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The burrow in the ground gave off an earthly, loamy smell. Its owner is a small animal barely the size of an ice cream cone, and very cute. Her name is Min and her most distinguishing features are her round, furry and poofy ears covered in white fur. However, her skin is slick and oily with barely any hair. If she was a dog, she would be mangy and forgotten. On her heart shaped face is a cute and very sensitive button nose, giving her a keen sense of smell. Of course, this isn’t something unique to Min, it’s shared by her entire species.
Min has a son, named Mo, who is one week old. She loves him and cares for him very much. However, Mo is far too young to be able to take care of himself, so Min keeps him in the burrow using a carefully placed rock at the entrance. Its color blends in with the dirt and the size and weight makes it easy to move if you’re careful.
Every night, Min would come back home with a basket filled with tender green leafs, suitable for a baby who just started teething, like Mo. Since he’s so young, Mo only needed to eat one meal a day. He would come and lick Min all over her body, and she would take down plates from the shelves to put in the tenderest and nicest of leaves for him. She would then watch Mo eat his leaves with glee while sometimes licking him in return; it's a way to show love and affection between them. Mo really likes to eat tender leaves, but then, it was all he has ever tasted. “It’s so delicious mom!”
When he gets full, Mo’s stomach kicks into high gear and his eyes would start drooping. Mother Min would have to carry him from his chair to his bed every time.
As Mo grew older during the following days, he started noticing Mother Min leaving their burrow every time the bright, white light shines through the rock, and she would be gone a long time. Mostly, he slept as he’s still developing. He would wake up again after the light is gone and Mother Min would return.
One day, he asked Mommy Min, “What’s that white light, mom, why does he come to greet you every day but doesn’t follow you when you return?”
“That light is called sunlight, dear.” Mother Min answered.
“Is he your friend?”
“Yes, he is, but he’s not just my friend, he’s everybody’s friend. Later on, I’ll introduce the two of you.”
“Why does he come to greet you?”
“Ah, the sun comes to tell me that it’s already morning and it’s time for me to go out collecting tender leaves for you.” Mo widened his eyes in curiosity, making Mommy Min laugh. “Oh, you grew up so fast and so curious. When it's morning, the sun wakes up to greet the sky, shining white light from his body warning Mother Min and warning everybody that it’s time to go out looking for food. When it’s night, the sun starts feeling sleepy and so he goes home to rest, taking his light with him, warning mommy that’s it time to go home. That’s why you never see him when I come back. But mommy does have a friend who sees her home, it’s the moon; when the sun goes away, the moon rises in his place and the moonlight is far more tender and soft than the sunlight, so soft that Mo can’t see it.”
“Mo wants to see the sun and the moon, Mo wants to be friends with them. Do they look like us?”
Mommy Min laughs again and shook her head, “No, they don’t look like us, the sun is very round and very white while the moon has multiple shapes, sometimes it’s round, sometimes it's so thin you can only see a crescent of it and it has a very mellow texture. I’ll introduce you to them later.”
Mo smiled brightly, “Promise?”
“Promise.”
“But mommy, Mo can’t picture what ‘round’ is. Can you explain to Mo what ‘round’ is?”
Min thought for a second, “Tomorrow, mommy will find some fruits that look like the sun and the moon for you, ok?”
Mo smiled brightly and Min licked him lovingly, so Mo licked her back in turn.
“What would mommy’s friends, the sun and the moon, be like?” Mo wondered.
The next day, Min returned back to the burrow faster than usual so Mo ended up seeing the light shining into the burrow. In her basket, Min has one white round fruit and one yellow round fruit instead of the usual leaves. Mo’s eyes widened and focused on the round white and yellow fruits. So, this is what the sun and moon look like! Min took a piece of cloth and covered the white fruit with it, saying, “Some days, the moon would be full, sometimes it would be a little smaller and dimmer, and other times it would become a thin crescent.”
Min left the two fruits with Mo and quickly left the burrow again to look for some leaves. When she left, Mo made a beeline for the stepladder Min kept near the bed and dragged it to the shelves and cupboards in order to take down a small plate. He placed the two fruits, one white and one yellow, onto the plate. What would the sun and the moon taste like? Mo wondered. He picks up the sun fruit and swallowed it whole, along with the moon. The sun fruit went down easily into his stomach, but the moon fruit got stuck in his throat and stayed there.
Mo’s eyes watered and wavered, “Mommy Min, the moon is angry at me!” When Min got home she found Mo pale-faced with a giant lump in his throat. She quickly called the local doctor who lives in a neighboring burrow to come help him get the moon fruit out of Mo’s throat.
A Brave Hero
The doctor thumped Mo across his back loudly, and it hurts enough to make Mo’s eyes water. Eventually, the moon fruit was dislodged and fell down into Mo’s stomach and Mo cried shamelessly.
That night Mo had to go without eating any green leaves, “Serves you right for wanting to eat the sun and moon so much.” Min scolded him until Mo’s pillow was wet with tears. Mo did not know when he fell asleep and when he woke up it was late.
Mo sits up, his throat still sore, and starts looking for mommy Min, but she isn’t in her bed so she’s probably already outside. Mo sniffed, as he smells something unfamiliar. He looks around and there, uncle doctor sits with his back to Mo at the table. Right, last night before he fell asleep, Mo heard mommy Min asking uncle doctor to look after him. Uncle doctor looks over at Mo’s general direction as if he knew Mo was already up and awake. He greeted Mo with a yawn, “How is it, kid? You wake up late and you’re still huddling around the bed? Come down here.”
Mo quickly jumps out of the bed with fear, he’s afraid of the doctor. His voice doesn’t sound like mommy at all, it’s far too rough and deep, and he’s frowning. Uncle doctor came to Mo’s burrow two times before and Mo never saw him smile.
“Come sit here.”
Mo quickly sat down next to uncle doctor obediently.
“Does your throat still hurt?”
