight, the suitor plunged the broken knife into the maiden's heart.

The blow was fatal and could not be taken back. In rage the Samurai struck with all the force in his body, killing the envious suitor instantaneously.

In his sorrow the Samurai held the beautiful girl in his arms weeping openly. For he had always known that the maiden had always been the Wind

Maiden that had left him behind but now was human who is now leaving him again.

As he held onto her the heavens open up, feeling sympathy to their plight, and granted their wishes to be together.

In the morning all they found was the dead body of the suitor, death from unknown circumstance, a bloodied knife in his hand but the maiden and the stone Samurai were nowhere to be found.

Together at last the heavens had granted their wishes as two gulls flying and travelling so far in the sky, until the day they will die.

The Golden Princess and the Dark Knight

"After all, all chunks of coals are diamonds in the rough"- Metha Metharom

Underneath the earth, lay two stones, one golden as the sun, the other as black as darkness.

Whether it be day or night, they would not know for they were mere rocks and rocks do not think.  However, like all things that exist a long time, they became sentient and thought of things that they never might.

In the darkness of the ground they know nothing but only of each other and they would chat all day and all night for they are stones and did not need to sleep like people might.

One day the ground decided to move and did not stop until the sky had shown through and this is important because this is where our story truly starts for the lovelock stones.

As soon as the world opens for the two stones, it defines their destiny, though they were once intertwined; now they will split. For the gold was truly beautiful and the coal ever so dark that no one would pay any heart.

The gold laying there was such a treasure that many come from far and wide to touch it, hold it and love it. At first the gold was enthusiastic but when it became just an adornment seen only for its external beauty it loses heart.

The coal on the other hand was nothing but fuel for fire so was eventually gone but in its heart it wishes for nothing but to be with the stone he sat next to since time first started.

Though the gold eventually moved from that land, and the coal that was missing became nothing but dust wished only to see his long life mate.  This was the first split in their destinies

Because the gold was loved such it wishes not to be something of adornment again in its next life.

Unfortunately for her she retains much of her beauty and once again reincarnates as a beautiful golden haired Princess but with one let down and that let down was a cold heart.

The Princess was fair and admired by all around. Suitors would come from far and wide and ask for her hand.  Though this pleases her ego she would shun them all for it did not please her soul.

For in her heart, she wishes not to be admired for her beauty but for her heart.

One day a Knight came from a far off land, he was dark of skin and rugged of face. He came to see an example of this beautiful golden Princess he has heard of in his own land.

He went to see her like all other suitors would, in that golden palace to set upon the pleasure of her face. But when he saw her, all he could see was emptiness in the soul. She looked at him as if he was dirt, or even like a piece of coal.

As he was introduced he said to her, "The beauty that other see, I see not there, for I rather would think much more beauty in a piece of coal than that fair face and golden hair.

Shocked and angered by this the King ordered him out the palace, but the Princess’ reply shocked the King more than it did the Knight. "You are the first, who says honestly, I do understand, for a coal’s usefulness does indeed outlast the glittery of my hair and beauty of my face."

This was the first time that the Knight realized he was in love with the fair Princess not out of beauty but out of intellect and wisdom.

This too was the same feeling from the Princess, but neither knew of the other’s thought so they kept the feelings at bay.

The Princess fell for the Knight but she kept far from him for she feared he hated her for her beauty so she kept a space.

The Knight too kept away indeed because of her beauty but not because of hate but rather of fear because of what he had said. But he promised himself that he would keep her safe from any dangerous fate.

In time a suitable match for the

Princess did come along in the form of another man, at least in the King’s eye, so on his order she was sent on a route to her final fate, as a wife and Queen of that other land.

The Princess’ heart breaks more than it should for she would not be able to spend any more time with her Dark Knight.

The Knight too locked his heart away, in its cell, throwing away the key. But he had a promise to keep so he will see to her keep.

In the morning, as she was on her way, she was surprised to see the Knight's face, in her entourage of guards, though this was not his land, he is there at her coach’s rear.

He did not speak to her or seek her out but kept a steady pace, and an unweeping face.

All of a sudden they were attacked, this was planned a long time ago, because of her beauty; slave drivers wanted her face to sell as goods for gold that they can gain.

The Knight did his best to protect her but as he made his way through the blades and arrows she was snatched away

Many of her entourage lay dead upon the ground and the Knight, though heavily wounded, went back to report to the King.

As the King heard the news he grew faint but kept strong in the face of his colleagues, he pleaded for help from the groom's side but, though willing, they were simply too far away. The other suitors too were the same; all feared for their lives and did not wish to lend a hand.

Disappointed by all of this the King collapsed by his grief. The Knight, though still heavily injured, went to him and said "Though she is not mine by right, I will bring her home, for I made a promise to protect her life at the cost of my own. I will see to her safety because the wish is in my heart, and she will be here by the morning, this promise to you I will make."

Riding on a new horse, he went on his way, his expertise in tracking finally found her trace. Under the cover of darkness, his skin hid him well, and because of this he made his way in.

On the outside edge of the camp, one by one he dispatched them all but she is held in the central tent where many are still blissfully drinking unaware.

The Knight has no choice but only to move forward, his presence alerts them to stand up tall.  Completely outnumbered but not giving up, he gritted his teeth and fought with the strength of ten.

One by one they lay at his feet but one by one his wounds would grow, but he would not fall for the Princess he would give his all.

