Delights For Children
The Bread of Life
story by Amara Wahaba Karuna © 1998
Once, a long time ago, there was a young woman named Mari who was very unhappy. Nothing in her life seemed right. All the things she did during the day, even the things that used to be fun, seemed empty and unimportant. She had a good husband and a beautiful child, and she had friends and a pretty cottage on the edge of her village, but somehow she always felt a hungry, sad feeling in her heart. She tried to talk about it with her friends, but no one seemed to understand. They told her to cheer up and not think about it.
One day the young woman was walking to visit a friend in the next village, and she decided to take a different path. This new path went past a plain little house. The little house was very small and simple, but it was surrounded by bright flowers, and Mari heard a sweet sound of an old woman singing. The sound seemed to come inside her heart and curl up like a purring kitten, and she felt a sudden longing. She looked for the old woman and found her in her garden, tending her flowers.
"Oh, Grandmother," said Mari, "what is the song you are singing? I would like to learn it."
The old woman looked at her with very deep eyes like pools of fresh water, and smiled a smile that filled her whole wrinkled face. "Oh, you would? Well, come in to my house and we will talk about it."
They spent a long time talking, and the young woman found herself explaining about how she felt empty inside, and how nothing seemed to make her happy, and the old woman seemed to understand completely. Mari cried for a while, and the Grandmother held her hand. The Grandmother's house seemed to be full of a peaceful, joyful feeling. It was not like anything she found at home, and it eased the aching in her heart. She thanked the old woman and went on her way, and then later she realized that she had never learned the song.
She went back again the next day and said "Grandmother, will you teach me the song you were singing? It sounded so beautiful."
"Ah child, that song is very old and very long. It is a magic song for making the bread of life. It would take a long time for me to teach it to you."
"What is the bread of life?" she said eagerly.
The old woman got up and brought out a small loaf of very dark, coarse bread. It looked very plain and dull and ordinary.
"Is this the magic bread, Grandmother? It looks so plain."
"Magic hides in plain packages. Look at it with more that your eyes."
Mari picked up a piece of the bread and held it. It smelled good. She took a little bite, and even though the taste was very simple, it sent a warm wave of good feeling all through her body. She ate the whole piece, while the old woman hummed a lovely tune, and she felt a full, contented feeling inside that she had not felt for a long time. She leapt up and hugged the old woman.
"Oh thank you, thank you! This is exactly what I have been wanting! Please show me how to make it."
"Go home and rest for now, child, and think about whether you really want to give me all the time it will take to learn. Making the bread of life is both a blessing and a burden, and does not come easily."
Mari went home and thought about it. Inside her heart now there was a longing, like a burning, for more of the bread. It felt much better than the lost empty feeling. Now she knew what she was hungry for. She went back the next day and said "Grandmother, I don't care how hard it is, or how long it takes. There is nothing else I want in this world but learning this magic."
"Very well, daughter, I will teach you. But I must tell you, it will take you many years to make the bread as I have. It is a skill that grows with time. There are many songs to learn, not just one. This bread is food for the heart, daughter, that cures every ill. It is not made in a day."
She took Mari out to a field full of grain growing, golden in the sun. "There is a song of hope for planting the grain, a song of birthing as it sprouts, and a song of joy and plenty as it grows and ripens. There is a song of death and letting go for the harvesting, and a song of wildness and unbinding for the grinding of the grain. There is a song of willing surrender for the kneading of the bread, and a song of fire and purity for the baking. There is a song of thanksgiving and peace for the eating of the bread. Some of these songs are difficult to sing. Are you still sure you want to learn?"
Mari closed her eyes and felt the deep hunger inside her, which was all the sharper for having had a taste of being full.
"Nothing else is as important that this. I want to learn."
"You must promise to keep these secrets until the time is right to share them."
"When will I know the time is right?"
"You will know."
So she began a long time of study with the old woman. She learned the songs and practiced them at home. She got some grain and planted a small patch, and sang to it. She began to be happier and it seemed she had more love to give everyone. Slowly she learned to harvest the grain and bake the bread, and one day it seemed to her that her own bread tasted even better than the old woman's had, just because she had made it herself. Her family prospered. They got used to hearing her always singing strange but beautiful melodies. People noticed the change in her, but no one asked what had caused it, so she did not explain.
Years went by, and gradually her bread began to be as rich and dark as the old woman's. And she began to feel as though it was not right to keep this magic bread all to herself and her family. There were so many people around her who were suffering and unhappy, and she wanted to help. So one day she packed a basket of the bread and went out into the village.
