The Arrow of Minia

Somewhere on the far side of the world, the tiny Kingdom of Minia occupies several small, tropical islands. Minia is not a rich or powerful country by modern standards, and it is largely unknown to most of the world. Among the people of Minia, however, there is a well-known story about some Minoans who lived many years ago in the capital village of Minolia. The story centers around a girl named Amandina.

Everyone in Minolia knew there was something wrong with Amandina’s parents and the way they raised their daughter. They allowed her far too much freedom to play without adult direction and they did not drill her enough in the traditions of Minian culture.

When Amandina was just five years old she was allowed to be present in adult company and was even encouraged to try to take part in conversations with adults.

When Amandina was six or seven years old, her parents allowed her to play as she wished, intervening only to prevent an injury or to correct her for treating a playmate unfairly. One time, her parents were severely criticized when several neighbors observed Amandina playing more than waist deep in river mud, getting shamefully dirty, and they failed to correct her behavior.

When Amandina was ten things almost got out of control. While other children of that age obediently memorized the rules of Minian social behavior and custom, Amandina was allowed, perhaps even encouraged, by her parents to openly question whether those rules made any sense. Amandina kept asking "Why?" while other children were learning to be more respectful and say, "Yes, sir!" and "Yes, Ma’am!" to their elders.

At fourteen, Amandina was even asking near-heretical questions about the ancient writings that described such things as what moved the stars across the sky and why heavy objects fell faster than light ones. Everyone agreed that Amandina’s parents were neglectful and that she would never amount to anything, but, perhaps, trouble.

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Amandina was eighteen when word came that the King of Minia would be arriving in a week for a very serious purpose. All of the wisest and strongest citizens of the Kingdom would also be invited to come to Minolia to participate in the Test of Succession. The first to attempt and pass the Test would become the next King, taKing office within the year. All those who attempted the Test and failed, however, would be banished to the more remote regions of the Kingdom for a minimum of ten years.

As visitors began to gather in Minolia, speculation ran wild about what the Test would be, as this was always the decision of the existing King. Most of the potential candidates made frequent statements about their own courage and intelligence and how they would most likely be the first to pass the Test.

"We will be taken out to sea as far as the eye can see," predicted one. "The new King will be the one who can swim back."

"The Test will be to correctly recite all the rules and taboos of Minia," predicted another. "I can recite them in order."

"We will be asked to do something that is impossile or taboo," argued yet another. "The new King will be the one who just says ‘No!’"

As all the young men explained to each other what the Test would be like, most of the young women spent their time chattering about which of the young men would, or should, become King. Some favored those with obvious physical prowess. Some favored those with lots of knowledge, while still others preferred those with unalterable obedience to traditional values.

Amandina took all this in but tended to remain silent as much as possible. When asked what the Test would be she replied quite simply and directly, "I don’t know." Asked who should be King, her reply was always an irritating, "Someone who can tell when their being lied to…someone who knows the difference between wisdom and a wise crack."

"I suppose you think you should be queen," he neighbors Tabor and Kai challenged, rather distainfully.

"Not at all," Amandina answered. "I wonder why anyone would want to be King or queen. It must be terrible to have such responsibility."

Everyone who talked to Amandina about this or heard what little she had to say figured she was just not very bright. Everyone had always know Amandina would never amount to anything.

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The King arrived. All those with an interest in attempting the Test arrived. After a day of ceremonial formalities, everyone was gathered together in the central square around the King. The King lifted his arms for attention and silence.

"I have been King for thirty years, but now I am tired. I believe I will die soon. Therefore, it is time to conduct the Test of Succession. Once my successor is selected I will make arrangements to retire within the year."

There was a lengthy pause as the crowd respectfully proTested that the King looked as fit as the day he took office. Then the King raised his arms for silence again.

"Some of you are here to attempt the Test. Others of you are here because you live here and will witness the outcome. Anyone may attempt the Test and the one who first passes the Test will take my office. But be warned! Anyone who accepts the assignment of a time to attempt the Test and then fails the Test must go into exile for at least ten years."

Again there was a pause of a minute or so before the King spoke again.

"Today I will reveal the nature of the Test to you all. The Test will then begin tonight and each successive night until someone succeeds in passing. Two or three candidates will be assigned times each night during which to attempt the Test until one of you is successful. The Test will involve extreme danger to whoever attempts it."

An hour later the King led everyone down a little used trail to the river, across the river on a newly installed log bridge, and down another trail. He led the candidates and villagers into a swamp. Eventually the group came to a lake of mud well over a hundred feet across. In the center of the lake was a tiny island with a single large tree. The lake of mud was known to the villagers of Minolia, and greatly feared. It was less than a mile from the village, but it was regarded as a place of horror; a place to be avoided at all costs. Most of those present were visibly nervous when the King stopped walKing and signaled for everyone to gather around him, just a few yards from the edge of the huge expanse of flat mire.

