Let It Snow

Let It Snow

By :  David Sedaris

Winters were frustratingly mild in North Carolina, but the year I was in the fifth grade we got lucky. Snow fell, and, for the first time in years, it accumulated. School was cancelled, and two days later we got lucky again. There were eight inches on the ground, and, rather than melting, it froze. On the fifth day of our vacation, my mother had a little breakdown. Our presence had disrupted the secret life she led while we were at school, and when she could no longer take it she threw us out. It wasn’t a gentle request but something closer to an eviction. “Get the hell out of my house,” she said.

We reminded her that it was our house, too, and she opened the front door and shoved us into the carport. “And stay out!” she shouted.

My sisters and I went down the hill and sledded with other children from the neighborhood. A few hours later, we returned home, surprised to find that the door was locked. “Oh, come on,” we said. I rang the bell, and when no one answered we went to the window and saw our mother in the kitchen, watching television. Normally she waited until five o’clock to have a drink, but for the past few days she’d been making an exception. Drinking didn’t count if you followed a glass of wine with a cup of coffee, and so she had a goblet and a mug positioned before her on the countertop.

“Hey!” we yelled. “Open the door. It’s us.” We knocked on the pane and, without looking in our direction, she refilled her goblet and left the room.

“That bitch,” my sister Lisa said. We pounded again and again, and when our mother failed to answer we went around back and threw snowballs at her bedroom window. “You are going to be in so much trouble when Dad gets home!” we shouted, and in response my mother pulled the drapes. Dusk approached, and as it grew colder it occurred to us that we could possibly die. It happened, surely. Selfish mothers wanted the house to themselves and their children were discovered years later, frozen like mastodons in blocks of ice.

My sister Gretchen suggested that we call our father, but none of us knew his number, and he probably wouldn’t have done anything anyway. He’d gone to work specifically to escape our mother, and between the weather and her mood it could be hours, or even days, before he returned home.

“One of us should get hit by a car,” I said. “That would teach the both of them.” I pictured Gretchen, her life hanging by a thread as my parents paced the halls of Rex Hospital, wishing they had been more attentive. It was really the perfect solution. With her out of the way, the rest of us would be more valuable and have a bit more room to spread out. “Gretchen, go lie in the street.”

FROM THE ISSUECARTOON BANKE-MAIL THIS

“Make Amy do it,” she said.

Amy, in turn, pushed it off on Tiffany, who was the youngest and had no concept of death. “It’s like sleeping,” we told her. “Only you get a canopy bed.”

Poor Tiffany. She’d do just about anything in return for a little affection. All you had to do was call her Tiff, and whatever you wanted was yours: her allowance, her dinner, the contents of her Easter basket. Her eagerness to please was absolute and naked. When we asked her to lie in the middle of the street, her only question was “Where?”

We chose a quiet dip between two hills, a spot where drivers were almost required to skid out of control. She took her place, this six-year-old in a butter-colored coat, and we gathered on the curb to watch. The first car to come along belonged to a neighbor, a fellow-Yankee who had outfitted his tires with chains and stopped a few feet from our sister’s body. “Is that a person?” he asked.

“Well, sort of,” Lisa said. She explained that we’d been locked out of our house, and, while the man appeared to accept it as a reasonable explanation, I’m pretty sure he was the one who told on us. Another car passed, and then we saw our mother, this puffy figure awkwardly negotiating the crest of the hill. She did not own a pair of pants, and her legs were buried to the calf in snow. We wanted to send her home, to kick her out of nature just as she had kicked us out of the house, but it was hard to stay angry at someone that pitiful-looking.

“Are you wearing your loafers?” Lisa asked, and in response our mother raised a bare foot.

“I was wearing loafers,” she said. “I mean, really, it was there a second ago.”

This was how things went. One moment she was locking us out of our own house and the next we were rooting around in the snow, looking for her left shoe. “Oh, forget about it,” she said. “It’ll turn up in a few days.” Gretchen fitted her cap over my mother’s foot. Lisa secured it with her scarf, and, surrounding her tightly on all sides, we made our way home.

