Orchid: H…Hello. A…And thank you. Our names are quite
common here. Pa and Ma never went to school, so they named us after things they
knew, things they thought were beautiful. Boys here are usually named after
Nature, like mountains, creeks, and the sky. Girls are named after the moon,
the clouds, or flowers.
Fairday: What on earth were you thinking
when the host at Rainbow’s house presented the giant cuttlefish as dinner?!? I
can’t even imagine my reaction! Especially knowing what you knew, and being
aware of events that were sure to follow.
Orchid: I…I was
anticipating a treasure from the sea, but definitely not this monster. I don’t
know why Uncle Chan thought it was a treasure! The Giant Cuttlefish was known
to hurl fish up from the river (o…of course, this time round it wasn’t the
culprit. But I know, we children all know, the giants can cause havoc … if they
want to.)
Marcus: Once you realized that you had
turned into a cuttlefish and found yourself stuck under water, you were scared
and upset- but there was also the feeling of being powerful. What was it like to
suddenly have the amazing skills of a giant cephalopod?
Orchid: I first realized
I was about twenty times bigger than most sea creatures when I had to defend
the Baby Lobster from swordfish bullies. I knew I could hurl off attackers. Yet
I didn’t feel powerful until my little
friend pointed it out to me (actually, he shouted it at me). As for squirting
ink and changing the patterns of my skin, those were really useful skills.
Lizzy: How is the Lobster family
different from yours? Was it hard to say goodbye to them when you left?
Orchid: To me, t…they are the special ones! The Emperor
and Empress have treated me like their own child. As for the Baby Lobster, he
is my first friend. He sees me clearer than I can. (S…Sorry, I don’t mean to tear
up here.)
Saying goodbye to them was the most difficult thing I
had to do, perhaps as difficult as not saying goodbye to my human family when I
turned into a cuttlefish.
Fairday: Do you feel like you have
become braver after having gone through the storm? Sometimes, I have a tendency
to worry or over think my initial reaction to a situation, and I doubt myself.
Do you trust yourself more now?
Orchid: I do feel slightly
braver and I trust myself more now, although honestly, I also still t…tend to
be a little nervous or worried about
whether others think I’m spouting nonsense. It is something I have to overcome
day by day. I suppose w…we are quite alike, Fairday.
Marcus: What is your favorite folk tale?
Do you believe in it?
Orchid: I have heard of several
folk tales from Pa and my uncles. The one I like the most is the story about
the Goddess of Mercy. Kwan-Yin was the third daughter of a king, a princess
with a heart full of compassion. She once tamed a wild tiger just by looking
straight at it with her kind, gentle eyes. I…I believe in kindness, yes. I don’t
know if it can make one braver, but I hope it can make the world a less
dangerous place. (Maybe, just maybe, I can tame wild underwater creatures one
day, and protect the smaller ones in the sea …)
Lizzy: You met some wondrous sea
creatures on your adventure. If you could become one of them, which would you choose
to be? I mean, knowing that you can change right back again with no problem-
lol!
Orchid: If I could transform
without the pain and boils, I would pick the Giant Cuttlefish again. So I could
explore the sea with my lobster family and visit the Giant Octopus! {W..What is
‘lol?’}
Fairday: Ha! lol is computer lingo for “laugh out loud”. It’s
become part of our common language. Okay, so
here’s another questions for you- I love asking people this; what is your favorite
color? How about number?
Orchid: After all that time spent in
a grey world, I cannot describe how happy I was to look up at green trees
again. Number … I don’t know. Maybe ‘8’ since Sea Brother said it’s a number of
good fortune.
DMS: That does
it for this CBC meeting! Thanks so much for hanging out with us today Little
Orchid. We can't wait to dive into your next story. J
Orchid: T…Thank you, Fairday,
Lizzy and Marcus! Ma told me not to take up too much of your time, but my
sister, Little Lotus, told me to answer the questions as clearly as possible.
She says it is good to make new friends. M…Maybe one day, you can all come and
play in our village! We can go swimming in the river after I’ve done my chores.
(Yes, I can swim now!)
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