lunes, 24 de febrero de 2020

DOLLMAKER (ZEXAL)

Title: Dollmaker
Characters: Thomas Arclight, Rio Kamishiro/Kastle, Ryouga/Reginald Kamishiro/Kastle, vague mentions of Christopher and Michael
Rating: NSFW sob, but nothing immensely explicit
Warnings: Pseudo-incest and in general creepiness because idk, what kind of man has sex with BJDs he makes. This is really creepy and freaked me out a little even writing it, tbh.
Summary: A desperate man lost his brothers and began to work more on his hobby than anything else, and it became more of an obsession than anything as time went on.


When his brothers died, it had nearly killed him too. It was why he had ended up diving headfirst into his work, working more fervently every day, hardly resting. It was why he kept making more and more dolls, why he kept distracting himself with the hobby they were never fond of him having.
 
But collectors loved his work. They would always call, asking if they could come by to take a look at his showroom, and what else could he do but say yes? They offered lots of money, after all. And with that money, he could keep making them until he made the most perfect ones.
 
It was a project he started after six months of not having them around, and it took a year to complete them. Not because he slacked off - oh no, not at all. It was because he wanted them to be perfect. They had to be absolutely perfect, they had to be almost real, and that was why they were to be about the size of actual fourteen year olds. So he worked, day in and day out with their resin bodies, making sure their skin was the perfect shade. He worked to carefully place each small lock of hair into their heads - the girl had to have beautifully flowing blue hair, he decided, for she was to be his perfect little ice princess but with a fire in those magnificent amaranth irises he would later put into her face. The boy though, he was tougher to place, but if they were to be twins, then his hair must be purple and in waves, the ends of his hair flipping up, waves like the ocean with piercing cobalt eyes that could make him look like a predator. Their eyes would be glass of course, glass because he liked knowing that his creations were always watching him, giving him attention he never had.
 
The thought of those eyes, both of them, always send a shudder down his spine. The times that he would rest, he found himself leaning back in his seat and imagining their eyes, the smirks on their faces, the way that - if they had been real people - they would kiss each other, touch each other and put on a show for him, make him long to reach out for them before they would finally give in and give him the pleasure he so craved from their cold touch. And every time, he murmured different names on his lips, searching for the right ones until one day, when he came and moaned out ‘Reginald’, he knew that would be the boy’s name, and the girl would thusly be 'Rio’.
 
 
The day that he had completed them was the day when he should have been preparing for at least a dozen guests, all collectors and their close families that he had been kind enough to extend invitations to so they could all see his showroom at once. When he finished them though, he couldn’t help but get lost in their eyes, he couldn’t keep himself from wanting to touch them, running his fingers over the developed curve of Rio’s breasts as he kissed her neck and he pretended that she would moan for him, tell him to either give him more or she’d make sure he would. All he could do was chuckle against her neck and murmur, “Are you meant to be making such demands of your master?”
 
His attention then turned to Reginald, fingertips fluttering over the boy’s thighs and teasing over his groin, and he could imagine the hiss of breath as the boy inhaled deeply, and the glare that would follow, the biting demand that he leave his sister alone and just fuck him and get it over with. He could only chuckle again as he leaned in close to Reginald’s lips, speaking against them. “I wouldn’t have created you both if I didn’t want you both.” The resulting thought of Reginald turning his head and 'tsk'ing before mumbling an agreement made him giddy.
 
Why, if only he could make them real! Or if they could speak and do whatever he wanted of them, that would be lovely as well!
 
After some deliberation and him noticing the time, he quickly, but carefully, settled the two to stand in a case, putting them in the showroom for all to see. This would be their debut, and the world would soon see how talented he was and offer even more money for his works. Before long, the visitor showed and after treating them to some tea and biscuits, he lead them into the showroom with a gleeful grin.
 
Soon enough, all were gathered around Reginald and Rio, amazed with his craftsmanship.
 
“Goodness, they’re beautiful!”
 
“They both look so full of life - I almost thought they were real!”
 
“Thomas, how much will you take for these two?”
 
He had been content to bask in the compliments, but the moment he was asked for a price, that sweet smile of his turned dark as he shook his head. “I’m afraid they aren’t for sale. You see, they’re my best creations, and unless I can make something better, I would like to keep them. I’m certain you all understand.”
 
There were nods and murmurs of agreement before the crowd dissipated, though there was one that still lingered. He moved closer, sliding in next to the collector. “Are you certain you won’t take anything for them?” he asked, and Thomas had to bite back a snide comment, a bitter remark. Instead, he continued to smile pleasantly.
 
“Absolutely not, I’m afraid. I think it’s best that I keep my best on display to show what I’m capable of.”
 
“Mm, you do have a point. If you make any other fine specimens like these however, do let me know. I’m highly interested.”
 
“Yes, of course.” And as soon as the man turned away, Thomas’s pleasant expression shifted into one of annoyance. He would never sell these beautiful masterpieces. They belonged to him and him alone. No one would take them from him.
 
Reginald and Rio would love only him.
 
Later that night, when all visitors were gone and it was just him and the twins in the privacy of his own room, he made sure of that. They were undressed first, of course. And though he had marveled at their skin before, in the midst of making them, now that they were complete, he could linger. He could lave his tongue along the bony hip of Reginald’s, over the lower curve of Rio’s breast before swirling his tongue around her nipple. And though she couldn’t get wet, being inanimate, though Reginald couldn’t get hard, he still felt a thrill of imagining the both of them fighting against his touches, trying to hold back their orgasms so as not to show that he had such masterful hands, and Rio of course was the first to come, the first to scream out “Master!” and it made him shiver in delight. Reginald was much more stubborn though, he grit his teeth and let out a soundless shout as he came, and Thomas licked their bodies, pretending to clean them as he stroked himself, pushing himself to that edge and pressing his lips firmly against Rio’s to muffle his own shout.
 
He didn’t let himself cuddle with them though. He couldn’t. He had to clean them off with such care that it would take an hour alone to do that, and yet another hour to brush out their hair before redressing them. And as he sat them on his lap to wipe them down with a damp cloth, as he combed their hair, he spoke to them. He told them about how they were so beautiful, so perfect, how they could never leave him because didn’t they see? He needed them. They were everything to him and he… he needed them.
 
He was alone, as they could tell, and as the tears fell from the painful reminder that his brothers were dead, he could only laugh, pressing gentle kisses to the foreheads of his beautiful creations. “I need you both to stay with me. It’s all I’ll ask as… as your father. Just stay with me and love me.”

