ARCARDOH 1. INTRODUCTION: GRISELDA SEES ARCARDOH Griselda froze like a statue, her eyes riveted on the napkin. It was a very ordinary napkin, but something under that napkin was NOT ordinary. Under that plain white napkin, something glowed and pulsed with colour and light. A gentle wind was making the napkin’s corner flap up and down, and every flap revealed glowing reds, greens and blues. What was it? Her gaze remained fixed on that one spot, waiting, looking, longing for another glimpse of the most fascinating, the most wonderful thing she had ever seen. What was it? Then she heard a voice saying “Hello, who are you?” A woman had suddenly appeared. She was very old, but her eyes were gentle and friendly, so Griselda answered politely: “I’m Griselda. I’m on my way home. I live around the corner.” And she added: “Who are you?” The answer came slowly. “Mmmm. That’s a difficult question. It changes so quickly, you see. Well…. I’m a seer. I’m a maga. No! They changed that too much. Far too much. Best to say that I’m just a crone. “Well, Arkroan.” I’m very pleased to meet you.” said Griselda. “May I ask you about that thing?” and she pointed towards the spot where she could still see see flashes of gleaming reds, yellows and greens. What is it?” “It’s a cadeau.” said Arkroan. “Arcardoh?” asked Griselda. “That’s right, a cadeau.” said Arkroan. “Would you like to come over here and take a closer look at it?” Inside her head, Griselda was saying, “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,” But just in time, she remembered the many people who had told her to never ever go into a strange place alone. So she stood still and said “No, thank you. I’m not allowed. May I talk to you from here?” “Sure” said Arkroan
Arcardoh
Page 1
“Where did you get Arcardoh?” asked Griselda Arkroan replied: “A long time ago, someone gave me the seed. Then I made it grow, and now it looks like this.” “How did you make it grow?” asked Griselda. “There’s only one way.” said Arkroan. “I give bits away and it just grows.” Griselda frowned and said in a puzzled voice. “What? Give bits away, and it grows?” Arkroan smiled. “ Yes. It sounds strange, doesn’t it? But it’s true. Some plants do the same thing. When you cut a bit off them, they grow more. And, each piece you cut off can become a new plant if you treat it right.” “Oh!’ said Griselda. But … this Arcardoh. Do you give bits away?” “Yes I do.” said Arkroan. “I want it to grow, so I give bits away. But I have to give freely. That’s very important. What does ‘freely’ mean?” asked Griselda. “Well, ….. It means three things.” said Arkroan. First, I must give from my heart. No one is forcing me to do this, so I smile as I give. It also means ‘give a beautiful piece.’ No one wants an ugly little scrap, so I make sure it is a nice bit. Finally, I give without expecting anything back. I never give and say ‘now you owe me.’ I don’t even think it. That’s it really. Do you understand all of that?” “Yes,” said Griselda. “But, who do you give a bit to.” “To anyone who wants some.” said Arkroan. Inside her head Griselda was screaming: “Me me me me me” but she held her breath, and only said: “I would like to know when you give bits away. “Anytime at all.” said Arkroan. “Sometimes, people ask me. Sometimes, I just see it in a person’s face. For example, right now it looks to me like you would like a piece. Am I right?” Quickly, Griselda said: “Oh yes. I would love a piece.” “But.” said Arkroan. “Do you want it to grow?” “Yes. I do” said Griselda. “Well….. will you tell me what you understand about giving freely?” asked Arkroan. “OK. ” said Griselda. “I remember three things. “One: give happily. “Two: don’t be mean. Three: it’s not a trade or a swap. It’s a gift.” Arcardoh
Page 2
'”Wow.” said Arkroan. “Perfect.” “I really think you could make it grow, and I would love to give you a piece.” 2. GRISELDA GETS ARCARDOH.