Mo’s eyes start watering, nodding, before recoiling in fright when uncle doctor lets out an outburst.
“What is it?! Say it out loud, kid. Does it still hurt or not? No nodding, and what kind of man cries?”
“It still hurts, sir.” Mo murmured, trying to blink back his tears. He could feel his hate of uncle doctor growing, mommy Min never raised her voice at him before.
Uncle doctor opened his medicine bag on the table. Inside, it’s filled with pill bottles and vials of liquid medicines of various shapes and sizes. Uncle doctor lifts out a bottle of black-colored medicine.
He pours the medicine out into a cup until the bottle is empty before handing it to Mo.
“Drink this, all of it and your throat would stop hurting.”
Mo takes the cup from uncle doctor woefully. It’s pitch black and not at all appealing. Even his medicine reflects his dark nature and cruelty, Mo sees that all the medicines in uncle doctor’s bag are various shades of brown, black, and grey, none of them looks appealing in the slightest.
“Drink all of it, and your throat would stop hurting.” Uncle doctor repeats himself when he sees Mo’s reluctance.
Frightened, Mo lifts up the cup and takes a sip, it tastes exactly like how it looks, terrible. He stops swallowing and holds the cup in his hand as he glances at uncle doctor. Uncle is still frowning, eyes focused on Mo, looking like he might explode. Mo’s tears start flowing again as chugs down all the medicine.
“Very good.” Uncle doctor nodded approvingly, taking the cup from Mo.
“And stop crying, it’s not fitting for a boy who would become a brave hero one day to cry.” Mo cries even louder, feeling hurt that mommy Min would leave him with someone as mean as uncle doctor.
“Oh come on, stop crying.” Uncle doesn’t really know what to do. “Go rest, what would your mother think if she saw you like this. Entrusting me to take care of you, only to find you crying like you broke something.” Mo went back to sleep just like uncle doctor instructed, still crying uncontrollably. Uncle doctor’s heart wavered, so he grabbed a stool to come sit next to Mo’s bed.
“Quite down, kid. Uncle’s going to tell you a story.”
Mo open his eyes to look at uncle doctor, only to see uncle’s eyes glaring at him. Uncle doctor’s story must be really scary, so Mo starts crying again as uncle began his story.
“Listen closely, once, there was a scary giant. It would eat everything that stood in its way.”
There it is, the story really is scary! Mo quickly attempted to cover his fluffy ears but couldn’t resist listening.
“The giant was a glutton, when it was out looking for food, if there are trees in front of it, it would pick up and eat the trees by the handful. If it ran into rocks, it would use its tongue to lick the ground clean. Any unlucky animals that happened to stray too far or happens to be gathering food in the same area, would get picked up and gobbled down by the giant. Any land the giant passed through is left a barren, lifeless wasteland, until one day, the giant moved towards our burrows.”
Mo’s ears involuntarily clenched shut.
“The elders held a meeting and invited everybody to share their ideas. They were searching for a way to protect themselves from the gluttonous giant. Some suggested that they should gather as much food as possible and fortify themselves into their burrows until the giant left. Others brought up the idea that they should pack up their stuff and relocate themselves to an area the giant passed through before. It should be safe, and the giant most likely won’t return. As they were bickering, a lone youth stood up boldly and declared,
“This is giant is a thug, with no morals, and no empathy. It deserves to be exterminated so that it can never be a threat again. Thusly, I volunteer myself before the council, I will vanquish this giant, by myself, once and for all.”
When he finished, the meeting room was filled with the sound of hands clapping and people cheering.
The youth left to challenge the giant. He had prepared plenty of sharpened sticks. When the fighting started, the youth used his small size and agility to his advantage to dodge the giant’s attacks and stuck the sticks all over the giant’s feet, arms, body, and head. The giant could not withstand the pain and eventually fell over dead.”
Mo released a sigh of relief that the youth was able to beat the giant. Uncle doctor paused for short while, and then continues the story.
“The youth was hailed as a hero.”
“Hero means brave person, right?” Mo asked.
“Yes, a hero is a person who is brave, strong, unwavering, doesn’t cry easily, and helps the weak.”
“Really?” And Mo fell asleep. Uncle doctor licked Mo gently in the face before stepping back. When Min came back home, she saw Mo smiling at her and he asked her, “Does mommy like heroes?”
The Rabbit in the Moon
One morning, mommy Min called Mo to the mouth of the burrow, “Come here Mo, you’re now old enough to meet the sun.”
Mo excitedly runs to the burrow’s mouth, Min removed the rock covering the burrow, letting sunlight shine through. The white light filled Mo’s eyes to the point he had to hide behind Min’s back and he can only poke his head out slowly, and wow! The world outside is so beautiful and vast. It’s a myriad of colors, most of its green, there’s brown, red, pink, yellow. As Mo’s gazed out in wonderment, mommy Min pointed to the sky, “There Mo, there’s the sun.”
Mo raised his head to look up, beyond the green canopy lies a small silver of sky and there lies a red ball, floating slowly up into the sky.
“Is that it? I thought mommy said that it is white.”
“In the early morning, the sun is waking up so his body is still red. Have patience, it will be white soon.”
“Really? Then Mo wants to wait until the sun turns white!”
“Ok.”
Mo shook himself away from mommy Min as he stares intently at the sun that is slowly rising up into the sky. The red gradually disappeared, until it becomes blindingly white just like mommy Min said. But the glare is so intense, it’s becoming uncomfortable to look at directly.
Mo blinked and turned back to look at mommy Min as she enveloped him. “Ow, it’s so bright it hurts.”
“Take a good look Mo, the sun may be too bright to look at but it helps you see everything so much clearer.”
Mo does what mommy says and yes, he sees it. Even just looking at the nearby tree, Mo can clearly see all the different shades of green on the leaves. Dark green, light green, green shot through with yellow.
“Mommy, Mo wants to eat the leaves on that tree. It’s prettier than the leaves you give me.”
