Short Story from around the WORLD: 2012

The Rhinoceros Hunt part 4/4

The Rhinoceros Hunt part 4/4

It was then half past five. A bamboo trumpet sounded. Like a startled daydreamer, the male rhino roared, then dashed to the west. Ignoring the shouts of the people, it ran on, plunging into the crowd. Then the rhino bellowed again, calling for its child and wife. The three ran in a line, the child in the middle, and they escaped through a gap in the crowd.

The people were stunned. Many of them fell in their haste to run away. I lost my head too. I ran and climbed one of the tall trees, then hung on tightly and closed my eyes. The rhinos seemed to be right below me, heaving deep breaths. I felt dizzy, lost my grip on the tree and fell on the rhino's back, it seemed.

I had fallen on Lahiam, who had been crawling around at the foot of the tree. It had been Lahiam panting a while ago, not the rhino. Lahiam winced and complained that his back hurt.

The others had been just as frightened as I had. Lahiam had been unable to stand up. I heard there were even some who couldn't help peeing in their pants. It was the hunters who ran the fastest and were the first to climb trees. There was a dignitary from the town who was said to be brave. But when he saw the rhinos approaching, he quickly flung his rifle away and climbed the nearest tall tree.

"The rifle, sir, the rifle!!" people yelled to him. And what was his reply? "You can take the rifle and use your eyes for bullets !"

The Rhinoceros Hunt part 3/4

Early in the morning of the third day people came from a nearby plantation and reported that some rhinos had come into their village the night before. Trackers were sent to have a look and they came back saying the animals had gone from the village into the forest near our ambush.

Beaters surrounded this part of the forest, and trackers kept on the move to make sure the animals had not slipped out of the forest. Everyone felt sure that the rhinos were inside the circle of beaters. The hunters who had picked the ambush spot were highly praised for having chosen so well.

Everyone waited anxiously.

Fires were lit on the south and east sides of the forest.

There was a strong wind and the fire blazed high, sending smoke up into the sky. To the west there was shouting, and the drums kept beating loudly. The fire spread quickly, its flames licking out in all directions, thundering and roaring and blackening the sky. When the fire from the east joined that from the south, the smoke billowed still higher. The circle of beaters kept growing smaller, and presently the sound of loud rifle are was heard over the shouting and the drums.

It was terribly frightening: sitting on a branch with your heart thumping, trying to keep as still as possible. I got down and joined the shouting crowd.

We could hear the rhinos coming from the burning forest.

A crowd of people came shouting toward the dry field, overgrown with weeds and small trees. There were only a few tall trees. The rhinos suddenly appeared from the cast, looking like huge, rolling boulders.

People were shouting: "Rhino ! Rhino !" The drums grew louder.

The rhinos kept on walking to the west. There were three of them: a male, a female, and one offspring. When they saw people surrounding them, they turned back toward the east and stopped again when they reached the edge of the forest. They seemed to be afraid of the fire, and the smoke was suffocating; so they turned back to the west but were blocked by the people. In the end, looking bewildered, the rhinos stood in the middle of the dry field. There was no doubt that the biggest one was a male. It bellowed, its mouth wide open. God ! I can still remember the terrible redness of its mouth and its dreadful teeth.

The dignitaries shouted orders, telling the people to move closer. Flames and smoke billowed in a tall black wall. The weeds were burnt to a crisp. The rhinos were already troubled, sensing that they were in danger. The only way out was to the north. But strangely they did not want to run that way. It was as if they had sensed our presence. They .seemed to be thinking, gazing toward the southwest horizon.

...Continue..... Read

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The Rhinoceros Hunt part 2/4

The Rhinoceros Hunt part 2/4

Within three days the viceroy and other high officials of the district came for a rhino hunt. Our master summoned the headmen of the surrounding villages, together with many hunters and trackers and porters, as an escort for the dignitaries.

After everyone had gathered together at dawn, we set out for the forest, The officials were on horseback and the village people followed behind, carrying spears and knives and bamboo drums. Porters carried food in bags and baskets made of bark and string; otherwise, they were unarmed except for their machetes.

Now, hunting rhinos is quite different from hunting other animals. You have to set up a base of operations in the forest and bring enough food for three or four days. So we brought along many bags of rice and pots to cook it in, besides the rice that was already prepared.

"And what was your load?" I asked.

The Rhinoceros Hunt part 1/4

The Rhinoceros Hunt

The Rhinoceros Hunt part 1/4

Editors' Note. This story was originally written in Sundanese, the language of western Java, in 1932. Most of the people there are Muslims and observe the fast of Ranadan, the month during which no one eats or smokes between sunrise and sunset each day. The rhinoceroses of this story are a rare species with a single horn, found only in Java. The breed is now in danger of extinction and is being protected by the government.

That morning I woke up late. It was just after eight, and the day was already getting hot. I was very hungry, but even after I'd had a bath there was still no sign of anyone with my breakfast. Curious, I went out into the garden and walked around the house to look in the kitchen windows. There wasn't even the smell of cooking. Wondering what was the matter, I lit a cigarette.

