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boundbynaught) wrote2014-08-24 06:02 pm
boundbynaught) wrote2014-08-24 06:02 pm
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Cadence's version of the Paopu Legend
"Once upon a time, there was an island just off the shore, where kids of all ages liked to play. No grown-ups were allowed, unless they were picking up and dropping off kids from the boats at dawn and dusk. The rest of the time, the kids swam together in the ocean, and played in one massive tree-house built up on a stone reservoir in case the surf was high that day. They had an obstacle course, little boats of their own to fish out of, and of course they made up games too. But most of all they loved the nights the grown-ups didn't come to get them, and they got to camp out on the beach for dinner and stare up at the stars.
One night during a camp-out, the kids saw a shooting star, but instead of disappearing it got bigger, and bigger, and bigger..." Cadence drew bigger and bigger circles on Ed's back at that. "Until at last it fell out of the sky and right in front of the kids - the shooting star glowed brightly like the most beautiful pearl, and it spoke to them! 'Would anyone like a wish, since I'm here? I was just passing through and saw your campfire - I thought you were all little stars, your hearts shine so brightly!' One by one, the kids lined up and asked for things - a wooden sword to practice with, a better fishing rod, handheld sparklers, chalk to draw on the reservoir, and all kinds of other toys.
As dawn approached, there were still three young men who hadn't had a turn to talk to the shooting star. They were the best of friends and whenever one of the younger kids cut back into the line for a second turn, breaking them up into one and two or two and one, the friends let the younger go ahead so that they three could stay together. They knew the parents would be returning soon though, and finally the three stood before the shooting star. They couldn't answer who was first, so the shooting star picked for them. 'You, the tallest, what wish can I grant you? I'm afraid I won't be able to stay much longer and I am almost out of wishes - I can only grant one.'
He thought about it, and looked over at his two friends sadly, then turned back to the shooting star. 'I'll take something small then - seeds to grow a tree that all three of us can climb. We don't need it today, we'll have each other. The seeds will be enough for me.' The shooting star gave him the seeds in his shorts pocket-" There, Cade lightly patted as close as he could get to Ed's hip, since he was taller. "Then turned to the other two boys. 'Are you happy with his wish?' They nodded, then the shortest spoke up. 'I don't have a wish, really - I just want to know your name so I can thank you properly.'
'That is a wish I can easily grant,' the shooting star agreed, allowing the boy to come forward and press his ear to the pearl-" Cade leaned over next, speaking quietly with his hand cupped around Edmund's own ear. "So that only he heard it." And then leaned back away. "The three boys rushed to plant the seeds together in a patch of grass behind the reservoir so their sapling would be safe as it grew. After that, the pearl vanished into the dawn sky and the parents' boats arrived to the sound of kids clamoring in dismay - all of their toys had vanished and they didn't know why.
The smallest of the three spoke up when the parents asked to know what happened. 'He said that no one wished for any toys that would stay, so everyone's toys left when he did. Only one person wished for something that would last after he left.' And he smiled up at his friend who wished for the seeds. 'Who? Who is he?' the parents wondered.
The small boy spoke up again. 'He was a shooting star, and his name was Paopu.'
The tree did grow long after Paopu left and the three boys climbed it together for years, always together. Fruits blossomed from it, producing more seeds that the middle boy handed out - since they could be replanted by more kids visiting the island. The middle boy was the one to name the tree and its fruit Paopu after the shooting star that gave it to them, and there's a legend now that if you share a paopu fruit with someone, you'll remain a part of their life no matter what."
- For Edmund Pevensie and Nico di Angelo in City of Ariel
One night during a camp-out, the kids saw a shooting star, but instead of disappearing it got bigger, and bigger, and bigger..." Cadence drew bigger and bigger circles on Ed's back at that. "Until at last it fell out of the sky and right in front of the kids - the shooting star glowed brightly like the most beautiful pearl, and it spoke to them! 'Would anyone like a wish, since I'm here? I was just passing through and saw your campfire - I thought you were all little stars, your hearts shine so brightly!' One by one, the kids lined up and asked for things - a wooden sword to practice with, a better fishing rod, handheld sparklers, chalk to draw on the reservoir, and all kinds of other toys.
As dawn approached, there were still three young men who hadn't had a turn to talk to the shooting star. They were the best of friends and whenever one of the younger kids cut back into the line for a second turn, breaking them up into one and two or two and one, the friends let the younger go ahead so that they three could stay together. They knew the parents would be returning soon though, and finally the three stood before the shooting star. They couldn't answer who was first, so the shooting star picked for them. 'You, the tallest, what wish can I grant you? I'm afraid I won't be able to stay much longer and I am almost out of wishes - I can only grant one.'
He thought about it, and looked over at his two friends sadly, then turned back to the shooting star. 'I'll take something small then - seeds to grow a tree that all three of us can climb. We don't need it today, we'll have each other. The seeds will be enough for me.' The shooting star gave him the seeds in his shorts pocket-" There, Cade lightly patted as close as he could get to Ed's hip, since he was taller. "Then turned to the other two boys. 'Are you happy with his wish?' They nodded, then the shortest spoke up. 'I don't have a wish, really - I just want to know your name so I can thank you properly.'
'That is a wish I can easily grant,' the shooting star agreed, allowing the boy to come forward and press his ear to the pearl-" Cade leaned over next, speaking quietly with his hand cupped around Edmund's own ear. "So that only he heard it." And then leaned back away. "The three boys rushed to plant the seeds together in a patch of grass behind the reservoir so their sapling would be safe as it grew. After that, the pearl vanished into the dawn sky and the parents' boats arrived to the sound of kids clamoring in dismay - all of their toys had vanished and they didn't know why.
The smallest of the three spoke up when the parents asked to know what happened. 'He said that no one wished for any toys that would stay, so everyone's toys left when he did. Only one person wished for something that would last after he left.' And he smiled up at his friend who wished for the seeds. 'Who? Who is he?' the parents wondered.
The small boy spoke up again. 'He was a shooting star, and his name was Paopu.'
The tree did grow long after Paopu left and the three boys climbed it together for years, always together. Fruits blossomed from it, producing more seeds that the middle boy handed out - since they could be replanted by more kids visiting the island. The middle boy was the one to name the tree and its fruit Paopu after the shooting star that gave it to them, and there's a legend now that if you share a paopu fruit with someone, you'll remain a part of their life no matter what."
- For Edmund Pevensie and Nico di Angelo in City of Ariel