Finally, all lay dying and dead at his feet, and he went into the tent to retrieve the Princess from her fate. The Princess was joyful but as soon as she saw him, but cries as he collapsed to his knees.

"I am sorry Princess that I come so late," said the Knight grinning broadly but his face far more pale than that of the moon. The Princess grabs hold of him and asks, "No, Dark Knight, please do not die, for it is you in this heart of mine that you have always lie."

The Knight perked up a bit but says seriously, "Take my horse Princess, and go your way my fate is done, but yours still lay, but perhaps if you truly wish it

I will wait for you at your fate's end."  With that his last breath came, his eyes glazed over and his face rolled to one side, never again to smile to her with his dark smile.

The Princess still crying did as she was bid. She rode home on the Dark Knight's horse to her father's land taking with her the Knight's words.

As she got home, her father came to see her and held her in his arms but was surprised to see her weep openly with her tears. She explained to him of the Knight’s sacrifice. But to her surprise and anger the King replied, "Do not pay such attention to such things my dear child, for you are like the gold that glitters forever and he the coal that has been burned away by the fire."

In her reproach, which stills her father, she says, "Yes you are right father, he is the coal and I am the gold, but it is the gold that creates so much greed and the coal, which got burnt by the fire, it is the coal that saved this Princess and not the greed driven suitors that you selected."

The King suddenly realizes his wrong but it was too late to recall the words, she left him there standing at the throne, unable to say any more than he already said.

Though that was their only fight, it will last but because of this the King became better and stopped insisting on choosing new suitors.

When the King finally died, she succeeded his throne, and became a Queen but she had cut off her hair so she no longer shone as she did before.  The Knight's sacrifice had given her heart warmth and she became known no longer as the golden Princess but the Golden Queen. Not because of her hair, for she is shaved bald, but because of her heart and honesty that beats any gold.

Finally she was at her fate's end and a large funeral was laid. But to everyone's surprise they could see a brief but fading image in the sky of a beautiful golden haired smiling woman in an embrace with a darkly handsome rugged man.

True to his words the Knight was there waiting for her at her fate's end. The Knight that was coal and the Princess that was gold, both stones in the beginning, one that glitters and shines while the other always overlooked but of more use than any other rocks could.

So ends the story of the Golden Princess and the Dark Knight.

The Giant Statue and the Mermaid

"A great man does not need to say but do, but sometimes an even greater man will have to stand up and say sometime" - Metha Metharom

Underneath the waves, and slightly exposed in the ocean floor there lies an unmoving relic of the past, a giant statue of an unknown god.

It has been there for eons, before the land it is on had sunk beneath the sea.  Because of its age it has gained thought, for how long it has been like this it does not know.  But for countless ages it had watched things live and watched things die, knowing only that immortality is loneliness.

Luckily for it corals and seaweed has grown on its head keeping its gaze left in a curtain of wavering darkness. It was blissful for it needs not see things live only to die again.

This was good for it until one day, something happened, something pulled off the corals and seaweed on its head, and then it saw it was a mermaid, one of the lesser immortal water deities. "I know you can see and hear me oh gentle rock but why do you hide away that handsome face?"

‘What business is it of yours, little mermaid your kind is nothing but grain of sands within the eternity of time,’ it wants to say but it has no tongue or lips to speak with, so it stays silent and grumbles in its mind wishing that the little pest would meander away.

But the pest did not go away, it merely in fact just pestered him day and night telling him this and that without any mind to just shut up and leave it alone.

Then one day, the mermaid did not come and stayed away for maybe a day or two or maybe even more it was not sure. It grumbles and growls, and then heard the noise from its lips, it was a surprise for it for it could in fact speak, for a while it reasoned to itself that it must be its age that had gained to it this power.

It thought so hard, it thought so deep, but every which way it had thought the mermaid would always come back in its head, now that she was gone, it felt loneliness worse than that it had felt before.

It did not know what was wrong but it felt a pang deep in its chest, and that was very far down underneath the seabed.

At that moment it decide to try and move but when it was about to the mermaid came, it seemed the little pest was back and excited and flushing at the face.

It was happy but it was still concerned but it did not say anything because the mermaid had made it feel something it had not felt before, it thinks to itself 'what is this, a heartburn that humans have spoken of, the very sight of her had bought this upon me, how there she flushes so cutely in front of my eyes, and how dare she speak so consistently, so rapidly and so loudly?'

It was a headache for the statue and it blamed it all on the swimming pest.  This of course was partially true but for it was the mermaid's fault that the statue for the first time had fallen in love, and it did not know of its own heart.

But all this good feeling that it felt suddenly vanished and broke into shards as soon as it could make heads or tails of the mermaid's words.

The mermaid had apparently found a handsome fisherman up above the sea, and they had talked for many a day. It ended with the fisherman wanting her to be his wife, and now she wants to know what it, the giant statue thinks.

It was filled with rage as never felt before, rage so hard that it bought a tremble in the area, as its hands reach out from under the seabed. In its rage it finally says "GO YOUR WAY, YOU

PEST OF A MERMAID, YOU

CHITTER AND CHATTER

CONSISTENTLY PAYING NO MIND TO MY NEED FOR SILENCE, GO YOUR WAY!" and it points its index finger at the ocean surface. "GO YOUR WAY AND PESTER ME NO

MORE!"

As soon the mermaid heard this, it swam hard up the surface, crying all the way there to find her suitor. All the mermaid wanted to hear was the truth from the giant statue. She had fallen in love with it the first time she had set eyes on it.