She went up to one friend and said, "I am bringing you this gift of magic bread of life, which is food for the heart and can cure every ill."
"What?" Said her friend, "How could bread cure every ill? Are you crazy? Is this a trick?" She turned and walked off angrily.
Another person said, "Oh thank you dear, but I am too busy right now and we really don't need any bread."
A third person took some to be polite, but thought later, "How could that be magic bread? It is so coarse and bland. I will give it to my dog."
She approached a rich man, who said "How dare you offer me this ugly bread? I have everything anyone could ever want already. If I am ill, I will hire a doctor. Leave my sight before I have you arrested as a fake."
Another friend took some, and ate it thoughtfully, and thanked her, but turned down taking more, saying "I am not very hungry right now."
Mari walked along feeling sad. She wanted to share the magic bread, but no one seemed to want it or need it. Then she noticed a couple of children sitting by the road, crying. She went up and asked what was wrong.
"Our mother has beaten us again and sent us away without dinner," said the boy. "We are so hungry and cold." Mari sat with them and hugged them, and wordlessly gave them some of the bread. Their little faces lit up with pleasure and happiness. They ate it greedily and asked for more, and felt stronger inside as they ate. As Mari walked away, they watched her until she was out of sight.
A while later, she found a man who was very ill, resting by the road, and stopped to talk with him. His eyes were very sad. She offered him some bread, and he took it gladly, touched by her friendly gift. After she was gone, he ate the bread and immediately began to feel better. So Mari went home to make more bread, happy to have found some people to share it with.
After a while, people began to come to her house, to talk and to eat the wonderful bread she always offered. Years went by, and people came and went, but no one asked how to make the bread or sing the songs. Then one day, the boy who she had seen on the road, who was now a young man, came to visit with four of his friends. They asked, "Mother Mari, why are you so happy? How can you help so many people and not be tired?"
She laughed and said "I know how to make the magic bread of life, which is food for the soul and cures all ills. It keeps me full and happy."
One of his friends became scornful and said, "That is impossible. There is no magic that can cure all ills." He walked proudly out the door.
Another friend said, "Tell us more about the magic bread." So Mari sang for them the planting song of hope, and they all listened intently and felt a fierce longing inside for more. They came back day after day, and Mari began to teach them the songs. She felt that the time was right.
One of them stopped coming back after a while, because she was too busy and other things were demanding her time. One of them kept forgetting to practice the songs at home, and so he did not feel any progress or satisfaction and became discouraged, and stopped coming. One of the friends planted some grain and then gave up when it was eaten by insects, and thought that this was all too much trouble.
But the young man was determined and kept coming back, and learning the songs. He kept coming until he learned to bake his own bread.
And eventually others came and learned as well, and sometimes they gathered in close circles to share their bread together. And when they shared in this way, they felt as though nothing could be better in the whole world. And they were never hungry again.
And so it was, and is, and shall be always.
The Eccentric Princess
Children's story by Amara Wahaba Karuna © 1990
Every so often, Princess Estelle would talk to faeries. It only happened when she was alone in her garden, quietly looking at the beauty of the flowers, and thinking of how perfectly they were made. On one such morning, when she was six, she was feeling very happy to be away from the bustle of the court, and her many sisters and brothers, and her many servants and nurses. The sun was shining warmly, making her drowsy, and she lay down on her side and studied the grass and leaves and many tiny bugs scurrying about. All at once she saw a tiny being, a delicate shimmering person, about three inches high. It was moving about the flowers with the fast fluttering movements of a hummingbird, touching here and there, stroking a petal sometimes and singing in a soothing sweet tone. Estelle's heart beat fast, and she felt happier than she had ever been in her life. Suddenly the faerie turned to look at her with it's rainbow colored eyes, and said "You were never meant to be a princess, you know." Estelle was shocked. She had always felt this way, but had only been laughed at when she tried to tell her nurse. "I know", she answered "but there's nothing I can do about it now". "Someday there will be", said the little being, "someday you will find a man with a strange name, who sells funny things from other lands, and he will help you." Then it leapt into the air, twirled and disappeared into the leaves.
Estelle saw the faeries a few more times after that, but none spoke to her. As she got older, she had less and less time to wander in the garden, because she was learning all the things a princess ought to know, like embroidery, and royal manners, and how to look beautiful and give orders. She felt more and more unhappy. She grew up to be a rather ordinary looking girl, with a face that was strong rather than pretty like her sisters. She loved to ride horses, and managed to spend quite a bit of time riding with her favorite brother, Edward. And she had a beautiful voice and quite a talent with music. But her royal parents were not pleased with her attitude. She was known as Estelle the Eccentric. Estelle thought to herself, "Who wouldn't be a little eccentric growing up as a princess? I hate this drafty, uncomfortable castle, and being always surrounded by simpering servants who watch your every move, and being expected to be perfectly gracious and courtly all the time! It's enough to drive anyone crazy!" Her other brothers and sisters did not seem to mind, they liked being able to order the servants around and she thought they were all terribly selfish and petty and dishonest.