Min scowled at Mo, “Watch it, you’re still small but you’re insisting on eating like an adult? You’ll just end up unable to swallow it again.”
Mo’ face fell and he complained indistinctly, “Ok, I’ll eat what give me for now.” Then his eyes lightened up again, “Mommy, you’ll also have to introduce me to the moon tonight.”
“Very well, but right now Mo needs to go back inside.”
Min gently nudged Mo back inside before sliding the rock back over the burrow.
Mo waits intently for mommy Min to return, as he grew up he doesn’t sleep during the day as often anymore. Min taught Mo how to do household chores and how to keep the burrow squeaky clean, so that when she gets back home she won’t be as tired.
That day, the waiting felt like an eternity for little Mo but it doesn’t matter how much time stretches, the moment always arrives. Min once again takes Mo up to the mouth of the burrow.
Mo sees the world above a second time, the massive trees near the burrow doesn’t look as colorful as they once were; small creatures like mommy Min and little Mo can see in the darkness just as clearly as during the day. Min gestured at Mo to look up at the sky and he can see the moon floating up in the blackness.
“Mommy, is the moon rounder and fatter than normal?” Mo asked his mother because he remembered that sometimes the moon is fat but sometimes it’s thin.
“Yes, it's practically bloated today.”
Mo instantly felt a strong sympathetic connection to the moon. Its light doesn’t hurt Mo’s eyes like the sun’s did and it’s more beautiful too. As he’s looking around like he’s been mesmerized, Mo noticed a black spot on the moon’s mellow skin.
“What is that, mommy?”
“It’s a rabbit, dear. The rabbit in the moon.”
“Why is there a rabbit in the moon, mommy?”
“So, Mo is curious then, mommy thinks we should go back inside, it’s your bedtime and mommy will you a story.”
Mo shook his head, “No, can I stay up late for one night? Mo wants to look at the moon for a while.”
Min decided to let Mo do what he wants and she even sat with him outside the burrow.
Mo’s heart pounded in excitement as the wind blew past, fluffing up the fur on Mo’s ears rhythmically.
Mommy starts recounting the legend to Mo.
“There once was a great and powerful being that is the king of earth. The king governs all living beings in the sky, under the sea, and on the ground. Everybody has to follow all the rules and laws laid by the king.”
“But there was one mischievous rabbit, and that rabbit liked rose apple and guava. In the morning, the rabbit would eat rose apples for breakfast, for lunch it would eat guava, and for dinner it would eat a combination of both. It’s behavior is drastically different from it’s relatives, there are no rabbits that would eat guavas or rose apples.”
“Every rabbit has four legs, the mischievous rabbit also have four legs, every rabbit walks on four legs, but the mischievous rabbit only walked on two legs. It could walk just as quickly and comfortably as it’s peers, it actually looks more graceful. Its back erect, it walked proudly.”
“One day, the king saw the rabbit’s unconventional behavior and, in a fit of anger, threw the rabbit up into space and locked it up in the moon for all eternity.”
“Mommy Min,” Mo whispered softly and then gawked up at the moon, the mark on the moon that Mo saw earlier now has a distinct shape, he could see two ears and feet tucked away beneath the body. “I feel so bad for the rabbit, is no one going to help him?”
“The moon is too far away for anyone to help out the rabbit.” Mommy Min answered.
“How far is it?”
“Very far, far beyond the ocean, at the place where ground meets sky.”
Mo looked up at the moon for the final time before walking after Min back into the burrow. The familiar smell made him feel cozy and warm; when he snuggled up to bed he was asleep in a wink.
Mean-spirited gravel
Mo thought about the mischievous rabbit in the moon. Its body would probably be all cramped up inside the small moon, it’s long ears nearly reaching the top curve and its small feet nearly touching the bottom curve. Mo runs around the burrow while muttering to himself, “It’s so cramped, it’s so cramped…”
Mo ran from one side of the burrow to the other and counted about 20 steps. He still felt the crampedness, the moon is so small compared to the burrow! He felt so sorry for the rabbit and it was then that he decided to go rescue the rabbit out of the moon. Mommy Min would surely lick Mo’s face with pride when she sees how much of a brave hero he is.
That night, Mo lie awake waiting for mommy Min to fall asleep. He sneaked past Min, lifted the rock out of the way, and stepped outside.
The wind whistled a greeting as Mo sniffed the air. The smell of the wind is different tonight, and Mo remembered what mommy told him last night, “Beyond the ocean, at the place where ground meets sky.”
Mo looked upwards and sees the moon poking out from behind a low-hanging tree branch. Today it’s still round but it looks slightly thinner than last night. The rabbit still lies inside the moon.
Mo picked a destination and began his journey. The grass that grew around the burrow is short and soft, allowing Mo to move quickly. But as he moved further away, the short, soft grass grew taller until it reached Mo’s shoulder, then his lips, his nose, his eyes, and until it eclipsed him entirely. Mo tried to push his way through the grass and look for the moon that marks the way. Eventually, he made it through the thick grass and in front of him lays a red and white empty plain with the occasional tuft of grass. Their fallen leaves making red patterns on the ground.
The moon floats right next to a tree branch.
“Wait for me rabbit, Mo is coming to help you.” Mo cried quietly.
His small feet moved him slowly towards the plain, sometimes his feet hurt and he has to look at it. Under the moonlight, Mo can see tiny pebbles sticking on his feet.
It hurts enough to make Mo’s eye water as he slowly scrapes it out of his feet.
“Who are you, why are you hurting me?” Mo beseeched.
The pebble grinned, “I am a pebble, we are many and scattered throughout the ground around here. We have sharp, pointy sides to poke all those who intrude here.”
“I’m sorry for disturbing you, but I have a mission.”
“What mission?” The pebbles smirked.
“I’m going to help the rabbit in the moon.”
Right when it came out of Mo’s mouth, the pebbles started laughing uncontrollably. “Hi hi hi, that’s hilarious. Helping the rabbit in the moon? So hilarious. You have problems kid.”
