Kartika and the Prince

Once upon a time, in a land where there was a law but not much enforcement, there lived a witch who thinks she was beautiful. She is not, of course, but some people took some pictures of her once, so she calls herself a part time model.

One day, after doing some modelling, she and her friends went for a beer. But in this land witches are not supposed to drink beer. She has been doing it for so many times and for so long, that she never thought that one day she'll get caught.

Well she did and the judge sentenced her to pay a fine and to be turned into a toad. She paid the fine and told the people of the land, she doesn't mind being a toad.

However, the government of the land, although, have sentenced witches to become toads before, have never carried out such punishments. But, after being pressured by the people, they turned three witches into toads. All of these ex-witches were handed down the sentence a long-long time ago.

Then, suddenly, for no particular reason at all, the prince of the land had asked for the witch's audience. They met, and told the people that his father has the power to pardon the witch even if the witch wanted to become a toad. Still, why the prince wanted to meet the witch remains a great mystery.

The other witches never got to see the Prince, and was turned into toads, without a chance to beg for mercy from the Prince's father.

The courts have decided, and the witch had specifically (and repeatedly) said that she wanted to be turned into a toad... What else are we waiting for? For a man brave enough to follow the letter of the law.... But, then again, this is the land of low enforcement and high corruption.

And we live happily (since ignorance is bliss) ever after....

THE END

Comments

Pak Mat Beca

I started school in 1971. I went to Sekolah Ismail (Dua), as far as I am concerned the only primary school in the whole universe and every kid must go there or the government will put their parents away forever. The "Dua" or Two (2), does not mean there were two Sekolah Ismails. There was only one, except that there were two sessions, morning and afternoon. When I started in standard one, I was in the morning session. Apparently, somehow, the two Ismails alternate, and I really can't recall ever having to go to school in the afternoon. Every morning, my cousin, the late Hashimah Hashim (Allah bless her soul), and I would wait for Pak Mat to pick us up in his beca, his trishaw. And, until I changed school in 1976 (that's another story to tell), Pak Mat and his beca would take me to school every school day. I know of no other way to go to school and I did not really appreciate the distance that Pak Mat had to cycle to pick us up and send us to our respective s...

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