EL FUSILAMIENTO DE UN LIBREPENSADOR

Tomás de Romeu, quien durante cincuenta años había despotricado contra el clero y los dogmas de la Iglesia, recibió el sacramento con los demás condenados y hasta comulgó. «Por si acaso, padre, no se pierde nada…», comentó en broma.

Había estado enfermo de miedo desde el momento en que oyó a los soldados llegar a su casa de campo, pero ahora estaba tranquilo. Su congoja desapareció en el momento en que pudo despedirse de sus hijas. Durmió las dos noches siguientes sin sueños, y pasó las jornadas animado. Se abandonó a la muerte cercana con una placidez que no había tenido en vida. Empezó a gustarle la idea de acabar sus días con un disparo, en vez de hacerlo de a poco, sumido en el inevitable proceso de la decrepitud. Tal vez pensó en sus hijas, libradas a su suerte, deseando que Diego de la Vega cumpliera su palabra. Las sintió más distantes que nunca.

En las semanas de cautiverio se había ido desprendiendo de recuerdos y sentimientos, así había adquirido una libertad nueva: ya nada tenía que perder. Al pensar en sus hijas no lograba visualizar sus rostros o diferenciar sus voces, eran dos pequeñas sin madre jugando con muñecas en los sombríos salones de su casa. Dos días antes, cuando lo visitaron en la prisión, se maravilló ante esas mujeres que habían reemplazado a las chiquillas con botines, delantales y moñitos de sus reminiscencias. Carajo, cómo pasa el tiempo, murmuró al verlas. Se despidió de ellas sin pesar, sorprendido de su propia indiferencia. Juliana e Isabel harían sus vidas sin él, ya no podía protegerlas. A partir de ese instante pudo saborear sus últimas horas y observar con curiosidad el ritual de su ejecución.

La madrugada de su muerte, Tomás de Romeu recibió en su celda el último presente de Eulalia de Callís, una cesta con un abundante refrigerio, una botella del mejor vino y un plato con los más delicados bombones de chocolate de su colección. Lo autorizaron para lavarse y afeitarse, vigilado por un guardia, y le entregaron la muda de ropa limpia que enviaron sus hijas. Caminó gallardo e impávido hacia el sitio de la ejecución, se colocó ante el poste ensangrentado, donde lo ataron, y no permitió que le vendaran los ojos. A cargo del pelotón estuvo el mismo oficial de los iris celestes que había recibido a Juliana e Isabel en La Ciudadela. A él le tocó darle un balazo en la sien cuando comprobó que tenía medio cuerpo destrozado por los disparos pero seguía vivo. Lo último que vio el condenado antes de que el tiro de misericordia estallara en su cerebro fue la luz dorada del amanecer en la niebla.

El militar, que no se impresionaba con facilidad, porque había sufrido la guerra y estaba acostumbrado a las brutalidades del cuartel y de los calabozos, no había podido olvidar el rostro anegado en lágrimas de la virginal Juliana, arrodillada ante él. Quebrantando su propia norma de separar el cumplimiento del deber de sus emociones, fue a llevarles la noticia en persona. No quiso que las hijas de su prisionero lo supieran por otros medios.

– No sufrió, señoritas -les mintió.



Isabel Allende.

MEOWS AND MIRRORS

Healin' Good Pretty Cure - Episode 4
My Own Review
MEOWS AND MIRRORS



With the fourth episode of Healin’ Good ♡, the main team of three Cures finally comes together. Well, at least until they probably introduce one more, but that is something to worry about at a later date.
For now, it is Cure Sparkle’s turn to make her debut.


A talking tabby? This is the cat's meow!


Hinata seems to be pretty fond of Nyatoran

Hyperactive Hinata Hiramitsu discovers a talking cat whilst on her way to meet with her friends, and gets sidetracked. Of course, said talking tabby is Nyatoran, who is still seeking a partner. Together with Nodoka and Chiyu, Hinata goes to meet with her friends. A monster attack ultimately leads to Hinata becoming Cure Sparkle.

 Hinata's big bro Youta, best BrILF since Wataru Kaido (not counting Masato because the latter is gay and with Henri-ette!). She also has an older sister, Mei. Which makes me wonder about her parents... are these siblings orphans or are the elder Hiramitsus absentees?

Look at our new pet... neko neko neko!



Chiyu tries to keep Hinata from blabbing about the talking cat

Both Nodoka and Chiyu got strong introductory episodes in this season, and I’m happy to say that Hinata does as well. She had brief appearances in previous episodes, but now seeing one that focuses on her has no doubt that she is a wonderful part of the main cast.


Thirsty? We Hiramitsus also run a juice bar, aside from a vet clinic. The drinks are on the house!



Nodoka reassures Hinata that they’ll explain to her friends why she was late

This may be Hinata’s episode, but Nodoka certainly gets some great moments where she shines, too. Healin’ Good ♡ is proving pretty early on that is has an excellent cast of characters, and that can only be a good thing.

If this cat was heard speaking in public, think of all the paparazzi!

I love attention, but that would be too much of a good thing...



The pathogerm this week is created from a mirror





The enemy general that appears this week is Guaiwaru, and he reveals that it is not just nature can be infected. Of course, the Megapathogerm we get has to be a little too much for Cure Grace and Cure Fontaine to handle on their own, because this is Hinata’s episode. Her first day in the limelight.

Being a mirror, this pathogerm deflects all attacks




Hinata’s reaction to discovering Nodoka and Chiyu are PreCures is not quite what they expect



If there’s one thing that this episode makes abundantly clear about Hinata, it is that she absolutely adores cute things (kawaiisa). Apparently the PreCure aesthetic comes under that, as the mirror monster attacking the town of Sukoyaka is of no concern to her when she sees Cure Grace and Cure Fontaine for the first time. Seeing allies and enemies alike have the same counterreaction to Hinata’s reaction is pretty amusing.


Cure Sparkle





I can’t help but feel that much of Nyatoran’s interactions with Hinata throughout this episode were a test – one that she passes with flying colours, hence becoming light-powered catgirl Cure Sparkle.


Hey, easy on that, Mr. Guava!



Cure Sparkle in action

During the battle, Nyatoran has to tell Cure Sparkle that they purify their foes, rather than defeat them. A purified foe is a defeated foe, so I guess there’s not all that much distinction. Ultimately, though, it falls to Cure Sparkle to bring the battle to an end.















With that, our full team is assembled (for now)

I feel pretty confident in saying that Healin’ Good ♡ has got off to an incredibly strong start. Nodoka, Chiyu, and Hinata have all had wonderful introductions, and the three have got a good dynamic between them.
Such a great debut for Cure Sparkle. I’m expecting good things from her – and Nodoka and Chiyu as well.