“Of course, I want to be a hero.” Mo replied.
“Hi hi hi…” The pebble laughed. Mo froze, full of fury and hatred for the little brown pebble.
“I have to be able to get the rabbit out of the moon.”
Mo’s body tensed to the point the fluffy fur on his ear stood up, and he keeps on walking through the red and white ground. The pebbles on the ground angled themselves as Mo walked past so that they stick into his feet. He keeps on moving forward, one step, two steps, three steps; Mo’s tears flowed down his cheeks and onto the ground.
“Why are you all so mean, so mean, so very mean…”
The tears coated the pebbles and made them slippery, but the pebbles are hardy and the tears only slip past them into the ground.
“I am pebble, I have pointy sides, I have to poke you, I have to sting you, I have to poke you…”
“Can’t you keep your sides to yourself? Or sand them down until rounded, so you don’t hurt anyone else? Others will then say how kind, polite, and gentle you are!” Mo begged.
“Tsk, no way. I’m a pebble, I have to prick.”
Mo’s feet hurt until they start shaking and his hearts sink.
“Can’t you let me pass? I have to help the rabbit in the moon.”
“If you can stand the pain, you can pass. If you can’t, go somewhere else. Hi hi hi. You’ll definitely reach your precious moon!”
“So mean, so mean.” Mo cried out as he looks at the moon. It has risen above the branches and detours would take Mo a long way away. But suddenly, Mo sees a branch nearby, so he picks it up and uses it to brush the pebbles away with anger and hurt feelings.
“Take that you meanies! You meanies!” His body wracked with exhaustion, Mo threw the branch away and ran quickly to the grass.
On the red and white ground, the pebbles that got swept away scattered into groups. Those that are hard still flaunted their pointiness. Under the moonlight, one can see small droplets of water sink into the ground.
One Night Dew
Mo pushed himself through the thick glass, his eyes looking at the moon that floats above the grass. Even when it gets blocked he can still see the moon shining. The water from the humidity starts falling from the sky, hitting the grass and then hitting Mo. Mo feels cold, so he looked up at a droplet of water clinging onto him.
“Who are you?” Mo asked.
“I am a dew drop, that sparkles like precious stones.” A small voice replied.
“Your body is so wet and cool that you’re making me feel cold.”
“Of course, I come to bring moisture and coolness to the trees and grass. Why are you out? You should be in your snug and warm burrow with your family. If you stay outside touching me you can get sick.”
Mo feels touched that the dew drops cares about him. “I am going to help the rabbit in the moon. I feel sorry for the rabbit...dew drop, your body is so cold that I’m getting cold. I think I might get sick like you said. Can you stop dripping on me? I might get sick so I won’t be able to help the rabbit.”
“I’m sorry, but no.” The small voice declined. Mo can feel his spirits sinking. “I have to provide moisture to the trees and grasses thoroughly. I can’t make an exception for you. I wonder, why are you going to help the rabbit?”
“You don’t know?”
“Of course I don’t, I was only born tonight, and I would be gone by the morrow. The next night others would take my place. I don’t know much of anything.”
So, Mo tells the dew drop the story of the mischievous rabbit.
“The poor rabbit.” The dew drops cried out when Mo finished. It felt just as bad for the rabbit as Mo does. “You are such a good person to go helping the rabbit, I wish you luck.”
Mo starts hugging and covering himself, the dew drops are making his body incredibly damp and cold.
“Since you now know, can you stop dripping on me?” Mo begged the dew drops once again.
“I cannot, I can’t help you. Hmm, maybe I can give you a little advice. You can ask for leaves from the grass, just three or four should be enough to cover your head and let the leaves block me instead.”
“Thank you very much for the advice!” Mo thanked him. The small huddled body got up, invigorated by hope.
“Grass, sir, can I have just three or four of your leaves? I would like to weave your body into a great big sheet to block out the dew.”
The grass tells Mo that it would be happy to help.
Mo plucks out the leaves gently, afraid of hurting the grass. But the grass always remained cheerful and excited when the wind blew. Mo weaved together three leaves into a sheet and raised it to block the falling dew that would sometimes hit the sheet, pitter patter, pitter patter, with a soft sound.
Mo doesn’t feel cold anymore and he walks through the grass boldly, until he reaches an empty plain dotted with the occasional bush.
The dew still keeps on falling from the sky.
King of sweet-smelling flowers
Mo walked through the hard-packed ground, as fast as he liked. His sensitive nose picks up something sweet. In front of him is a tightly packed clump of trees. The smell came from them compelling Mo to stop.
The trees have a light green bark and their branches are filled with pink flowers. Their smell came from the flowers. Mo went closer dreamily; the smell is so good and it reminds him of a cozy burrow in the ground.
“You smell so nice, what’s your name?” Mo asks.
“My name is Sumara, I smell nice, yes?” The tree speaks proudly.
“You can come closer if you like, I’ll allow it. My scent can never run out.”
Mo steps closer and raises his head to get a good whiff of the pink flowers.
“There is a very intelligent animal who bestowed upon me the title of “King of sweet-smelling flowers”, equating my scent to that of flowers above. They bottled my scent in small little jars and declared me a luxury perfume. Do you know that up that way is a bunch of Chatuchas? They used to declare themselves the best scented flower and teased all of us about it relentlessly about how the intelligent animals liked them best. Their price was sky high and now look at them, all washed up. When the intelligent animals found me they worshipped my scent instead. It’s my smell that has the most value.”
Mo nods, “I believe you, your scent is really good and you look beautiful too.”
The Sumara beams, “You’re so adorable, I like you kid. Where are you going?”
“I’m journeying to the moon and I’ll help the rabbit imprisoned in the moon.”
“Oh my, kid, you really are cute. You want to help others and you appreciate my valuable scent. You can rest underneath me for a bit, I’ll allow it or you can take one of my flowers with you.”
