No one is reading this blog anymore, and I guess that is ok.
So yesterday Jason read me this folk tale from Children of Wax: African Folk Tales
"Do you want to hear the introduction to a Tom Robbins novel, or the Pumpkin story?" he asked.
You already know how we feel about Tom Robbins.
So I picked the pumpkin story.
To paraphrase: Elephants move into a family's community, they start eating all the pumpkins, the sole source of food and nutrition, the family determines they must move, do something, or starve. But they can't fend off the elephants in a normal fashion because they are huge and very strong.
So the oldest boy gets a brilliant idea: let's hollow out the biggest pumpkin we can find, cover the youngest boy in fat and squeeze him instead, lure an elephant into EATING the pumpkin, boy stabs elephant's heart from inside the body, all the other elephants witness this and freak out and leave.
Turns out the youngest boy is not so much invested in this plan. But, since all his brothers think it is a great idea, youngest boy is talked into going along it. The winning line? All the other boys say, "There is nothing that can go wrong with this plan."
And, not to be a plot spoiler, but it works. Youngest boy hangs out in the pumpkin until he is eaten, cuts his way out of the pumpkin and kills the elephant, cuts his way out of the elephant and his family cleans him up and celebrates his success, elephants freak out and go away, and all is well with the world again.
There is nothing that can go wrong with this plan!
I can't find this story anywhere else on the internet. Aren't you glad you're still reading my blog?
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#1- I still read it, but that last thing you posted was about moving desks. MONTHS AGO.
ReplyDelete#2- Sorry, people, elephants trump. You need to get the f out now, because those other elephants are going to plan their revenge, and elephants NEVER FORGET.
#3- I think I've used enough all caps to prove my point. That is all.
...it's going to take awhile before I can fully "digest" that tale. ZING. Sad, sad little zing.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I like how what seems to be the worst brotherly advice since Joseph's brother said "Hey, Joe, come check out this neat pit we made!" turns out to be entirely successful, and "saves" the horrible pumpkin people from the poor hungry elephants.
It's like Jonah and the whale, if Abraham, Moses, etc. had said "Jonah, the whale is eating all our fish. Disguise yourself as a fish, then kill it. This plan is foolproof" and Jonah had gone ninja on the whale and all the whales ran away. Wait, isn't that what DID happen?
Still reading! And I want to know how an elephant can eat a pumpkin without realizing it is also eating a knife-wielding boy.
ReplyDeleteI heard Balla Kouyate & World Vision play today. The balafon was pretty straightforward (think xylophone made out of rosewood, gourds and bamboo), as were the guitars and the drums (many drums - think drums). But I don't have any earthly clue what all the singing was about (think not-in-English). But I think now that it might have been the story about the boy and the pumpkin and the elephant. A great coincidence.
ReplyDeleteBalla is all pleased with himself because his name is the same as the instrument he plays (think Sousaphone). I give them mad props for rocking the hall. I am all pleased with myself because I have the cd. The elephant - well, kind of bites for the elephant. Elephant probably wishes you'd stuck with Tom Robbins. That was probably what the 2nd song they did was about.
http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.aspx?epk_id=180809
A folk tale on the internet with elephants and pumpkins? Of course it will be read.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the recent story of the python (or was it a boa constrictor?) who swallowed the alligator (which could have been a crocodile) that was only pretending to be dead. When it (the 4-legged one) woke up inside the snake (imagine his surprise), s/he kicked and scratched and clawed its way out of the snake--sideways. Yes, I saw the photo. Eeyewwwwww.
ReplyDeleteLove, Mom
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