Without speaKing, the King reached into his pack and pulled out a bundle of bright blue cloth. Unfolding the cloth, he revealed a highly decorated Arrow. It had a tip of polished silver metal, three decorative bands of gold, silver, and copper, and fletching of bright blue, yellow, and red feathers. Still in silence, the King took his bow from his shoulder, nocked the Arrow, raised it and fired the Arrow toward the island. A second later the Arrow embedded itself firmly in the trunk of the island’s only tree. The King then turned to speak.

"The Arrow of Minia, the symbol of the office I hold, lies embedded in that tree," he said, pointing at the tree. Whoever is the first to properly retrieve the Arrow will be the next King."

No one made a sound as they waited for details about the "proper’ way to retrieve the Arrow. No one knew of any traditions or rules dealing with the retrieval or Arrows or any kind of special objects.

The King then continued, "The Arrow must be retrieved without assistance from any other person. It must be retrieved without the use of a boat. You may use anything naturally found within 100 feet of the edge of the mud lake, but nothing else save the clothing you ordinarily wear."

There was a noticeable gasp from many members of the assembled crowd, especially from among the candidates.

"Its impossible!"

"No one could cross the mud lake without help. Why, you’d be sucked under the surface before you got ten feet, let alone all the way to the island and back!"

"It can’t be done!"

"Only an idiot would think about going down there and getting it!"

One or two of the candidates gave up right there and announced they would be going home.

"I never really wanted to be King anyway," rationalized one.

"What a ridiculous Test," exclaimed another, "Being King must make one soft in the head!"

A couple of candidates decided that the real Test was to see who was stupid enough to kill themselves trying to retrieve the Arrow and the new King would be the one who agreed to attempt the Test and then did nothing.

Later that day three candidates were selected by lot to be the first to attempt the Test. Each was assigned a four hour time period during the night during which to be assured of the opportunity to attempt retrieval of the Arrow without being observed. Everyone was also admonished that anyone who succeeded in retrieving the Arrow must not reveal how it was accomplished to anyone except the current King.

"I must question the one who brings me the Arrow about how it was retrieved. I must do this in order to satisfy myself that it was done within the rules I have set. But anyone who reveals how the Test was passed is not fit to be King."

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At sunset that night everyone was restricted to the immediate area of the village, except for the three candidates assigned times in which to attempt to retrieve the Arrow. One of the candidates withdrew, however, admitting he could not think of a way to retrieve the Arrow and did not want to be banished from Minia.

The first to attempt the Test was Ronario, eldest son of the chief of the nearest neighboring island. Ronario was physically quite strong and was well-known on his home island for the ability to overcome obstacles through sheer physical strength. Ronario was also renowned as a wrestler who often won by pure intimidation of opponents through demonstrations of strength.

A half hour after sunset, Ronario left the village and headed down the path toward the lake of mud. Around its shore he cut several strong vines. Tying these together to a make a sixty-foot length, he fastened one end to a stout tree near the edge of the lake and the other end around his shoulders.

With great trepidation, Ronario approached the edge of the lake,knelt down, and began to try to crawl on all fours across the surface of the mud. At first he sank in only to his elbows and a few inches above his bent knees. All seemed to go well until Ronario was about eight feet out from the shore. Then, quite suddenly, his arms plunged through almost to the shoulders.

"Oh no," exclaimed Ronario to himself. "It’s sucKing me down."

Instantly, Ronario reversed his direction back toward solid ground, sinKing himself deeper in his panic. He then clawed and thrashed and struggled with all his might until, eventually, he made it back to solid ground. His home-made rope had been useless. He hadn’t anticipated needing it so soon, and with fifty feet of slack to pull in , it was more of a hindrance than helpful. Hauling himself out of the mire, totally exhausted, Ronario counted himself lucky to escape with his life. As soon as he caught his breath, Ronario gathered his few belongings and headed quickly away from the mud lake. The would-be King was not heard from again in Minia for more than ten years.

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Much later than night, Melbo left the village and headed toward the lake, concerned mostly with the possibility that the Arrow might already be claimed. Melbo had an idea. Earlier in the day, while the King was explaining the Test, he had observed a log floating in the mire just a few feet from the shore. The rules of the Test prohibited boats, but, as far as he was concerned, a floating log was not a boat.

When Melbo reached the lake there was not enough light to see if the Arrow was still in the tree, but he could see the disturbed surface left by the earlier attempt. As the disturbance of the mud surface extended only a few feet from shore, Melbo reasoned that Ronario had not even come close to reaching the island.. Melbo shivered with dread. From all appearances it looked as though Ronario had been sucked down to his doom.

Melbo trembled slightly as he stepped into the lake of mud, a step or two from the submerged log. Reaching the log, which was about a foot in diameter, he slid along the log to its forward end, straddling it with his legs. He tried to move it forward by paddling with his arms, but it would not budge; not an inch. Melbo then lay on his chest on the log and tried to use his arms to move it forward. It moved a quarter of an inch forward but mud began to pile up in front of it and it would move no more. Worse, although it would not move forward, it could rotate. With Melbo maKing the log top heavy, it suddenly rolled ninety degrees and dumped Melbo sideways into the mire.

"Oh, Uck!, Help!, Help me!" cried Melbo to no one but himself.