Mo looks up at the moon, it’s still so far away he can’t afford to dally.
“I really have to go, so I’ll take your flower instead.”
“Ok sweetie.” And the green barked plant wobbled, sending a flower fluttering to the ground.
Mo bends over to pick it up. “Thank you very much, you’re so kind.”
Mo walks away, his right holding the weaved grass leaves and his left carrying the flower.
Multi-Colored Sumara
Mo sniffs the pink flower that is still just as fragrant as before. ‘My scent can never run out.’
The Sumara wasn’t merely boasting, Mo has been sniffing the flower for who knows how long and the smell doesn’t seem to be going away at all.
The wind, which was still, picked up. Mo takes a deep breath, the scent in the wind is constantly changing. This time the wind blew a very strange and sweet smell. Mo is befuddled and thought back to the words of the Sumara, ‘my scent is the most valuable’, but this time he wants to argue.
“What is this smell?” Mo asks himself. He thinks he should its owner. Mo made his feet move slower and takes a look around.
Within the empty plain, a solitary tree sticks out. If it is a large tree, Mo wouldn’t be so confused, but it is a small tree, the same size as the Sumara. Mo never saw a small tree standing alone like this, it must be so lonely.
Mo steps closer and sees that the small tree has a soft green bark and a tangle of branches filled with various multi-colored flowers, pink, white, purple, yellow, and red.
The shape and leaves are exactly like the Sumara, but the flowers are completely different except for the pink ones, and the superior smell.
Mo looks at it curiously, and asked it with a burning itch,
“Hello there, are you a Sumara?”
The green-barked tree stares at him, “Yes, I’m a Sumara.”
“Just now I met a bunch of Sumaras living together in a small clump. “ Mo turns and points towards them. “Isn’t being alone lonely?”
“Lonely?” The lone Sumara asked. “I’m not lonely, I’ve so much to do. Look at my flowers, I designed them all myself. Are they beautiful? Pink, White, Purple, Yellow, Red, right now I’m trying to create blue. I don’t have time to be lonely. After I finished producing Blue, I’m going to create Brown.”
“Why are your friends only making pink flowers? Why don’t they make more like you?” Mo asked.
“They probably don’t know how to do so. Before, I also only had pink flowers, but think about it, it was so boring that I could only create pink. It was so monotonous that I had to figure out a way to create more colors, and I did it. It wasn’t easy, you have to be skilled like me to do it. My scent also changed.” The Sumara bragged.
“Wow, you’re so creative! Your friends said that their fragrance is the best and most valuable but right now I believe that you smell even better, by a lot. Your scent would probably become the most valuable.
The Sumara smiled at Mo, “Truth is, they are Sumaras just like me, I should go to them and teach them how to make different colored flowers.”
The Sumara furrowed its brow in deep thought, “Yes, It’s a good idea, it's better for me to go and teach them.”
Mo exclaimed, “You’re such a nice person, your friends are over there. It’s not very far, good luck! I’ll be leaving now.”
The Sumara looked like it just realized something, “Oh my, I’ve been so busy talking about myself I still don’t know where you’re going.”
“I’m traveling to find the moon to rescue the rabbit trapped there.”
“And do you know the way?”
“My mommy told me the moon is, “Very far, far beyond the ocean, at the place where ground meets sky.”
“‘Beyond the ocean’.” The Sumara repeated those words to itself. “Then what are you doing here?”
“Well…” Mo stammered, pointing up at the moon. “The moon is this way, so I came here thinking I’ll eventually find the ocean.”
“There are no bodies of water this way, if you’re looking for one you have to go back.”
“How can that be? The moon is this way, if I turn back I’ll be walking away from the moon.” Mo retorted.
“Wrong again, kiddo.” The Sumara replied. “You might be seeing the moon this way now, but as the night progresses the moon travels from this section of the sky to another. That section is where the ocean is. You have to travel back.”
Mo’s composure broke, “You mean I walked the wrong way?”
The Sumara consoled Mo, “It’s not very far, but I think that I really want to go see the other Sumaras. Since you’re heading back anyway, I’ll go with you and we’ll keep each other company. Can you help show me the way back to my friends?”
“Of course!” Mo replied confidently, even when his morale dropped down. “Since I’m going back anyway, how can I refuse? Oh, I almost forgot, can you walk?”
“Of course, I can.” The Sumara replied confidently. “I might’ve never walked before but I see people walk past me everyday. I should be able to walk too but you have to help me.”
“Help you with what?”
“I’m going to uproot myself, you have to help pull me out.”
Mo placed the pink flower and the grass weave on the ground, grabbed the trunk of the Sumara, and pulled.
The dirt the Sumara is planted in began to crumble around it’s roots, eventually it’s grey roots began to show, as hard and as supple as someone’s leg.
Mo stared at the Sumara fragile-looking roots, “Your roots don’t look very strong, are you sure you can walk?”
“Of course.” The Sumara declared confidently as it’s roots pushed itself upwards and it began to walk cheerfully, faster than Mo imagined possible.
Mo hesitantly followed.
Difference
The dew kept on falling and the multicolored Sumara lepth up to touch them with delight at getting to see his friends again.
Mo felt happy for him, being alone for so long must be so lonely.
Then suddenly, the Sumara turned around to stare at Mo, who balked.
“This isn't right, the Sumara shook his head," I've no idea where I'm going and I'm walking in front. You have to be showing me the way.”
Mo thought about it. “You're right. I've to be guiding you. I forgot."
“Me too."
Mo took a deep breath. The feeling that he's been going the wrong way began to dissipate and his confidence began to return. Mo began running, running, running, and the Sumara ran after him.
Eventually, Mo stopped, panting, at the bush of Sumaras. He made better time than he thought.
The Sumaras looked at Mo suspiciously, greeting him and then they saw the multicolored Sumara walking behind him. The Sumaras were baffled, so they peered harder, at the trunk shape and the flowers. They all agreed that it was one of them, except with different colored flowers.
