.ItwasDeanna,whowasasagileasafishuer.Shewalkedupthebanksoftheke,leavingbehindanexquisitemirrorandabfloatedoer.Angelicacameoversmilingandsaid,

    “Howeyoutwoarestilloutheresoteatnight?Doyouhaveinsomniatoo?”

    “Insomnia?”scoffedDorna.“Whatisinsomnia?Neverhadit.IwasfastasleepwhenDeannawokemeup.Shehaddiscoveredasecretandwaoshareitwithme.Iwascurious,soIcamewithhertotheke.Wefoundthergewhitefishfloatingmotionlesslyoer.Gradually,iwinklingofaneye,shesomehowtransformedintoabeautifulwomahetwoofusbutwasnotafraid.Shewavedamicably,signallyustoapproach.Deannaswamtaveheramirrortoletherseeherself.Thenshegaveherabandtaughtherhowtosmoothouthertangledhair.Shewassohappytohavegedintohumanformandintotheformofabeautifulwomanatthat!Butshecouldn’ttalkandherfeetcouldhewater.Itoldherthatifshetiopracticeasceticismafewmoredaysthewayshehadbeendoing,shemaybeabletogoonshore.Thenelehertoourpacetolivewithus.Itwasjustatthistimethatthesetwobadguyscamegallopingandrandscaredournewfriendintogingbacktewhitefishandvanishuer.”Aftershefinishedspeaking,shehitthetwotigerspetuntlyontheheadandtheysquatteddownatherfeet,astameastwecats.

    1

    “Let’sgobacktothepace”saidDorna.“I’lltellthisgoodoQueenAisha.Shehadbeenpiningthatthepacehasbeeingmorelonelyaewithsomanypeoplegone.

    Shewillbehappytohearthatanewmemberwillbejoiningourranks.Thatwillmakeherhappy.KingDimitriwillbebacksoon.Wewillgreethimwiththisbigsurprise.”Thefourbeauties,guardedbythetwotigers,wentbaagnifitpace.

    Dayandnight,nightandday,thergewhitefishswaminthebluewavesoftheke,nowsurfag,nowsinking.Afterathousandyearsofprayer,hermostcherisheddesirewasheardbyGodandwassoontobegrahroughHisgenerosity.Theverythoughtmadeherbesideherselfwithjoy.Dayandnight,nightandday,shelivedier.Shegrewfromatinytransparentfryintoafishandwasluottohavebeenswallowedbyerohousandyearsofgrowth,athousandyearsofsuffering.Sheabsorbedtheessehesunbydayandthatofthemoonbynight.Dayandnight,nightandday,shefloatedinthebluewaters.Athousandyearsofgrowth,athousandyearsofsuffering.Full,amplebreastssymbolizedherwomanhood.Herglitteringscalesbegantofalloff.Dayandnight,nightanddayshehidinthedeepestwaters,enduringthepainofgrowthaamorphosis.Dayandnight,nightandday,thewavestossedandrolledceaselessly.Graduallyherbodyged.Hertailbecametwoslender,jade-likelegs.Herwaisttracted,herhipsfredtoformawell-shapedfigure.Athousandyearsofprayer,athousandyearsofdesiretransformedintoabeautifundgmoroustenance.Afishierbecameawaterfairy.

    Thergewhitefishswamfreelyinthebluewaves.Itwasthisexpanseofbluewatersthatsuckledthismagicamphibian,whichcouldgefromafishtoabeautifulwomanatwill.Nothingossibleinthesemountainsandwaters,forcouldn''''tWhiteFairy,whowasaerlily,intergefromaflowertoapuffofsmokeorabeautifulwomanatwill?Thergewhitefishthought,

    “Igetohumanformandbeeawoman.IfewmoredaysandIwillbeabletoleavethewaterandgoonndtothatmagnifitpace.ThereIwillbeabletoserveKingDimitriwiththerestofthebeauties.Buttheseyoungwomenareallsobeautiful.WillIbeabletogetalongwiththem?Willtheylookdownonmeforbein

.ItwasDeanna,whowasasagileasafishuer.Shewalkedupthebanksoftheke,leavingbehindanexquisitemirrorandabfloatedoer.Angelicacameoversmilingandsaid,

    “Howeyoutwoarestilloutheresoteatnight?Doyouhaveinsomniatoo?”