But now in her mind were the statue’s final words, "GO YOUR WAY!! AND PESTER ME NO MORE!!!" This was the truth, she thought, she was just a pest and all she had been doing was annoying her beloved.

Finding her way to the surface, she finally found the fisherman beaming with a smile, the handsome man knows he had won a prize, and he took her upon his little boat, and promise her the entire world he could give.

But in truth the fisherman had a sinister plan, to make not the mermaid his wife but use her as a show and gain all the gold he could get, she would be the main attraction that pulls the crowd, and with the crowd, more and more gold he would take, and no more hard work would be made by this lazy sinister fisherman.

Unknown time has passed and the statue regretted it every day, but it misses the little pest so it crept up on the far side of the fisherman's town, hoping to hear the news about his little pest, so it could finally have his peace of mind that she was safe and happy as he thought she would.

But when it got up to land, all it could heard was a song, a mermaid's song but it was terribly sad; so sad that it was breaking its heart.

It has heard the mermaid play its song many a time before, but it had always been happy tunes, that lightened its load, but all it could hear was this sadness and pain and all it wants to do was stop the pain.

So it sunk back into the dark waters, not knowing what to do, and tried to think of what to do next, perhaps the best thing was to watch and see developments.

So every night it would creep up on the far side of the town and perk its ears and eyes to listen and watch what is happening until one day it heard drunken voices coming from an inn.

"Oy....what a beauty she is, this catch of yours, she sings so well but I bet she would be even better in my loft, I will pay you a thousand gold for one night with her, what do you think oh fisherman?"

The statue was angry, for if it heard right they were speaking about his little pest, but what angered him more was this: "For 1000 gold, you can have her for three nights, bring her back safe and you get some return, what say you oh great rich one?"

The statue could stand no more of this but before it could react the words inside the inn turn to laughter and then cheers and then a scream from that little pest.  They carried her out in a big tank, cheering and jeering as they went.

There were more than two of them there was a whole group of maybe ten, they groped and grabbed at her body, tearing off their own clothes too, to do exactly what the statue feared.

With rage that it had kept for many, many days that it had let slip away for the love of his life. He leapt out of the water with a roar, causing a tidal wave to crash upon the shore.

The drunks were shocked to speechlessness, and completely sobered up as they trembled in their knees.

The Giant Statue stood more than ten foot tall, eyes glaring like some unearthed demonic entity, water steaming off its body in its heated rage.

The drunks let go of the tank, as they wet themselves from their fright.

As the giant statue's roar could be heard many came in throngs out of their houses and out of that sinister inn, but they did not stay for long as they saw a horror that was unimaginable in their minds.

They all would have stay rooted there in fear of their lives but when the giant statue smashed down its giant fist, the tremors caused their legs to uncontrollably move with a mind of their own.

They all could no longer think, but their legs surely could, for it seemed to them they have incurred the wrath of a god.

"THOUGH YOU CALL YOURSELF HUMANS; LOOK AT HOW INHUMANELY YOU HAVE TREATED HER, YOU ARE NOT HUMANS YOU ARE ALL MONSTERS," the giant statue spoke.

"I HAVE WATCHED YOU ALL EVER SINCE TIME BEGAN AND ALL YOU DO IS BICKER AMONGST YOURSELVES, CAUSING WAR WHEN IT BEFITS YOUR GAIN, HARMING OTHERS OUT OF SPITE AND TAKING BY FORCE WHAT IS NOT YOURS. I DESPISE YOU ALL, YOU LIVING PESTS!"

As the statue said those words he almost regrets them but then added gently while pointing with his index finger at the mermaid "BUT THIS PEST I DO LOVE, HARM HER AGAIN AND YOU WILL DIE, TRY TO HARM ANY OF US AND YOU WILL DIE, I WILL SAY NO MORE ON THIS."

With its right hand it scooped very gently the mermaid out of the tank and set her down within the sea, and slowly sunk down back into the ocean all the while glaring hard at the cowered throngs but before he sunk down completely he said, "FISHERMAN I KNOW WHO YOU ARE, I WILL ALWAYS BE WATCHING YOU!" and

it sunk back down into the sea.

Out of pure fear, the fisherman fell onto his knee grabbing his chest; his heart had stopped completely from the fright.

The throngs left the dead fisherman alone and the very next day they all leave, for they all reason that this place was haunted and they would rather be leaving alive than stay here and be dead.

The fisherman's skeleton is still there as a reminder for everyone to see in the now desolate town.

But for the two immortals under the seabed, it was happy bliss at least for one side, for the mermaid kept chatting away happily to her founded love. But for the statue he wondered if he made the right decision for he thinks if she does not stop, his ears will fall off.

But that is all for this little tale about the Giant Statue and the Mermaid.

The Volcano Deity and the Stone Sprite

"Life without love, is really not much of a life." - Metha Metharom

On a small island not far away, separated from civilization, lies a huge dormant volcano.

It has been rumbling for centuries upon centuries building up its heat and energy.

Within the centre of the volcano, is a small trickle of magma, running outward.

Not far from that trickle a tiny stone sits, it too had been there for countless centuries.

From the little trickle of magma was a small fiery woman. She is the Volcano Deity, her present form was stunted by the volcano’s current dormancy.

For countless centuries she had seen and spoken to the one single Stone Sprite who sat not far from her little trickle of magma but for some reason he would never answer.

"Why do you stand here all year long, neither moving nor saying one word?" She would ask.

"Yes, the stone may have given you life but now that you are a Sprite, you may move independently away from it at your will," she tells it.

