Seleke Goes too far for Eggs

One day there was a girl named Seleke. She lived in a house with her mother, not at the bottom of a cliff, and not at the top, but right in the middle. Below the cliff lived Ugly Giants, and above lived Snarling Wolves.

Seleke's house didn't have any electricity for lights, or gas for heat. To keep things cold they used real ice in an ice box. They couldn't go to a store and buy food, because there were no roads and no stores. Instead, they would collect eggs from the nests of birds who lived on the cliffs.

Seleke's mother was pregnant, and it was almost time for the baby to arrive. Her tummy was very big, and it was hard for her to walk, and she felt tired all the time.

Seleke said, "Mom, let me gather the eggs today. You look like you need the rest."

Seleke's mother said, "Here, take this basket to carry the eggs, and whatever you do, don't go near the Quartz Cave."

"OK Mom." Seleke said.

Seleke took the basket and went outside. There were lots of nests near the cabin, and pretty soon she had plenty of eggs.

That night Seleke's mom made a nice dinner of deviled eggs with paprika, and everyone went to bed with a full stomach.

The next day Seleke's mom looked even more tired.

Seleke said, "I will go get eggs again."

Seleke's mother said, "Take the basket, and whatever you do, don't go near the Quartz Cave."

Seleke went outside. The nests near the cabin were all empty. In fact, every nest Seleke checked was empty. She walked farther, and farther from the cabin, checking every nest.

Soon she found herself near the Quartz Cave. There were plenty of nests above the cave entrance, and they seemed to have eggs in them! Seleke climbed up onto the glittering quartz, but her foot slipped. She slid into the cave.

Down and down she went. The quartz was like a bunch of twisty, winding slides that branched and looped. Seleke was going fast. Her hair blew in the wind. At the bottom she popped out onto a sandy beach.

"That was fun!" Seleke thought, but then she realized she was in the land of the ugly giants. She tried to climb back up the quartz, but it was too slippery!

Just then she felt the ground shake. Boom Thoom! It was a giant, walking along the beach right towards her. Seleke wanted to hide, but the beach was very empty. She put her back to the cliff and stayed very still.

The giant walked into view. He was taller than her house. His head was bald, and he carried a great big club. His face had many scars on it from fighting, and his right ear was missing.

The giant walked right up to her and picked her up in his giant hand.

Seleke looked right at the giant and said, "I am not for eating!"

The giant said, "Well, we'll see about that."

As they walked down the beach, the giant hummed to himself. Seleke did not like being in his hand. It was sweaty and dirty. Giants don't clean their nails, and they file them to points like animal claws.

As they walked the giant took out a handkerchief and blew his nose into it. It sounded like a garbage truck compressing trash. The handkerchief was enormous, and stained with colors of yellow and green.

Soon they came to an enormous lean-to with a hole in the roof. Smoke rose up through the hole, drifting lazily up the cliff face. The lean-to was made from entire trees ripped from the ground and leaned against the cliff. Stretched across the entrance was the skin of a whale.

Again Seleke looked right at the giant and said, "I am not for eating!"

The giant said, "Well, we'll see about that."

Inside the lean-to the giant put Seleke in a great ceramic pitcher. The sides were so steep and tall that she couldn't get out. She heard the giant putting logs on the fire. Then she heard him put water in a big metal kettle. The kettle went onto the fire, and soon Seleke could hear water boiling.

Then the giant dumped her out of the pitcher onto a great big table. Below, Seleke could see the fire and the kettle of boiling water. Steam rushed up from the kettle.

Seleke looked right at the giant and said, "I am not for eating!"

The giants said, "I am not hungry right now, and anyway you are too skinny. I have decided to keep you here as my slave to do my work. You will never see your home again."

Seleke nearly burst into tears, but she thought it was a bad time for such things. Seleke looked at the giant. She looked at the boiling water. Steam rushed up through the hole in the lean-to's roof, and beyond sea birds circled on rising thermals. Seleke wished she were free like those birds, and not trapped by an ugly giant.

Then Seleke had an idea.

"Let me clean your hand kerchief for you, oh mighty giant!" Seleke said.

The giant fished his handkerchief out of his pocket. It was covered in a dry crust of disgusting colors.

Seleke did not want to touch it, but she had to. She tied the ends of the handkerchief beneath her arms, first the left arm, and then the right. Seleke held the handkerchief above her head like a parachute and jumped off the table towards the boiling water.

Above her the handkerchief caught the rising thermals of the steam. It balooned up like a parachute and Seleke was swept upward and out through the hole. Up and up she rose, passing the nests of many birds. Seleke grabbed as many eggs as she could.

Seleke pulled down on different sides of the handkerchief and soon learned how to steer. She landed on a ledge not far from her house.

Seleke took off the giant's handkerchief and hid it behind a rock.

When she got home, her mother asked her, "What took you so long?"

Seleke said, "Oh, nothing mom. Here are the eggs!"

That night Seleke's mom made a nice dinner of deviled eggs with paprika, and everyone went to bed with a full stomach.

The End
(c) 2008 Ken Demarest