Just then Momo and Datje came into the garden. Seeing me, they stopped and Momo said, as though surprised: "Why are you smoking?"

Best Short Stories Begin From The Heart

By Mark Dwayne Jones

Just as the heart is the life-giving organ of our body, so does the inner-most personal experiences becomes the life-giving inspiration for a great short story. Tucked away neatly inside everyone are one's innermost thoughts and feelings. It is the truths deep within us that give us the inspiration and initiative to act upon and produce our best works.

The reason this thought is so powerful is simply how it relates to the reader. Whether it is on paper, audio machine, or eBook on the proper digital device, the Short Story suddenly becomes something the reader can relate to.

The Best Short Stories become more effective if they come from the writer's life experiences. The audience can identify with the situation and many times suddenly realize that they too have had such an experience. A similar emotion swells up inside the reader and 'fuels their fire', so to speak, with a similar outcome as the writer had usually.

The Soccer Game part 3/3

The Soccer Game part 3/3

At one point Win Mg is dribbling. If he passes the ball to Hla Kywe, who is ready to receive it, there's a good chance for a goal. But he doesn't pass the ball. And while he's dribbling alone, an opposing player takes possession of the ball.

"Hey, Win Mg," Hla Kywe calls in an angry voice, "why didn't you pass to me?"

But Win Mg doesn't answer. All he can think about is how he'll shoot a goal himself soon.

The game becomes still more furious, and the Kaingdan team scores again.

Win Mg's face turns red, and he runs after the ball with all his might. But his efforts come to nothing, and soon the referee's whistle ends the game. The score is two to one in the Kaingdan team's favor. Win Mg's side has lost.

On the way back home Win Mg walks with his head hanging down. He can no longer boast that he's the champion.

The goalie walks beside him and berates him: "It's just because you played all by yourself. Do you realize we lost just because you wouldn't pass the ball to anyone else? You played to please yourself because you know everyone thinks you're the best, didn't you?"

The Soccer Game part 2/3

Once the ball touches someone's hand on Win Mg's side and they are penalized. They have to make a big effort to avoid being scored against.

Then the ball crosses over the center line to the Kaingdan side. HIa Kywe dodges one alter another of the opposing players and carries the ball forward. Win Mg runs ahead, anticipating that the ball will be passed to him.

Hla Kywe dodges yet another opponent and pretends that he is going to try to shoot a goal. But then suddenly he kicks the ball to Win Mg, and the other side is caught off guard by this surprise move. Win Mg connects with the ball and in a hard shot bangs it toward the goal. The goalkeeper of the other side makes a dive but fails to stop the ba1l.

"Goal!" shouts the audience.

The Soccer Game part 1/3

Edilors' Note. Soccer, sometimes called association football, is one of the three main types of football, the other two being rugby and American football, and is aer2 popular in many parts of the world. It differs from the other football games principall2 in that the players are almost never allowed to touch the ball with their hands but only to kick it or hit it with other parts of the body.

Win Mg is in high spirits as he waits for the beginning of the soccer match his team is to play against Kaingdan Primary School. Looking around at his teammates, he feels quite satisfied. He's a forward player, and he knows that the players on his team have confidence in his abilities.

Books Worth-Reading

By Cathy Tejano

1. Marley and Me by Josh Grogan

Oh, I regretted buying this book! It is such a tearjerker. And if you are a dog-person, don't let me spoil your excitement, hehe. Setting aside my OAness, Josh Grogan just wrote the best dog story ever, but that's just me. In his Preface, he described how his childhood was shaped by taking care of a well-behaved dog. And when he said his world turned upside down upon meeting the worst dog Marley, he already got me. But you know what; the most mischievous dogs are the ones that become so loyal to you. "A dog is a man's best friend" is the most understatement there is. When the author's wife lost their first child, the author was so surprised how the worst dog aided such a crying woman. When they had their first child, the worst dog acted as a babysitter. There are so many miracles you can witness when you live with dogs. They can really be annoying sometimes, but the warmth they bring is... well, priceless. I am tempted to describe my own dog experiences, but another post would be appropriate I think.

The Story of Helly part 7/7

The Story of Helly part 7/7

The old man closed his eyes and said loudly: “Let Helly be young and beautiful just as she was the first day she came here.”

Helly looked and saw that everything was as before, as though she had just stepped into the garden. And there, coming out of the distant flowers, was her mother running toward her. Helly ran to meet her. They hugged each other, crying with happiness and laughing with joy.

Helly said: “Mother, Mother, please don’t send me away from home any more. I don’t want a garden full of flowers. I don’t want parrots and nightingales. I don’t want to be painted, nor to be hit ‘ding, dang, dong.’ Please take me home. . . .”

Helly’s mother was shaking Helly and saying: “Helly, Helly, wake up. It’s morning and the sun is shining. You’ve had quite enough sleep.”