What she really wanted, and dreamed about all the time, was to be just an ordinary person, just a peasant, with her own life and the freedom to do what she pleased. Or better yet, a gypsy craftswoman, someone who made beautiful clothes or strung beads from faraway places together to make jewelry. She didn't mind working for her living. In fact it seemed she would go mad in the castle at times, because all she ever did were useless things that never made any difference or helped anyone in a real way. The servants did all the work and the men made all the important decisions. When she was thirteen, she began to be more and more rebellious, refusing to appear at court functions or do any of what was asked of her. Finally her father became so furious that he summoned her privately to scold her. She interrupted his long list of complaints about her behavior, saying at last what she had always wanted to say, "I hate being a princess! I would do anything to be an ordinary person and have a life of my own!"
"Oh you would!" roared her father, "Well we'll see if that can be arranged!" He was sure that she did not mean what she said, and that she was merely a child needing to be taught a lesson. "You shall see what it is to be an ordinary person, then, and you'll soon come begging to be a princess again!" He quickly arranged a secret plan. She would go to live with some peasants in the country of his kingdom, pretending to be a daughter of a court servant. No one would know who she really was, so they would not treat her in a special way. And he would tell the court and all her brothers and sisters that she was away in another country studying music with a great teacher. He banished her from court for four years, saying "You'll get a taste of what life is like without servants, fine food and silk dresses! When your hands are roughed with work and your attitude is humbled, you can return."
Estelle could barely believe that her fondest dream was about to come true. She bowed her head so her father could not see how happy she was with his punishment. She was sent off quietly one night, with only a few dresses from the kitchen servant's daughter, to her new home. She was to be called Ellie from then on, never revealing her true past.
Her father was not a cruel man, and he had chosen her new home carefully. It was with a family of farmers living just outside a small village, who had only one daughter, of Ellie's age. The farmer was a good, honest man, and his wife was a strong, pleasant person with a plain face and a hearty smile. They were glad to have another person to help them with their farm and to keep their daughter company. They were surprised at how little she knew of all the skills of daily work, but she said that was because of living at court, where only a few certain tasks were required of her. But she learned fast, and her happy face and willing attitude added a lot to their little household. Soon she could cook, sew and mend, spin, wash and clean, find healing herbs, milk cows, and do every other chore around the farm as well as anyone. Also, the farmer was a musician who played a flute at the fairs in the town, and many evenings the family would all gather and sing and play folk tunes.
The years sped by for Ellie as the most wonderful she had ever had. Now she could move about as she liked, wear comfortable cotton clothes and not be afraid to tear or soil them a bit. She could run through the fields with her hair loose and her feet bare. Her muscles grew strong and her skin brown, and she grew into a young woman. She could share secrets with her foster sister Karyn, and laugh with the other young people in the town. And, best of all, she was loved and needed by these people. For the first time, she felt like she was wanted for herself, not for a role she must play. She was not one of a crowd of royal children, but was now free to be herself.
She dreaded the end of the three years, knowing that she would soon be married to someone chosen by her father whom she did not even know, and forever imprisoned in the walls and tight dresses and the roles of the court. She grew more sad an withdrawn as the time came nearer, and finally Karyn asked "Ellie, what's wrong? You seem sad all the time now". Ellie began to cry and told her, "Alas, I am so sad because soon I must leave you to return to court, and to my parents who do not love me, and I'll have to marry someone I do not love and be trapped behind the castle walls all the rest of my life." And she sobbed deeply as Karyn held her and said "No, we can't let it happen Ellie! There must be a way out for you. Maybe I could help you to run away?"
And then Ellie remembered what the faerie had said and told Karyn all about it, and Karyn got very excited and told her, "Ellie! I heard of a man just like that who just came to town! His name is Trolum Rolum Rue, and he comes with a caravan of the strangest people, who sing and act and sell the oddest things from faraway lands. Let's go see him- perhaps he can help you!" So the young women asked to go to town and see the traveling show, and eagerly set out, full of hope.