And then silence would follow for he would not say.

But she would continue still to say, "If you stay, you will be burned by me and by my fire, just as your rock will melt away into me."

And as a complete shock to her, the Stone Sprite would smile, almost a knowing smile but would say no more on the matter.

"Why do you smile so? What is so funny? Bah!" She nearly burst into flame.

But the Stone Sprite merely smiled again.

"You may be a Sprite but you are also male, and all male have done nothing but done wrong toward me, you are the same!" she yells.

For centuries he never said a word until now, "Why do you say so oh fiery lady of mine?"

She is shocked by this sudden break of silence but even more so toward him calling her his own.

"Why do you say such? Why do you decide to speak now?" she says so at him

The Stone Sprite merely shrugged it off and remained silent as if waiting for a reply.

Steaming a little bit, but the Volcano Deity decided to answer anyway. "Very well I will answer your question but when it is done, you will answer mine.  If you do not do so I will destroy you and all the villagers in kind," and without waiting for an answer she continued.

"A long time ago back when I was human, a man once said that he would protect me with all his life, he broke his promise and let me die."

The Sprite looked solemn but nodded as if waiting for the Deity to continue onward.

So the Deity continued onward, "Back then I lived in a village, and the times were hard, and in this village they believed that by sacrificing a young virgin they would appease a God that did not exist. The man had said he would protect me with his own life but did nothing and let me die."

"Because of my need for vengeance, the hate I felt for that man and the villagers turned inward toward my spirit, and because of the age of the volcano it granted me the power to become its Deity and I am now it’s one and only Deity. I can command it as I please and do as I wish."

"Now it’s your turn to answer my question; why do you stay here when you could go?" She asks him.

With a solemn smile he finally says, "It is nothing but a very similar answer much like your own."

Angered at his answer, and unable to accept it, she burst into flame, causing the volcano to rumble and the trickle of magma under her became a sudden stream. "I cannot accept what you say, and because of this, I will take vengeance upon thee and all villagers in kind"

Though the pool of magma started to grow, the Stone Sprite merely says, "That is fine by me, for I do not wish to live, it is my fault that you had to suffer this fate, but the villagers of now are not the villagers of that day, they should not be blamed for this."

Stunned and confused at the Stone Sprite’s words, she said nothing for more than a minute. This time the Stone Sprite took this as his queue.

"Yes, this is my fault that this is your fate, I was the one who failed you in your past. I was the cowardly man who could not say and did not die at the same time as his love did, and for that I am sorry for my sin, but please do not harm these new villagers for whatever they did, they are not the same as the criminals from before, let them be and let it go."

Suddenly pained by his words, "I cannot...why do you say this now, and you know because of your crime, even if I do not destroy those villagers I will destroy you for that crime you have committed."

He said "I accept those very sins, I take it upon my shoulder to be destroyed by the anger of your fire, you ask me why I am here, I can say now this to thee."

"I love thee, oh beautiful volcano Deity of mine. I love you so much that I wish upon the heaven that I be turned into this so that I could wait for my punishment for my wrong to you, or until such day that you could let go and finally be free of this infernal fate that is worse than death."

He continued on "Either destroy me and let these villagers go or please come with me and finally let go."

With those words the Volcano Deity started to cry, the flame around her start to disappear, until her fiery form turned back to that beautiful human form, her anger had disappeared but the result of her anger had not.

"Why do you tell me now, when you could have told me before?" she asks. "If you had told me before, your life would have been spared for it is too late

to stop this process, the lava is already up to your feet, you will die if you do not leave, nothing will happen to me for I am its Deity but you are nothing but a small Stone Sprite."

"Even if you say that, this fate is fine. I have waited a long time, but with this as the fire burns me away, I will melt into you and become one with your volcano until the end of time, and I will be together with you in eternity if you wish so for me to be," he said to her.

She cried some more and said "But I no longer want to be part of this infernal hell. Let us go together away from this fiery place and be free together as we can always be."

"Oh well, in that case, let us flee, for truth to say I would rather not die, but really you got to be quicker with your words, if death you do not wish upon me," he said with a smile.

And the Stone Sprite sprouted wings from his back, for he was an angel and not a Sprite. He had waited for her for a long time, and would have waited for eternity but really, really he did not want to die, so quickly he took her away and off they flew.

Surprised and shocked by this she kicked him hard, but too hard that he almost dropped her back to the ground, but in any case as she frightfully clung to him, he laughed it off and took her up through the gateway of the heavens above. While the volcano sits dormant once again, wondering what the heck was making such a ruckus in its bowels, what a day it thinks but at least it had the companion of the sea.

And so the volcano chuckled to itself while trying very hard to woo the sea but oh well that’s another story but this is the end of the Volcano Deity and the Stone Sprite.

Tales from the Shore

The Prospector and the Toucan Lady

"Love is the greatest treasure you shall find."- Metha Metharom

Somewhere on the open sea, a ship makes its way to an island.

This ship is led by a prospector and he comes with a map.

The map supposedly leads to a forgotten gold mine, the ultimate treasure.

The ship finally drops anchor and a small boat is dropped into the sea. The crew gathered in it and it began to make its way to the shore.

Leading the way the prospector stood referencing the map while pointing his way to the shore.

The boat finally landed with a whump and the prospector clambered out with the rest of his men.

He looked this way and that trying to make sense of the map. "According to this," he said as he pointed at the map, "it should be very close to here."

No matter how much he and his men looked no gold could be found.

