"Hi-llo!" HE greeted, combining the hi and hello unintentionally, confused at what he saw above, stuck in a branch of the small tree, staring at him…
The li'l guy is quite an unusual character - he's only as tall as HE's hips to toe, but don't let his size fool you. He's not a dwarf nor a small child; rather, he's a charmingly cute guy with an oversized head.
A bizarre description, right? But I tell you, google the word "Chibi" and that's he. If you are fond of reading manga or watching anime, then he is like those cute versions of your favorite characters whenever they become comical and funny.
This quirky guy dons a very big light green shirt that makes him look even smaller, almost like he's wearing a toga on Graduation Day. His tiny feet are adorned with small slippers, and you can hardly tell if he's wearing shorts or not. But that doesn't matter - it's his unique style that makes him stand out.
He has a round face with eyes bigger than his ears. When he smiles, his lips form a long stroke of a line that stretches close to his ears.
His tongue seems to have a mind of its own and can't help but peek out when he stops talking. But when he does talks, his voice is clear and understandable. However, it's hard not to get distracted by his two big teeth with a conspicuous gap in the middle.
To top it off, he's bald (almost), save for three cute brown strands of hair on his head.
Oh, and don't forget about his accessories. He carries a crooked metallic pen that's longer than he is, which he holds like a staff on his right, and a flat sedimentary stone on his left - an odd pair of possessions for an even stranger guy...
HE easily climbed the tree and helped the li'l guy unstuck by pulling him out. BLAG! Down they go and fell. (It was not that high, so they were fine).
"Oh, thank you so much, sir! Well, it took you long enough. I was starting to feel like a permanent fixture up there. But I'm indebted to you," said the little guy while blowing off the specks of dust on his big shirt.
"I don't know if I should be pleased with your statement or what. Anyway, what were you doing up there?" asked HE, trying to stand up from the fall.
The little guy looked down at his feet and kicked the ground. "Oh, I, uh, got stuck. As you so kindly witnessed, haven't you?" he said, still trying to clean off the dirt.
HE raised an eyebrow then teased him. "Yeah, I know, I saw that. Do you want me to put you back up there again, my little friend?" he replied sarcastically back to that sarcastic answer.
The li'l guy's eyes widened in horror. "Oh, no! No, no, no! Please don't, sir. I was just kidding," he said, holding his pen-like staff and flat stone in defense. "And, by the way, I was not informed that I was your friend, and mind you, I am not LITTLE. My name is-"
HE cut him off. "O-kay then. Whatever you say. Well, I have to go now," he said, "Buh-bye..." Then he started to walk towards PUDDLE.
But the li'l guy wasn't about to give up that easily. "Oh, wait! Wait! I was just kidding again. Can't you take one, sir? Wait for me!" he called after HE, scurrying to catch up.
Though a midget, he sure can keep up with the speed of our hero-in-the-making (in looks only), because he walks hastily which seems to be his norm. His feet were moving fast and it's kinda cute and funny too.
"Yeah, I know that you were 'kid-ing'. But why are you following me now?" asked HE, a bit annoyed. (just a bit)
"Oh, beats me!" the li'l guy explained, "No particular reason at all. But I was thinking... maybe I could join you on your little adventure, sir? Oh, you see, I am a storyteller. I actually need some first-hand experience. Of course, for inspiration."
HE raised another eyebrow. "You want to come with me on my adventure?"
The li'l guy nodded eagerly. "Yes, oh yes, please! Kindly, don't let me repeat myself. And I promise I won't bother you much. Just slightly, perhaps."
He thought for a moment and then sighed. "Well, I have no problem with that. But on one condition. You have to tell me why you were stuck in that tree."
The li'l guy's face fell "Oh, that, I can't tell. But this story, sir, I can..." He told a certain tale…
~~~
The Story of the Man on the Edge:
There was once a man who was walking on a pitch-black night along a cliff, unaware of what lay ahead. Suddenly, he slipped and fell to the edge of the cliff. But by some miracle, he managed to grab hold of a small branch at the cliff's edge, saving himself from certain death. There he was, hanging on that pitch-black night, clutching onto the small branch for dear life. He called out for help, and to his surprise, a mighty voice responded to his plea. The Voice said, "Will you trust me? Let go of that branch." The man hesitated, unsure of what to do. He cried out for help once again, but no help came. Eventually, the sun rose and shed light on the situation. To his shock, the man realized he was only one foot away from the safe ground.