MY OWN HUMBLE OPINION:
First things first - Hinata/Sparkle is BEST GIRL so far for this season/continuity, hands down.
Guaiwaru's summoning MO: if Daruizen does hair flips and Shindoine blows kisses, how does the brute...? This episode, him being Sparkle's evil counterpart, gives the reply: by puffing up that powder-keg chest of his, showing off some pecs!



Kekekekeke~ as expected, Hinata and Nyatoran are a freaking firecracker duo, and love it! Their energy levels compliment each other very well, and the way they just confidently wing it on the go also makes them a fitting pair. Their fateful encounter was hysterical with Nyaotran when he snapped at her, their reactions were priceless! It got even better when he decided there was no use in trying to cover it up, and just straight-up claim he was born with the ability to talk like humans. Look at that confidence! The girls’ reaction to his boldness was priceless as well- heck the whole thing had me in stitches from laughing so hard! And bonus points for even pretending he was meeting them all for the first time!
But what’s actually incredible about Hinata is the way she took this in stride. Her first concern was getting him out of the public’s eye because she feared Nyatoran would be exploited for his ability to talk. And when you actually think about it – is a legitimate concern that is usually not brought up. It also makes sense why she would go to seek out her brother’s advice, as he is a veterinarian (a charming handsome one, who the girls mistaken him to have been her father- poor dude).
And goodness we thought Hikaru (Star Twinkle) was energetic, but Hinata takes it to another level, but I am not particularly bothered by it (yet). In fact I find her personality to be well balanced with how quickly she can switch back and forth from the high of excitement to the low of the gravity of the situation, and how easily she gets distracted. It is a charm that adds to the humor because she is the type to act first, think later. She also has the charm of being a sweetheart who will put the safety and well-being of others ahead of her own. When she was told that Nodaka and Chiyu had ran in the direction the monster was at, Hinata didn’t hesitate to go after them, only to hilariously she run straight into the monster herself! The moment she did that, Nyatoran knew that she was the one.
When it came to the partnership this time we saw the trainee reach out to his Human partner. I would say this case was the most similar to Rabirin’s and Nodaka’s partnership, but I would what set them apart from the other two was his confidence in Hinata’s abilities. He was basically like, “I LIKE YOU, LETS KICK ASS TOGETHER!”
I really love Cure Sparkle’s design. It’s super cute, her transformation was definitely a lot more simplified than the other two, but it was still pleasing to the eyes– or actually now that I think about it… It might be the sound effect of the fabric’s ‘whoosh’ or whatever it is. There is something really satisfying about it and I don’t know why ahahahaha! But while the transformation wasn’t particularly showy, the fight— oh man, that as the highlight of the episode. Surely I wasn’t the only one who thought the animation for the fight was on fire! I can’t recall a single fight that was this exciting to watch just 4 episodes in. It was soooooo much fun to watch, seriously mad props to the animators! They nailed it. It was so funny when Hinata went on to say, “LETS DEFEAT THIS THING!” and Nyatoran had to tell her, “DON’T BEAT IT, PURIFY IT!”
Another great thing about this fight is proving that the enemies are no pushover. They are ramping things up in their own way, and we see that by how it has become essential for a group effort. What’s also interesting to note is that the generals aren’t limited to targeting nature. Guaiwaru walked into a shop and attacked a Light Element residing in a mirror, a material good, an inanimate object. One of the advantages of this addition, is that it makes it less predictable of where the enemy may pop up next. Another thing that crossed my mind is the expansion of their targets. I suspect somewhere down the line, (maybe when the adorable Elements may no longer play the significant role as they do now), we may see them expand to more mobile targets such as insects, animals and maybe even Humans.
And last but not last, we got to see the King of Pathogerms receive the update of yet another Precure making an appearance. Once again, he is not particularly concerned and wants his generals to focus on the primary objective of helping him recover to his true form, and I doubt that is about to change with Hinata added to the party. However the unwavering focus on ensuring he is resurrected before the Queen of Healing Garden made me wonder whether or not the Trainees are aware of this. When we go back to episode 2, nowhere did they mention anything about the danger of the King of Pathogerms making a comeback. Instead we were given a rather generalized explanation that the Pathogerms are trying to make a world that’s comfortable for them to live in, one which will basically makes the world uninhabitable. Maybe the threat of the King will be something they expand on next week, but if they don’t, then it might explain why the King isn’t particularly concerned about their activities. In fact, when you think about it, the monsters are nothing more than a tool to blight the world, but also distract the Precures from the Generals themselves. Perhaps once they are made aware of the situation at hand, they will take the initiative to go after them. But first, they definitely need to gain some battle experience, they aren’t quite ready to fight them head to head just yet.
This week was yet another fantastic showing from Healin’ Good Prettycure! It really does feel almost surreal how long it has been since they have had such a strong early start, especially with their characters. Now that everyone has a partner, it is going to be interesting how the three of them mesh together. We already got to see how Hinata and Chiyu are already at odds with each other, maybe because Chiyu was the one who was the most concerned about their secret as Precures getting out. Based on the preview, I think this is in part of why Hinata is under the impression that Chiyu doesn’t like her. I suspect Nodaka, being the fairly neutral minded one of the group will find herself trying to help smooth out the misunderstanding between them.

martes, 18 de febrero de 2020

REVIEW: THE MOIST VON LIPWIG TRILOGY



He's Mr. Mail. Mr. Money. Mr. Railway.
Yet at heart a confidence trickster who surprisingly proves himself as the ultimate bureaucrat.
He has many names -Albert, Mr. Mail, Mr. Money, Mr. Railway...-, as a trick of the trade, but there is no mistake that all of these aliases lead to the one and only



MOIST VON LIPWIG
(HÚMEDO VON MUSTACHEN in the Spanish translation)

The Moist-von-Lipwig steampunk trilogy is an excellent gateway into the Discworld, with the three-part saga's lovable scoundrel antihero and its central theme of change and technological/social progress in a renaissance fantasy world on the verge of eighteenth-century Enlightenment.

*

Going Postal - Cartas en el asunto


Postal is the only Moist novel that has been adapted to the screen so far (still waiting for the Money and Steam miniseries!). It is also Terry Pratchett's open love letter to snail mail - criticizing how it's being currently replaced by other, more advanced and quicker interpersonal communication systems -.