Then a sound came, the loud cawing of a bird, very loud and very clear which totally distracted him and his men.

The prospector, surprised by the sound, quickly made his way to where the noise was coming from.

Into the surprisingly dense forest he walked, he tripped and stumbled on his way to the source of the commotion.

When he got there he finally saw it was a Toucan that was making the infernal sound.

He grabbed a stick from the ground and swung it at the Toucan hoping to scare it away but, instead, the Toucan merely jumped from its perch only to land on his shoulder and continue to scream in his ears.

He lurched and stumbled but the

Toucan would not let go but as he did so he found himself stumbling onto the ground face to face with his gold.

There he lay, on his chest, looking straight at a golden nugget. The very thing he was looking for, the only thing he was looking for.

Though still perched on the prospector’s shoulder the Toucan was silent, as if it was a sign from above that this miracle had happened.

No matter how much he tried the

Toucan would not go away so he just left it at that and let it stay.

When he walked out of the forest, with the nugget in hand and the Toucan on his shoulder, the people shouted hooray at the find but gave him questioning looks.

He just shrugged and said, "Yes, the Toucan is my good luck charm, it is the reason I found the gold."

The men merely shrugged but still gave him strange looks.

Though to him it was clearly a lie, however, in reality, he would not know how true those words were.

The men took to working and tracked down the prospector’s path where they began to mine the gold.

Apparently the mine itself was not far from the spot where the prospector had fallen.

And soon they were almost overburdened by the loot. They would have to make many trips back and forth to the shore.

All this time the prospector was carrying the Toucan on his shoulder.

Finally it was time for them to make their way home.

When they were on the open sea, and the men were merry, they sang and danced and most of them drunk.

Then all of a sudden the Toucan began to scream.

The drunken men did not care for such a noise and therefore did not care for him either.

They threatened to throw it off the boat if the bird would not shut up.

From the drunken jeers and threatening stances the prospector ran for his cabin where he finally locked himself and the noisy Toucan in.

Out of nowhere the sky began to rumble and everything began to change.

A hurricane was suddenly formed which caused such a downpour and flooded the deck.

The ship wobbled this way and that as if about to tip over, all the while the Toucan continued to cry.

When the storm finally relented the prospector opened his door. Only a few sailors were left for most has been swept away by the heavy wind and rain.

The remaining men, remembering his earlier words, finally believed in the luck of the Toucan and so did he for without the bird his life would not have been saved.

Days later, on the sea on a night of a full moon, the prospector found himself feeling restless and thus found himself on the deck.

Sometime later would he realize that the bird was no longer on his shoulder and was nowhere to be found.

As he walked the deck he saw a figure leaning on the railing. It was a beautiful dark skinned woman and he found himself falling in love at first sight.

The woman, surprised by his sudden appearance, nearly fell over the railing.

But she did not fall for he appeared suddenly very close to her stopping her fall.

They were face to face and there was an uncomfortable silence and she found herself to be falling deeply in love with him again.

For she was the Toucan that had perched on his shoulder earlier in the day; by night her curse was lifted and she would become a woman.

Neither of them made a move and merely stared at each other. Both returning each other’s feelings but by the morning the prospector was found lying on the deck with the Toucan perched on his shoulder.

When he finally woke he tossed the dream away determined to use logic to explain what had happened.

What happened last night were a dream and a figment of my imagination, he thought.

They had finally reached civilization with the Toucan still perched on his shoulder.

With new found riches came fame. With fame came new credibility. With those things he became equal to a Lord and many young women flocked to his side.

Then he saw the girl he had seen in his dream and he fell instantaneously in love with her again but, for some reason, the Toucan was even louder than before.

Blinded by love, he would not listen to his Toucan and the young woman soon moved in with him.

The Toucan was pried away and put in a cage but, for some reason, this would not stop its cry.

So he put it away in a room on the other side of the mansion so its cry could never be heard but the Toucan could not stop crying

For the woman was a demoness who had stolen her form and was doing everything in her power to steal the riches from the prospector.

One day, the Toucan cried itself hoarse to the point that blood came from its beak.

Finally it lay still on the floor of its cage almost dead but still crying.

Later that night the prospector had a dream that his beloved lay dead at his feet; stuck in a cage and was crying herself to death.

Stumbling about he found his way to the other side of the mansion and there inside the cage the Toucan lay very still.

No! This is my fault, he thought and then the lie shattered and then and there the spell that was earlier cast upon him was finally broken and he held the dying Toucan to his chest.

A tear formed and fell on the dying bird, one drop was all it took and the bird transformed back into the woman.

From the other side of the mansion the demoness screeched, the fiery thing ran to where they were for when the spell was lifted she was turning back to the vicious thing she was.

But there was nothing the demoness could do to them for the love they had was too strong and she was banished.

However, his love came too late and the woman in his arms slipped away.

He cried and cried until an angel appeared.

The angel said, "There is a chance that she can be saved but for this to happen you must toss everything away even this life you live." He then added, "Do

you accept?"

The prospector knows not what he speaks but “Yes,” he replied, and the deal was done.

The darkness swept over him and all of a sudden he found himself on a boat holding onto a map.

He was given a second chance and this time around he would find his treasure, his true love and not the riches.

He made his way into the forest where the Toucan was perched crying out its heart. He merely offered her his shoulder and made his way back to the

boat totally disregarding the nugget in his path.

He lived out his entire life again only this time with his Toucan by his side, though she never did turn back into a woman he kept at her side, never rich and never poor he made his lot in life.