Arkroan moved the napkin aside, picked up the cadeau and held it gently in cupped hands. Immediately, the colours stated buzzing and then they began to send out some shapes. Soon, a myriad shapes were curling and twirling in time with the colour changes. Griselda could hardly believe her eyes, and she gasped at its sheer beauty. Arkroan’s fingers reached into the twinkling mass and she pulled a piece out. Zzzzzzzz it went, as it stretched Zzzzzzzz, and stretched Zzzzzz, and stretched Zzzzzz, until suddenly ! Plop! a bit came loose in her hand. Arkroan looked at it and smiled. It was vibrating and humming with rainbow hues: red… orange… yellow… red… orange…. green……. As she said “Yes. It’s a very nice piece” she carefully placed it into Griselda’s hands. “I hope you enjoy this.” she said. Griselda was bursting with happiness and she couldn’t take her eyes off it. She could hardly believe her luck, and, in a daze, she started towards home, clutching the precious cadeau. But just in time, she remembered her manners, and turned back to face Arkroan. “Thank you. Thank you very much.” she said. “I am happy to share it with you.’ said Arkroan, and she looked really happy too. Griselda skipped home (or maybe she glided on air, she wasn’t sure) and when she reached home, she showed it to mum. “Yes love. It’s very nice,” said mum. “Where did you get it?” So Griselda told mum all about her meeting with Arkroan and ended by saying: ”Now I am going to make it grow.” It was the same with dad when he came home and Griselda decided to start growing it straight away. So she gave a piece to mum and dad. Zzzzz … zzzz… Plop! She even gave a piece to her little brother, though she knew he would just waste it. Zzzzz … zzzz… Plop! At school the next day, there were some nice kids who wanted a piece of the cadeau. Griselda smiled as she gave a piece to each one of them. Zzzzz … zzzz… !Plop! and Zzzzz … zzzz… !Plop! and Zzzzz … zzzz… !Plop! There were some nasty kids who wanted a piece too, and, oh, it was difficult to give happily to them. But she tried. She gritted her teeth and smiled at them. Actually, it was a very unfriendly smile, more like a grimace really, but it was the best she could do. Zzzzz … zzzz… !Plop! Arcardoh
Page 3
and Zzzzz … zzzz… !Plop! Sadly, at the end of the day, the cadeau had not grown at all. The second day was just the same. Some nice kids came begging for another piece: “Please, please, pretty please. You are so nice. I love you so much” they said to her. Some nasty kids came too: “Gimme, gimme” they said, with mean eyes. So she gave some to them: Zzzzz … zzzz… !Plop! and Zzzzz … zzzz… !Plop! Again, sadly, the cadeau did not grow. By the third day, Griselda knew what would happen: Nice kids wheedling, nasty kids sneering and rudely grabbing. and the cadeau still not growing. By that time, Griselda was exhausted. She felt like those kids were sucking all the happiness out of her. Deep in misery, she was staring at the cadeau when it gave her a big shock. It gave an angry buzz, and began to flash: red red… blue blue… purple purple.. and then it began to shrink. Yes. Shrink. Griselda was horrified. It was sitting still now, but what if it kept on shrinking? What could she do? She didn’t know. Fortunately, that very day, she saw Arkroan and she called out to her. “Arkroan, Arkroan. Can you help me please? Arcardoh is shrinking. I have been giving bits freely. Truly I have. But it is not working for me. What should I do?” Arkroan said “Tell me everything you have done with it.” and she sat down, ready to listen. So Griselda told her all the details: Nice kids nasty kids, …Everything. “Ah yes. I see the problem.” said Arkroan. “You do not have to keep giving to the same people, you know. One bit per person is plenty.” “ But.” said Griselda. “They keep pestering me for more.” ‘Well.” said Arkroan. “You must say no to them. Here’s how: You look the person in the eye, and you say ‘I have no more cadeau for you.’ Just like that. No explanations. No apologies. No excuses. Just a firm ‘No more.’ BTW Here’s why: They must grow it for themselves. Or not. That’s up to them. It’s not up to you. You can’t make theirs grow. You can only grow your own. Anyway, say ‘No more’ to them. Can you do that?” “Yes.” said Griselda, and she did it the very same day.
