Mika's Song, Chapter 21
On the first night out of Tadmor, Mika saw men collecting something from some scruffy desert trees. The tallest trees were no taller than two men and some had yellow flowers on them. "What are they doing?" Mika interrupted Master Toutak, who was painstakingly trying to take him through a Yisra'el language lesson.
On the first night out of Tadmor, Mika saw men collecting something from some scruffy desert trees. The tallest trees were no taller than two men and some had yellow flowers on them. "What are they doing?" Mika interrupted Master Toutak, who was painstakingly trying to take him through a Yisra'el language lesson.
"Ah," said Master Toutak, and immediately reined the came. "Come," he helped Mika down, and the camel waited patiently while the servant boy and the master walked a few paces to the nearest tree.
"What do you see?" asked the master.
Mika watched silently for a moment, moving around the tree. He saw painted green leaves and peeling bark that revealed green, succulent branches beneath it. Most of these branches had fine cuts in them, and as his eyes moved down the branches to
the trunk, he saw deeper scars. He realized that the tree was covered in weeping wounds, from which men were scraping dried clumps of something. Suddenly Mika knew.
"It's the gift you bought for the Child King!" Mika said excitedly.
"Myrrh," replied Master Toutak, smiling.
"But why?" Mika asked again. "Why didn't you get him jewels or diamonds?"
"There are always plenty of jewels and diamonds in a king's treasure boxes," replied Master Toutak. Then he got a confused look on his face. "The ancient texts say that the Child King will be bruised and wounded--" Mika looked again at the scarred tree trunk "--medicines from the east may be more beneficial to this king."
The Child King bruised and scarred? Mika couldn't understand. This was supposed to be the most powerful king the world had ever known. And his kingdom was supposed to last forever. He hoped that the gifts they brought for the king would help heal him and make him more powerful.
When they broke for camp that morning, Mika looked again at the bulging saddle bags where the gifts for the Child King were held. Master Ghasaan always checked them and the guards watched them carefully. What could he give the king? If he didn't have a nice enough gift, maybe he wouldn't be allowed to see the king at all. He fingered the gold coin that he kept carefully wrapped in a cloth in his tunic pocket. If the Ancient was powerful enough to give him life and to send his son to rule the world, Mika knew there was no offering big enough.
After breakfast he sat by old Master Bobac. Silently, he tried to think how to ask his question. The old man sensed his pensiveness. "What is it, Boy?" he asked.
"I want to be a worshipper of the Ancient and of the Child King," Mika finally said, leaning close to the master's ear so he wouldn't have to shout. "But...." He was quiet for a moment, "I don't have anything to offer him, like you and the others. Maybe he won't have me?"
Master Bobac smiled. "Child," he said with a quiver in his voice, "The Ancient does not require offerings as Marduk and the other gods you have known. Everything already belongs to him, and we are only caretakers of it. Child King is a gift to all mankind. Life is a gift to all mankind. And the gold, frankinsense, and myrrh that we bring are gifts of thankfulness."
Then the old man turned toward the boy and searched with his sightless eyes. "Mika, my son," he rarely said Mika's name, "You are a gift. Your choice to be a worshipper of the Ancient and the Child King is the greatest gift he could desire from you."
Mika looked into the fire and a great happiness filled his heart. Now he wanted to see the Child King more than ever, and more than ever, he wanted to give him a gift. But what could he buy with one gold coin?
The next thirteen days passed, each one observed by a little mark scratched into the frame of Mika's dap. Though they were not yet out of the desert, they now traveled a clearly-marked road. A rugged climb seemed to run endlessly on their right, and occasionally they were able to find water at its base. To their left the desert spread rough and dry, broken up by occasional rugged hills. The camels had more shrubbery to nibble. There were more travelers on this part of the road, and even small settlements in places with more water.
The days were spent gathering firewood, eating the simple rations, and resting in the shade of a simple tent. The nights were spent loping along on the amiable camels, watching the sky, and repeating the prophecies of the Child King. When master Bobac was strong enough, he told stories of the Yisrael, how they came to claim the land, about their kings and conquests, their faithfulness and unfaithfulness to the Ancient one. Mika wondered at the patience of this God who seemed to give His blessings to His people after they betrayed Him again and again.
Many nights Mika rode with master Toutak and practiced the Yisra'el language.
Early one morning Mika noticed the camels seemed to pick up their pace without being prodded, and soon, he shouted, "I smell water!"
Sure enough, in the predawn light they saw ahead the dark shapes of bushes and shrubbery, and soon they came to a shallow canal.
"But where's the city?" Mika asked as the camels stopped to drink.