Then he felt it, someone had shaken his shoulder. He was lying down facing up looking straight at her face, she was crying in deep joy for he had indeed thrown his life away.

He looked up and there was the Angel. "You see none of the reliving of your life had happened, it was a test of worth and you did well."

He looked around and said, "I want not these treasures the only thing I ever needed was here,” and now he held the crying woman to his chest.

In the end he gave it all away so he was no longer rich in terms of gold but he was indeed rich in terms of love.

The Island and the Sea

"Some love can take you across the ocean." - Metha Metharom

There is a small island far from any coast. It is surrounded in all directions by a vast open sea.

As far as it remembers it has always been. To keep it company are only a few living things, some rocks and some sand.

Its only true companion was the sea which surrounded it completely.

By everything that the rocks, sand, trees and a few monkeys knew they could tell that the island was menial and boredom would continuously set in.

The sea on the other hand would tell it of the various places it visits, the sea monsters and adventures by brave heroes who traverse across it. This was the best thing that the open sea had to offer.

But the island wishes for more instead of hearing about it and wanted to experience it.

So one night upon a falling star its wish was granted and the island in its next life was born as a boy, a boy on a ship’s dock.

The boy was handsome, full of vigour and curiosity, which would win him many friends.

However, on the dock, there would be one girl, who would always sit there and watch over him, she did not have many friends and she was sickly but because she always watched over him, he would always watch over her.

So in making his decision he approached her and said, "I will make you a deal, when I grow up and become stronger I will become an adventurer of great renown and each time I come back I will tell you a great story so you must stay well for me so that I may return."

So when he grew older, he did indeed became strong and a mighty adventurer of the sea.

The girl, his closest friend, remained at the dock always waiting to hear of his stories upon his return.

The man would venture forth to deal with pirates, sea monsters and forces of nature and each time he would return to that small dock only to tell her of his adventure on the open sea.

The girl, now a young woman and even though she was still sickly, would always wait for his stories for it was their promise together that she would stay well so that he would return.

Though this arrangement worked well…the woman's health still failed her because her true feelings were that she was in love with the man and not the stories he would bring.

The man did not know this and his adventures would take him further and further across the ocean, farther and farther away from the young woman.

This was so that he may bring back even more daring tales from across the sea.

But the thing was though the stories were much more adventurous each time the journey would take longer, and thus each time he would take longer to get back to the dock and to her.

The young woman would stay at home and pine for the young man getting sicker and sicker for she was not being true to her heart.

On his longest journey yet and the most daring, he looks forward to seeing her face and tell her his story once more.

Though he did not know it he too was in love with the young woman at the dock.

But when he was on his journey back the sky grew dark, and it was the biggest storm that ever hit.

On the open sea he and his crew fought the wrath of nature and he would eventually win but at the cost of more time.

Time which the young woman does not have for she was becoming so sick she could no longer stand.

As he fights through the storm the young woman fights through her sickness in hopes of seeing him once again.

As he got through the storm, he encountered a savage sea monster and he fought hard though now battle worn, he continued on his way only so that he may see her once again.

The young woman became sicker and sicker but she fought hard and managed to stay conscious.

Just as he was about to reach home, pirates appeared, blocking his path and he was “at his rope's end”.

The young woman did her best but she could fight no more and lost consciousness.

He was tired and ragged from the many fights and could barely stand up when he heard the news that she was deep in sleep.

He had fought these things long and hard only to come back to find out she was nearly dead.

There was no longer any point to his adventures if she was not there to hear them.

With a realization that he was in love with her and not the adventures was too late and he sunk into deep despair.

He loved her so dearly that he let out a cry into the sky hoping that the heavens would listen.

And the heavens did listen, as it always had, for his love was pure.

It granted him his wish though the young woman did not waken her condition got better.

That was all he needed and he stayed day and night by her side to make sure she would get better.

One day she finally wakes to find him there and she was half expecting him to tell her his stories but instead he took her in his arms and held her.

She began to speak but he silenced her and said, "Though I have travelled many oceans and many seas, I would rather be with you as your island in the sea, never will I travel more for the biggest adventure is being beside you always."

The girl smiled and accepted his words for she in fact was the sea that used to tell him the equally amazing stories when he was an island and she was the sea.

The Crab and the Gull

"Love can come in the most unexpected form." - Metha Metharom

On a small island there sits a rock and under the shade of a rock is a small sand crab.

Whenever it needs food it comes out from the shade of the rock.

However, the shade does not only provide shelter, it also provides protection.

As it comes out to hunt so too does the seagull.

The crab is considered a food source for the gull.

As they scuttle about searching for food, the gulls peck at the crab and it would scuttle back underneath the shade of the rock.

This would happen on a daily basis.

Because it happens so much the crab is not bothered by it.

One gull, however, would chase, peck and prod at it with more fervour than the others.

This, of course, is the sole worry of the little crab.

One day the crab grew tired of this and asked, “Why do you peck at me so, when many a time you could have eaten me?”

And the gull said, “Because of the mere fact that I want to do this.”

Confused by the answer the little crab grows frustrated.

Day by day it would continue on.

The crab would scuttle out and then quickly scuttle back in as the one gull, out of the many, would peck and prod at it with more energy than the others.

Then there came a day that a ship wrecks on the shore of the lonely island.

As the ship is being fixed the humans, for some reason, took away the rock.

The little crab is now bereft of its home and protection.

