Head Nun had a pleasant surprise the other day when an old devotee presented her with a beautiful hen. It had fluffy white feathers and a bright red comb and needless to say, Bruce Lee fell head over heels in love with her! It was a case of "love at first sight"! The other hens in the coop were, of course, green with jealousy but then they had to admit they were all quite old now and could not compete with her. So while Bruce Lee wooed her relentlessly every day, they remained in the background and watched enviously.
Poor Snow (that was her name). I somehow got the impression that she didn't like Bruce Lee at all. And I was right. As I was passing the backyard one morning, she called to me and said, "Da, I want to speak to you."
She told me in a low tone that Bruce Lee had proposed to her and wanted to marry her right away!
"I can't stand that arrogant cock, Da. I turned him down there and then. I wish you would tell Head Nun to tell him to stop bothering me!" she said. I hesitated, the love life of the hens is really none of my business but she pleaded and pleaded and finally I agreed I would speak to Head Nun.
Head Nun was quite amused when I told her the story. "Well, she's young and pretty and I don't blame Bruce Lee for falling for her! Alright, I'll have a word with him and don't worry, he'll get tired of chasing her when he knows she's not interested in him."
But Bruce Lee wouldn't give up and a few days later, we heard the hens squawking loudly in the backyard. Head Nun and I hurried to see what the noise was all about and were aghast when the hens told us that Snow had run away!
Then Bruce Lee came strutting up. It was obvious that his ego had been shattered and there was an ugly scowl on his face. He cursed and swore under his breath, then said angrily to Head Nun, "That xxx bitch! She thinks she's too good for me! Serve her right if she ends up on someone's dinner table! She's too holy for me anyway, always praying and meditating, just like one of your nuns!" He tossed his head, flapped his wings and stalked off.
Head Nun shook her head and said, "We've got to look for her. Bruce Lee is right, what if someone captured her and cut her up. Get Ning to help you, Vege Cat."
Ning wasn't really too keen to go out and look for a lost hen. "What if we find her, then what? Bring her back here? She'll be miserable, Da!"
"Maybe we can keep her somewhere else, I don't know. The important thing is that she doesn't end up as someone's meal!"
Ning shrugged but all the same went along with me. We decided to take the path behind the coop but our search was in vain. No sign of Snow. As we were resting by the wayside, an old villager passed by and we asked him if he had seen a fluffy white hen with a red comb. He thought for a while, then said, "Look, there's an old house down that side of the river. Why don't you look there? But be careful, a witch lives there!"
A witch! That was news to us. Ning laughed. "Huh! Don't believe everything you hear! Let's go and look!" After struggling through a path filled with thorns and bracken, we sighted the old house. It was rather dilapidated and it didn't look like someone was living there.
"Be careful, Ning," I whispered. "Maybe we should peep into one of the windows first."
We slowly crept up to the side of the house and looked into a window. It was pretty dark inside and all we could see was some old furniture. Then, before we knew what was happening, someone grabbed both of us by our necks and carried us into the house! We were flung onto the floor and we found ourselves looking up into the face of a haggard old woman with white hair and wrinkled skin. She had a big nose, pointed ears and a hump on her back which she covered with a shawl - she was so ugly that we recoiled in horror!
"It's the witch!" I gasped, terrified. Ning seemed to have lost his tongue and lay there, petrified.
The witch smiled grimly and said, "I see you have heard what the villagers told you. Yes, I'm the wicked old witch of the river, have you come to kill me?"
Then, even before we could say anything, we heard the fluttering of wings and Snow came running in!
"Da! Ning! What are you both doing here?"
"Snow! We've been searching for you all over the place! We were afraid you might have been kidnapped and killed!"
"I've been staying here with Grandma Rose. Please, please don't hurt her!" she begged.
Grandma Rose? Ning and I stared at each other, rather taken aback.
The witch or rather Grandma Rose sighed, then sat down wearily. "Look, you need not be afraid of me. I won't harm you. I've lived here in seclusion all my life since my husband died but because of my deformity, people think I'm an evil old witch and stay clear of me. Sometimes I'm so lonely I cry myself to sleep at night. Then your little Snow came wandering in and she has been my best friend and companion for the last few days. Please, don't take her away ....." her voice trailed away and she started sobbing.
"See what you've done?" scolded Snow. She flew up onto Grandma Rose's lap and snuggled against her bosom. The old woman stroked her white feathers and hugged her.
We assured Snow that we were not there to hurt anyone but merely to find her and take her home. We stayed on until the evening talking and listening to Grandma Rose. She was certainly no witch but a lonely old woman with a kind heart. Snow said that she did not wish to return to the temple and that she was very happy living with Grandma Rose. She made us promise not to disclose her whereabouts to anyone, not even Head Nun.
When we arrived back at the temple, the first person we ran into was Head Nun.
"Well, any luck?" she asked.
Ning and I looked at each other. Ning didn't wait, he made some excuse and scooted off. Typical of him!
"Well, we ....we ........." I began, then stopped. I knew Head Nun could be trusted not to spill the beans but a promise is a promise. I had to keep Snow's whereabouts a secret. Worst of all, I couldn't tell Head Nun we couldn't find her. It would be telling a lie and a monk is not supposed to lie; if he does, he will fall five steps down his spiritual ladder into hot soup, and you can be sure it's not chicken soup.
Head Nun looked at me, then said, "I know, I won't ask any further. I trust you, Vege Cat. You have your reasons for keeping silent and I know it's with good intentions. Snow is safe and sound somewhere but to us here, she is lost. Case closed."
"Thanks, Head Nun," I cried, relieved and gave her a hug.
