I 

            Many years ago, so long ago only the wise men can remember, the days came and went according to the whim of the sun.  Since the sun had no master it rose and set as it pleased.  Sometimes the day was one hour long and at other times the day seemingly went on forever and there were no seasons.  The nights were very dark because there was not yet, a moon.  The sun ruled the skies and the days and nights were never certain.  Because this is the way it had always been, the people accepted things as they were. 

            There was a young girl named Mew, who lived in Thailand with her mother and father and her younger brother.  Mew was 17 years old.  She was tall at 174 cm and slender, but not skinny.  She was a pretty girl, but not beautiful in the classic sense.  Her hair was jet black and down to her waist.  Even as a young child, Mew was different from other children.  She was a happy child and everyone enjoyed her company because she was always cheerful.  When she was 8 years old she told everyone she would marry the sun because he was so beautiful and mysterious.  At the age of 10 she composed a song for the sun that she played on her flute.  Mew had a special talent for playing the sweetest flute anyone had ever heard.  Life spoke to her in a different way and not knowing any better she followed her heart.  She was also somewhat of a tomboy.  She was not afraid of snakes (cobras excepted), frogs or jinkjoks[1] and could use a slingshot with the best of the boys.  However, she never used it against any living thing.  Mew generally would not eat meat (there were very rare exceptions) and this, her parents could never understand (she tried to explain but to no avail).  She was now at the age when most girls would openly flirt with the boys in the hope of finding a suitable husband.  This held absolutely no interest for Mew and because most of the villagers thought she was somewhat simple minded, no boys showed any interest, which made it all the easier because she did not have to fend off suitors. 

One day she went to her father and asked him why the days and nights were never the same.  “Because it has always been this way,” said her father.

            “But why,” asked Mew.

            “Nobody has ever asked that question before, so there is no answer to it.”

            “But now I have asked.”

“Daughter, I am a not an educated man and do not know the answer to such a question as this.  If you must know the answer, then go ask the hermit in the forest.  It is said he knows everything, maybe he knows the answer to your question.”

“Where in the forest does he live?”

“I do not know if anyone knows.”

“Oh.”

The next “day” Mew went to everyone in the village and asked where the hermit lived.  No one could tell her.

“Why would you want to find the hermit,” they asked.

“Because I want to know why the days and nights are never the same length from one day to the next,” replied Mew.

“Such a question you ask,” they replied, “Everyone knows it has always been this way.”  This confirmed what they had always suspected; Mew really was a strange young girl.

Not to be discouraged, Mew started to explore.  This day was a long one.  She explored first to the north and then east and then turned to the south.  She didn’t find any trails or paths into the forest.  The day was ending so she returned home.

At the next light Mew got up and went to explore to the west.  Never knowing how long the day would be she went as quickly as she could.  This time she found what looked like a path.  It was not well traveled so the plants and trees had grown over a lot of it.  She walked many kilometers bending down to go under the plants and pushing others aside.  This was a very dark part of the forest and she worried the day would end before she could get back to her village.  She turned to go back.

“Hello,” someone said.

“Oui[2],” said a startled Mew, “who is there?”

“It is just me.”

“Who is just me?  Where are you?”

“I am here, right beside you.”

Mew turned left and right and turned in a circle but could see no one.

“You are not very observant are you?”

“Well, if you will come into the open where I can see you instead of hiding from me, then I could see you.”

“But I am not hiding and I have not moved,” replied the voice.

“Oui,” exclaimed Mew, “Well I cannot see you and you cannot very well be a plant, can you?”

“Well of course I am!”

“Oh!  I did not know plants could talk!”

“We most certainly do, but very few people can hear us.”

“You are a most beautiful plant.”

“Why, thank you.”

“Do you have a name?”

“Certainly, my name is Wasana[3].”

“Hello, nice to meet you, my name is Mew.  Why do the other plants not speak?”

“Oh they do, but they are shy to speak to strangers.”

“Oh.”

“What are you doing in my forest?”

“I am looking for the hermit who is supposed to live here.  Do you know where he lives?”

“Why do you want to see the hermit?”

“I want to ask him a question.”

“What question could you possibly want to ask him?”

“I want to know why the days and nights are never the same length from one day to the next.”

