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Linnea Milsten
Period 1
10/14/09
Short Story
Pickles
Pickles have always played an important role in our past. Aristotle praised it for its healing effects, Cleopatra said they contributed to her beauty, Julius Caesar gave them to his legions because he thought they brought massive amounts of energy, they were the main dish at King John’s feast, Christopher Columbus brought them to the New World, the Dutch named them a prized delicacy in the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth loved them, Napoleon thought they gave his armies good health, they were also loved by George Washington, John Adams and have been mentioned more than twice in the Bible( under Numbers 11:5 and Isaiah 1:8 ).
They have been around for more than 4,000 years. But for 4,000 years, we have been lied to. We have been told they originated somewhere in India by some man far away we’ve never heard of. Centuries we have been told he put some ground grown cucumber in some vinegar, among other things, and after weeks it fermented and became the well known pickle. It is time the truth be known. This is the true story.
Long, long ago in India on the beach Puri life was always peaceful. Families would come from miles around to roast marshmallows together in the sands over dancing bonfire flames, while the waves gently beat upon the shore. Over looking Puri was a pier that was built high and wide stretching all the way to the ocean’s tip where water met sand. Upon the pier a man worked relentlessly on a science experiment that’s soul purpose was to reanimate the dead. Then on the fateful evening of October 14 a cold gust of win blew so hard that it knocked him off balance, sending his chemical concoction soaring and pouring on the sands and water beneath it. It was a most unfortunate occurrence.
Laying just inches away from the salt water’s edge were 5 open bags of Kraft marshmallows, left over from the previous night’s bonfire. Drops of the mixture oozed into the bags, overcoming each little defenseless marshmallow inside. The rest oozed into the water. It got diluted along the way but at its strongest point came in contact with a bed of sea cucumbers.
The effects started to take place immediately. The marshmallows sprouted little legs, feet, arms, hands, developed brains, until they were 100% living creatures. The Sea Cucumbers, however, being already of the living just grew arms and legs, as well as developing complex minds. They were even more intelligent then the newly living, thought processing Marshmallows.
News leaked out about the man’s “mishap” and soon rested upon the ears of the government. They took action quickly, closing off the beach to tourists and residents keeping a close watch on the happenings. Local scientists were allowed to study the reactions of the Marshmallows and Sea Cucumbers but only from a far. They were also sworn to secrecy for the thought of actually creating zombies was a dangerous one.
Day by day went by and soon the Marshmallows and sea cucumbers had created their own civilizations, separately of course. The Marshmallows had created more of a kingdom built entirely of sand and the heaviest twigs they could carry, while the Sea Cucumbers built more of a republic with small stones, seaweed, mud, and shells. Soon a Sea Cucumber Lord and a Marshmallow King were established to rule their own lands.
The Sea Cucumber Lord ruled the seas like a dictator. He would make all the Sea Cucumbers give him their sand dollars, even the young and the old. The people hated the Sea Cucumber Lord but he was just so much bigger than all of them. It wasn’t long until others joined him and began to grow bigger and, In return, picked on the smaller Cucumbers. The smaller Sea Cucumbers began to hold secret rebellion meetings and traveled to shore to meet at the neighboring kingdom of marshmallows.
The marshmallows were ruled by the gentle hand of their king. He had one son and one daughter. The son, being next in line to rule, was called the Marshmallow Prince, while his daughter was simply Marshmallow Girl. The Marshmallow Prince strived to be like his father. From sunrise to sunset he worked non stop as diligently as possible. He worked in politics with his father and, of course, took great care of his little sister who, unfortunately, was not as hard working. Marshmallow Girl was a day dreamer who strived to be nothing like her father. Royal life bored her. She longed for an adventure, an opportunity to make her wildest dreams come true. She was a pain in the Marshmallow King’s fluffy white squishy butt, but she always obeyed her brother. He was the one she truly looked up to, for he was the only one who ever encouraged her to follow her heart.
