Kalahari Herald Chronicles 14 September 2016 3#3

                  DAILY NEWS FROM MAMLAKAT KALAHARI    14 September 2016
                     (http://mykalahariblogaddress.blogspot.com)
              ((and see dara's video!  https://youtu.be/EtOflO7KktA))

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             TAVERN NIGHT, WEDNESDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2016
              SPECIAL STORYTELLING EVENT BY SLAVE ABLA
                         "MORGAN AND THE THREE FAIRIES"

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In a brilliant display of poetic artistry mixed with wise insight, slave Abla, prepared and guided by Minister Louise, held a Kalahari audience in her spell, as she shared with us the story of "Morgan and the Three Fairies." Her words were so marvelous, the Chronicles wishes to share them with you, along with some pictures that highlight what a magical event this was.

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                             "MORGAN AND THE THREE FAIRIES"

Let me tell you a tale of the Fair Folk this day. Now I'm sure you all know of them already, but these magical beings have great powers. Sometimes, and it could be a very rare sometime, they might grant wishes to mortal men.

This group of three of the Fair Folk chose to go and grant a wish on a whim, but they first had to find someone of a kind heart worthy of such a gift. This was near the mountain of Cader Idris. On a cold winter night, Morgan ap Rhys sat alone by the hearth, smoking his pipe and enjoying a horn of hot mead. A happy and contented man, he was just beginning to drowse when there was a tap-tap-tapping at his door. He ambled over to the door and found three travelers, dusted with the winter's snow.

"Come in, come in. It's no night for being outside," said Morgan. All three men come and warmed their hands by the fire.

The tallest and thinnest of them, his hair a pale blonde drained of near all color, reached out his spindly fingers to Morgan. "Good sir, may we beg of you to spare just a little food for the road. We are poor men, but you would have our most sincere thanks."

"Oh silly me, silly me. I ought to have offered you a bite the minute I let you in! Just a moment, friends." He went to the still room and came back with some nice crisp brown loaves his wife had baked that morning, as well as some fresh goat's cheese that was now firm enough to share. "Eat and be merry! As long as my name is Morgan ap Rhys, no unfortunate will leave my door still lacking."

The men filled their sacks with a grin, then suddenly cast aside their cloaks, which vanished into thin air. He could now see that the men were fair of face, more so than any mortal man could boast of. The second one was burly and with a handsome chestnut beard, and he declared, "You are truly a kind man, Morgan ap Rhys, and we are grateful. Kindness will be rewarded with kindness. Name a single wish, anything under the sun, and it will be yours."

Morgan was happy in his life, wanting for little and not being burdened with an envy of his betters. "Hmmm.... Hmmm.... Oh! I know. I've always loved music, but I'm not very talented at it. Might I have a harp that will make up for my musical shortcomings?"

The third of the Fair Folk was a stout man, amiable in countenance and dark in complexion. He turned his back to Morgan and consulted with his companions a bit before turning around. In his hands was a beautifully carved lap harp. When Morgan took it, there was a sound like rushing wind and a bright light that dazzled his eyes. When his eyes opened again, his guests were gone.

Soon enough after, his wife who had been visiting their neighbors came home. With great excitement he filled her ears with the story of his night and started plucking out a jaunty tune. So merry was the music that his wife started dancing there and then, wildly around their cottage, knocking over tables and chairs, seemingly unable to contain herself.

Amazingly, during her storytelling, Ministers Louise and Afraa spontaneously began to dance themselves! Afterwards, they agreed that it was as if the harp of Morgan ap Rhys had drawn them to the dance.

His glee and excitement were such that he plucked faster and faster, and in the same way his wife danced more shamelessly though she was quickly exhausted. "Husband, please! I cannot keep on with this dancing. Give my feet a chance to rest." Morgan but laughed and kept playing, feverishly fast and his wife leapt around the room, her head bumping into the thatches of the roof. When he saw this, he finally stopped, but what he couldn't stop was his laughter. His wife was not much amused, and he found himself sleeping on the floor by the hearth that night.

As the days and weeks grew Morgan and his harp became well known in the area. he loved the magical harp for the ease with which he played, the enchanting music that sprang from it, and the effect it had on others. Just like with his wife, any who heard it was compelled to dance, from the wee babes in their cradles to the oldest crones.

He would wander around, breaking into song anywhere and everywhere. Farmers would leave their plows in the dirt and abandon their work. Rheumatic grannies would creak to their feet, though it hurt to move so. Shepherds left their flocks unattended to join the dance. Many suffered losses and some even injury. Unsurprisingly, Morgan became a very unpopular man.

But none of it seemed to hinder his glee, and pleas to only play his harp where no one else could hear fell on deaf ears. After a very long evening of his unasked for recitals he woke to find his harp missing. None of his neighbors claimed to know what became of his harp. His wife thought she remembered seeing three cloaked travelers when she milked the goats that morning.

Perhaps the Fair Folk felt they should show kindness now to the rest of the people of Cader Idris. Or perhaps his wife smashed the harp and used it in her cook-fire. Who is to say? To his lasting sorrow and everyone else's relief, Morgan never played his harp again.

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At first the congregation sat in silence at the stunning climax to the tale of Morgan ap Rhys. Then all stood as one, and with wild applause, saluted the brilliant storytelling of the talented slave Abla.

Sadly, important matters of state delayed King Hassan from the event, and when he discovered the unfortunate medical examination undergone by Ambassador Akitsuki of the Wakiyo Empire, he was furious. So as a consolation, before he celebrated with the storytelling congregation, he invited the Ambassador to pick flowers in the Royal Garden. As the King and Ambassador plucked, the good slaves of Kalahari prepared delicious beverages and sweet treats for those who had attended the story telling.

The King's troubles did not end after his plucking with the Ambassador. When he returned to the gathering, he faced some insidious disobedience by Kalahari slaves, an unpleasant reminder of the fragility of command.

The first case was the open intransigence of slave Tanja, who simply refused the King's repeated commands to kneel. She was swiftly caged, so that she might reflect on her evil deeds, and repent of them.

No sooner had the King settled that slave down, the notoriously disobedient Emma Hedlund showed disrespect both to Minister Afraa, but especially insultingly, to the esteemed Empress Hatsuka of the Wakiyo Empire.

We have seen this behavior from slave Emma before, and one hopes the King will finally put her on the correct path.

That unpleasantness aside, (other than slave Viola's outburst of sexual passion ahahaha), the audience enjoyed the delightful cuisine of the Delicious Syrup Tavern, and told stories and partied the night away.

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MEDIEVAL MURMURS

Having heard so many wonderful comments from other women in Kalahari, Minister Afraa decided to visit Tiny T for one of her famed sessions of massage pleasure.

Words can not describe the pleasure she felt, under the stimulating fingers of Tiny, though probably the height of pleasure was reached when the diminutive darling rubbed a specially blended fragrance on her feet. So delightful was this feeling that the Minister almost completely forgot some of her nightmares of the King trying to dance!

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TAVERN NIGHT, WEDNESDAY, 21 SEPTEMBER 2016, 12:30 PM, SLT
EMPRESS HATSUKA AND AMBASSADOR AKITSUKI PERFORM THE FUJI MUSUME!

The stately and distinguished pair of dancers from Wakiyo chose a dance in which a painting of a woman carrying wisteria comes to life, because a man fell in love with the image of her.

All are invited to this romantic performance.

And soon Tiny T will also share her stories with us. So keep Wednesdays free!

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Afraa al Abid
Kalahari Herald