Self-made man, raised from obscure orphanhood to the infamy of the all-star psycho confidence trickster, Moist von Lipwig never expected to get a new lease on life on the day of execution - neither for this second chance to be in general charge of the Royal Mail. Alas, that's how things are (nice winged shako hat and matching winged sneakers, Hermes-style, also forming part of the uniform indeed!). There is also a romantic subplot of von Lipwig's betrothal with Adora Belle Dearheart, a free-spirited heiress turned social justice warrior and Ada Lovelace counterpart (think Ada Goth all grown up!) whose family has fallen on hard times due to the rise of clacks (semaphore towers, a metaphor for information technology) as the dominant medium for interpersonal communication. Knowing Moist, knowing Adora, there is both a quid pro quo and a love story in this arrangement...



In this story, an affectionate parody and subversion of Atlas Shrugged, of course information technology gets its fair share of satirising - Pratchett's idea is not going full-scale Luddism about snail mail, but showing how it can coexist with IT (the "clacks" semaphore tower system in the Discworld) at the end of the day. Hackers and free software ("the smoking GNU"), not to mention the Three Laws of Robotics, get here as much of a typically British tongue-in-cheek treatment as the mafia, capitalist monopolies, and even philatelia, the age-old hobby of stamp collecting: one of the few factors that currently keep snail mail alive.



**

Making Money - Dinero a mansalva


Right when Moist, in spite of his new lease on life, was growing weary of a cushy post as Mr. Mail, he is offered the deputy direction of the Royal Mint and First Bank on top of that - and it becomes his quest to introduce the reluctant Morporkian populace to paper money. The pug? Wealthy matriarch Topsy Lavish, Moist's predecessor, has bequeathed her immense fortune and office to her pet Mr. Fusspot, whom Moist adopts and becomes deputy for.

  



Of course the Lavish siblings, snubbed by their late mother in favour of a literal lapdog and his upstart nouveau-riche deputy, are not going to back down that easily. The Lavishes are a discworld counterpart to the Medicis and Borgias (their surname even echoes both luxury and Lannisters!), to give you an idea of what Mr. Money is up against...
He also gets a relationship upgrade with fiancée Adora on the love front... no spoiler alert, but I will let you figure out yourself what happens to them as a straight OTP!


At the end of Money, Moist and Adora... are husband and wife!




***

Raising Steam - A todo Vapor




All good things come in threes, and in Terry Pratchett's swan song, he finally gives Moist von Lipwig the chance to wear the third of three hats for his administrative hat-trick: Mr. Mail, who is also Mr. Money, becomes Mr. Railway on top of those two titles - in what is an open letter to the Victorian steam fever.
For starters, the final installment presents some interesting character dynamics by giving Moist a kouhai: Dick Simnel ("Lemnis" in sdrawckab, to echo Hephaestus) a self-taught young provincial metalworking prodigy with a great ambition - namely, this lad from oop north has made the first locomotive, and is the first train driver, in the history of the Discworld! In fact, I came for Mr. Railway, who negotiates land rights to lay out the railway tracks, and stayed for the self-taught young man with the flat cap who made and now drives the Iron Girder, which he refers to as a "she" and regards as the apple of his eye. Maybe having a soft spot for steampunk, a train driver for a great-grandfather, and being self-taught myself played all a part in this favouritism!



Whereas the first few books were essentially powered by the lampooning of epic fantasy tropes, which produced a new kind of magic unique to Pratchett’s work, the Discworld has changed. A medieval world has morphed into what’s essentially a 19th century society, albeit one where humans co-exist with such people – and they’re presented as fully rounded people, it’s important to note – as trolls, dwarves, golems, and now even geeky goblins.


 


Raising Steam marks a completion, of sorts, of this process, because such a world can’t rely on the magic of the Middle Ages and Early Modern era for its forward momentum. No, it needs a new power source: coal-fired steam. Step forward Dick Simnel. It would be easy to mistake Simnel for a straightforward, even simple country lad, but that’s to overlook the fact that he’s an engineer. And not just a glorified blacksmith, but someone who’s learnt the mysteries of the sliding rule, an innovator, a lad with a shed who knows how to use it.
Through careful experimentation and occasionally blowing stuff up on a more-or-less controlled basis, Simnel has tamed the steam, harnessing the power of all four classical elements in order to make the first train in the Discworld move forwards on the tracks. When the higher-ups like von Lipwig see Simnel's locomotive, the
Iron Girder, they also see the future. What follows is Pratchett’s take on the railway fever that gripped Victorian Britain at the excitable zenith of industrialisation.





As the tracks are laid and rights to the lands are acquired, the task proves not easy for our senpai-kouhai duo (later turned a trio with the addition of a curious hobgoblin), due mainly to railway terrorism by Luddites/ISIS counterparts who are fanatically opposed to industrial progress on what they deem religious grounds. The railway, which brings people together, opens up possibilities and certainly helps, but it’s also a potent symbol of change for those who don’t want change thank you very much. And at the extreme end of those who don’t want change lie the fundamentalists, the violent naysayers, the people who prefer to blow stuff up on a more-or-less uncontrolled basis.
How to counter such a mindset is the overarching preoccupation of the second half of the novel, as
Moist and Simnel build a railway all the way from their Morporkian-Sto Plains homelands to Überwald. Why? Without giving too much away, it’s because certain dwarves can’t accept being at peace with traditional enemies. The same fanatical dwarves who want to stop the Iron Girder in its tracks, to be more exact...
The internecine conflicts amongst the dwarves soon spill out beyond their mines, and this eventually draws Moist, Simnel, and the railway right into the middle of an attempted coup d’état. Will they reach their final station unscathed?
This second act, with colonialists laying railway tracks across hostile "savage" territory and all the consequences thereof, was reminiscent of, and even surpassing, The Lunatic Express -even the climax involves a railway bridge across a chasm, though with far more dangerous enemies than African Lions to confront!-. There is a traintop battle, railway accidents, a fat controller, and landowners intent to make Moist drunk in order to stop the tracks from coursing right across their estates - a wild ride indeed...