They arrived in town mid afternoon, and there was already a crowd gathered to watch the entertainers. The pair pushed their way to the front an saw a brightly painted set of wagons, which seemed to be well worn from travel and full of mysterious items. Ellie could see into the back of one, and she caught a glimpse of colorful embroidered fabrics, silver bells, tassels and gleaming metals. Out side, the minstrels were singing and a juggler was doing amazing things with swords. One old woman was reading people's futures in another wagon.
Ellie's eyes were drawn to one figure, a young man dressed in flashy satins with glittering silver chains around his neck. His skin was darker than most local people, and his eyes were deep brown and flashed like his clothes. He wasn't the most beautiful man she'd ever seen, but he was full of joy and life, and he looked like someone you could trust.
He was just now picking up a harp and beginning to strum, as the juggler was finished with his act. He settled down near where she was sitting, and began to sing an old song from another land. Ellie's heart leapt to her throat, as that was a song which her old music teacher has taught her long ago, and was one of her favorites. He played beautifully, and the music took her back in time, back to the happier days of her childhood. She listened for a while, entranced, and then found herself singing along, her clear high voice blending perfectly with his. He looked down at her, surprised, and smiled, and they sang the rest of the tune together, in perfect harmony. When it finally ended, the hushed crowd clapped wildly, and Ellie realized how brash she had been and blushed.
The young man, however, was beaming at her, and drew her forward to take a bow with him. She felt warm at the applause, and smiled. He said "Maiden, would you join me in another song?" "If I know it," she said shyly. He motioned to his companions to join in, and soon there were four other musicians on the little stage, and they all started to play a lively local folk tune with great gusto. Soon the crowd began to whirl through the fast movements of the dance, weaving in and out. Ellie sang with all her energy, her wide smile matching those of the other musicians and of many folks in the crowd. How good it felt to be part of this celebration and joy!
They played for a good long while, until everyone was tired and it was time to go home. Karyn and Ellie stayed and laughed with the performers, who all praised Ellie for her fine singing. "May I ask your names, fair maids?" said the young man. "I am Ellie, and this is Karyn," she answered. "And who might you be, sir?"
The young man grinned and his eyes twinkled as he swept off his hat and said, "Trolum Rolum Rue, troubadour and peddler and adventurer across many lands, at your service- call me Rue." Then he introduced his companions. "This is Betha, our cook, wise woman and prophetess," and an old woman smiled a friendly wrinkled smile from under her shawl. A dark older man in a long robe nodded silently, his sharp eyes missing nothing, as he was introduced as "Sadik, her husband and my adviser in all things." The other musicians were Jaques, who played the lute and was also the juggler and acrobat; Hugh, a large blond man with bulging muscles who had been playing the drum, and Elan the piper, a quiet man who was also a jeweler and scribe. Lastly there was Eric, a dashing sort of fellow who looked as young as Rue but a bit more wild, who had been playing on a dulcimer earlier. "May we offer you dinner, ladies?" said Rue, "I'd love the chance to talk with you more..."
"He'd love the chance to sweep you off into our troupe, more likely," remarked Eric, grinning, "and steal you from your mother's hearth into the wild world."
"As well he might," laughed Jaques, "for it's not often that we find a comely maid with so sweet a voice and so brave a heart as to join in with our music." Everyone laughed and Ellie flushed with pleasure, and her heart tugged with longing, because that was exactly what she wanted to do. Karyn said, "We are sorry, kind sir, but for today we must go home so our mother does not worry after us. But perhaps tomorrow we may ask to stay out later."
"Yes, do return tomorrow and sing with us again, please!" they all begged. So they agreed, and the next day they came into town early to spend the day. It was a glorious day for Ellie; full of sunshine, laughing faces, dancing people, joyous music, and the warm presence of Rue, who's eyes followed her with appreciation. Some other young men had shown interest in her before, but she had always ignored them, knowing that she would soon leave to return to her royal duties. This man was different in many ways. For one thing, he showed interest in her without treating her like a prize to be won, or a bird to be captured. She felt attractive just being herself, and it made her glow. For another thing, he was more compelling and powerful than any of the village men, and besides, he was just like the man that the faerie said would come to help her.
They took a break during the middle of the day, and went on a walk together on the country roads, ending up by a stream. They sat in the coolness of the shady trees, and talked about life. She told him of her hatred of court life and the shallow, empty games of the royal house, and how she had always longed to travel and have adventures in many lands. He told her of the distant land that was his home, and how he was the seventh of nine brothers in a court family, and never had a taste of really living til he left with his friends several years ago. He knew several languages, at least a bit of them, and many arts of the theater and sports. He told her of many adventures they had found in their travels. They lost track of time in the pleasure of being together, and had to run back to the village, laughing.