Short Story

Unlucky Day
Tuesday, 25th June 2013

I was late attending the lecture. On the day before it, my friend sent me an sms that we had to be ready for presentation and the next day I forgot to wake up earlier. My friends were waiting for me around 2 hours till one of them sent me an sms, he reminded me that we had a presentation. Surprisingly, I was shocked and startled. Soon I had to do bathing. An hour later, I arrived to the class. They both had been waiting for me for long time till one of them leave the class due to my lateness. He told me that he (one who left the class) got angry. My friend and I was panic because one of our group members left. I sought him around even around the university but resulting a zero mark. I came back to the class again. I called him but he didnt answer, I sent him an sms but he didnt reply. The time passed horribly until the class got over and the lecturer went out of the class. There were still two bodies, me and my friend. However, he got angry not due to me but due to the one of or group members. As he was grumbling, I slowly left him, walked smoothly to the back and ran away.

Then, I went to my friend's boarding house named *****. I told him that I got a bad day. As long as we were talking, he reminded me that we still had the last assignment, it was english for tourism. I was having another group at the different subject. Soon he called the other members of the group. We then went to Vredeburg Museum to record the our visit. Oh yea the assisgnment is that we were summoned to record ourselves at the tourism objects, we had to desribe the object by using english and uploading it through youtube. At the firs time we enjoyed our recording day. There were many objects to describe. As we finished the recording I went home.

The next morning in campus, my friend told me that my video that I recorded yesterday. It had not been recorded. What did I think? I was talking so much and it had not been recorded? How come? I wanted to be angry but to whom? I had to go to the same place again and do recording? Horrible!

The Legend of Prambanan

A long time ago there was a great empire called prambanan. That empire was very beautiful and the folks there lived in peace. The king was very so wise that the people adore him. However, someday the empire was attacked by the Pengging Kingdom. The peace of prambanan was shaken. Its soldiers could not face the invansion of pengging’s kingdom. Finally the empire of prambanan was defeated by Pengging and was led by Bandung Bondowoso.

Bondowoso was a leader who liked summoning its folks harshly. “Anyone who does not obey what I ask for, I will give you a strict punishment, I might hang you until you die” said Bondowoso. Bondowoso was a supernatural leader that had demon henchemen. Not very long time Bondowoso mastered the kingdon of prambanan, he observed Roro Jonggrang, the daughter of king prambanan who was very beautiful. “That princess is very beautiful, I want her to be my wife ” thought Bondowoso.

The next morning, Bondowoso came to Roro Jonggrang. “You are so beautiful, my heart leaps out when I see your face, it is like a moon, will you be wife Roro Jonggrang?” said Bondowoso. Roro Jonggrang felt shocked after she knew what Bondowoso confessed. “This mn is really impolite, he does not know me but he wants to marry me” grumbled Roro Jonggrang. She became confused and did not know what to do. Roro Jonggrang then thought about it in her room. “If I refuse what Bondowoso wants, surely he is going to be angry and destroys everything” said Roro Jonggrang. Roro Jonggrang did not like him at all due to his harsh attitute to the people, she then found a way how to refuse Bodowoso’s will softly.

The next day she then came to Bondowoso and said that she would be his wife if he could build 1000 temples in one night. Bondowoso shocked and and got angry. He had no idea on how to build 1000 temples during one night. Finally he then asked his advisor. The advisor told Bondowoso ask for help from the spirits. The he agreed.

After all things had been prepared by Bondowoso, then he stood on the big rock. He put his hands up and said “The great spirits, please help me! Help me build 1000 temples” said Bondowoso. The cloud became dark, the moon was covered by it. the spirits the came and said “What can we do my lord?” “please help me build 1000 tenples in one night” asked Bondowoso. The spirits then started to fulfill Bondowoso’s will. In a short time, the temples built almost 1000.

Meanwhile, Roro Jonggrang observed them from a far. She got worried that they almost fulfilled the temples. She the went to her attendants. They were woken up by Roro Jonggrang and she wanted them to pound the dimple and the cocks crowed. Some of them fire the straw so that it was like the morning rised.

The spirits thought that the sun had risen. They had to leave soon before the sun burned them. They left their work in a crowded way. Bondowoso felt wondered seeing his spirits. Bondowoso then invited roro Jonggrang to see the temple. “The temples that you want has been fulfilled” said Bondowoso. Roro Jonggrang soon counted them. The temples were only 999. It means that Bondowoso failed in fulfilling roro Jonggrang’s will. Bondowoso he got very angry. “If it is so, then you must be the 1000^th temple” said Bondowoso. He then bewitched her to be temple.