    “Insomnia?”scoffedDorna.“Whatisinsomnia?Neverhadit.IwasfastasleepwhenDeannawokemeup.Shehaddiscoveredasecretandwaoshareitwithme.Iwascurious,soIcamewithhertotheke.Wefoundthergewhitefishfloatingmotionlesslyoer.Gradually,iwinklingofaneye,shesomehowtransformedintoabeautifulwomahetwoofusbutwasnotafraid.Shewavedamicably,signallyustoapproach.Deannaswamtaveheramirrortoletherseeherself.Thenshegaveherabandtaughtherhowtosmoothouthertangledhair.Shewassohappytohavegedintohumanformandintotheformofabeautifulwomanatthat!Butshecouldn’ttalkandherfeetcouldhewater.Itoldherthatifshetiopracticeasceticismafewmoredaysthewayshehadbeendoing,shemaybeabletogoonshore.Thenelehertoourpacetolivewithus.Itwasjustatthistimethatthesetwobadguyscamegallopingandrandscaredournewfriendintogingbacktewhitefishandvanishuer.”Aftershefinishedspeaking,shehitthetwotigerspetuntlyontheheadandtheysquatteddownatherfeet,astameastwecats.

    1

    “Let’sgobacktothepace”saidDorna.“I’lltellthisgoodoQueenAisha.Shehadbeenpiningthatthepacehasbeeingmorelonelyaewithsomanypeoplegone.

    Shewillbehappytohearthatanewmemberwillbejoiningourranks.Thatwillmakeherhappy.KingDimitriwillbebacksoon.Wewillgreethimwiththisbigsurprise.”Thefourbeauties,guardedbythetwotigers,wentbaagnifitpace.

    Dayandnight,nightandday,thergewhitefishswaminthebluewavesoftheke,nowsurfag,nowsinking.Afterathousandyearsofprayer,hermostcherisheddesirewasheardbyGodandwassoontobegrahroughHisgenerosity.Theverythoughtmadeherbesideherselfwithjoy.Dayandnight,nightandday,shelivedier.Shegrewfromatinytransparentfryintoafishandwasluottohavebeenswallowedbyerohousandyearsofgrowth,athousandyearsofsuffering.Sheabsorbedtheessehesunbydayandthatofthemoonbynight.Dayandnight,nightandday,shefloatedinthebluewaters.Athousandyearsofgrowth,athousandyearsofsuffering.Full,amplebreastssymbolizedherwomanhood.Herglitteringscalesbegantofalloff.Dayandnight,nightanddayshehidinthedeepestwaters,enduringthepainofgrowthaamorphosis.Dayandnight,nightandday,thewavestossedandrolledceaselessly.Graduallyherbodyged.Hertailbecametwoslender,jade-likelegs.Herwaisttracted,herhipsfredtoformawell-shapedfigure.Athousandyearsofprayer,athousandyearsofdesiretransformedintoabeautifundgmoroustenance.Afishierbecameawaterfairy.

    Thergewhitefishswamfreelyinthebluewaves.Itwasthisexpanseofbluewatersthatsuckledthismagicamphibian,whichcouldgefromafishtoabeautifulwomanatwill.Nothingossibleinthesemountainsandwaters,forcouldn''''tWhiteFairy,whowasaerlily,intergefromaflowertoapuffofsmokeorabeautifulwomanatwill?Thergewhitefishthought,

    “Igetohumanformandbeeawoman.IfewmoredaysandIwillbeabletoleavethewaterandgoonndtothatmagnifitpace.ThereIwillbeabletoserveKingDimitriwiththerestofthebeauties.Buttheseyoungwomenareallsobeautiful.WillIbeabletogetalongwiththem?Willtheylookdownonmeforbein