That evening she stayed near him as they all ate together around a huge campfire. At last Sadik stood and stretched and said, "Well, young ones, it's time to be sleeping, because we have a long road to follow at dawn this morning." "Oh, you're not leaving!" said Ellie, startled. "Well, yes, Ellie," said Eric, "We can't be staying here forever, can we? We follow the road to find new crowds to please and new things to learn, and adventures."
She turned to Rue in shock, and he took her arm and said "Come, I'll walk you home, it's very dark now." As they walked down the dark road, her mind raced. This was her last chance to escape her dim future. She thought about going with him, and what it would mean. Would she have to marry him? Perhaps that would not be so bad, but she wanted to know him better. She thought of how tiring, and frightening it might be to always be traveling, meeting new people, seeing new places, facing dangers at times. She was very quiet as she thought about it. But it was very clear that this kind of life, though it hold many problems, was far better than the gilded cage which waited for her at her father's house.
At last she spoke. "Rue, will you take me with you?"
He stopped and turned to face her, only moonlight showing her the mixed expression on his face. "Ellie," he said quietly, "Do you know what you are asking? Are you sure you have not been overcome by the glamor of the troubadour's life, and will regret such a rash move within a fortnight?"
"I know that I cannot remain here, to return to my father and a loveless life. With you, there is hope at least. It is what I have always wanted."
He looked at her a long time, holding her shoulders, and then smiled. "If you are so sure, then how can I leave you? Though it may cost me my life when your family comes to fetch you back."
Her heart sank for a moment, for this was a very real concern, and then she decided to tell him everything. She said, "Along time ago, I saw a faerie who told me of a man just like you, who would help me. And now you have come I must tell you my true identity, if you are to help me. I am the princess Estelle of this kingdom, who has been banished into this peasant's life for four years by my angry father. Though his hope was to punish and humble me, these have been the happiest years of my life, and now they come to an end. I feel that I would rather die than return to that imprisonment. And I will never be missed among all the other children in our royal family- I am only the third daughter! Please help me."
Rue had been staring at her, speechless, and now he began laughing as though he would never stop. He was staring at the sky, roaring, and Ellie asked in confusion, "Tell me what is so funny?" With effort, he calmed down enough to say, between gasps, "Oh Ellie... It's just that... you see I am really a prince! I begged leave of my father to explore the world in disguise, and though my brothers laughed at my plan to be a troubadour, my father was more than glad to be rid of one of his quarrelsome sons. So you see, if you will come with me, and marry me, we can tell both our fathers that we have made a royal match! They will both be satisfied, and glad to be rid of us, and leave us in peace! Oh, it's perfect!" And he collapsed again into laughter, this time with Ellie joining him- the high, light laughter that comes when a problem has been solved, and a dream has been fulfilled.
Later that night, after her foster parents were asleep, Ellie wakened Karyn to tell her that she was summoned to return to her father's house, and to thank her for the wonderful life they had shared. After many hugs and tears, she slipped out the door to meet Rue.
Walking hand in hand, they made plans. The next day, they sent a message to her father, sealed with Rue's royal stamp, asking permission for him to marry her. Since he had all the credentials, and in fact was probably a finer match than she could find locally, the King was sure to agree. They would tell him that they were setting off at once for Rue's country, along with his royal caravan, and explain that they were traveling in disguise to avoid the dangers of attracting attention. Once there, they explained, they would marry in great grandeur and rule a minor kingdom. They sent the message off with Jaques on horseback, dressed in finest court clothing which Betha dug out of some closet. He would catch up to them later.
Then they sent a message to Rue's father, telling him that Rue had found a beautiful princess in his travels, who he was marrying immediately and who would continue to accompany him until they wanted to return. They recommended that Rue's father send presents befitting royalty to Her Majesty's family.
As Elan finished writing that last letter, and affixed the royal seal, Ellie motioned to Rue to come outside with her. When they were alone, she asked very seriously, "Do we really have to be married? I mean, right now? I would like to know you better as a friend first." He smiled, looked into her eyes and hugged her. "We can marry, if you like, when you like. You are a very different kind of princess, and I am a very different kind of prince. I can wait."
She relaxed and said, "And do we really have to go back and rule your kingdom?"
He laughed his wonderful laugh and replied, "If and when we want to. I have plenty of other brothers who would love the job. For now, we are free to be and do what we please."
They grinned, climbed aboard a wagon, and Hugh urged the horses forward. She looked at him, thinking it would be easy to learn to love him, and felt the joy in her heart burst into a song. It was a traveling song, and everyone in the wagon joined in, singing in perfect harmony.
-finis-
