From: Clay Luther (clay@cool.vortech.com)
Date: Mon 11 Oct 1993 - 11:14:55 EET
"Fatty Rustypike needs your help, eh? A little trickery he cannot stomach?"
Carver chuckled inwardly.
The initiate, who lay flat on the temple floor before his kahn, dared to look up. "I wanted to ask my kahn how the Great Urox looked upon such...trickery."
Carver Seven-Faces-Severed sat down on the temple floor. "Sit up and listen."
"Trickery is a dangerous thing and many gods fear it. He-Who-Wields-Death hates
Trickery because Trickery stole his Sword from him. He has foresworn Trickery
since. Great Urox has been tricked many times, though he always beats up the
Trickster in the end. But Great Urox does not foreswear Trickery like his
Once-Brother. Great Urox has himself Tricked many times. He is a good learner.I will tell you of Urox's First Trick. Listen and learn.
"Urox and Eiritha once lived on the edges of Genert's Garden in a wonderful
cottage. They had many herds and plenty of water. Urox guarded the edge of
the Garden from enemies.
"One day Trickster, who had just been kicked out of Genert's House for
stitching Genert's nostrils together while He slept, decided to go see his
cousin Urox and his beautiful wife, mostly because he was hungry and needed a
place to sleep, but also because he liked to play with the children and teach
them nasty Tricks to play on their parents. On the way to the cottage he
spied a wasp nest dripping with honey. Though he dearly wanted the honey, he
feared to climb the tree to get the nest since the wasps would surely sting him.
But he devised a Trick to get it, remembered where the nest was, and went on
to Urox's cottage.
"Urox smelled Trickster coming and charged over the hill to meet him. 'Go
away!' he bellowed at his cousin, 'Do not come near my house!'
"'But sweet 'cuz,' pleaded Trickster, 'I only want to say hello to the Bravest
Warrior in my family and his beautiful wife, and to play with his children,
who I miss greatly. Let me say hello to you all and see that you live in
good health so that when I arrive at Orlanth's camp I can tell him only good
news about you.'
"But Urox still said no. 'You only want to steal my wife's butter or teach my
children Bad Tricks, most likely. Go away and leave us alone.'
"Eiritha had come out after Urox. She said to him 'Oh husband, remember your
Brother's Words of Hospitality. Don't treat little Eurmal so badly. Bring him
to the house with kindness and I will give him some milk. Then you may send
him on his way.'
"'Very well, then.' said Urox. 'You may come to the house for milk, but then
you must be on your way.' They walked back to the cottage and Eiritha poured
them all some fresh milk.
"'Your milk is very fine, mistress.' said Trickster, 'Did you know that Lord
Genert drinks his milk with a spoonful of honey? I tried it last time I was
there and it is very good. Would you have some honey, mistress, so that I
could drink this fine milk after the manner of your Lord?'
"Eiritha checked the cupboard, but could not find any honey. 'Oh dear,' she
said, 'I appear to be out of honey. I am very sorry.'
"But the Trickster only smiled hugely, for his Trick might work. 'Oh, that is
completely understandable. Honey is very hard to come by. It takes a very
brave man to steal it from the wasps. I completely understand.'
"'She would have honey if I could find some, cousin! Mere wasps could not keep
me from their honey!' shouted Urox.
"'Of course, cousin, of course!' replied Trickster, 'I knew that was the case
here. Well, my milk is done, for it was tasty and I always eat quickly, so I
must be going. Urox, my brave cousin, would you walk me to the edge of your
land?'
"After kissing Eiritha on the hand and patting all the children (who were all
very sad to see their Uncle leave so soon) on the head, Trickster left with
Urox. While they walked to the edge of Urox's land, Trickster said 'Cousin, I
know where you can get some honey for your wife. I saw a huge nest, dripping
with honey, nearby the stream that flows between those hills. Go and get your
wife some honey, with my thanks.' Then he hugged his cousin and left.
"Urox thought about Trickster's suggestion and decided it was a good idea. He
followed Trickster's directions and soon found the nest. What Urox didn't know
was that Trickster had followed him and hid in the bushes. Urox climbed the
tree and yelled at the wasps.
"'Hey there, wasps! It is Urox, come for your honey. Do not sting me or I
will get angry and smash you!"
"The wasps had heard of Urox and were so frightened that they hid inside
the nest and didn't come out to sting him. Urox plucked the nest from the
tree and put it in his honey pot. But as he climbed down the tree, he
smelled the Trickster waiting for him. He stopped on a high branch to think.
He looked into the pot and said 'Hey now, you wasps in there, come out of your
nest or I'll burn you out.' The wasps, who were still very frightened, came
out of the nest and gathered in the pot. Urox then took the nest out, still
filled with honey, and hung it on the tree again. He climbed down to the
bottom and said very loudly 'Oh my! I am so tired from all this climbing. I
will take a nap and set this pot of honey next to me while I sleep so no one
will dare steal it!'
"Urox lay down and went to sleep, with the pot next to him. Trickster, who had
been hiding all this time, crept out of the bushes, stole the pot, and ran away
dancing and singing to himself 'I Tricked my stupid bull-headed cousin again!
I Tricked him again!'
"When Trickster was far away from Urox, he opened the pot, saying 'I'm going
to eat all this honey in one gulp!' Without looking at all, he poured the
wasps into his mouth and swallowed them all in one gulp. The wasps didn't
like Trickster's hospitality and stung him inside. 'Och! Och! I've been
Tricked!' he screamed as he ran around looking for something to get the wasps
out. He tried sticking a twig down his throat, but that only made the wasps
more angry. He tried eating a frog, but the wasps stung the frog and it jumped
out of his mouth. He tried swallowing smoke, but the wasps climbed down to his
feet and the smoke only turned his hair grey. He couldn't find anything to rid
himself of the wasps so he gave up. Eventually the wasps settled down and
built a nest in there and started making honey. Trickster has had all the
honey he could want, and more some. Trickster doesn't like honey anymore.
"Urox brought home the nest full of honey and made his wife very happy. Waha
was made that night.
"And whenever Urox meets Trickster now, he gives his cousin a tight hug and a
hard slap on the back."
--
Clay Luther clay@cool.vortech.com Macintosh Software Engineer Kodak Health Imaging SystemsYelo's gift was a necklace of clam shells from the Ouel Stream strung on gut string with a delicate knot of reeds which performed the role of pendant.
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