Mo barely kept himself from smiling because he knows why the Sumaras are so puzzled.
The multicolored Sumara also felt excited. He has so many friends and he smiled and greeted," Hello there.”
But the Sumaras ignored him and turned to Mo.
So Mo explained to them," This is a Sumara like you. I met him all alone so I told him about you guys. So he asked to come here so he could teach you how to make different colored flowers.”
“Yes I am." The Sumara continued talking. “Before, I used to only pink flowers like you guys. Do you find it boring? So I started producing differently colored flowers. Is my white beautiful? I like it the most. Red is good too. You can tell me what colors you want to make first and I’ll teach you, but it’ll be difficult.”
The Sumaras raised their heads and glanced at the white, the purple, the yellow, and the red flowers with deliberation before saying, “Disgusting.”
Mo was shocked and very surprised. Why are the kindly Sumaras who gave him their flower would say such a thing?
“What?” The Multicolored Sumara muttered.
“I said, ‘Disgusting’. You trashy Sumara, how dare you do something so embarrassing and not even notice. You think it’s oh so amazing, don’t you? To accomplish something so horrible? Producing white flowers, purple flowers, yellow flowers, and red flowers. Those colors are disgusting and your smell is awful. You’re a waste of a Sumara.”
“My flowers are disgusting?” The Sumara repeated to himself.
“And look at you, walking. Who would do something so unnatural? A walking Sumara! If word gets out it would be shameful. Walking around with all your roots exposed. Hmmp!”
The Sumara sunk into sadness. The flowers it once showed off so proudly drooped and it’s trunk lowered. Mo came towards him with sympathy, he couldn’t believe the once kind Sumaras can be so heartless.
“Hey kid, you can take this shameful display far from here, looking at it irritates me.”
Mo couldn’t hold himself back and said, “The Sumara’s colors and scent isn’t awful. I think it looks better and smell nicer than you!”
“What do you know? Any behavior that is abnormal is the most disgusting thing for us.”
Mo was about to reply when the multicolored Sumara interrupted, “Come on, let’s go.”
The two of them walked away sadly, no joyfully like they did when they approached and the thicket of Sumaras carefully watched them leave.
When they walked out of the Sumaras’ sight, the multicolored Sumara stopped and turned to ask Mo a question.
“Please tell me, are my flowers really disgusting?”
Mo shook his head.
“And my scent, is it not enticing?”
Mo shook his head again, “Of course not, your flowers are beautiful and your smell is amazing.”
“Then why did they say all that?”
Mo shook his head, he knew that the multicolored Sumara lost all his self-esteem, Mo would probably never see a blue Sumara flower or a brown Sumara flower ever again.
“You are going to the moon, correct?” The multicolored Sumara spoke up, “Look up.”
Mo stared up at the night sky, he could see the moon floating on the other side of the sky. The multicolored Sumara was right, the moon really does change direction.
“I think it’s better for you if you go back to your burrow. Go back to your family. You can’t save the rabbit on the moon.”
“Why can’t I?”
“I don’t know, ever since I sprouted until today I’ve always seen the rabbit on the moon. I figured it’s because they’re something that need to be together. If you can’t see the rabbit on the moon, the sky would be awfully empty.”
Mo quickly shot back, “Make it look more cheerful, more like it. Right now, the night sky is just dismal.”
“I probably can’t stop you, kid. You have a lot of conviction. I wish you luck. We’ll have to be parting ways here.”
And the two of them went down different paths silently.
Sharp Grasses
Mo sadly parted ways with the multicolored Sumara but the Sumara is probably far sadder and lonelier than Mo is.
Suddenly, Mo remembered and looked down at the pink Sumara flower, that he used think was so beautiful, before letting it fall down to the ground with disgust.
Mo thought about Mommy Mim’s words, “Go beyond the water at the place ground meets sky, there you will find the moon.”
When Mo passed through another thicket of grass so he asked it politely, “Do you know where I can find the source of water?”
“I heard that you can find water near a plain of rocks. Once you pass through me you will find a large tree, underneath the tree you will find a path well-worn by large animals. Follow it and you’ll find water.”
“Thank you.”
Mo followed the grass’s directions and quickly found himself at the large tree. It was large and majestic, creating a beautiful canopy of branches and leaves. When Mo looked at it closely, he could see that it was the same species as the tree outside his burrow.
Mo’s heart fluttered as he thought about mommy Mim and he promised to her, “Mommy, when Mo rescued the rabbit from in the moon, I’ll come back home immediately.” Mo stared at a slender leaf with multiple shades of green, even now it might not be as colorful as when the sun was shining it’s still beautiful. Mo supposed that when he’s a hero, mommy Mim will let him eat leaves that enticing. Around the base of the tree lies a dirt path just like the grass said but Mo could see a fork in it. Oh dear, which way should Mo go? Left, or right? As Mo hesitated, a shrill voice called out prompting Mo to look at his left. The speaker is a stalk of grass with clumps of sharp leaves growing on the path. “Hello there little boy, let me introduce myself. My name is sharp grass, where are you going?”
Mo felt relieved and he told the grass, “My name is Mo, I’m going to find the source of water. Do you know the way, left or right?”
The sharp grass laughed, “Come here boy, going left will quickly lead to water, the right is the wrong way.”
Mo thanked the sharp grass, “Thank you very much!” and walked down the left path. Along the way he had to constantly dodge the sharp grasses growing on trail. As he kept on walking, the sharp grasses kept on growing longer, until they’re almost as tall as he is. Mo had to keep pushing the grass away with his only empty hand, his left hand. After a while, Mo’s arm started stinging, so Mo looked down at it and to his surprise he saw it covered in cuts and lactations.
Thick red liquid trickled out of his wounds, first in little drops that slowly got bigger and bigger. The nearby sharp grasses looked fat and proud as they edged closer to Mo’s blood. Mo shrieked and backed away, “What are you doing? Drinking my blood?!”