Soon Bruce Lee and the hens got to know that we couldn't find Snow. Bruce Lee sniffed and said he couldn't care less what happened to her. If she ended up on someone's dinner table, she deserved it. That was the price she had to pay for refusing to marry a handsome, red-blooded cockerel such as he.
The good news is that the last time we saw Snow, Grandma Rose had found a perfect match for her and she had become the proud mother of three wonderful chicks - all white and fluffy like her!
Poor Snow (that was her name). I somehow got the impression that she didn't like Bruce Lee at all. And I was right. As I was passing the backyard one morning, she called to me and said, "Da, I want to speak to you."
She told me in a low tone that Bruce Lee had proposed to her and wanted to marry her right away!
"I can't stand that arrogant cock, Da. I turned him down there and then. I wish you would tell Head Nun to tell him to stop bothering me!" she said. I hesitated, the love life of the hens is really none of my business but she pleaded and pleaded and finally I agreed I would speak to Head Nun.
Head Nun was quite amused when I told her the story. "Well, she's young and pretty and I don't blame Bruce Lee for falling for her! Alright, I'll have a word with him and don't worry, he'll get tired of chasing her when he knows she's not interested in him."
But Bruce Lee wouldn't give up and a few days later, we heard the hens squawking loudly in the backyard. Head Nun and I hurried to see what the noise was all about and were aghast when the hens told us that Snow had run away!
Then Bruce Lee came strutting up. It was obvious that his ego had been shattered and there was an ugly scowl on his face. He cursed and swore under his breath, then said angrily to Head Nun, "That xxx bitch! She thinks she's too good for me! Serve her right if she ends up on someone's dinner table! She's too holy for me anyway, always praying and meditating, just like one of your nuns!" He tossed his head, flapped his wings and stalked off.
Head Nun shook her head and said, "We've got to look for her. Bruce Lee is right, what if someone captured her and cut her up. Get Ning to help you, Vege Cat."
Ning wasn't really too keen to go out and look for a lost hen. "What if we find her, then what? Bring her back here? She'll be miserable, Da!"
"Maybe we can keep her somewhere else, I don't know. The important thing is that she doesn't end up as someone's meal!"
Ning shrugged but all the same went along with me. We decided to take the path behind the coop but our search was in vain. No sign of Snow. As we were resting by the wayside, an old villager passed by and we asked him if he had seen a fluffy white hen with a red comb. He thought for a while, then said, "Look, there's an old house down that side of the river. Why don't you look there? But be careful, a witch lives there!"
A witch! That was news to us. Ning laughed. "Huh! Don't believe everything you hear! Let's go and look!" After struggling through a path filled with thorns and bracken, we sighted the old house. It was rather dilapidated and it didn't look like someone was living there.
"Be careful, Ning," I whispered. "Maybe we should peep into one of the windows first."
We slowly crept up to the side of the house and looked into a window. It was pretty dark inside and all we could see was some old furniture. Then, before we knew what was happening, someone grabbed both of us by our necks and carried us into the house! We were flung onto the floor and we found ourselves looking up into the face of a haggard old woman with white hair and wrinkled skin. She had a big nose, pointed ears and a hump on her back which she covered with a shawl - she was so ugly that we recoiled in horror!
"It's the witch!" I gasped, terrified. Ning seemed to have lost his tongue and lay there, petrified.
The witch smiled grimly and said, "I see you have heard what the villagers told you. Yes, I'm the wicked old witch of the river, have you come to kill me?"
Then, even before we could say anything, we heard the fluttering of wings and Snow came running in!
"Da! Ning! What are you both doing here?"
"Snow! We've been searching for you all over the place! We were afraid you might have been kidnapped and killed!"
"I've been staying here with Grandma Rose. Please, please don't hurt her!" she begged.
Grandma Rose? Ning and I stared at each other, rather taken aback.
The witch or rather Grandma Rose sighed, then sat down wearily. "Look, you need not be afraid of me. I won't harm you. I've lived here in seclusion all my life since my husband died but because of my deformity, people think I'm an evil old witch and stay clear of me. Sometimes I'm so lonely I cry myself to sleep at night. Then your little Snow came wandering in and she has been my best friend and companion for the last few days. Please, don't take her away ....." her voice trailed away and she started sobbing.
"See what you've done?" scolded Snow. She flew up onto Grandma Rose's lap and snuggled against her bosom. The old woman stroked her white feathers and hugged her.
When we arrived back at the temple, the first person we ran into was Head Nun.
"Well, any luck?" she asked.
Ning and I looked at each other. Ning didn't wait, he made some excuse and scooted off. Typical of him!
"Well, we ....we ........." I began, then stopped. I knew Head Nun could be trusted not to spill the beans but a promise is a promise. I had to keep Snow's whereabouts a secret. Worst of all, I couldn't tell Head Nun we couldn't find her. It would be telling a lie and a monk is not supposed to lie; if he does, he will fall five steps down his spiritual ladder into hot soup, and you can be sure it's not chicken soup.
Head Nun looked at me, then said, "I know, I won't ask any further. I trust you, Vege Cat. You have your reasons for keeping silent and I know it's with good intentions. Snow is safe and sound somewhere but to us here, she is lost. Case closed."
"Thanks, Head Nun," I cried, relieved and gave her a hug.
Soon Bruce Lee and the hens got to know that we couldn't find Snow. Bruce Lee sniffed and said he couldn't care less what happened to her. If she ended up on someone's dinner table, she deserved it. That was the price she had to pay for refusing to marry a handsome, red-blooded cockerel such as he.
The good news is that the last time we saw Snow, Grandma Rose had found a perfect match for her and she had become the proud mother of three wonderful chicks - all white and fluffy like her!
No comments:
Post a Comment