Until now, the temple is still available. The statue of Roro Jonggrang is calle roro jonggrang temple. The temples are located in Prambanan so it is called Prambanan temple.

  

Source: http://legendakita.wordpress.com/2007/11/06/legenda-candi-prambanan/

The Story of the Smart Parrot

A man in Puerto Rice had a wonderful parrot. The was no ather parrots like it.

It was smart, very smart. This parrot would say any word-except one. He would not say the where he was born. The name of the town was Catano.

The man tried to teach the parrot to say Catano. But the bird would not say the word. At first, the man was very nice, but then he got angry. “You stupid bird! Why can’t you say the word? Say Catano or I will kill you” but the carrot would not say it. then the man got so angry tha he shouted over and over, “Say Catano, or i will kill you?”, but the bird would not talk.

One day after trying for many hours to make the bird say Catano, the man got very angry, very angry. He pick up the bird and throw it into the chicken’s house. “You are more stupid than the chickens. Soon i will eat them and eat you too”.

The next day the man came back to the chicken’s house. He opened the door and stopped. He was very surprised at what he saw.

He saw three dead chicken on the floor. The parrot was screaming at fourth chicken. “Say Catano, or I’ll kill you!”

Smile, Please

Mr. Basir had a cow. One day, he called his guard. He asked him to teach his cow to read. If he could not, he would punish him. His guard had no choice. He accepted the cow at the palm tree behind his house.

In the next morning, he went to the backyard with a rattan stick. He hit the animal again and again. He kept hitting it while saying, You, Basir, or I”. He did it every morning.

One day Mr. Basir called him. He asked him, “Why didn’t you give me a report on your duty?” “I’m so sorry, Sir. I was so busy teaching the cow to read that I forgot to report,” answer the guard.

“Why did you only say three words to it, you, Basir or I?” asked Mr. Basir.

“You, first possibility that the cow was wrong. It was too foolish. The second possibility was Mr. Basir was wrong. You knew that animal can not read. The third possibility, I was wrog because I could not teach animal to read,” answer the guard. “You were right. I take my order back. You can have the cow. You can sell it, keep it, or slaughter it, but don’t hit it,” said Mr. Basir.

Source: Abunawas & His Impossible Missions, Sugeng Hariyanto, Kanisius 2001

Roro Anteng and Joko Seger

Hundreds of years ago, during the reign of the last king of Majapahit, Brawijaya , one of king’s wives gave birth to a girl, who was named Roro Anteng. Later, this young princess married Joko Seger, who came from Brahman caste. Because of unfortunate situation, the couple was forced to leave the kingdom. They settled down in the mountain area. They ruled the area and named it Tengger, which was derived from the couples’ names, Roro Anteng and Joko Seger.

After several years, the region flourished in prosperity, but Roro Anteng and Joko Seger were unhappy because they did not have a child. Frustated, they climbed the top of the mountain and prayed night and day hoping that the gods would listen. The prayer was heard and Betoro Bromo promised them many children. However, the couple had to promise that they would sacrifice their youngest child in return.

Roro Anteng gave birth to a child, then another and another. In the end, they got 25 children. Soon it was time for them to sacrifice the youngest child, Kesuma, but the parents just could not do it. they tried to hide the child, but an eruption happened and Kesuma fell into the carter. There was silence before the heard a voice, “I have to be sacrificed so that you will all stay alive. From now on, you should arrange an annual offering ceremony on the 13^rd of Kesodo  (the twelfth month of Tenggerese calendar ). ” It was Kesuma’s voice.

Kesuma’s brothers and sisters held the offering ceremony evry year. Instead of human being, these people collected fruits, vegetables, rice and meat to be offered to the gods. And this has been done generation after generation until today.

Blue-Tongue Lizard

Blue-tongue lizard and his family camped near a swamp long ago. One day, blue-tongue went to get sme food. While he was down at the swamp, he left his wife sitting under the shady tree. A little while later, Taipan passed by blue-tongue lizard’s camp. He saw blue-tongue lizard’s wife sitting under the tree. He decided he would steal her from blue-tongue lizard.