The sharp grasses paused to look at Mo, “What’s this about getting all riled up? We just drank a little blood, that’s all.”
Mo shivered in fright as the sharp grasses grouped up against him again to cut his delicate skin. Mo had to leave behind his weaved grass cover against the dew so that he can use his hands to defend himself from the grasses haphazardly but it was useless. When he tried to shove the grass away it just springs back up again. Mo ended up resorting to ripping off the grass blades, eliciting cries of surprise and pain from the sharp grasses. Mo pulled, and pulled, and pulled out many blades of grass, any sharp grasses whose roots were not deep enough were pulled out entirely. Mo ran from the sharp grasses that thirst for blood until he stopped at the base of a large tree, in his hands is one of those grasses that had been pulled out at the roots unintentionally. Mo sat down underneath the tree and plopped the sharp grass down besides him.
“I’ve never encountered anybody as despicable and disgusting as you guys before.” Mo bawled out with tears in his eyes, “You tricked me so that you could drink my blood.”
The sharp grass lay down, tired and glaring at Mo.
“You’re the contemptible one, you’re crueler than we are.”
Mo was confused that he now was being accused, so he replied, “Shameless, accusing me of cruelty.”
“You don’t need to be constantly drinking blood to survive, but we have. If we can’t have blood we would die out.” The sharp grass’s voice grew louder, “We are going to die, we’re not any real danger to you but you have doomed many, many of us to death. Including me. I just needed a few tiny drips of your blood but you killed me. My body is all bruised, my roots are all torn, look at me.”
Mo was silent as he stared at the sharp grass lying prone on the ground.
And he replied with, “No, I was not in the wrong. If you have to harass and cut others to survive, how can you have any happiness?”
The Wind Changes
Mo leaned on the tree and licked at his wounds inflicted by the sharp grasses.
Every pebble and sharp grass are mean but Mo is no longer mad at them. All that’s left is pity. They live by hurting and harassing others; how can they find anyone who loves them?
Mo turned to the kind grasses who grows around the base of the tree. Mo thanked them for giving him their leaves to weave a cover against the dew. They told him the real way to the source of water, which is right. There were many animals that got tricked by the sharp grasses, forcing them to return with cuts and anger the grasses like Mo does.
Mo weaved a new cover. The area now feels quieter, the wind has changed direction and grasses, once waving in the breeze, now laid still.
“What happened?” Mo thought to himself, “What changed?”
Suddenly, Mo heard a noise moving towards him, causing Mo’s fur to stand up on end. His small body curling itself to look even tinier. He looked warily from side to side, Mo’s body is weak and tired, his resolve disappearing.
The noise grew closer and closer with every second, Mo hated that noise, it made him think somebody is creeping towards him with malicious intent. Mo squeezed his eyes shut as he cried, internally, for his mother.
A gust of cold wind blew over Mo, making him flinch and open his eyes. The wind blew over Mo, the grass, and the leaves.
Mo clutched the newly weaved grass cover closer to his chest and asked the wind, “Wind, sir, why are you making such a scary noise?”
The wind looked puzzled, “Scary noise? I’ve been sounding like this since forever.”
Mo shook his head, “Not true, the noise you’re making right now is very scary.” And Mo pleaded, very quietly, “Can you stop, please?”
“Nonsense.” The wind retorted. “How can I stop?” And the wind flew away without a care. The leaves on the tree, now, started making loud noises.
Mo whipped his head upwards and pleaded with the leaves, “Oh Leaf, sir, can you stop shaking? Your noise is very scary and making me feel uneasy.”
The leaves looked down at Mo, “Stop swaying? What is it, little guy? When the wind blows like that how am I supposed to stop swaying? It’s not possible.”
Mo bowed his head in defeat, nobody cares about how he feels. Mo sat down and plugged his ears but the sound of the wind rustling the leaves made their way through. Having enough, Mo got up and declared, “I can’t stand this anymore, you’re all intentionally bullying me!” Mo ran from his resting place before jumping back when he nearly went down the wrong path, moving back to the right.
The round ball
Mo ran as fast as he could. You wouldn’t believe just how fast small little Mo can run when suddenly, Wham! Mo ran into something, hard and round. Whatever that round thing was, it’s bigger than Mo.
“I’m sorry,” Mo muttered, “I didn’t see you so I ran into you.”
Mo slowly got back up to his feet.
“It’s okay,” The circular thing spoke, “Say, what are you running from so quickly?”
“I ran away from the sound of the wind.”
“You ran away from the sound of the wind,” The round thing said skeptically, “Why?”
“Because he was scaring me, his noise is very spooky.”
“And did he do anything to you?”
“No, nothing.” Mo shook his head.
“So why are you afraid of him?” The round thing chastised, “If he did anything to you it's a whole ‘nother story.”
“His sound was scary.” Mo tried to argue back.
“I lay here and hear him every day and every night, I never found him scary.”
“Because usually his noise isn’t scary but just now it was cold and different. He was intentionally scaring me.”
“I think it’s all in your head.” The round thing stopped to think, “How about this, you sit still, no moving, no speaking, just staying still for a short while?”
Mo was surprised but did as the round thing said. After a while, he heard the wind blowing.
“Can you hear anything?” The round thing asked.
“Yes, of course.”
“Is it the wind?”
“Yes.”
“Is it scary?”
Mo stayed quiet for a while listening intently before shaking his head, “No… not scary at all. He must’ve seen you with me so he’s not being scary.”
“Are you sure?” The round thing reiterated, “Is the noise different from when you ran? Listen carefully.”
Mo stayed completely quiet, listening intently once again and he had to admit that the sound isn’t any different from when he was resting at the tree.
“That’s strange, the noise isn’t any different but why am I not scared?”
So the round thing said, “That’s it, this means the wind isn’t targeting you, you spooked yourself.”
