The Mortuus Stone.
BY STEVE RAMSEY
My mother used to tell us a story. My brothers and I used to sleep beside my mother , we were very young. We didn’t have TV in that time. My mother was our TV. She used to tell us these bedside stories ,like one thousand and one Arabian nights, the magic carpet, Aladdin and the magic lamp, Ali Baba and the 40 thieves, Sindbad and many other old stories.
Among them many Greek mythological stories .My mother is a Macedonian .The story she told us she called it the grave stone.
It was after Noah time ,the people went back stray and wild , fighting, killing and stealing. Breaking the commandments, not believing in God and bulling each other. There was this poor man who came from the mountain down to the town.
It was cold night .He asked the people of the town to give him some food and shelter. No one did give him any thing. They push him away and refuse to feed him or give him water. he asked and knocked so many doors with no luck.
In the end of the town there was a humble family with small farm . He asked them.
This family gave him food and shutter and made him feel welcome. They made the fireplace, and all have dinner together . The husband, wife and the kids made him feel home. When they all slept and woke up the next day ,they couldn’t find the poor man anywhere . But they found In his place a shinny stone with tow sides. One side red ruby ,and the other side green emerald. and a letter. The letter addressed to the family, thanking them for all they done to make him comfortable, and telling them about the magical power of this stone.
He mentioned that if the red side of the stone was placed on any grave, the person hold the stone turned into that dead person for ONE DAY only.
His / her look and personality will be the same ,his voice and memories will be the same. And if he touch the grave stone with emerald green side the dead person in the grave will stood alive and strong with all his/her clothes and arms, and they can talk to them and answer any question.
The poor man also asked them to keep this stone secret ,so no one can use it for bad attention. He also told them to leave this town because God IS going to destroy it in 7 days.
It was strange stone and strange letter.
Daniel kept the stone in his pocket. Daniel and his wife Hajer were wondering about this letter and the stone.
Why God wanted to destroy this town? Who was that man? they said to each other.
Daniel went to his farm and carried on with his work, while his wife was busy at home doing the bread, cooking and teaching the kids.
Daniel was working and digging the mud area of his farm he uncovered a shallow grave. Then he stood and start clearing the sand and the rock .
He clean the head stone with his hands .
Then he remember the magical stone in his pocket. He took it out and replace the green side on the grave stone. Suddenly there was swirling wind and there stood a man asking Daniel who is he , and who gave him this stone? Daniel told him the story.
The dead man figure told him that he must believe in that poor man who gave them the stone, because he is an angel sent to save this family.
As they are good family and showed mercy and kindness. He told him to make sure to leave before the 7 days are over. Then he asked him to dig beside his grave and take out a box of berried treasure of gold and silver, to help him out. He also asked him if he can dig the sand beside his grave and touch the grave stone. So Daniel did and be hold the swirling winds was so powerful this time, and here stood a figure of a beautiful lady.
She was the wife of the dead man and for the first time since 1000 years they saw each other again .They hugged and kissed each other and told Daniel the story of their love and life, and how they were a prince and princes in this town put to death by his wazeer the chief guard ,who took over the land .They thanked Daniel for this opportunity and asked him to cover the grave after he leaves, and told him to go to the mountain with his family.
Daniel went back to his wife and kids and told them what he saw and asked them to
gathered as much as possible in his caravan , and to fill the 3 caravans with water, food, clothes, supplies and tools. he took the horses and his dogs with them.
Next day they travel to the mountain muddy road and reach the top with difficulties.
Daniel his wife, his 3 sons and one daughter start making a small cabin house in the mountain, until the 7th day arrived. They stood watching from the mountain Suddenly the sky was darkened ,heavy winds and thunder storm start descending on the town ,thousands of birds with stones in their beaks throwing them at the people, burning them to crisp, until everybody was dead. An earthquake took over AND shaking the land .The earth opened up and swallowed every house and person in it to the ground and closed with tremendous noise.
Daniel and his family watched with horror and prayed to God ,and thanked him for their safety. They couldn’t sleep in that night. They all prayed and hold hands together .
Next day they came down from the mountain with the horses and the dogs. Descended down and kept going far away from this cursed place.
After many weeks they reached a big city with beautiful rivers, gardens and farms. Good hard working people and prosperous .The city has great gates and Strong few guards .
Daniel used some of the gold he took from the treasure and bought a new farm and a house at the edge of town . Daniel and his family started new life. Hiding the stone in a secure place. The new city was good to them , the people were nice and helpful, kind and peaceful. The prince and the princes of that city were very good to the people, just and merciful. The prince Helped the poor and had fair tax system to share with those unfortunate poor. He also had good farms and rivers, fruits and blessing. And a large grave yard at the edge of town where he buried his soldiers and those who died in his kingdom.
The prince has an enemy . Bandits who run city to city ,kingdom to kingdom. Stealing ,kidnapping women, take food and supplies, and create a havoc .The prince and his army did what they can to protect the city and the gates.
One morning the Bells in the towers rang so loud as a warning to prepare the city for an invasion .
There were a large army bandits close to the gate preparing for Battle to take over the kingdom .
My mother told me this and fall asleep, I woke her up ,mommy please tell me more don’t sleep please.
Then she said, The prince gathered all his army and those who can fight and put them in around the gates, in the top of the towers , and made sure that his city will be protected .
Daniel couldn’t sleep in that night , he talked to his wife and told her that he must help this kingdom.
He told his wife that he is worried about her and his doughtier safety, and the safety of all the women in this nice city . and he said to her that he don’t want to see them captured by those evil men. He told her that the bandits surround the gates, and that will makes it difficult to do trade , sale or buy any things. The bandits closed the road to other cities . He also told her that the city army will stand no chance to protect the gates for long time.
Daniel took his magic stone and covered the red side with silver shell. He kept the green side facing the ground.Then he made a wooden compartment to keep the stone always touching the ground. Daniel rode his horse with the magical stone attached to a rob to the wooden compartment, and zigzag in the grave yards at the edge
of the city, one after one .all the graveyards.
Every time the magic stone touches a grave, the dead person rise and stood up .Daniel did this until morning.
Thousands and thousands of soldiers rose up ,many horses and animal also rose up , The men took arms from the city and rode the horses that provided by the prince .The prince was so surprised of what had happen. The people were glad to see that and were happy with this miracle .10.000 horse men now ready to fight .
When the main gate opened in the morning the magical army speed toward the enemy and took them by surprise, The city army at the towers with the great archers hit the bandits with barrage of arrows to smooth the way for the horsemen.
The bandits could not stand this force and they die one by one .The city took all the arms that left behind and burned their bodies.
Both my mom and I where sleep by now. when I woke up I run to my mom and asked her about the story , she told me that she will tell me what happened when I go to sleep , and if I will be a good boy and do my shores .
TO BE CONTINUE.
Thank you for reading
Steve Ramsey, PhD
Calgary, Alberta- Canada