Hedonistics Anonymous
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Terrapins... pointing at the moon
Did you know that if a terrapin bites you, it wouldn't let go. Not even if you take out a knife and chop off its head. The terrapin will only release its hold when the thunder roars.
I remembered my grandmother warning me not to point at the moon when I was little. She said that it was disrespectful and if I ever did point at the moon, the moon god would cut my ears as a punishment.
I remembered being thoroughly fascinated by this form of retribution. One night I decided to take matters into my own hand. I walked outside to the garden. Looked up at the glowing full moon in the dark, starry sky. And defiantly, I pointed at it.
A few minutes later I touched my ear. No changes.
Smiling gleefully, I went to bed.
The next morning I woke up feeling odd. Instinctively I touched my ear. Imagine my surprise and horror went I felt a something crusty at the joint between my earlobes and my neck. There were teeny bits of dried blood on fingers.
It was definitely a cut. Painless, but nevertheless a cut.
I freaked out.
I didn't dare to tell my mum, fearing that she would give me the usual "I-told-you-so" lecture. Telling my grandmother was definitely out of the question. So I quietly hunted down my dad and poured out the whole story to him. Luckily, he was quite sympathetic. "Nonsense, " he soothed me, "You must have accidentally scratched yourself while you were sleeping."
I was appeased and ended up forgetting the whole incident until a few years later, I happened to ask my sister whether she believed in old folks' tales.
She replied, "Yes. Don't point at the moon. Ever."
O_o
Apparently, she followed my footsteps and ended up getting her ear nicked too. Not only her, my aunt did the same when she was little. And so did my ex-housemate. All came away with the same results.
Eerie coincidence?
I remembered my grandmother warning me not to point at the moon when I was little. She said that it was disrespectful and if I ever did point at the moon, the moon god would cut my ears as a punishment.
I remembered being thoroughly fascinated by this form of retribution. One night I decided to take matters into my own hand. I walked outside to the garden. Looked up at the glowing full moon in the dark, starry sky. And defiantly, I pointed at it.
A few minutes later I touched my ear. No changes.
Smiling gleefully, I went to bed.
The next morning I woke up feeling odd. Instinctively I touched my ear. Imagine my surprise and horror went I felt a something crusty at the joint between my earlobes and my neck. There were teeny bits of dried blood on fingers.
It was definitely a cut. Painless, but nevertheless a cut.
I freaked out.
I didn't dare to tell my mum, fearing that she would give me the usual "I-told-you-so" lecture. Telling my grandmother was definitely out of the question. So I quietly hunted down my dad and poured out the whole story to him. Luckily, he was quite sympathetic. "Nonsense, " he soothed me, "You must have accidentally scratched yourself while you were sleeping."
I was appeased and ended up forgetting the whole incident until a few years later, I happened to ask my sister whether she believed in old folks' tales.
She replied, "Yes. Don't point at the moon. Ever."
O_o
Apparently, she followed my footsteps and ended up getting her ear nicked too. Not only her, my aunt did the same when she was little. And so did my ex-housemate. All came away with the same results.
Eerie coincidence?