Mo exclaimed, “Wow, I’m was being terrible.” Mo scolded himself, “Scaredy cat spooking himself and blaming everybody else.”
“Not completely,” The round thing soothed him, “You’re a brave and capable kid, you’re small but able to go on a journey by yourself.”
Mo felt shy by the praising so he tried to deflect it, “You never told me your name, my name’s Mo.”
“My name is rock.”
“Rock.” Mo rolled the word in his mouth. “So you must know about the rocky plains. Can you tell me the way?”
“Of course I do,” The rock replied, “My kin are over this way, just keep on moving forward and you’ll find them.”
“Thank you very much!” Mo thanked him and started on his way, his heart still warm with praise, “Brave and capable.”
The traveling waters
Mo traveled according to the rock’s direction and after a while heard something roaring from in front of him, but it doesn’t scare him. The words ‘brave’ and ‘capable’ are still filling him with confidence. It was very loud so whoever is making it is probably very big. Mo could smell something, something strange. It must be whoever’s making that loud noise.
When Mo reached the rocky plains, he met the noise-maker and the one giving off the strange smell. It was a stream of water rushing loudly against it’s banks. Mo knew instantly that it’s what he has been searching for.
“Hello Mr., are you the stream of water?” Mo asked.
“Yes, my dear, what’s your name?” The stream asked back.
Mo was elated, his efforts are paying off. “My name is Mo.”
“Hello there Mo, it looks like you came from far away. Come and drink from me to refresh yourself.”
“Thank you.” Mo answered gratefully and bent down for a drink of cool water.
Mo drank greedily, for the first time just realizing how thirsty he is. He drank until his stomach was full. Mo then sat down from exhaustion and stared at the water with confusion.
“Do you always travel this way?”
“Yes, I’m traveling all the time.”
“Don’t you get tired?” Mo remembered when he ran, ran, and ran towards the group of Sumaras, even such a short distance was tiring.
“Of course, I get tired, but I have to keep on flowing like this.” The stream replied.
“You can stop to rest at night and keep on flowing during the day.” Mo proposed.
“I can’t do that, streams can’t stop flowing they have to always keep on moving.”
“Why?”
“I don’t actually know, but I just know that I can’t stop moving. I have to always keep flowing. It’s always been like this since ancient times.” The stream answered.
“Oh right, who am I to bother you with your own business. Um, but I do have to ask you something, is your destination far away?”
“There is no destination for my journey.” The stream clarified.
Mo’s train of thought jerked to a stop, “No destination? That can’t be true. Mommy Mim told me I have to go to the end of the water at the place the ground meets sky. The moon would be there.”
But the stream stood by what it said.
“What I said is through, there is no ‘end’ to the ocean. Why should I lie to you? A tiny stream like me flows into a river and from the river into the vast sea. Even if my path is blocked by great rocks, I’ll still keep on flowing. I have to find a way to keep moving forwards, even if I have to make a detour or erode those rocks away. There is no ‘end’ or ‘destination’ for me.”
Mo cried out, “That can’t be true!”
“Why are you so troubled?”
“I’m going to rescue the rabbit in the moon, mommy Mim told me the moon is at the end of water.”
“You are going to rescue the rabbit in the moon,” The stream repeated to itself, puzzled. “Why are going to rescue it?”
Mo felt frustrated, why is everyone so puzzled. Do they not feel bad for the rabbit? “Don’t you feel sorry for the rabbit? It’s stuck in the moon, it can’t go anywhere else.”
“Has it never occurred to you, that the rabbit might like being in the moon where it can look down on the whole earth?”
“That’s not true, even when I’m in my burrow, which is larger than the moon, it’s still cramped. I better get on with my journey.”
The stream sighed and stared at Mo, knowing that he can’t be persuaded to stop.
“If you insist on going, I’ll help you. But I’ll say it again, there is no destination for me to stop at. There is no ending for us.”
“It’s fine, just tell me what to do.” Mo is very enthusiastic because he just wants it to be over.
“You find a log the right size, lay it on me, and hold on to it. I’ll take you on your journey.”
“Thank you very much.” Mo declared excitedly.
He quickly looked for an adequate log but there were only rocks nearby. No trees, so where can he find a log? Mo decided to go back to the large tree on the path and take a log from there. After only a little while, Mo came back smiling and carrying a log he can ride on.
And so, Mo and the log rode down the river together.
A layer of blue covering the world from above, and a layer of dirt covering the world from below. From the very edge of the sky the sun sets moving from the sky to the ground. The stream flows through a winding path with a log riding on it. On the log is a sleeping small figure. That figure is Mo. The grass he weaved together to block out the dew is long gone, fallen to who-knows-where, so he was covered with dew drops. The dew looked at him with pitying eyes as she cannot avoid falling on him. Such is the life of a dew drop. The stream carried the log and Mo for a while before deciding to wash him ashore on a rocky river bank.
The stream believed they did the best they could, tomorrow this child’s mother should be able to find him.
Back Home
Something rough but warm was touching Mo, who opened his eyes. The sunlight forced him to blink, Mo sat there dazed before getting up. Mo was wasted, there, the sun shines piercing his eyes, the moon nowhere to be seen. Mo and the log aren’t flowing down the river but is instead lying on a rocky river bank. And Mo sees mommy Mim sitting next to him, with tears in her eyes.
“Why did you do this Mo?”
Mo dashed towards her and licked her face.
“Mo is so sorry that he didn’t tell mommy Mim first.”
Mim brought Mo back to their burrow.
Mim told him that, after Mo left the burrow, she woke up and walked to check up on him in his bed. Only to find him missing, she was shocked and quickly left the burrow to look for him, until she found him.
When Mim heard the reason for Mo’s leaving the burrow, she took a deep breath and told him, “Nobody can rescue the rabbit in the moon, because the moon is far away. Far beyond the edges of water, far away into infinity. And the rabbit will be with the moon for all of eternity.”
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Years of experience: 5. Registered at ProZ.com: Jun 2019.
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