While the Marshmallow King built colonies, the Sea Cucumber Lord built armies. Being as cruel and sour as the Sea Cucumber Lord was, he picked the most unlikely general. General Sea Cucumber. He was the kindest of all Sea Cucumbers and was the epitome of a “gentle giant.” His muscles bulged and he could easily bench press 4 Marshmallows. The top of his Sea Cucumber head curled around and gave the elusion of hair and his eyes were a gentle brown. His immediate family were one of the first few to die off so he was a loner. He only lived to love though and was only chosen to be general so the Sea Cucumber Lord could gain support from his peers to create an army. Little did the Sea Cucumber Lord know, General Sea Cucumber had a secret.
Every night, when the waters would turn black with the night sky and the sands would turn cold and damp, General Sea Cucumber snuck into the Marshmallow’s kingdom. He brought with him several tiny salt water pearls, which he eventually tossed up to the small side window of their largest castle, a bit below the tip top. This window was Marshmallow Girl’s. As soon as she heard the patter on her window she immediately sprung out of bed and waddled to peer out at her secret lover. It was a true Romeo Juliet story. He had been coming there night after night chucking pearls up into her window. She would then string those pearls on a thin strand of dry kelp that had washed up onto the shore, in hopes that one night she’d have enough to tie to her conch bed and toss out the window and use to climb down to her love. The night had finally arrived.
Her brother had known all along about their secret affair and had warned little Marshmallow Girl that it was a bad idea. Try as he might to dissuade her, she knew she had to follow her heart. General Sea Cucumber and Marshmallow girl were determined to spend the night together. As soon as she climbed down to meet with him he scooped her up in his arms and swung her side to side, as her little legs dangled, they began to dance in the moonlight. Their hearts beat as one, and soon, became their only music. As he slowly sat her back down on the ground he leaned in to tenderly kiss her sweet soft lips, the best a sea cucumber could. Her face became red and hot as if she were being roasted when their lips connected for the first time. It was truly magical.
Expecting to see joy in his eyes when she pulled back she instead saw tears. “General Sea Cucumber, what’s wrong? I know my lips stuck to yours a bit, but I can’t help it! I’m a marshmallow.” “No, it’s not that my love. You see. I was praying I’d get to be with you before this night came.” “What’s so important about this day? It’s October 14 and I know decades ago this Is the day we were created, but how is that bad? This is the day my love was born. I find it to be the best day of my life” A small smile flashed upon his face at her touching words but quickly faded to a grimace when his train of thought returned. “My Lord has planned to attack your people today. As soon as the sun comes up I’ll be forced to head the attack.” “You can’t! You mustn’t!” “I’m sorry Marshmallow Girl, I’ll be killed if I don’t.” She began to cry at the thought doubling over into the sand. Without hesitation he wrapped his strong arms around her and held her. Poor Marshmallow Girl became too lost in his embrace to realize that the sun had already risen.
The Marshmallow Prince, who had been up most of the night on the “Kelputer,” awoke to the sounds of the marching Sea Cucumbers as they ascended from the sea. He shouted for Marshmallow Girl too run, but by the time she had heard him, it was too late. The two lovers now found themselves caught in an electrically modified net that shocked them each time they moved. “How dare you betray me General Sea Cucumber?!” Bellowed the Sea Cucumber Lord as he looked down upon the two writhing in pain. “Take them away!” He forcefully commanded. 4 younger soldiers did as he commanded, tugging the only un-electrified piece of net, dragging them deep into the bowels of the Sea Cucumber’s dwelling where they were locked inside air tight jars.
Faithful Marshmallow Prince was hot on their trail. Dressed in a Mini Marshmallow Scuba suit he followed close behind them, swiftly and silently. As soon as the lids were sealed on the jars he took his chance and began to attack the Sea Cucumber guards. “For my sister!” He proudly gurgled as he pulled his toothpick sword from its sheath. One by one the guards fell and he quickly took to trying to remove the lids, but he wasn’t strong enough. Using what was left of his strength, he rolled the two jars onto shore where the most gruesome battle was taking place.
