The Adventure of Aya the Dust

            Once there was a dust named Yab-ok. Her mother often told her, “The others call you, Yab-ok, but I call you Aya for you are a princess and my source of Joy.”

           Yab-ok liked being called Aya, but the others insisted on calling her Yab-ok for they claimed she was nothing but a dust. So it remained that she was known all over as Yab-ok.

           One day she found herself surrounded by white crystalline sand.

The sand looked at Yab-ok with distaste.

“Go away!” They shouted. “You are so dirty and messy. You don’t belong with us.”

Yab-ok was so shocked she was dumbfounded. All she could do was to bow her humbled head.

At last, a passing wind took pity of the smarting dust and carried her away.

Yab-ok then found herself deposited on a place where pebbles abound. But the pebbles eyed her evilly.

“Where such a frail dust came from?” Said one of them.

“She’s so thin it seems she had not eaten for eons. Poor dust.” Said another.

“Why, she undermines our image as the hardiest of the creatures. Let’s drive her away!”

Mercifully, a breeze lifted Yab-ok towards the sea. And the sea murmur muffled the shouts of the pebbles and the harrowing cry of the distraught Yab-ok.

But barely had she escaped the pebbles when the sea rose in uproar against Yab-ok.

“You, dirty dust! Go away! You only pollute my beautiful liquid face. I always lost my heavenly blue shade when you touch me. Go away!”

And the sea blew on Yab-ok, and the latter was carried up in the air by a strong thermal.

“Ouch! This rising air is hot.” She moaned. “This warm moist air makes me feel sticky all over.”

The dust was force to endure her situation.

Then a great eagle came and rode on the thermal. Yab-ok duck her head.

“Oh, here comes the king of the birds. I must hide. Otherwise it would also drive me away and I have nowhere to go.”

But no one can hide from the king’s keen eyes. “Aha! What do we have here? Hello!”

“H…hello, your majesty.” The dust timidly answered. “I hope I’m not disturbing you. If you so desire I will disembark. Sorry for disturbing.”

The dust prepared to jump off the thermal.

“Oh no, you don’t have to jump off. There’s enough space for both of us here and this thermal can carry us pretty well.

“Really?” Yab-ok can hardly believe her ears. “Thank you, your majesty. Thank you!”

“Oh, that’s nothing. Soaring the sky is such a great fun to be done alone. In fact I’m glad of your company.”

“Thanks for your magnanimity.” Yab-ok was so grateful for the king.

“Don’t say it. Spending time with great creatures like you is a pleasure.” The eagle replied.

“Me? Great? Surely your majesty, you’re joking. There’s nothing great with a humble dust.”

“But you are great! You are not simply a dust. You are a princess.”

“My lord, I am not a princess and no one wanted me. Anywhere the wind carry me, I am not welcome. The sand drove me away for I am not as white and crystalline as they are. The pebbles drove me away for I am not as hardy as they are. And the sea didn’t want me near her for I smear her beautiful face.”

“My friend, they only see the present. But you will see, when the time comes, the greatness that is in you.

“I have only one advice. Ride the wind and be patient. Ultimately, you will find your destiny.” And with that the king flew off the thermal and dove for an unseen prey.

“ ‘Ride the wind... be patient... and you will find your destiny.’ What did the king of the birds mean?” Yab-ok was overwhelmed by the eagle’s word.

Suddenly, Yab-ok was thrown into turmoil of a towering thundercloud and she found herself in darkness and having a bumpy ride.

Yab-ok trembled with fright. It was a new experience. She was being tossed and was rushing upward in a frightening speed. She felt like in a middle of a storm. In fact she was.

Lightning flashed around her. She shuddered. Yab-ok was sure she would be burned any moment, though she drenched all over.

But as she went higher, it grew colder and she was freezing. Ice formed around her and she shivered.

Higher and higher she went in a dizzying flight. She was then covered with more and more ice until she was numbed and heavy.

Then ever slowly the poor dust fell, and the lower she fell, the heavier she became. She was plunging at a frightening speed.

“Ah, this is my end. The king was wrong. I failed to found my destiny, unless my fate is to fall mightily.” Then, the dejected dust resigned herself to an inevitable death.

But she saw a curious thing – the wide grin of the sea. It seemed to beckon on her. She wanted to look back and see the creature at her back to which the sea beamed her smile. She was so stiff that she failed to see who it was.

Then she saw the sand and the pebbles smiling.

“Wow, that creature behind me is surely wonderful. Everybody seems to welcome it.”

A gale blew the forlorn dust inland, and Yab-ok saw an alp. And as she approached the giant, she heard its booming voice.

“Welcome back, my beautiful one. Come and sit on me, your humble throne.”

Yab-ok was confused. A sudden toss of the wind enabled her to move and saw no one behind her.

“Are you talking to me?” She diffidently inquired.

“Yes, my beautiful princess.” answered the mountain.

“You call me beautiful? I’m not, I’m a poor and ugly dust; And surely not a princess.”

“O my dear. Look at yourself. You are dazzlingly beautiful.”

At last Yab-ok fell on the mountaintop. Then she had a glimpse of herself and she had the surprise of her life.

Gone was the dirty dust. The harrowing experience she had transformed her. What she saw was a dazzling and immaculate snow!

Yab-ok felt an upsurge of joy and she heard the resounding voice of the breeze saying, “Hail Aya, the beautiful snow princess!”

~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Marjonnel