Storytelling, Week 6: Wishful Consequences

(Wishing Fountain.  Flickr.)

In a small village in Laos, there lived a man by the name of Cain, whom most call Ai Cain with 'Ai' meaning big brother, because he was the oldest of all those that worked as a bull and cattle herder.  Laos is considered to have tropical weather year-round and winter considered as monsoon season.  Because of the tropical weather, it can get quite hot in the summer, to the point of scorching hot.

Ai Cain was okay with his position, but hated the heat very much.  He hated it so much that he wished he could be a cow, because they live so leisurely and travel with whomever takes them.  They also don’t seem so bothered by the heat.  Ai Cain spoke of this to a worker of his and he happened to know someone who could fulfill his wish.  This person was the village’s lady shaman that lived in a hut-like home.

Ai Cain had gone to visit her beyond the village travelling by foot in the scorching hot weather and was even surer of wanting this transformation.  Nearing her home, he sees a short, little lady standing by the open door.  She had been waiting for him to arrive.  He asked her to change him into a cow for he wanted to live a simple life.  She scrunched her brows, looking concerned; she mentioned that there would be consequences.  He didn’t care for such as he didn’t believe in karma or fate.

Without hesitation, she brought him to her backyard and there she built a fire.  Ai Cain, as curious as he was, wondered why she created a fire when it was already hot.  She pressed her index finger to her lips, while closing her eyes.  She then pressed her hands together in the form of prayer hands, standing tall and still.  She reaches to her back pocket where she kept some herbs, knowing she would perform the ritual and grabs a handful dousing it into the fire and begins her chant.  Letting the fire burnout on its own in order for the transition to take place, Ai Cain passes out. 

He awakens the next day in the village next to his cart. He stands, confused, looking down and behind him; he sees hooves rather than hands and feet as well as a furry back and a tail.  He wants to scream for joy, but can’t and instead he snorts a few snorts of glee. 

Ai Cain notices that he is attached to his cart, not free to move.  His worker that helped him find the shaman has also taken his place in leading the herd.  They begin to move and herd the cattle and bulls.  As this occurs, Ai Cain’s worker whips him to move faster.  Though furious, there is nothing he can do.  They arrive at a stop and his worker feeds him some grass and water, not knowing that he is Ai Cain himself.  Ai Cain, hurt from the whippings, is still hot from the sun as well but after drinking his water, he realizes that this was his consequence.  Rather than living as a cow for the rest of his life, he decides that he wants to become the ocean.  He prays to be the ocean and hopes the shaman heads his prayer. 

Sensing his prayer, the shaman knew he would regret being a cow and helps him in his transition to become the ocean.  She walks out to her yard and does the same ritual as before. The transformation is a process and so he must endure the rest of his day as a cow.  Arriving in a town near his village, unsure whether his wish was granted he falls asleep waiting for the next day.

It arrives and as he awakens, he feels a cool breeze and his body moving as a current beneath the sun.  He is the ocean!  Feeling blessed, he feels as if there will be nothing wrong from hereon.  

Enjoying the breeze he begins to feel the fish swimming within him and he notices a boat riding the waves.  He then feels sharp pains as the people try to fish with their sharp rods.  With the unpleasantness of this, he wishes no more to be the ocean.  As night falls, he sees the moon in all its bright, serenity.  He wishes to be the moon and hopes the shaman heads his prayer.

The shaman, growing weary of his wants, she gives him one last chance.  Unbeknownst to him, she changes him with the same ritual, but this time rather than letting the fire burnout, at the end of the ritual, she pours water into the fire to end his cycle.

With all of the turmoil, Ai Cain’s day has ended as the ocean and his soul is immediately transferred to the moon.  Cast out in the night sky, looking down on everyone, he smiles with pure joy that he no longer has to suffer the heat of the day and the torture of those around him.

‘Lo and behold the next day arrives, the sun is out and so is he.  Hiding in the sky, he opens his eyes, feeling a burning sensation.  He looks above him, not very far off the horizon, the sun is still beaming on him.  He can’t escape the sun!  Upset, he prays for the shaman to help him.  As the shaman walks out of her home, looking up she tells him she can no longer help and explains why. 

From then on he must suffer the heat of the sun in the day and lonesome nights above.

Author's Note:  I chose this story of The Man in the Moon, because it resonated with me.  Not only being a story from my parent's country, but just one that teaches all of us that you must suffer the consequences given to you.  The original story is about a man who was a blacksmith and he changed into various forms, because he hated the heat from working as a blacksmith.  In the end he becomes the moon and cannot change back, because he has changed too much.  I tried a different writing style this time around with no dialogue.  I felt this could be better off as a narrative, though it is long and may be a tough read, but I hope it offers a story-telling experience!

Bibliography:  Laos Folk-Lore: The Man in the Moon by Katherine Neville Fleeson.