The Story of Helly part 6/7

The Story of Helly part 6/7

The old man said: “All right, then, that’s what I’ll do.” Helly said to herself “If the children can hear me, I’ll scream so hard that they’ll get tired of me and ask the old man to send me home.”

But the old man knew what she was thinking and said:

“All right, I’ll make it so the children not only can hear you but will like your screams as well.”

Then he said with a loud voice: “Helly, become a sounding iron.” And with these words Helly found that she had been turned into a big flat piece of iron.

Then the old man took Helly to the nearby schoolyard and hung her up by a chain to be used as a school bell. When it was time for recess, the school janitor took a big club and banged on the sounding-iron so hard that Helly shouted: “My belly! My belly! Ding, dang, dong!” Over and over again: “My belly ! My belly! Ding, dang, dong!”

And at the sound of Helly’s screams the children ran out of their classrooms onto the playground. They clapped their hands, laughed, played, and danced, delighted to be outdoors and free of their studies.

The Story of Helly part 5/7

The Story of Helly part 5/7

The old man said: “No, I’ll send you any place you want to go in my garden, but you can’t go home until you appreciate it.”

“Well then,” said Helly, “at least put me where there are other children to play with.”

The old man said: “All right, if that’s what you want. But what will happen if you start bothering them?”

“Oh,” said Helly, “I promise not to do that.” But to herself she said: “Maybe I couldn’t cope with the birds but I can certainly handle children. I’ll make them so tired of me they’ll beg the old man to send me home.”

The Story of Helly part 4/7

The Story of Helly part 4/7

Presently the boy brought some grain to feed the birds’ They swarmed around the feeding tray and began gobbling up the grain. When Helly came and tried to get a bite, they flew at her again. And again she had to retreat to the far corner of the cage, where she sat and thought how hungry

she was.

She said to herself: “What a world ! What a horrible world ! Nobody ever worries about me. Nobody ever thinks that I too need food and water. I’m all alone here.”

Then she went and asked the other birds to please give her some of the grain and let her have some water, but they didn’t answer. None of the hens and roosters and doves took pity on her. Instead, whenever Helly came near them they would peck her on the head. They pecked her so much that part of the crest fell off her head. And finally she quit talking entirely, she quit walking around, she quit pecking, and she quit begging for food and water. All she did was sit in her far corner of the cage and murmur: “What a world ! What a horrible world ! No water, no food.”

One day she remembered the old man and said to herself: “I wish he were here now and would ask how I’m feeling. I’d tell him, all right, how horrible everything is. I’d tell him I’d do anything he wanted, go wherever he wanted me to go, if only he would set me free and let me be happy again.”

The Story of Helly part 3/7

Her mother answered: “This is the old man’s garden.”

But Helly couldn’t believe that her mother would leave her here all alone in a green and flowery garden. So she laughed and said: “I’m the way I am and as long as I live I won’t change. If you leave me here, I’ll bother the old man so much that he’ll get sick and tired of me and send me back home.”

Helly’s mother said nothing and took her to the old man. He lived in a white marble palace in the center of the garden. Her mother greeted the old man, sat down, and said: “Well, old man, I’11 leave my girl here with you. When she’s learned to behave herself you can send her home.” Then she got up, said good-bye, and started to leave.

Helly yelled: “Mother, Mother! I don’t want to stay with this old man. I don’t want to stay here.”

But her mother made no reply. She walked on into the garden and disappeared among the flowers and trees. The old man said to Helly: “Well, baby, come here. So here you are and here you stay. Now where would you like to live?”

The Story of Helly part 2/7

The Story of Helly part 2/7

One evening a wise old man from a distant city came to visit Helly’s mother. She told the old man how Helly bothered everyone, even the dog, and how nobody liked her. The old man thought for a while and then said: “You know, I think your daughter doesn’t appreciate her home and her neighborhood. If she did, she wouldn’t be always bothering everyone. The trouble is that she has never been sad and unhappy because she was lonely. Now, I think you should send her somewhere far from home where she would be by herself and very, very lonely.”

Helly’s mother laughed and said: “How could I send her away? Where could I send her to be lonely? Is there a place where no one could hear her voice and her crying? Where? Where?”

The Story of Helly part 1/7

The Story of Helly

The Story of Helly part 1/7

It wasn’t a thousand years ago, nor a hundred years either. It was just two years ago or maybe last year. In our neighborhood, in our lane, there lived a girl whose name was Helly, and she was eight years old. As a matter of fact, in our neighborhood, in our lane, many boys and girls were living. There was a girl named Zari. Zai did embroidery and a little housework. She also washed dishes, brought tea, and washed the cups and saucers occasionally, but she could not clean greasy plates very well.

Another girl was called Lilly. She sang songs. She had memorized several long songs. Whenever anyone asked her, she would sing one of these songs. But she never sang when she was by herself, nor did she sing when her brother was studying or doing his homework.