The only other place that the little crab considers as safe is too far away underneath the cliff face but she can burrow into the sand below

The gulls seeing that the little crab now has nowhere to go come at it with more energy than ever before.

It scuttles about every which way but it knows it cannot escape for long.

It nearly gives up when it was suddenly lifted into the air, it knew this to be its last day.

But this was not the last day for within a few seconds later it was dropped near a hole in front of the cliff face.

It was the lone gull that would peck and prod at the little crab with more fervour than the others.

The crab scuttled into the hole and looks up to thank the gull.

But the other gulls have seen the obvious betrayal and turn their attack toward the lone gull.

In the end there was a lot of blood and feathers on the sand, but the rest of the gulls were gone.

The crab, seeing that the fight was over, scuttles back out onto the beach only to find the lone gull dying on the sand.

“Why did you help me?” the crab asked.

“Do you not know?” asked the dying gull.

It was a rhetorical question for the crab did know, the gull had poked and prodded at it with more fervour than the others for the same reason it had protected the crab.

It was love…pure and simple love.

But it was too late for the gull lay dead at the crab's feet.

The crab turns upward and wishes with all it's might that one day it can meet the gull again.

A century later, on the very same shore, a woman with crab pattern on her dress paddles in her boat waiting for a fish to bite.

As she can feel the tug on her line, a small plane swoops past her causing her to lose her line.

On the plane was painted a picture of a seagull.

So it came to pass that the little crab's wish was granted.

Into the Stars Above

The Fisherman and the Moon

“The love that you seek is often inside your heart.” - Metha Metharom

On a lonely night, on a solitary boat sits a lone fisherman waiting for his line to be caught.

All he has for company is the blinking stars and the ever bright glowing moon.

It was one of those nights where not only was he alone he too felt alone.

He had no family and he had no kin, no one to hold and no one to share his pain.

All he has was his fishing job and the ever glowing moon.

What was the point to all this? He thought despairingly.

Welling with misery he made a decision. He stood up and walked to the side of the boat.

But as he was about to jump clouds billowed past…covering the moon in its entirety leaving him in total darkness.

He stood there on the edge of the boat while the wind rocked the boat gently to and fro not knowing where to go.

Then a voice came from behind him. “Why do you wish to take your life fisherman?”

He turned around suddenly only to find himself in the presence of a glowing beautiful woman in a plain white dress.

He stares at her for a time and then she says, “I have watched you on many a lonely night just as you have watched me, why now would you take your life and not before?”

“Why lady of the night, why do you think I would? Many a nights I sit alone on this boat by myself with no others and there is no point to me at all.”

“I understand perfectly your loneliness for I have long wished to be with another but can not do so.” says the lady.

He raises his eyebrows but she continues, “For he is the sun and I am the moon, there is no way that we would meet unless during an eclipse, but the wait is worth it in the end.”

He chuckles a bit at this, “No you do not understand my pain for though you do sit alone you have someone to go to at the end while I have nothing aside from this you are also of use for you shine your light in the darkness so that others can make their way while I am just a fisherman barely making my way.”

She smiles at this, “No fisherman you are also of use too, remember this… without you where would people get food to eat, if they had naught to eat would they not be dead? You have your role and I have mine, what you lack, however, is the love you have inside.”

Realizing the truth in this the fisherman fell to his knees, inside his head he always knew that the love he seeks was inside of he.

Before he could reply, the clouds billow away and the brightness returns to the water once more.

Looking up the moon seems to wink and says, “Remember only when you love yourself will others come to love you also,” and the moon seems to smile at him from above.

He sits back on his boat only to realize his line had caught and up he brings a struggling mermaid.

He was surprised and so was she but when they saw each other he did know this was indeed what the moon had said.

Remembering one of the stories told long ago he decided what was best was to let her go.

She looks up and openly smiles, “I am their daughter so do not mind, I am yours if you wish it so but just don't anger my father or he will have your head,” and with that she swam away.

And every night he would come to fish on the no longer lonely water to meet his love and her often angry giant statue of a father.

And each night he would look up and be thankful of the moon who taught him to love himself before another will come to love him.

The moon too would smile downward to her favourite fisherman knowing at last he had found someone.

The Thief and the Night

“Sometimes the very thing you have been seeking has always been beside you”- Metha Metharom

Under the cover of darkness a lone figure slowly made his way through the window of a small manor.

Silently he padded to the make-up cabinet.

Opening the dress drawers he pilfers its treasures and off he went, out the window, the thief into the night.

Looking at the goods in his hands he knew he would be fed well again for these baubles are nothing more than play things for the rich but invaluable substance for his living.

Each night he would go out covered in the night’s cloak of darkness and steal away his goods and every night would be perfect.

It was a bad thing he had no charm nor did he have looks nor did he have any other skills.

So for him it was the life of a thief, the only way for him.

The night did not care about this nor did it matter if he did right or wrong all that mattered is that she covered him in her darkness and he will be fine.

The thief realizes it was a selfish thing he was doing…breaking into people's homes but he needed to make a living somehow and this was his only way that he could see at least.

Every night he would be happy with his lot in life but fate would one day decide that this was not enough.

One day there was a parade in the city where some nobleman and his family was visiting. Spying from the rooftop he saw a young woman, the daughter of the nobleman and his heart burst asunder.

Making his way on the rooftop he followed their pathways and sought out where they will stay.

A small manor house just like the one he many a night would pilfer from he did spy. But for now he would recede back to the shadows and make his move later in the night.

On nightfall the lone figure leapt from rooftop to rooftop seeking his prize.