Marshmallows were screaming and sprinting around on fire, being roasted alive. Sea Cucumbers were left to squirt defenselessly as they were penetrated with sticks through the heart. It was utter chaos. The Marshmallow King had now descended to the battlegrounds along with his Sea Cucumber refugees. They had finally cornered the Sea Cucumber Lord when the Marshmallow King had to divert his attention to his flailing son who was desperately trying to get his attention. He ran to him as fast as he could, wearing the top of a Sea Cucumber he had sliced off as a crown.
“My son what the ma-,” he was cut short by the sight of his daughter in a jar gasping for air.” “What happened?! No, don’t tell me. Just help me free her!” With that they recruited a few other Marshmallows and together they unscrewed her lid. She hoped out and ran in tears to her General Sea Cucumber. He was beginning to black out. “Help him, somebody help him please!” She begged. But all were reluctant to come to her aid, for he was their enemy’s right hand man. “You guys sicken me! She is also your leader and you shouldn’t hesitate to rush to her assistance! They are in love. Don’t you dare let your bias stand in the way of something so pure!” Her big brother protested as he struggled with her to open the lid, by her side as always. Her dad was then the one who took the next step. The rest soon followed and together they successfully freed General Sea Cucumber.
“Big brother he’s unconscious! Do something please, for me big brother, save him!” Letting out a sigh of discontentment he leaned over the blue cucumber and breathed the breath of life back into him. General Sea Cucumber, to his displeasure, and Marshmallow Girl’s pleasure, awoke to Marshmallow Prince’s soft squishy lips against his. Their eyes simultaneously widened nearly engulfing their whole bodies and they rapidly parted from each other. Luckily for them there was no rush for their re-composure. The war was over. Sea Cucumber Lord had been captured along with the evil minions.
The naughty Sea Cucumbers were held in the dungeons until Marshmallow Girl, General Sea Cucumber, Marshmallow Prince, and Marshmallow King came to a consensus. They decided that a fitting punishment was to let them rot in the jars they had contained the poor lovers in. They were to stay there forever and this was put into the Marshmallow’s newly developed constitution as the punishment for all future evil Sea Cucumbers. Marshmallow Girl’s and General Sea Cucumber’s union had brought mostly all Sea Cucumbers and Marshmallows together and soon a huge underground nation of the 2 countries hat been formed.
The shores were abandoned within a few weeks. All that was left behind was the jar containing the Sea Cucumber lord and his followers. One very brave human spectator, who had been watching the whole time, waited until the other scientists left and took his move. He ran down and snatched up the jar sprinting back home. He then sat the jar on the floor in his lap and removed the lid. A pungent fume escape from the jar. It was slightly pleasant and carried with it that faint scent that was normally applied with food. The overly curious man decided to try a bit of one of the cucumbers and to his delight, it was delicious. So delicious, in fact, he had the undying urge to share it with the world and offered a cucumber to every member of his village.
Every now and then a Sea Cucumber got out of line and was sentenced to the same fate and with each new jar cam a new face to collect it and eat it. Until the word of the delicacies spread around the world and people began to harvest all sorts of species of cucumbers trying to replicate that same taste. It is rumored though, that none ever tasted as good as that first jar containing the Sea Cucumber Lord. Perhaps, it was because he was such a sour person that it leaked out and provided that “special flavor.” We may never know for the government of India went through great lengths to conceal the truth and have successfully altered history.
Many years have past since the great Sea Cucumber Marshmallow war and most residents of my village have forgotten about it. Puri Beach has now been reopened and a festival is held there every year, put on by the Ministry of Tourism. My family and I are the last Indian’s to ever remember the living Marshmallow’s and everyday I walk down to the shores in hope to find another jar just for me, the way my ancestors described it.
So every time you purchase a jar of pickles, remember the great sacrifices that made those morsels possible today. Pass the truth on to your family and children in hopes one day the whole world will again know the truth. Keep Marshmallow Girl and General Sea Cucumber and their families in your hearts by eating your pickles with pride. Remember, remember, the 14th of October.
 D0N3 · Fri Oct 23, 2009 @ 04:46am · 0 Comments |
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