TITLE: Gunny By Alice Lewis 12/22/04 |
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When the constable tried to pick him up to put him into the wagon which he was pulling behind his bicycle, in order to bring him to town, the boy fought and kicked and bit even more than a cornered wild animal. Lucky the constable had a gunny sack in his wagon. He managed to slip that over the boy’s head and down his body. He tied the bottom shut. Now no matter how hard the boy fought and kicked, he could not hurt the constable any more. The constable put him in his wagon and brought him to town, to the orphanage.
However, because the boy was so wild and bad-tempered the people at the orphanage did not think it wise to open the bag right away. Instead they went looking for Iver. Iver was a young man who was a graduate of a reform school, who had learned a more gentle and friendly way of living. If anyone could reach the soul of the little boy it would have to be Iver.
When Iver came he sat down on the ground next to the bagged little boy and began talking to him. He touched him gently, stroked him and massaged him all the while he was talking. He told him stories of his own troubled childhood, stories of adventure in far distant places, stories of bravery and courage, stories of overcoming great obstacles. The little boy stopped struggling as he listened to Iver’s stories. Finally Iver said, "I’m going to cut the bag open just a little bit right here so you can stick your hand and arm out, OK? You will be safe. No one is going to harm you. And you won’t scratch or bite or kick any more either. Right?" The little boy stuck his arm out. Iver who had a basin of warm sudsy water available, gently washed and massaged the boys arm. "Now, that felt good, didn’t it?" Iver asked. "Let’s cut away a little more of the bag and bathe some more of you.
Little by little Iver got the now calmed boy out of the bag as he continued to talk to him and massage him. In time under Iver’s careful tutelage, the boy grew to become a normal child. However he never spoke; not even one word. Also he insisted on always wearing the gunny sack tunic that the constable had found him in. He insisted on going barefoot. And he never let go of his hollow wand. He clung to it as if his life depended on it. Since no one knew where he came from or who he was, everyone called him Gunny. It seemed most appropriate since he always wore the gunny sack tunic. As he grew older he wore pants with the gunny sack tunic serving as his shirt.
The orphanage gave him the job of tending their flock of geese. He did a fine job of it. He herded the geese out to pasture every morning and tended them all day long. At night he brought them back to their barn.
On the day of the town’s midsummer night festival, a new float appeared in the town’s parade. No one had ever seen it before. No one knew where it had come from or who the person was that was riding on the elephant which was all decked out in splendid colors. A little old man sat on a velvet embroidered blanket on top of the elephant. He was so old and wrinkled and bent over that it seemed impossible for him to stay on top of the beast without tumbling off. He was carrying a flag which had a magnificent Coat of Arms embroidered on it with the finest of silk threads. The old man peered at the crowd as though he were looking for someone.
Without talking and mouths hanging open, everyone stared at that magnificent elephant and at the magnificent flag that the old man was carrying. When Gunny saw the old man, he instantly recognized him. Something was happening inside of him. He was remembering who he really was and where he came from.
Gunny walked up to the old man on the elephant lifting his hand in a greeting. He opened his mouth and spoke for the first time in many years. "Hilfer," he boomed. "It is I." As soon as he said that, the atmosphere crackled with electricity and a micro-bust wind blew in all directions at once, nearly blowing the town’s people over. After the wind quieted the people no longer saw Gunny, the barefoot boy in his sackcloth shirt. Instead, they saw a handsome youth in princely array standing next to the old man on the elephant. The youth unfurled his wand and removed a miniature copy of the flag with the same coat of arms as was on the large flag that the man carried. He proudly held it up to the old man. "It is I, Hilfer," he said again.
The old man got off his elephant and fell on his knees before the youth, "Gunther, Prince Gunther, I have finally found you. Now my purpose in life is completed, and I can die in peace."
Then the old man spoke to the townspeople. " In order to rob us of our bounty and our beauty, the wicked sorcerer from the land of Nerezza killed our King and our Queen, he said. He is still robbing us. The king and Queen were Gunther’s parents. Since Prince Gunther was the only heir to the throne, the sorcerer also banished him far from his homeland and wiped his mind clean of all former memories. That’s how he came to live with you. I have traveled from country to country for many years, carrying this banner, hoping that some day I would find him again, to return him to his own land. Only he could break the magic of the wicked sorcerer. It is broken now. You have seen the transformation with your own eyes."
"Hilfer, my faithful servant and companion," Prince Gunther said. "Come." It is time to return to our beautiful country of Sharon, which lies just beyond the Sunrise Mountains. When I have assumed my father’s throne I will make all things right again and I will richly reward you for your faithfulness to me."
With that they both mounted the elephant and disappeared into the forest.
So the legend was told in the land of Yamoa from generation to generation of how a ragged, gunny sack boy was rescued by his faithful servant and returned to his rightful heritage.
GUNNY
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