“Such a question.”

“Can you help me find him?”

“Yes, but first I want you to help me and then I will tell you how to find him.”

“Of course, what do you want me to do?”

“If you look behind me you will see a palm that has fallen on me and makes me grow crooked.  Would you please take it off of me?”

“It is too big for me to move.  I will come back tomorrow with an axe so I can remove it.  Is that alright?”

“Yes, because the palm is dead, you may cut it,” replied Wasana.

“Was the palm a friend of yours?”

“Yes, we knew each other for many years, but he was very old.  His roots were weak and when a storm came he could not resist the wind and fell.”

Mew said good-bye and found her way back to the village just as the day ended.

That evening at dinner, Mew told her mother and father and brother of her adventures that day in the forest.  She told them about Wasana and what a nice plant he was.  They looked at each other in disbelief and concern.  Her brother scrunched his face and looked disgusted in the way little brothers do. 

After dinner Mew’s father told her mother to have a talk with her.  They could not very well have her telling everybody she talked to plants.  What would everybody think?

Mew’s mother explained she should not speak of this to anybody outside of the family.  

“But why,” asked Mew.

“Mew, it’s for your own good.  I do not want the villagers to think you are not right in the head.”

“Why would they think that?”

“Mew, you are a special child, but people just will not understand and will think you are simpleminded! 

“You do not believe me?”

“Mew, everyone knows plants can not talk.  I am afraid your imagination got a little carried away.  I do not want to hear you speak of this nonsense again.  It is not good for you or our family.”

“Yes mother.”

Mew’s mother was a kind and gentle woman but she worried about what the rest of the villagers thought and she did not want them to think her daughter was “touched”.  She knew they already considered her “different”.  The next day Mew returned to Wasana and removed the dead palm with her axe.  Wasana thanked her and proceeded to tell her where the hermit lived.

“The hermit lives deeper yet in the forest.  You must follow the path for many kilometers.  You cannot do this journey in one day.  You will need to bring food and water.”

“How long will it take”, asked Mew.

“I cannot say for certain”, said Wasana, “but you will know you are there when you come to a seven tiered waterfall.”

“What if I get lost?”

“Ah, then you must ask the plants and the animals you meet along the way and they will help you.  I will tell them you are a very kind and polite young girl and have helped me.”

“Did you say the animals can talk”, said Mew with great astonishment.

“Yes, but only the rare human can understand them.  Beware the tigers; they are very charming but treacherous.  Do not trust the cobras either.  Do not look at them directly because they can mesmerize you with their eyes.  You are too big for a meal but their nature is to bite, so, do not get too close.”

“You cannot move, how will you tell them?”

“I will tell the wind and the wind will carry my message for me.”

“I did not know the wind could talk too.”

“You really do not know very much do you?”

“I guess not”, acknowledged Mew.

“Well not to worry, you will learn.”

In the forest (In Thailand the people call the forest the jungle) there are many messengers.  There are the monkeys (they cannot always be trusted), the mynahs (likewise they cannot always be trusted) and the wind.  The wind will only say what is said to it, unlike the monkeys and mynahs who tend to gossip and embellish what they are told.  As with everything there are always exceptions, except for the wind, it is always true.

Mew thanked Wasana for his help and returned to her village.  Her father saw her with the axe and asked what she was doing with it.

“Oh, I had to clear a tree from the trail to the west of the village.”

“Oh, Okay,” said her father and gave no more thought to it.

Mew had to figure out how to be gone for at least two days, maybe three.  This would be difficult: first because she was a girl and second because of her age.  Her best friend, Nid, lived with her parents on the north edge of the village; maybe she could visit for a day or two.  This would mean Mew would have to tell Nid her plan and swear her to secrecy.  Mew could trust Nid to keep her secret.  Mew almost never lied and when she did it was more like exaggerating or stretching the truth than outright lying.  This time she would just be leaving out some information.  Her question, the one nobody could answer, was burning in her brain.  She decided she would ask her parents if she could go visit her friend Nid for a couple of days.

Her parents thought about it and decided it was okay for Mew to visit her friend Nid.  Nid was a nice girl of good reputation and was the same age as Mew.  Mew received permission to stay for three days; after all it was only one kilometer to Nid’s house.