ALOIS SIEBENPUNKT - WALDEMAR BONSELS

Zwölftes Kapitel

Der Dichter Alois Siebenpunkt
Die Sonne war schon hoch über die Kronen der Buchen emporgestiegen, als Maja am anderen Morgen in ihrer Waldburg erwachte. Anfangs glaubte sie, das ganze Erlebnis der letzten Nacht sei ein schöner Traum gewesen, aber dann entsann sie sich, daß sie in der kühlen Morgendämmerung in ihrer Behausung angelangt war, und nun war es fast schon Mittag. Nein, es war Wirklichkeit gewesen, sie hatte die Nacht mit dem Elfen verbracht und 
die Menschen gesehen, die sich in der Jasminlaube im Mondschein umschlungen gehalten hatten.
Draußen brannte die Sonne heiß auf den Blättern, es zog ein warmer Wind, und sie hörte die vielerlei Stimmen der Insekten. Ach, was wußten die anderen, und was wußte sie! Sie war so stolz auf ihr Erlebnis, daß sie gar nicht rasch genug hinauskommen konnte, sie meinte, alle müßten es ihr ansehen, was ihr geschehen war.
Aber draußen in der Sonne nahm alles den gewohnten Gang. Nichts war verändert, und nichts erinnerte an die blaue Nacht. Die Insekten kamen, grüßten und zogen, drüben auf der Wiese war über den hohen bunten Sommerblumen, im Flimmern der heißen Luft, ein großer Verkehr. Maja ward plötzlich ganz traurig zumut. Sie fühlte, daß es niemand in der Welt gab, der an ihrem Glück oder an ihrer Betrübnis teilnahm. Sie konnte sich nicht entschließen, zu den anderen hinüberzufliegen. Ich will in den Wald, dachte sie, der Wald ist ernst und feierlich, er paßt zu dem Zustand, in welchem mein Herz sich befindet.
Wieviel Geheimnisvolles und wie viele Wunder das Waldesdunkel birgt, ahnt wohl niemand, der rasch und gedankenlos auf den gebahnten Wegen dahingeht. Dazu muß man die Zweige der Büsche auseinandergebogen haben, oder seine Blicke zwischen den Brombeerranken hindurch in die hohen Gräser und über das dichte Moos schweifen lassen. Unter schattigen Blättern der Pflanzen, in Erdlöchern und Baumhöhlen, zwischen den morschen 
Rinden verwitterter Holzstümpfe und im krausen Schlingwerk der Wurzeln, die sich wie Schlangenleiber über den Erdboden dahinwinden, ist Tag und Nacht ein reges und vielgestaltiges Leben, voller Freuden und Gefahren, voller Kampf und Leid und Vergnügen.
Die kleine Maja ahnte von alledem nur wenig, als sie zwischen den braunen Stämmen und dem grünen Blätterdach dahinflog. Sie erkannte unter sich im Gras eine schmale Spur, die als ein deutlicher Weg durch Dickicht und Lichtungen führte. Zuweilen schien es ihr, als verschwände die Sonne hinter Wolken, so tief wurden die Schatten unter den hohen Kronen und im dichten Buschwerk; dann wieder flog sie in lauter goldgrünem Glänzen dahin, unter sich die breitblätterigen kleinen Wälder der Waldfarren und blühende Brombeerranken.
Endlich öffnete der Wald seine überdachten Säulentore, und vor Majas Blicken lag ein weites Kornfeld in der goldenen Sonne. In den Ähren leuchteten Kornblumen und Mohn. Die kleine Biene ließ sich in den Zweigen einer Birke nieder, die am Rand des Feldes stand, und betrachtete entzückt das goldene Meer, das sich im Frieden des stillen Tags vor ihr ausbreitete. Es erschien ihr unabsehbar weit, und es gingen sanfte Wogen darüber hin; das tat der schüchterne Sommerwind, der so liebreich wehte, um nirgends die Ruhe der schönen Welt zu stören.
Ein paar kleine braune Schmetterlinge spielten unter der Birke über dem Korn ‚Von Mohn zu Mohn‘. Das ist 
unter jungen Schmetterlingen ein sehr beliebtes Gesellschaftsspiel. Jeder Schmetterling setzt sich auf eine Blume, und es muß ein Spieler mehr da sein, als Blumen in der Nähe stehen. Dieser eine sitzt in der Mitte des Kreises und ruft. Wenn sein Ruf erklingt, müssen alle auffliegen und die Blumen wechseln. Wer zu spät kommt und keine Blume mehr findet, wird in die Mitte geschickt und muß abrufen. Das war sehr unterhaltend.
Maja sah eine Weile zu, es machte ihr viel Vergnügen. Das könnte man auch die kleinen Bienen im Stock lehren, dachte sie, da nennen wir es dann ‚Von Zelle zu Zelle‘. Aber Kassandra wird wahrscheinlich zu streng sein.
Die kleine Maja wurde plötzlich traurig gestimmt, das kam sicher durch ihre Erinnerung an die Heimat. Als sie darüber nachdenken wollte, sagte neben ihr jemand:
„Guten Morgen. Sie sind eine Bestie, wie mir scheint.“
Die kleine Maja erschrak sehr und drehte sich rasch um.
„Nein,“ sagte sie, „bestimmt nicht!“
Neben ihr saß eine kleine braune Halbkugel mit sieben schwarzen Punkten darauf. Unter dieser rotbraunen Kuppel, die übrigens prächtig glänzte, sah man ein winziges schwarzes Köpfchen, in dem zwei helle Äuglein funkelten, und nun erkannte Maja auch die dünnen Beinchen, die, fein wie Fäden, unter der punktierten Kuppel hervorschauten und sie so gut trugen als sie eben konnten. Dieser kleine Dicke war es, der Maja angerufen hatte. Trotz 
seiner seltsamen Gestalt gefiel er der Biene ausgezeichnet, er hatte etwas gradezu Anmutiges.
„Wer sind Sie nur?“ fragte sie, „ich selbst bin Maja, vom Volk der Bienen.“
„Wollen Sie mich beleidigen?“ fragte der Kleine. „Dazu liegt kein Grund vor, das merken Sie sich.“
„Aber wie sollte ich dazu kommen?“ fragte die kleine Maja ganz erschrocken, „ich kenne Sie in der Tat nicht.“
„Das kann jeder sagen“, meinte der Dicke. „Nun, ich will Ihrem Gedächtnis nachhelfen. Zählen Sie.“ Und der Kleine begann sich langsam umzudrehn.
„Soll ich Ihre Punkte zählen?“
„Ja, bitte schön“, sagte der Käfer.
„Es sind sieben Punkte“, sagte Maja.
„Nun?“ fragte der Käfer, „also? Sie wissen es immer noch nicht? So will ich es Ihnen sagen. Ich heiße genau so, wie sich nachzählen läßt. Ich gehöre zur Familie der Siebenpunkte, heiße Alois und bin meines Zeichens Dichter. Die Menschen nennen mich auch Marienkäfer. Das ist ihre Sache. Aber das wissen Sie ja jedenfalls.“
Maja wagte nicht nein zu sagen, denn sie fürchtete Alois zu kränken.
„O,“ sagte Alois, „ich lebe vom Sonnenschein, vom Frieden des Tages und von der Liebe der Menschen.“
„Aber essen Sie denn nichts?“ fragte Maja überrascht.
„Doch, Blattläuse. Sie nicht?“
„Nein,“ sagte Maja, „das ist doch ...“