He comes not for gold or treasures but for the love he feels in his heart.

Pausing only briefly to dodge away from the guards he made his way to the window sill of the woman he fell for.

Slowly he pried the window open and made his silent entry. Cloaked in night he laid on the side of her bed many jewels and…flowers he picked that night.

Knowing that in his heart she would awaken and see the magnificent sight.

At daybreak the thief would be gone but what have been left were the jewels and flowers resting by the young woman's side.

When she awakened she was struck by the treasures she had found as well as the magnanimous flowers by her side.

The young woman would look at it day and night believing that she found a perfect suitor at long last.

For six days and six nights her bed would be littered with jewels and flowers and a card proclaiming love.

And in her mind she would think how handsome and rich her suitor must be to bring her such things.

So on the seventh day she decided she would stay up and she would surprise her suitor with her acceptance of his love.

And on that very night she did just that, and when it was time the thief clothed in shadows would walk through the cover of night and place the goods on her bed.

But as he did so the young woman quickly clasped his arm unwilling to let go.

The thief tried his hardest to get away but to no avail.

The woman then said, “So you are the one, my beloved of the night. Please show me your handsome face so that I may be one with you tonight”.

Hearing such a proclamation, the thief reacted. Puffing his chest and stepping out into the moonlight only to see a look of terror on her face.

Through the night she would scream “Thief! Trespasser! Rapist!” Alerting the guards of his presence.

The thief hearing this quickly ran to the window with bitterness in his heart.

He may be a thief, a trespasser but no rapist, was his love misplaced and was it that he no longer could see what the truth is?

Quickly he jumped onto the street but to his dismay many guards were on their way.

Arrows flew out and hit him in the back and he was sorely wounded.

More come flying by…hitting him in the leg and both arms, bleeding heavily he tries to make his way home.

His eyes were losing focus and losing the light, a few more steps and he would be gone.

He rounded the wrong corridor and found himself face to face with the guards and the moonlight made him very noticeable.

He knew he was at his last when darkness came all at once like a curtain had been dropped.

In that darkness he heard the guards yell out trying to find their way but he did not care for he had fallen to the ground, blood seeping from his wounds.

He looked up at the night only to find a woman standing before him, cloaked in total darkness, her clothing black.

He stared at her and knew who she was, the one who had always cloaked him until he discarded her away.

She did not say anything but merely looked knowingly in his eyes.

But in his mind he heard it all, 'Be well my thief for I am the night, I will take thee away from this plight’.

When the curtain lifted the thief was gone and the only thing left was the bloodied arrows protruding from the ground.

The guards look around in their dismay unable to find even a trace of the fallen trespasser.

The young woman now knows her mistake and realizes then that her suitor was a thief and with that in mind cried tears of woe.

She had been courted by a thief and a commoner and she almost accepted what a shameful thing she could have endured.

But for some reason the young woman would look around, always searching for the one.

And from that came a legend of the thief of the night who steals a young girl’s heart. But what of the thief you may ask?

He is neither here nor there anymore for he is finally with the night, she who has always been with him and forever will be.

The Angel and the Priest

“Love will eventually come to all those who wait.” - Metha Metharom

As a young boy he would sit in the rose garden and smell its scent.

No one would understand why he was there and not out to play.

The rose garden sits in a small churchyard, where people would come and go.

It was here that he met her…the Angel of the Rose.

She had fluttered down from the heaven above to care for the budding roses for it was her duty and here she would end up gazing at the young boy who would become a man.

“I see you,” he had said to her the first time he saw her.

The Angel was astounded and spread her wings and leapt back into the sky taking with her all her beauty, all her grace.

And each day the young boy would come and wait for the Angel to return.

And every day the Angel would return for it was her duty to look after the roses and each day the young boy would say, “I see you,” while smiling knowingly.

And every time as he did that the Angel would flee from the place not certain why she would do such.

As time went by the young boy would become a young man and yet still he would come to the church and study the way.

But on every visit on daybreak he would visit the rose garden, only to say “I see you,” to the flustered Angel.

The Angel not really sure anymore why she comes, whether it is to see the young man or the roses.

The years gone passed once again, and the young man became an older man, now a Priest.

Never once laying his eyes on any women folk but always coming to the rose garden and say, “I see you.”

Every day he would make his sermon at mass and people would come from far and wide to hear him speak.

For the Priest has a strong heart and is one with his faith.

The Priest became so busy that he would hardly have any time to see the rose garden but yet each morning he would make his way there just to say those same words, “I see you.”

And the Angel now knows she was no longer here to see the rose but the man who had become a Priest.

The years would pass once more and the Priest was now old.

And each and every day he would say to her the Angel in his heart, “I see you.”

And every day she would wait for him to arrive at the rose garden to say: I see you to her.

For in truth as she looked at him, she saw him too.

Then one day the Priest did not come so the Angel became worried.

The Priest was sick for he was old, but he fought all that even though he should be in bed he came to see, in the rose garden, the Angel.

With the last of his strength he mustered three more words as he looked into her face, “I see you.”

Then he fell to the ground and as she held his prone body to her's she says, “I see you too.”

With that the Priest did smile and his soul was gone.

The Angel started to weep and then something tapped her shoulder.

It was the Priest or at least his soul. He looked at her while smiling smugly and then said, “I see you.”

And then the Angel did know that what he meant what was not that he sees her but rather he loves her.

And together the Angel and the Priest made their way to heaven together.

Dedicated to all those who love and lost and then found it again.