Arcardoh
Page 4
3. GRISELDA TRIES TO GROW ARCARDOH.
To new people, she gave freely. Zzzz !Plop! To people who wanted more, she said: “I have already given you some, and I have no more Arcardoh for you.” It was difficult at first, but it grew easier and easier. By the end of the day, Griselda could see a change in the cadeau. It hummed and buzzed pleasantly, and the colours blinked and twinkled and winked at her …. What was that? A wink? Was it winking at her? Surely not! It couldn’t be! But it did look like a wink, and Griselda started laughing. Her happiness lasted for days and days, and she often looked at the beautiful cadeau, buzzing and twinkling with colours and light. It didn’t shrink any more, but it didn’t grow either, no matter how much she freely gave to people. One day she saw Arkroan again and she called out: “Arkroan. Arkroan. Arcardoh is not growing. I have done everything right, but it’s still the same. How come? Arkroan said “Tell me everything you have done with it.” and she sat down, ready to listen. So Griselda told her all the details: When she gave bits. Where she was. What she gave. Who she gave it to. And how she said no more to people who were just being greedy or lazy. “Ah yes. I see the problem.” said Arkroan. “Actually, it is a very common problem, but we can fix it. You see, there is one person you are forgetting.” “No.” said Griselda. “I have given to every person. Truly, I have. “But,” said Arkroan “You are forgetting to give to Griselda.” Griselda frowned and said in a puzzled voice “But how can I give to myself?” “The same way you give to anyone else.” said Arkroan. “You choose a piece you really like. A lovely bit. Then you say ‘Here you are, Griselda. Enjoy.’ and then you play with it.” “But, how? asked Griselda. “That’s up to you.” said Arkroan. “Different people do different things, and actually that’s the real beauty of it. Personally, I am impressed by the huge variety of things people make from the same basic ingredients. For example, lots of people play with colours. Some of them become artists. They play with paints and canvas. You can see their pictures in galleries. Other people make brilliant combinations of colours and shapes. You can see that all around you in clothes, curtains, furniture… Oh, it’s everywhere, brightening our lives.
Arcardoh
Page 5
And I once saw a whole wall filled up with moving shapes and colours That was fantastic. Someone projected images onto a building. That was so good. Anyway, you should choose something you love. Add your imagination to it. Dream about it. Plan something gorgeous. Oh yes. One final piece of advice from me: Act on your plan. Something special happens when you stop dreaming and planning and start doing it. Action has a magic all of its own. Can you do that?” “Yes.” said Griselda, and she started it the very same day. 4. GRISELDA GROWS ARCARDOH.
Griselda played with colours, shapes and sounds, sometimes on her own and sometimes with others. One day she noticed how various shapes and sounds moved in different ways. Circles, for example, flowed smoothly like soft, gentle tunes. Triangles, however, made sharp jagged, discordant moves. Griselda made up dance steps to show others what she had seen, and soon she found out that she had a real talent for dancing. Hour after hour she practised until she got it just right. She went to classes to learn more postures and movements, and again she practised hard. Day after day, week after week Griselda kept at it, growing better and better all the time. The cadeau was growing, too. It swelled as the twinkling colours grew deeper and richer, and then one day, it began to send little puffs of light, high into the air. Meanwhile, Griselda was growing up and she began giving public performances. Those performances were brilliant. No matter whether audiences were large or small, Griselda gave them a wonderful show. She performed from her heart for them, every time. Soon she had a group of strong supporters who freely gave her applause and praise. Some of them gave practical support too. Then, as Griselda continued to make her performances ever more beautiful, people across the whole country became her admirers: thousands of people in every city paid to watch her dance. By the time she was grown up, Griselda was dancing in cities across the whole world. 5.
Griselda danced in cities across the whole world but one evening, she gave a performance back in her home city, where the audience was so proud of her that they gave her a standing ovation. She went backstage, exhausted but glowing with happiness, as she often did. But that night she heard a familiar voice saying, “May I speak to Griselda please?” It was Arkroan. Strangely, she looked much younger, and she was much shorter too. Arcardoh
Page 6
But it was Arkroan all right. The eyes were exactly the same. “Oh Arkroan. How lovely to see you.” said Griselda. “I still have Arcardoh. Look!” and she carefully lifted it out of a box and cupped her hands around it. “Wow” said Arkroan. “It is gorgeous. May I …. May I have a piece please?” “Yes, certainly.” said Griselda. She pulled out a lovely piece, a piece that skipped and danced in time with the colour changes, and as she placed it gently into Arkroan’s hand, it sent up sprays of rose- perfumed golden stars. “Thank you. Thank you very much.” Arkroan said. They both went home happy that night. Griselda told her family all about meeting Arkroan again. Arkroan went home and carefully, oh so carefully, placed this new cadeau right next to her old one. For just a moment, nothing happened. Then in a heartbeat, the two cadeaux merged into one glorious scintillating whole, which was much bigger, much better, than the two parts could ever have become on their own. “Ah!’ thought Arkroan. “That’s the real beauty of it.” Then she unfolded a clean white napkin and gently and placed it over the top to protect it from dirt and dust.
Arcardoh
Page 7