„Was ist es denn? Wie?“
„Es ist nicht üblich“, sagte Maja schüchtern.
„Natürlich!“ rief Alois und versuchte die eine Schulter hochzuziehen, was ihm aber wegen seiner festen Kuppel nicht gelang, „Sie tun als Bürgerliche selbstverständlich nur das, was üblich ist. Damit kämen wir Dichter nicht weit. Haben Sie Zeit?“
„Doch,“ sagte Maja, „gewiß.“
„Dann werde ich Ihnen eine Dichtung vortragen. Sitzen Sie still und schließen Sie die Augen, damit die Umgebung Sie nicht stört. Das Gedicht heißt ‚Der Menschenfinger‘. Es ist ein persönliches Erlebnis und von mir. Hören Sie?“
„Ja,“ sagte Maja, „jedes Wort.“
„Also:
Der Menschenfinger
Einmal hast du mich entdeckt,
als ich Glück im Leben hatte.
Du bist rund und langgestreckt.
Oben hast du eine glatte,
zugespitzte Panzerplatte,
welche sich bewegen läßt,
aber unten sitzt du fest!
Nun?“ fragte Alois nach einem kleinen Schweigen. Er hatte Tränen in den Augen und seine Stimme zitterte.
„Der Menschenfinger hat mich sehr ergriffen“, meinte 
Maja, die etwas verlegen geworden war. Eigentlich kannte sie schönere Lieder.
„Wie finden Sie die Form?“ fragte Alois und lächelte wehmütig. Er war sichtlich durch die Wirkung überwältigt, die er hervorgebracht hatte.
„Rund und langgestreckt“, antwortete Maja. „Sie haben es ja selbst gedichtet.“
„Ich meine die künstlerische Form, ich meine die Form meiner Dichtung.“
„Ah,“ sagte Maja, „ach so. Ja, die finde ich gut.“
„Nicht wahr?“ rief Alois. „Sie wollten sagen, daß dies Lied dem besten eingereiht werden kann, was Sie kennen, daß man weit zurückgreifen muß, ehe man etwas Verwandtes findet. Die Kunst muß zunächst Neuigkeiten enthalten, das ist es, was die meisten Dichter übersehen. Und dann Größe, nicht wahr?“
„Doch,“ sagte Maja, „ich glaube ...“
„Ihr zuversichtlicher Glaube an meine Bedeutung, den Sie ausgesprochen haben,“ sagte Alois, „beschämt mich gradezu. Haben Sie Dank. Ich muß nun weiter, denn die Einsamkeit ist die Zierde des Künstlers. Leben Sie wohl.“
„Adieu“, sagte Maja, die gar nicht recht wußte, was der Kleine eigentlich gewollt hatte. Nun, er selbst wird es schon wissen, dachte sie. Groß ist er ja eigentlich nicht, aber vielleicht wächst er noch. Sie sah ihm nach, wie er eifrig den Zweig hinaufkrabbelte. Man konnte seine 
winzigen Beinchen kaum unterscheiden, so daß es aussah, als schöbe er sich auf kleinen Rollen davon.
Dann sah Maja wieder auf das goldene Kornfeld nieder, über dem die Schmetterlinge spielten. Das gefiel ihr weit besser als das Werk des Alois Siebenpunkt.

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CHAPTER XII
ALOIS, LADYBIRD AND POET
THE sun was risen high above the tops of the beech-trees when Maya awoke in her woodland retreat. In the first moments, the moonlight, the chirping of the cricket, the midsummer night meadow, the lovely sprite, the boy and the girl in the arbor, all seemed the perishing fancies of a delicious dream. Yet here it was almost midday; and she remembered slipping back into her chamber in the chill of dawn. So it had all been real, she had spent the night with the flower-sprite and had seen the two human beings, with their arms round each other, in the arbor of woodbine and jasmine.

The sun outside was glowing hot on the leaves, a warm wind was stirring, and Maya heard the mixed chorus of thousands of insects. Ah, what these knew, and what she knew! So proud was she of the great thing that had happened to her that she couldn’t get out to the others fast enough; she thought they must read it in her very looks.
But in the sunlight everything was the same as ever. Nothing was changed; nothing recalled the blue moonlit night. The insects came, said how-do-you-do, and left; yonder, the meadow was a scene of bustling activity; the insects, birds and butterflies hopped, flew and flitted in the hot flickering air around the tall, gay midsummer flowers.
Sadness fell upon Maya. There was no one in the world to share her joys and sorrows. She couldn’t make up her mind to fly over and join the others in the meadow. No, she would go to the woods. The woods were serious and solemn. They suited her mood.
How many mysteries and marvels lie hidden in the dim depths of the woods, no one suspects who hurries unobservant along the 
beaten tracks. You must bend aside the branches of the underbrush, or lean down and peep between the blackberry briars through the tall grasses  across the thick moss. Under the shaded leaves of the fern plants, in holes in the ground and tree-trunks, in the decaying bark of stumps, in the curl and twist of the roots that coil on the ground like serpents, there is an active, multiform life by day and by night, full of joys and dangers, struggles and sorrows and pleasures.
Maya divined only a little of this as she flew low between the dark-brown trunks under the leafy roof of green. She followed a narrow trail in the grass, which made a clear path through thicket and clearing. Now and then the sun seemed to disappear behind clouds, so deep was the shade under the high foliage and in the close shrubbery; but soon she was flying again through a bright shimmer of gold and green above the broad-leaved miniature forests of bracken and blackberry.
After a long stretch the woods opened their columned and over-arched portals; before Maya’s eyes lay a wide field of grain in the 
golden sunshine. Butterfly-weed flamed on the grassy borders. She alighted on the branch of a birch-tree at the edge of the field and gazed upon the sea of gold that spread out endlessly in the tranquillity of the placid day. It rippled softly under the shy summer breeze, which blew gently so as not to disturb the peace of the lovely world.
Under the birch-tree a few small brown butterflies, using the butterfly-weed for corners, were playing puss-in-the-corner, a favorite game with butterfly-children. Maya watched them a while.
“It must be lots of fun,” she thought, “and the children in the hive might be taught to play it, too. The cells would do for corners.—But Cassandra, I suppose, wouldn’t permit it. She’s so strict.”
Ah, now Maya felt sad again. Because she had thought of home. And she was about to drift off into homesick revery when she heard someone beside her say:
“Good morning. You’re a beast, it seems to me.”
Maya turned with a start.

