Those of you who know me are aware I have an interest in fairy tales. Old ones, new ones, the original versions, etc. I’ve got an entire shelf of books dedicated to fairy tales. So, while this is a rather modern tale it is by one of my favourite authors and I can’t wait for it to finally be released:
Stardust - the trailer
No, not the dude from the bible.
Instead something much more frightening. That’s right kids - FREAKIN’ CLOWNS!
I ended up in the NCH last Friday night with Miz D and The Philosopher to see a comic production - er, I don’t even know if that is the correct word but it’ll do for now.
It had clowns (scary ass ugly clowns) and a choir.
Not really my bag if ya get me. The choir was really good, but I just can’t get over the damn clowns.
The conceit of the piece was that the clowns (Jesus I’m even getting the shivers typing the word) were the cleaning staff who ‘hilariously’ got caught on the stage just before the performance and - unable to leave - then became part of the performance.
I’d have preferred just to listen to the choir who were quite good and had some fabulous soloists. Instead every so often the clowns would come in and muck everything up, throwing popcorn and water on the audience.
Ahh the old reliables. Hil-freakin’-arious.
You’ll be happy to hear it was only a two night run at the NCH - so any readers who suffer from coulrophobia can now walk down Earlsfort Terrace in safety.
Oh yeah, the photo there? That was a song that they made us STAND UP AND SING ALONG. Complete with ‘wacky’ actions.
I’m a broken woman.
Museum of Anthropology
Specimen No: 233984-13
Item: Homo floresiensis - Skull
Carbon Dated Age: 14,000 BC
Details: Female, young adult.
‘Nur!’
A voice called out over the rocks and bounced around the small valley. At the bank of the river a small girl played with stones, skipping them into the water. She heard the voice and froze, then looked quickly for a place to hide. It was too late.
‘There you are! Kurthi has been looking for you!’
Joko was not much taller than his sister, his skinny torso at odds with the strength that lay in his thighs and legs.
Nur shrugged. She didn’t want to go back to the village. She just wanted to be alone.
‘Come on, I don’t have time to waste out here.’
‘Well leave me alone then, I’ll go back later.’
‘Kurthi wants you there now!’
Joko grabbed his sister by her shoulders and spun her round, pushing her ahead of him.
‘Ow!’ shouted Nur.
‘Be quiet and move! I don’t want to be late!’
Homo Floresiensis was contemperanous with modern day Homo Sapiens. First specimens discovered in the Liang Bua Cave on the island of Flores on Indonesian archipelago. Believed to have limited language capability.
‘Where have you been? People have been looking all over for you!’ Kurthi was angry. Nur didn’t think she’d ever seen her so angry. In her hands she carried a long spear, the tip carved sharp enough to break the hide of the Buta.
‘Here, now.’
Nur paled, feeling the weight of the spear in her hands. When she held it upright the tip was even with her nose.
‘Go on now, it’s your turn’ said Kurthi and stood with arms folded looking proudly at her little daughter.
Nur slumped and padded over to the group of young girls that stood chattering excitedly. Each of them held a spear similar to the one Nur carried, the difference was that they appeared to know how to use it and were familiar with its weight.
Nur had never been on a hunt before.
Joko had already left with the rest of the young men. It was their job to track the Buta and tire it out so the girls could deliver the final killing blow.
Museum of Anthropology
Specimen No: 233984-16 to 233984-36
Item: Stone beads (20)
Carbon Dated Age: 14,000 BC
Nur touched the leather pouch that was tied around her waist, and her lips moved quickly in a silent prayer to the gods. The pouch contained a selection of small rounded stones, beaded with tiny needles carved from bone. Nur felt comforted by the weight of it on her hips. As the girls set off Nur looked back at the village one last time. Kurthi had disappeared - probably feeding the baby. Nur felt disappointed, it was her first hunt. Surely Kurthi could have stayed to wave her off?
The group began to move faster, loping through the tall grass, calling out to each other. They followed in the tracks of the boys for a while, Nur could feel her legs getting tired. Just when she thought she couldn’t run any further the group stopped. Ahead of them the boys had cornered the Buta. Its strangled cries rang out across the clearing. The grass flattened where it had frendziedly stomped in fear and panic.
‘Ready’ shouted a voice from the grass and Nur reached a hand to her pouch. Quickly she pulled one of the stones from the wallet and placed it in the hollowed out tube of her spear with the bone needle facing away from her.
‘Aim!’
Nur stood and around her the grass came alive with other small bodies who raised the end of their spears to the mouths.
‘Fire!’
Nur blew with all her might as the tiny bullet sped through the air and found its mark. The Buta trumpeted in pain, red eyes spinning. Its great feet flailed in the air and thunder rolled through the valley when it landed. It spun in pain and the girls closed in, continuing to blow their tiny needles until the Buta tired. Its shrieks grew weaker, it slumped and fell over. Nur was almost close enough to turn her spear around and begin the process of finding its weak spots. As she braced herself to stab the beast it let one last bellow and kicked out with its great foot.
‘Nur!’ screamed a voice, and Nur was vaguely aware that it sounded like Joko calling out to her. Then the foot of the beast connected and Nur watched in fascination as a spray of stones arced high into the sky.
Stone beads, no known purpose, most likely decorative. Found buried with specimen 233984-13.
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Anyway this weeks flicktion effort inspired by The Gallipoli Campaign. Copyright Flickr user Pasanin Yeri Check out the rest of the flicktioneers: The Gurrier, Chris, Tadmack, TeaandCakes, Aquafortis, Valsha and Neil.
Jackie found the book in one of those old second hand shops. It was stuck away on a back shelf, hidden where no one would even notice it. She’d actually been going for the hardcover copy of Grimm’s Fairy Tales but it was stuck, slightly too large for the shelf and wedged tight. She braced her knee against the bookshelf and pulled. Hard. The Grimms fell with a squeak and a small shower of sawdust which powdered her shoulders and eyelashes. Coughing, she opened the book to the flyleaf and then sighed in disgust. It was an updated copy, not the 1857 copy she had hoped. She brushed the dust from her eyes and put the book back on the shelf. That was when she found the other one. Just a corner of it stuck out of the shelf, enough for Jackie to get her fingernails under the spine and wiggle it out. The cover was brittle and coarse like bark. Jackie forgot about the Grimm’s book, here was something really unusual. A copy of Collodi’s ‘Adventures of Pinnochio.’
Jackie opened the book and winced as the spine cracked. The basement filled with the smell of fresh cut wood. Inside the pages were soft and pliable, thick and slightly veined. Each leaf had been fitted into the book with precision, matched perfectly for size and shape.. The typeface was difficult to read, blotches of ink stained where the blotter had not been quick enough. Jackie paged quickly through the book taking care to turn the leaves softly. They felt slightly waxy like tiny new buds in spring.
This was one of the special books, the ones that appear as a prize find in among the battered Harold Robbins and dogeared chick-lit that normally cluttered up the shelves. How this one had come to be here was anyone’s guess. Some niece or nephew clearing out their dead relatives belongings not knowing what they had.
Jackie knew.
Or at least she knew it was something unique. A book to treasure, a book to keep safe.
Jackie walked up to the till and laid the book softly on the counter, holding her breath until the clerk turned to serve her.
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Hmm, this is NOT where I thought this would go. I had ideas about a sort of Jack and the Beanstalk tale and probably if I’d had more time I could have shaped it that way. Anyway this weeks flicktion effort inspired by Book Tree. Copyright Flickr user Ulle B. Check out the rest of the flicktioneers: The Gurrier, Chris, Tadmack, TeaandCakes, Aquafortis, Valsha and Neil.
