As a primary school student — and for a year or two in secondary school too — I used to participate in different competitions such as painting and drawing, and story writing. One of the times I participated in a on-the-spot short-story writing contest, I think as a 7th grader, I won first prize. I remember winning but I had completely forgotten about the story until, not long ago, a fellow graduate of my school, St. Xavier’s, found the story in the school magazine, The Godavarian, and PMed photos of it!
Reproduced below, verbatim, is the story! (Incidentally, I continued to write stories in school and even had a few published also in the school magazine, which I shall also be reproducing in this blog…just for fun.)
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SHORT STORY & ESSAY CONTEST: INTRA 1st
My Work for the Giant
-by Dorjc Gurung (St. Xavier’s)
One day, while I was walking along on a deserted beach, I saw a bottle at my feet. I kicked it once, twice and then noticed that it was not an ordinary bottle. I picked it up and looked into it. There was a kind of mist inside. Without thinking, I pulled the cork from the bottle and smoke rose up from the bottle. And after sometime the smoke changed into a form of a great giant.
When I saw this change in the smoke I was terrified for some time. I started trembling. Then the giant spoke to me, “Now I am very happy to be out of this bottle. But I had promised myself that if any one freed me, the man shall die because I had before promised to reward him handsomely but, when no one freed me, I got angry and promised myself to kill the person. So be ready die.”
When I heard this I was shocked. I had a wife, children and my old parents. What would happen to them if I die? I had to work and feed them but now I was going to die. Hopefully, I put this question to him. “Isn’t there any way to set myself free?”
When I heard “Yes” from the giant I was happy but when I heard that I should do three hard works for him I was again shocked. I asked him, “What is it that you want me to do?” Then he started to tell me this story.
“Long ago when I was just a young fellow I was going for a walk in the forest. When I was walking along I saw a house near the little road. I went inside it and found there was nobody but in a small cage a parrot was eating his food. When the parrot saw me it began to cry saying, “Please let me out?” I felt pity on the little parrot. Then I freed the parrot. Then the parrot flew away and I was left alone there.
“Then from nowhere a witch appeared. The witch was very angry for I had freed the parrot. The parrot was her prisoner So she took me for her prisoner in place of the parrot. She put me in a bottle by making a form of smoke and I was thrown in to the sea.
“Then many years passed and I don’t know what happened to me but now I am here. So to take revenge on the witch I want you to kill the witch but bring her head to me.”
I asked him, “Where can I find her?” The giant said, As you know I freed a parrot from the cage of the witch. The parrot knows where to fnd her and what must be done to kill her. I will give you one month’s time.” But by this answer I got nowhere, Again I asked, “Where can I find the parrot?” He said, “I can answer that for you. From this place you go to west for a long time till you pass three hills behind you will find a big forest. There in the forest you can find the parrot. As you know the parrot talks as it’s not an ordinary parrot. You come back in this place after a month then I will either kill you or reward you.” So saying he disappeared in the thin air.
I walked home sadly. I packed up for my long journey I also packed some grain and nets. I asked my best friend to look after my family I told my difficulty to him and he gladly agreed. That day I stayed at home.
Early in the morning I started my journey. Each and every night I went on in the same direction. It took me five days to reach there. I started doing things as I had planned. I started to pitch my tent and I kept some bind nets to catch birds. It started growing dark. I went to check each and every net but I found only two birds. The birds were ordinary ones. So I set them free. I had my supper and went to sleep.
Next morning I went to check the nets for the second time. There were seven birds caught in the trap. Among them was a parrot. But the parrot was not the one which I was looking for. That day also went. And without any result two days passed by. But on the third day when I went to check the nets as usual a parrot which was caught in the second net cried bitterly when I caught it. The parrot started saying. “Please leave and I will do anything for you if possible.” So I knew that the parrot I was looking for was that one. So I asked, “Do you know where, to find the witch which kept you as a prisoner?” The parrot seemed to be quite concerned. He told me, “You want to go to that wicked witch? Why? “I told him my problem and the parrot was just too eager to tell me. He told me that he would bring a horse for me.
Early next morning I heard someone call from outside. Then to my surprise the parrot was with a good looking white horse- So I packed up and rode on the horse. The parrot told me to follow him. So I rode on the horse and followed the parrot. It was a good afternoon when we reached a nice valley. There we camped and I cooked my food and gave some to the parrot and to the horse.
In the evening, when it was growing dark I asked the parrot how to kill the witch. At this the parrot was shocked. Then the parrot told me that killing the witch would be impossible. But when I forced the parrot to tell ms, the parrot said, ‘‘In the house of the witch there is a secret door. Inside the door is a small cage. In the cage is a small bird. The bird’s neck must be cut off but not a drop of the bird should fall on the floor or you will die. But if you are going to kill the witch put a bowl on the floor and cut its neck on top of the bowl and any drop of blood which falls may fall into the bowl. The bird will try to fly away but don’t let it fly away And one more thing. Bring a drop of blood to me. Be careful; the witch may come at any moment. The house is down the valley. Tomorrow I will bring a sword for you.” So saying, the parrot flew away.Early the next morning, as I had expected, the parrot was outside with a sword beside him. Then I went down to the house of the witch. I went to the window to see if the witch was in the house I saw that the witch was not in the house. I went inside and looked carefully at the surrounding walls. Then I found a crack in the wall which was in the east direction. I forced the door open and inside was a small cage which had a bird inside it. I drew my sword and my bowl out. I put the bowl down and opened the cage slowly. I took out the bird with great care. Then I brought the bird near the bowl. I heard some one cry outside. Then the witch came to the door. I cut the neck of the bird with one stroke of the powerful sword. In an instant, with a loud cry, the witch died. Then with the bowl and the sword in my hand, I ran outside.
Outside I found the parrot waiting for me. The parrot told me to pour the blood of the bird on him. Then when the blood was poured on him the parrot changed into a handsome prince. The prince was changed into a parrot so the witch could rule over the country after the prince’s father’s death. The prince thanked me and went on his way.
This was the first hard work. What will be waiting for me when I get to the giant? I had the head of the witch too. Let the other assignment be an easier one. I hope the other won’t be as hard as this.