“No,” she said, “decidedly not.”
There sitting on her leaf was a little polished terra-cotta half-sphere with seven black dots on its cupola of a back, a minute black head and bright little eyes. Peeping from under the dotted dome and supporting it as best they could Maya detected a half dozen thin legs fine as threads. In spite of his queer figure, she somehow took a great liking to the stout little fellow; he had distinct charm.
“May I ask who you are? I myself am Maya of the Volk of bees.”
“Do you mean to insult me? You have no reason to.”
“But why should I? I don’t know you, really I don’t.” Maya was quite upset.
“It’s easy to say you don’t know me.—Well, I’ll jog your memory. Count.” And the little rotundity began to wheel round slowly.
“You mean I’m to count your dots?”
“Yes, if you please.”
“Seven,” said Maya.
“Well?—Well? You still don’t know. All right then, I’ll tell you. I’m called exactly 
according to what you counted. The scientific name of our family is Septempunctata. Septem is Latin for seven, punctata is Latin for dots, points, you see. Our common name is ladybird, my own name is Alois Siebenpunkt, I am a poet by profession. You know our common name, of course.”
Maya, afraid of hurting Alois’ feelings, didn’t dare to say no.
“Oh,” said he, “I live by the sunshine, by the peace of the day, and by the love of humankind.”
“But don’t you eat, too?” asked Maya, quite astonished.
“Of course. Rose-lice. Don’t you?”
“No. That would be—that is....”
“Is what? Is what?”
“Not—usual,” said Maya shyly.
“Of course, of course!” cried Alois, trying to raise one shoulder, but not succeeding, on account of the firm set of his dome. “As a bourgeoise you would, of course, do only what is usual. We poets would not get very far that way.—Have you time?”
“Why, yes,” said Maya.

“Then I’ll recite you one of my poems. Sit real still and close your eyes, so that nothing distracts your attention. The poem is called Human’s Finger, and is about a personal experience. Are you listening?”
“Yes, to every word.”
“Well, then:
“‘Since you did not do me wrong,
That you found me, doesn’t matter.
You are rounded, you are long;
Up above you wear a flatter,
Pointed, polished sheath or platter
Which you move as swift as light,
But below you’re fastened tight!’”
“Well?” asked Alois after a short pause. There were tears in his eyes and a quaver in his voice.
“Your Human’s Finger gripped me very hard,” replied Maya in some embarrassment. She really knew much lovelier poems.
“How do you find the form?” Alois questioned with a smile of fine melancholy. He seemed to be overwhelmed by the effect he had produced.

“Long and round. You yourself said so in the poem.”
“I mean the artistic form, the form of my verse.”
“Oh—oh, yes. Yes, I thought it was very good.”
“It is, isn’t it!” cried Alois. “What you mean to say is that Human’s Finger may be ranked among the best poems you know of, and one must go way back in literature before one comes across anything like it. The prime requisite in art is that it should contain something new, which is what most poets forget. And bigness, too. Don’t you agree with me?”
“Certainly,” said Maya, “I think....”
“The firm belief you express in my importance as a poet really overwhelms me. I thank you.—But I must be going now, for solitude is the poet’s pride. Farewell.”
“Farewell,” echoed Maya, who really didn’t know just what the little fellow had been after.
“Well,” she thought, “he knows. Perhaps he’s not full grown up yet; he certainly isn’t large.” She looked after him, as he hastened 
up the branch. His wee legs were scarcely visible; he looked as though he were moving on low rollers.
Maya turned her gaze away, back to the golden field of grain over which the butterflies were playing. The field and the butterflies gave her ever so much more pleasure than the poetry of Alois Siebenpunkt, ladybird and poet.

(Translation by Adele Szold Seltzer -prose- and Arthur Guiterman -poetry-)

