Throwing Stones

Throwing Stones

Muan walked along the riverbank on the way home. Every once in awhile, when there was a clearing, she would pick up a stone and skip it on top the water, watching how many skips each stone made before it sunk.

On one of these throws, at the very end, she did not hear the satisfying splash the stone normally made on its last skip. She instead heard a small cry come from the river. Perplexed, she picked up another stone, skipped it across and again, a small cry came at the end.

Muan continued to throw the stones for hours, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. She changed their direction, speed, size, everything. Yet still, at the very end of each stone toss, no matter where it landed, she heard the small cry come from within the river.

Pulling up her pant legs as high as they would go, Muan waded out to the very center of the river, trying to find the source of the sound she heard. Looking all around she saw a fish swimming around her leg. Bending down until her face was just barely under water, she spoke. "Are you the one who cries out when I throw my stones?"

The fish looked at her for a few seconds, knowing that she didn't belong in the river, yet trying to figure out if it should be afraid of Muan or not. Suddenly, it decided that it should be and swam quickly downstream, leaving Muan feeling even more perplexed, as well as a little silly for having talked to a fish.

While her face was immersed under water, she saw one of her stones on the bottom of the river, so she picked it up and put it in her pocket. Then she saw another, then another. They were scattered everywhere, so she continued to find them and place them in her pockets until she could fit no more. She had no idea that she had thrown so many stones in the river.

When she had collected all the stones she could, Muan started to walk towards the riverbank. Struggling against the river rapids as she made her way back. It wasn't long before she lost her balance and, with a small cry, slipped under the water, the weight of the stones in her pockets keeping her from ever surfacing again....



Tian walked along the riverbank on his way home. Every once in awhile, when there was a clearing, he would pick up a stone and skip it on top of the water...


Thanks,
blend57