~~~
"Ah, I see," said HE, nodding. "So, you're saying all I need is faith and trust in you?"
The midget-storyteller giggled. "Oh, no, not really, sir! Not really needed nor necessary. But I appreciate the sentiment. Ahihi!"
"Very well," said HE, "as promised, you can be my comrade on this epic journey of mine. But take heed, my dear little friend, the paths I will take are no walk in the park," he imitated the voice of The Narrator, trying to inject some humor into that serious topic.
The li'l guy shrugged it off excitedly. "Oh, that's okay. That's what I'm looking for, anyway." He paused for a moment, then added, "Oh, and by the way, let me say again, I am not Little, and I have a great big name, sir!"
HE laughed. "My apologies. I seem to have forgotten the formalities." He cleared his throat and then greeted, "Hello, I am HE of the Village. It's nice to meet you. And you are...?"
"Oh, the pleasure is mine, really," the li'l guy replied. "They call me TALER. It sounds like 'tale' with an '-er' at the end."
Don't think badly of our little friend, TALER who is not taller than HE. In truth, TALER speaks quite politely as if he was always saying 'po' and 'opo' if he were in the Philippines. However, it can be annoying how he constantly states his thoughts and feelings, whether you want to hear them or not.
Mind you, annoying to be with (just a bit), but his role in this story is pretty much a necessity. His character is more important than you think, so do bear with it.
"But why do you trust me so easily to join my conquest, TALER, my friend?" asked HE.
TALER replied, "Oh well, let me answer you with one story I remembered on that same line..."
~~~
The Story of the Tightrope Walker:
Once, there was a Tightrope Walker who showed off his skills to the world by crossing two high mountains on a tightrope without any safety net. He succeeded without any hassle, and the crowd cheered. For his next challenge, he declared that he would cross the mountains on the tightrope while carrying a wheelbarrow. Since they had already witnessed his success on his first challenge, the crowd cheered and expressed their trust in him. The Tightrope Walker successfully crossed while carrying a wheelbarrow, and the crowd went wild, cheering again. For his final challenge, he announced that he would cross the tightrope while carrying a wheelbarrow with someone sitting in it. He then asked, "Who wants to volunteer?" The crowd suddenly fell silent.
~~~
"Oh, sir, did you understand what I meant? Savvy?" TALER smiled.
"All I can say is, I hope you could just talk normally, like the way you do when you tell a story," HE commented.
"Oh, but why, sir? Is my way of storytelling abnormal?" asked TALER.
"Just forget it," replied HE, rolling his eyes.
"Oh, okay then, already forgotten, sir," Taler quickly answered, "So, do we have a heading?"
"Well, I was just about to ask you if you know about the whereabouts of the very well-known legendary person skilled in fighting, the one they call, FIGHTER," said HE.
Although the Village may seem so solitary, they have some vague ideas of what's going on around other places through the stories of passing travelers.
"Oh, the one they call FIGHTER? That, I don't know," TALER answered, "But the other name they call at that same FIGHTER, that, I do know. And with that name, I know where its shadow was last seen."
"Then, lead the way, TALER, my friend." HE smiled.
We can sense the excitement rising in TALER's whole body, and it really was contagious.
It was like that time when the next episode of your favorite TV series is about to start. Like that time when the school bell rings, signaling the start of summer vacation. Like that time when the long wait is over, and you'll finally go to the beach with your family. Like that time when you'll finally hear the reply of your loved one, whether it's a 'yes' or a 'no'. Like that time when your family gathers for Noche Buena on Christmas Day, or the countdown on New Year's Eve.
The excitement of the first mission on their epic journey is oh such bliss to look forward to.
TALER then pointed the tip of his pen-like staff and enthusiastically said, "Oh, let's head forth further to the west, sir... There, we shall cross the Passable River..."
---~~~o~~~--- ---~~~o~~~--- ---~~~o~~~---
THE PSALMIST just fell silent on this one, for reasons we know not, yet.