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Capítulo 12

Alisa Sietepuntos




El sol estaba ya muy alto sobre las copas de las hayas cuando Maya despertó, a la mañana siguiente, en su castillo del bosque. Al principio creyó que lo que había vivido la noche anterior había sido un lindo sueño, pero entonces recordó que había llegado a casa con el frío del alba y ahora era casi mediodía.
No, había sido verdad, había pasado la noche con el elfo y había visto a los humanos abrazados en el cenador de jazmín a la luz de la luna.
Afuera, sobre las hojas, el sol ardía con todo su calor, soplaba un viento cálido y oía las múltiples voces de los insectos. ¡Ay, lo que sabían los otros y lo que sabía ella! Estaba tan orgullosa de lo que había vivido que no era capaz de salir con suficiente rapidez, pensaba que todos iban a ver en su rostro lo que había acontecido.
Pero afuera, al sol, todo seguía su curso habitual. No había cambiado nada y nadie recordaba la noche azul. Los insectos llegaban, saludaban y se marchaban; al otro lado, en el prado, había un tráfico enorme sobre las altas flores de verano con todos sus colores en medio de la ardiente canícula. De repente, Maya se puso muy triste. Sentía que no había nadie en el mundo que compartiera sus alegrías o sus preocupaciones. No era capaz de decidirse a volar hacia donde estaban los demás insectos. "Voy a ir al bosque ---pensó---, el bosque es sereno y solemne, va bien con el estado en el que se encuentra mi corazón".
Seguro que nadie que vaya a paso rápido y sin pensar por los caminos abiertos sospecha cuántos secretos y cuántas maravillas oculta la oscuridad del bosque. Para ello hay que separar las hojas de los arbustos o dejar vagar la mirada por las altas hierbas, por entre los zarcillos de las moras y sobre los espesos musgos. Bajo las sombrías hojas de las plantas de helecho, en los agujeros de la tierra y en los huecos de los troncos, entre las cortezas podridas de los tocones desmoronados por el tiempo y en los retorcidos lazos de las raíces que se extienden por la tierra como cuerpos de serpiente, hay día y noche una vida activa y variada, llena de alegrías y de peligros, llena de luchas y de sufrimientos y de placer.
La pequeña Maya no sospechaba mucho de todo aquello cuando pasaba volando por entre los troncos marrones y el verde techado de hojas. A sus pies, en la hierba, reconoció un estrecho rastro, como si un camino visible condujera a través de la espesura y de los claros. De vez en cuando le parecía como si el sol deapareciera tras las nubes, tan profundas eran las sombras bajo las altas copas y en la profunda espesura; luego volvía a volar entre multitud de resplandores de un color verde dorado, a sus pies los pequeños bosques de anchas hojas de los helechos y los zarcillos en flor de las moras.
Por fin el bosque abrió sus porticos cubiertos y ante los ojos de Maya se extendió un vasto campo de trigo bajo una luz dorada. Entre las espigas relucían acianos y amapolas. La abejita se posó en las ramas de un abedul que estaba en la linde del trigal y contempló entusiasmada el mar de oro que se extendía ante ella en la paz de aquel día sereno. Le parecía infinitamente enorme y por encima de él pasaban unas suaves olas; esto lo producía el tímido viento estival, que soplaba tan cariñosamente para no turbar en ningún lugar la paz de aquel hermoso mundo.
Unas pequeñas mariposas marrones jugaban bajo el abedul, encima del trigo, al de amapola en amapola. Es un juego en grupo muy apreciado entre las jóvenes mariposas. Cada mariposa se sienta en un flor y tiene que haber un jugador más que el total de flores que hay cerca. Este se sienta en el centro del círculo y lanza un grito. Cuando se oye el grito todos tienen que levantar el vuelo y cambiar de flor. El que llega tarde y no encuentra una flor tiene que ir al medio y lanzar el grito. Era muy entretenido.
Maya estuvo mirando un rato, le gustaba mucho. Pensó que podría enseñárselo también a las abejitas de la colmena, entonces lo llamarían de celda en celda. Pero es probable que Casandra fuera muy estricta. De repente, la pequeña Maya se sintió muy triste, seguro que por recordar su hogar. Cuando iba a meditar sobre ello, alguien dijo a su lado:
---Buenos días. Me parece que usted es un bicho.
Maya se asustó mucho y se volvió rápidamente hacia la criatura desconocida.
---¡No! ---dijo---. ¡Por supuesto que no!
A su lado estaba la mitad de una bolita marrón con siete puntos negros encima. Bajo esa cúpula cobriza, que, por cierto, relucía magníficamente, vio una diminuta cabecita en la que chispeaban dos ojitos claros, y entonces Maya vio también las seis delgadas patitas que, finas como hilos, asomaban por debajo de la cúpula punteada y la llevaban lo mejor que podían. Esa pequeña regordeta era la que había llamado a Maya. A pesar de su curiosa figura, a la abeja le gustó muchísimo, tenía algo verdaderamente encantador.
---¿Y quién es usted? ---preguntó---. Yo soy Maya, del pueblo de las abejas.
---¿Quiere usted ofenderme? ---preguntó la pequeña---. No hay motivo para ello, téngalo en cuenta.
---Pero ¿cómo se me iba a ocurrir? ---preguntó Maya toda asustada---. De hecho, no la conozco.
---Eso lo puede decir cualquiera ---dijo la regordeta---. Bueno, ayudaré a su memoria. Cuente.
Y la pequeña empezó a moverse lentamente.


 (Recortar fuera el texto)


---Sí, por favor ---dijo la mariquita.
---Hay siete puntos ---dijo Maya.
---¿Y bien? ---preguntó la mariquita---. ¿Qué dice? ¿Aún no lo sabe? Pues yo se lo diré- Me llamo exactamente como acaba usted de contar. Pertenezco a la familia de los Sietepuntos, me llamo Alisa y para más señas soy poeta. Los humanos me llaman mariquita. Eso es cosa suya. Pero seguro que usted ya sabe todo esto.
Maya no se atrevió a decir que no, porque temía ofender a Alisa.
---¡Oh! ---dijo Alisa---. Yo vivo de la luz del sol, de la paz del día y del amor de los humanos.
---Pero ¿entonces no come? ---preguntó Maya sorprendida.
---Sí, pulgones. ¿Usted no?
---No ---dijo Maya---, eso es...
---¿Qué es eso? ¿Cómo?
---Eso no es normal ---dijo Maya tímidamente.
---¡Pues claro! ---exclamó Alisa tratando de levantar un hombro, cosa que no consiguió debido a lo rígido de su caparazón---. Evidentemente, como buena burguesa no hace usted más que lo que es normal. Así los poetas no llegaríamos lejos. ¿Tiene usted tiempo?
---Sí ---dijo Maya---, claro.
---Entonces le recitaré un poema. Quédese ahí quieta y cierre los ojos para que no le perturbe el entorno. El poema se titula "El dedo humano". Es mío y una experiencia personal. ¿Me oye?
---Sí ---dijo Maya---, cada palabra.
---Pues bien:


El dedo humano.
El día que te encontré,
dichosa y feliz yo estaba.
Larga y rechoncha has de ser:
en lo alto tienes tu plana
y bien afilada coraza,
que bien se puede mover
aunque debajo tú estés.


---¿Y bien? ---dijo Alisa tras un breve silencio.
Tenía lágrimas en los ojos y le temblaba la voz.
---"El dedo humano" me ha conmovido mucho ---dijo Maya un tanto abochornada.
En realidad conocía canciones mucho más bonitas.
---¿Qué le parece la forma? ---preguntó Alisa sonriendo melancólica.
Estaba visiblemente emocionada por el efecto que había provocado.
---Larga y rechoncha ---respondió Maya---. Lo ha compuesto usted misma.
---Me refiero a la forma artística, quiero decir a la forma de mi poema.
---¡Ah! ---dijo Maya---. ¡Ah, eso! Sí, me parece buena.
---¿Verdad que sí? ---exclamó Alisa---. Usted quiere decir que este poema puede situarse a la altura del mejor que usted conoce, que hay que retroceder mucho hasta encontrar algo similar. Lo primero que tiene que tener el arte son cosas nuevas, eso es algo que la mayoría de los poetas no ven. Y luego grandeza, ¿no es cierto?
---Sí ---dijo Maya---, yo creo...
---La fe llena de confianza en mi valor que acaba usted de manifestar ---dijo Alisa--- me avergüenza sinceramente. Se lo agradezco. Ahora tengo que seguir, pues la soledad es el ornato del artista. Que te vaya bien.
---Adiós ---dijo Maya, que no sabía bien lo que la pequeña había querido decir en realidad.
"Bueno, ella lo sabrá ---pensó---. En realidad no es muy grande, pero a lo mejor aún crece". La siguió con la mirada mientras se afanaba en encaramarse a la rama. Apenas podían distinguirse sus diminutas patitas, de manera que parecía como si se moviera sobre unas pequeñas ruedas.
Luego Maya volvió a bajar la vista hacia el dorado campo de trigo sobre el que jugaban las mariposas. Eso le gustó mucho más que la obra de Alisa Sietepuntos.



(Ilustración de Ester García - Traducción de Isabel Hernández)