Get your own Free Home PageFrom out of a mountain slightly northwest of the river ran a balance. You have probably never seen a living balance before, but that is what came out of the mountain. It was made of steel and had a steel head on a rod between its two platforms and a pair of steel feet. Not only was it alive, but it was enormous, over thrice as big as Kabumpo.
"I am the Keeper of the Bridge, as I mentioned before," announced the balance, "and I must weigh you before you cross the bridge."
"Very well, but be quick about it!" grumbled Kabumpo, stepping onto one of the platforms on the balance. No sooner had he done so than strong ropes and chains shot out of the mountain and tied Kabumpo to the balance and the elephant's passengers to the elephant and to each other.
"What is the meaning of this?" questioned Kabumpo angrily.
"To make sure you don't leave before you get weighed. Some try to do that," explained the Bridge-Keeper. "Now to begin the weighing."
A one-gram weight rushed out of the Bridge-Keeper's Mountain and settled on the balance's empty platform. "You definitely weigh more than one gram."
Although he was angry for being tied, Kabumpo could not help laughing at that remark. However, his laughter soon ended, as one one-gram weight after another jumped onto the balance, with an interval of about a minute between each one. The Elegant Elephant and his passengers struggled to get away, but the ropes and chains that held them were too strong, numerous, and well-tied. A. Miner asked the balance, "Why don't you use heavier weights?"
"Because my only employees are one-gram weights."
"Then why don't many weights get on the platform at once?"
"Because my weights and I possess no common sense whatsoever."
The three travelers became tired in less than an hour and, although they did not want to, fell asleep. When they awoke on the next morning, over two thousand weights were gathered on the opposite platform. Of course, their combined mass was still nowhere close to Oogab's, let alone Kabumpo's.
However, the adventurers did not have to wait for their weight much longer. Araunaudi managed to get one arm and the Magic Shovel free. After mumbling a command to the tool, the miner hurled it in the direction of the opposite river bank and told Kabumpo to grab it. The Elegant Elephant did so (with his trunk, of course), and the entire Balance sailed through the air across the river. Fortunately, the landing was softer than you might think, and the Balance landed right-side-up.
After the landing, A. Miner used the Shovel to cut the ropes and chains, allowing the captives to reach the ground. They were just about to continue on their journey when the Balance blurted out, "Now you've done it! Now I can't perform my duties as Bridge-Keeper!"
"Why not?" asked Araunaudi Miner.
"When the bridge and I were created by the famous Red Jinn, he told me to serve as Bridge-Keeper and guard the other side of the bridge. Now I can't get back to the other side. I'd rust if I entered the water and I can't cross the bridge," was the reply.
"Why not?"
"Well, for one thing, I'm too heavy. For another thing, this is a one-way street. That's why there's no guard on this side."
"Then why not travel with us? We're going to the Red Jinn's Castle. Perhaps he can help you."
"I think I will. I'm not of any more use here, and I believe I could carry you and the monkey. The elephant will have to walk, though. If my sides are not balanced, I can't move very well."
Although Kabumpo disliked the Balance because of its former behavior, he did not object to having it join the party. The monkey and the miner climbed onto the Balance's two platforms. Because of the monkey's great size, they balanced almost perfectly. A few weights that managed to hold onto the Balance during the flight over the river also sat on the platforms. When everyone was situated, Kabumpo and the Balance set out along the dusty road, hoping to reach the Red Jinn's Castle as soon as possible.
Get your own Free Home Page