He took her with him and together they ran a long way. Taipan did not know that a black bird had been watching him. As long as he ran away with blue-tongue lizard’s wife, black bird began singing out to blue-tongue lizard “your wife is gone,  Taipan has taken her away”, he cried. Blue-tongue lizard herad black bird’s call. He went back to the shady tree  where he had left his wife and saw she was gone. He put down his bag which was full of food and made a fire. He cooked his food after he had finished eating it, he went to get his spears.

He found they had been broken by Taipan. Then he found the tracks of his wife and Taipan and he followed them. Blue-tongue lizard followed followed their tracks until he came to a freshly killed emu. It had been killed by Taipan. Blue-tongue knew that Taipan and his wife must be nearby. He soon found them near a river. When Taipan saw him, soon Taipan ran to get the spears but Blue-tongue had already broken them.

“We can fight with our teeth”, said Blue-tongue lizard. Taipan agreed and the two fought wildly. Ubtil finally Blue-tongue lizard caught hold of Taipan’s body in his powerful jaws and bit him in half. With Taipan dead, blue-tongue lizard took his wife and together they returned to the swamp.

*Note: Taipan is a snake.

(Source: Extract from the land of the snake people. Percy trezise 2000)

The Scorpion and The Frog

One day, a scorpion looked around at the mountain where he lived and decided that he wanted a change. He set out on a journey through the forests and the hills. He climbed over rocks and under vines and kept going until he reached a river.

The river was wide and swift. The scorpion then stopped to reconsider the situation. He could not see any way across. So he ran upriver and then checked downriver, all the while thinking that he might have to run back.

Suddenly, he saw a frog sitting in the bushes by the bank of the stream on the other side of the river. He decided to ask the frog for help getting across the stream.

“Hello Mr. Frog!” called the scorpion across the water,  “Would you be so kind as to give me a ride on your back across the river?”

“Well now, Mr. Scorpion! How do I know that if I try to help you, you will not try to kill me?” asked the frog hestitantly. “Because,” the scorpion replied, “If I try to kill you, then I would die too, for you see I can not swim!”

Now this seemed to make sense to the frog. But he asked “What about when I get close to the bank? You still try to kill me and get back to the shore!

“This is true, “agreed the scorpion, “ But then I could not be able to get the other side of the river!”

“Alright then, how do I know you won’t just wait until we get to the other side of the river and then kill me?” said the frog.

“Ahh... crooned the scorpion, “because you see, once you have taken me to the other side of this river, I will be so grateful for your help, that it would hardly be fair to reward you with death, now would it?!”

So the frog agreed to take the scorpion across the river. He swam over the bank and settled himself near the mud to pick up his passenger. The scorpion crawled onto the frog’s back, his sharp claws prickling into the frog’s soft hide and the frog slid into the river. The muddy water swirled around them, but the frog stayed near the surface so the scorpion wouldn’t drown. He kicked srongly through the first half of the stream, his flippers paddling wildly against the current.

Halfway across the river, the frog suddenly felt a sharp sting in his back and, out of the corner of his eye, saw the scorpion remove his stinger from the frog’s back. A deadening numoness began to creep into his limbs.

“you fool!” croaked the frog, “Now we shall both die! Why on earth did you do that?”

The scorpion shrugged, and did a little jig on the drowning frog’s back.

“I could not help myself. It’s my nature.”

Then they both sank into the muddy water of the swifty flowing river.

The Fox and The Vineyard

A hungry fox went to look for food. He walked along the country roads and came to a vineyard. Of course he wanted to ge inside, but he could not do so because there was a high wall all round the place. He tried to climb the wall but it was too high.

He walked round the wall and at one part saw a hole. “Ah” He tought. “Now” I can get inside. He began to push himself through the hole but he was too fat.

“There is only one thing for me to do.” He said at last. “I must become thinner”. For a whole day he did not get anything to eat and the he tried to get trhough the hole, but he was still too fat. He ate nothing for another day and he did not get thin enough. At the end of the third day, he found that he could get through the hole.

At last he was inside the vineyard and could eat the fruit. The grapes were sweet and he ate as many as he could. He ate and ate till he could not eat anymore. Then he went to the hole and tried to through. But alas! He could not do so. He was too fat.

Poor fox! There was only one thing for him to do now. He had to stay in the vineyard with the fine fruits all round him and be hungry for three days. At the end of that time, the fox became thin and he could get through the hole.