"Maybe an hour yet before us," Answered Master Siamak. "The city is surrounded by canals spreading out in many directions to water the fields."
"That's a good idea," gulped Mika, letting cool water drizzle down his chin and wet his tunic.
"The canals were built by the Arameans," Master Siamak continued, "We are nearly in the land of the Yisra'el."
Mika's heart beat quickened. After the long hard nights of travel, they were nearly there!
"What do you see?" asked the master.
Mika watched silently for a moment, moving around the tree. He saw painted green leaves and peeling bark that revealed green, succulent branches beneath it. Most of these branches had fine cuts in them, and as his eyes moved down the branches to
the trunk, he saw deeper scars. He realized that the tree was covered in weeping wounds, from which men were scraping dried clumps of something. Suddenly Mika knew.
"It's the gift you bought for the Child King!" Mika said excitedly.
"Myrrh," replied Master Toutak, smiling.
"But why?" Mika asked again. "Why didn't you get him jewels or diamonds?"
"There are always plenty of jewels and diamonds in a king's treasure boxes," replied Master Toutak. Then he got a confused look on his face. "The ancient texts say that the Child King will be bruised and wounded--" Mika looked again at the scarred tree trunk "--medicines from the east may be more beneficial to this king."
The Child King bruised and scarred? Mika couldn't understand. This was supposed to be the most powerful king the world had ever known. And his kingdom was supposed to last forever. He hoped that the gifts they brought for the king would help heal him and make him more powerful.
When they broke for camp that morning, Mika looked again at the bulging saddle bags where the gifts for the Child King were held. Master Ghasaan always checked them and the guards watched them carefully. What could he give the king? If he didn't have a nice enough gift, maybe he wouldn't be allowed to see the king at all. He fingered the gold coin that he kept carefully wrapped in a cloth in his tunic pocket. If the Ancient was powerful enough to give him life and to send his son to rule the world, Mika knew there was no offering big enough.
After breakfast he sat by old Master Bobac. Silently, he tried to think how to ask his question. The old man sensed his pensiveness. "What is it, Boy?" he asked.
"I want to be a worshipper of the Ancient and of the Child King," Mika finally said, leaning close to the master's ear so he wouldn't have to shout. "But...." He was quiet for a moment, "I don't have anything to offer him, like you and the others. Maybe he won't have me?"
Master Bobac smiled. "Child," he said with a quiver in his voice, "The Ancient does not require offerings as Marduk and the other gods you have known. Everything already belongs to him, and we are only caretakers of it. Child King is a gift to all mankind. Life is a gift to all mankind. And the gold, frankinsense, and myrrh that we bring are gifts of thankfulness."
Then the old man turned toward the boy and searched with his sightless eyes. "Mika, my son," he rarely said Mika's name, "You are a gift. Your choice to be a worshipper of the Ancient and the Child King is the greatest gift he could desire from you."
Mika looked into the fire and a great happiness filled his heart. Now he wanted to see the Child King more than ever, and more than ever, he wanted to give him a gift. But what could he buy with one gold coin?
The next thirteen days passed, each one observed by a little mark scratched into the frame of Mika's dap. Though they were not yet out of the desert, they now traveled a clearly-marked road. A rugged climb seemed to run endlessly on their right, and occasionally they were able to find water at its base. To their left the desert spread rough and dry, broken up by occasional rugged hills. The camels had more shrubbery to nibble. There were more travelers on this part of the road, and even small settlements in places with more water.
The days were spent gathering firewood, eating the simple rations, and resting in the shade of a simple tent. The nights were spent loping along on the amiable camels, watching the sky, and repeating the prophecies of the Child King. When master Bobac was strong enough, he told stories of the Yisrael, how they came to claim the land, about their kings and conquests, their faithfulness and unfaithfulness to the Ancient one. Mika wondered at the patience of this God who seemed to give His blessings to His people after they betrayed Him again and again.
Many nights Mika rode with master Toutak and practiced the Yisra'el language.
Early one morning Mika noticed the camels seemed to pick up their pace without being prodded, and soon, he shouted, "I smell water!"
Sure enough, in the predawn light they saw ahead the dark shapes of bushes and shrubbery, and soon they came to a shallow canal.
"But where's the city?" Mika asked as the camels stopped to drink.
"Maybe an hour yet before us," Answered Master Siamak. "The city is surrounded by canals spreading out in many directions to water the fields."
"That's a good idea," gulped Mika, letting cool water drizzle down his chin and wet his tunic.
"The canals were built by the Arameans," Master Siamak continued, "We are nearly in the land of the Yisra'el."
Mika's heart beat quickened. After the long hard nights of travel, they were nearly there!