Yma and Losin - a love story by Margo

Once upon a time two young people from different tribes fell in love with a girl from the third tribe. They soon found out the problem. Fortunately, people from all three tribes were remarkably reasonable and preferred a good talk to a good fight whenever possible. Unfortunately, the young people never bothered to learn each other's languages.

Now, the girl's language was somewhere in between the other two languages; so she could just about understand the boys, and the boys could just about understand her – though not one another. The girl managed to explain to them that they had to talk the question over. Whoever comes the winner will be her husband.

The boys readily agreed.

They stared at each other for a while.

Then one lad, called Yma, picked a flower and waved it.

The other lad, Losin, threw the flower out of Yma's hands and jumped on it.

Yma showed him an ant.

Losin showed him a spider.

Yma looked around and pointed at a spiderweb with a few flies in it.

Losin turned red and showed him a broken stick.

Troubled, Yma searched around. He found a small stream bubbling nearby and washed his face.

Losin pushed him, and Yma fell into the stream, looking a bit surprised at first but soom becoming very thoughtful.

It was a hot sunny day in a hot sunny country. Still sitting in the stream, Yma slowly raised his hand and pointed up.

Losin laughed and touched the ground.

Suddenly, the girl – who happened to be called Rhaeadr – slapped one boy hard and told the other one that he could marry her this very evening. To her surprise and indignation, he shook his head and left. She turned to the slapped one but he was gone too.

The girl was very disappointed in both.

The winner was walking wearily to his house, repeating the conversation in his mind.

“Oh”, he was thinking, “the other chap is certainly more worthy than me! What a philosopher! So he stares at me, asking about my reasons – I say that Rhody is beautiful like a flower – and he says that beauty is passing! I say she's a good worker, busy like an ant – and he says I just want to sit comfortably like a spider in its web while she does all the work! Is that what you think about spiders? But I'm not a spider, I tell him – she is: she is just as wonderfully clever and artful like a spider! And he tells me that cleverness can break people and families! What can I answer? But, I tell him, but she is nice and kind and refreshing like water on a hot day! But he never gives it a second thought! “Wait till you know her better”, he tells me, “till you dive into her character – you think she might save your life – but you might drow in her and disappear – isn't she too much for you?”. What a man! What a mind! And I think I found the perfect answer: “All you tell is in future, and it might happen or might not; and what I know is that I love her now, this moment under this sun, and who knows what future brings! I don't care!” And he laughs – of course he laughs – and answers, “Everybody knows what future brings – death; you'll die and return to earth, does it matter if you get the girl?” What a man! What a man! How true!”

The slapped what-a-man ran to his mother and cried, “What went wrong? What? The chap from the other tribe said I was weak like a flower and not good for Rhody. I told him – of course I am stronger than a flower! But he went on and said that anyway I'm as common and ordinary as an ant in an ant-hill! Me! I told him I was outstanding like a spider in its web. Honestly, I'd weave rainbows to make a house for Rhody! But the twerp says, “A spider, eh? You just want to catch all the girls into your sticky web!” That was a plain offence! So I told him, one more offence and I'll break his arm or something! And he turns his back to me and washes his face just to show me how cool he is! Naturally, I push him into the stream to teach him. So he swears by the Sun to get me – this shrimp! - But I tell him I stand firmly on the ground! And then Rhody just jumps and gives me a mighty slap! Why so, mum?”

But his mother was a Wise Woman and said nothing.

Meanwhile, Rhody's friends, all girls, were as curious as raindrops. “Why did you chose Yma? Why did you slap Losin? What did they say?”

“Spiders if I know what they said!” Rhaeadr told them with dignity. “But the way he kept looking at me! I wish he had patience to stay!”