[Kahn]

There once was a village surrounded at all sides by forest. This village was named Poniz, and as far as the villagers were concerned, it had always been there and always would be. How it got there and why was unimportant, all that mattered to them was to do the jobs they were born to do, like their parents, and grandparents, great-grandparents, etc. back until a time before anyone alive had any knowledge.

It happened that on the day this story began, the woodcutter’s son was climbing a tree. The importance of this boy of seven years so as to merit a history recording his life would not become apparent for several years. Nonetheless, this story must start at his point, for it was the simple action of tree-clibing that would change his life.

“Abec, stop it, you proved your point!” cried a girl from far below. For Abec Hygufodi (the boy’s name) was now half-way up the tree and every child in Poniz was watching him from the ground.

They had all been playing at the point where the cob-stoned streets met the barrier of trees that was the forest. This was the regular place they would meet to have fun while their parents worked.

Abec was known by all the village to be a wild child. It was no strange sight to see Abec in any corner of Poniz up to some mischief or other. Still, despite the many accidents he caused and pranks he pulled, he was generally liked by the children of Poniz, and the adults were fond of his simple intelligence and “cuteness” and so cut him much slack. Anyway, it would often be said among them, who could blame it? Imagine a man raising a boy alone!

Earlier that day, Abec had been sitting in his room alone. His father had forbidden him from playing outside that day after he had made Old Man Egnaro trip by running by him too fast. Having nothing to do, he stared longingly out the window.

In the distance he could see the childrem gathering together by the edge of the forrest, by the river. He could distinctly make Ananab, Egnaro’s grandson, apparently telling some sort of joke. His blood boiled. He hated Ananab more than anyone in the world. He was just so cocky. He couldn’t stand not being the center of attention, and in their minds they were mortal enemies.

Abec decided to throw caution to the wind and climbed out the window. His father was still out working and he would be back before him. He marched down to the the riverbank. As he approached them, he could hear Ananab shout,

“Hey, look who’s coming! Hey Abec, what’s the matter, can’t find any old men to try and kill?”

“Aw, leave him alone ‘Nanab,” said another boy. “Abec’s alright.”

“Hi there, Abeg,” said little Ciristra Lilabout, who had never quite mastered the pronunciation of his. She smiled and beamed at him. Abec backed away from her, slightly afraid.

Ignoring everyone else, he jumped into the water, not bothering to take off his clothes.

“Come on let’s get out of here,” said Nanab. “I don’t want to be in this water not that that filthy Abec has been in it.” Nanab and his gang of friends left the river and walked off out of Abec’s sight.

“Hey, let’s have a swimming race, upstream to that rock,” Abec shouted to the kids who remained.

“Oh, uh, I dunno Abec, my mother told me you shouldn’t swim upstream.”

“Come on, what’s the harm!”

But Abec found he was talking to no one, for everyone had now left the water. Getting out and shaking the water out of his hair, he found them at gathered around a tree, looking up at Nanab and his friends, who were each sitting on a different branch.

“Wow, they’re up so high!” said five-year-old Ekrid Okoy.

“Oh please! I climbed that tree when I was four-years-old!”

“While why don’t you go and climb it instead of just speaking of it, Hygufodi!” Nanab shouted down.

“I do not want to! I’ve climbed that tree more times then I can count, it’s boring. In fact…” he said with sad realization, “I’ve climbed all these trees.” Somehow, knowing that he had climbed all the trees in Poniz, a vow he had made to himself two summers ago, troubled him greatly.

“…Well, all except that one.” Everyone turned to see what Abec was pointing at and gasped. It was The Giant, the largest tree that could be seen in Poniz for several generations. It over-shadowed all the other trees to a point that was ridiculous. “Actually, I think I will climb it.”

“HA!” screamed Nanab as he leapt down from the branch he was sitting on. “Like you could ever climb that! Nobody has ever climbed The Fiant and you certainly shant be the first.”

“I’ll show you!” said Abec. Though climbing this tree meant a lot more to him the one-upping Ananab. Everyone was watching the two of them now with the greatest interest.

“No, Abeg,” said Ciristra, “You can’ climb The Giant, you’ll kill yourselv!”

“Yeah,” someone else shouted. “Don’t do it, Abec!”

But Abec just pushed past them all, and sized The Giant up. All around him he could hear protests and whispers.

“He’s completely mad, you know it.”

“He’s always been a weirdo.”

“He’s just like that oddball father of his.”

“My mother warned me to stay away from that Hygufodi boy.”

Abec kissed his teeth at all of them. He dug his small fingers into the cracks of the bark and started to climb up.