Melbo frantically hauled himself back onto the log. In his panic he moved too rapidly and the log rolled again the other way, dumping Melbo on his face on the other side and plunging his arms in to his shoulders. His faces momentarily plunged into the muck and his uncontrolled scream of revulsion and terror made a deep-throated gurgling sound that resembled a combination of growling and vomiting.

Melbo eventually thrashed himself out of the mire, though no one from Minia was sure if he had escaped or drowned until he returned as an old man more than thirty years later.

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The next day no one appeared in the village to present the recovered Arrow. After a morning meal, therefore, the King led a procession back to the mud lake. Sure enough, the Arrow was right where it had been the day before. Ronario’s vine rope was found, along with the area of disturbed mud he had created in his brief attempt to cross the mire. Similar marks were all around the log Melbo had attempted to use. No one, of course, could know who had made each set of marks. Also, no one could find any evidence of what had become of either candidate, but it was generally assumed that both had drowned in the mire. Many of the villagers were visibly upset and repulsed by their thoughts of Ronario and Melbo being dragged inexorably below the dense black surface to a suffocating death. Amandina, however, said she thought it too bad these two young men had attempted a Test they could not hope to pass, but she did not seem unduly upset by their fates.

That night two more candidates agreed to attempt the Test and were assigned times. Two others abandoned their candidacy and went home. In the morning, however, the Arrow was still in the tree and the candidates had disappeared.

This went on for several more nights, but each morning the Arrow was still in the tree on the island. From the scant evidence left behind, one candidate attempted to throw a vine-rope to the island by attaching one end to a stick, throwing it like a spear to the island, and then circling the lake several times so as to wrap the rope around the tree. Another tried the same thing using a rock, but in both cases, the vine lay broken a few feet from the shore line amid signs of a violent struggle.

Another approach taken by at least two candidates was, apparently, to build a crude trail by scattering armloads of branches and forest debris one step apart from shore to the island. Neither of these trails led more than about ten feet from the shore before ending in a jumble of churned up mud and loose branches.

After nearly a week of this the King was becoming very alarmed, and a sense of dread began to spread among the people. If no one could pass the Test and anything happened to the King, there would be no agreed-upon way to select a new King. The whoe Kingdom, small as it was, might be plunged into the quagmire of confusion and doubt that the Test was traditionally meant to represent, and it would be vulnerable to attack by a neighbor. They were down to just one candidate, Repo.

That night, as the remaining candidate was assigned a time for his attempt, the King suddenly rose to speak.

"Tonight we have but one remaining candidate. He must make his attempt before midnight. If he fails or abandons the Test then the Arrow of Minia will remain where it is until it is properly recovered. If I should die before it is reclaimed, then,… well, then I am not sure what will happen. All I can suggest is that the wisest members of each village get together and try to find a way to select a new King without fighting or bloodshed. I do suggest, however, that this be done quickly. By now some of our neighbors will have heard of our trouble. We are strong but we will be very vulnerable without an accepted leader. You all know that by tradition I can play no part is selecting a successor beyond supervising the Test."

Few people slept much that night. In the morning there was great apprehension and a general expectation of another failure, but this was transformed into hope when Repo appeared as the King was eating his breakfast.

The King looked up with hope.

"Have you brought me the Arrow of Minia," asked the King, standing to great the man he now hoped would be his successor.

"The Test you set is impossible!" challenged Repo. "The real Test is to see who is wise enough to recognize what cannot be done and who will not be foolish enough to waste time trying to do the impossible!"

The King frowned deeply and collapsed back into his chair, burying his head in his hands.

Repo instantly knew he was wrong about the Test and began to withdraw, visibly shrinKing in stature as he did so. Repo did not speak.

As Repo backed away, the King finally looked up. There was a slight bit of anger, but mostly abject defeat, in his voice as he finally spoke.

"No, the Arrow of Minia can be retrieved. It must be, but not by you. Go now and do not let your face be seen on this island for ten years.

For two hours the King sat motionless and in silence, almost catatonic Those nearby exchanged worried glances, some fearing the King might die that very day. Further away there was a steady murmur of very worried discussion about what to do, but there were few constructive ideas.

Finally, the King broke his trance and stood.

"What will we do?" several people asked at once.

"I don’t really know," said the King. "I don’t know how we will find my successor, but we must retrieve the Arrow. We cannot leave it on the island. Word must have reached our neighbors by now. If we leave the Arrow n the island, some one may steal it. They may use a boat to sneak onto the island and steal the Arrow. Then the thief will claim to have retrieved it within the rules of the Test and attempt to claim the throne. Then there will be war. Therefore, we must use a boat to remove the Arrow of Minia to a safe place until we can decide what to do."

The King and all the remaining villagers then made the short walk to the lake of mud. As they got within sight of the lake, however, their mood of dejection turned into one of horror bordering on abject panic.

"The Arrow!" cried a villager who had better eyesight than most. "The Arrow is gone!"

"Gone? It can’t be gone," others cried. "No! It cannot be!"

The procession surged forward until it was plain to everyone that the Arrow was, indeed, not in the tree where it had been placed by the King.

The King dropped to his knees. His worst fear was realized. The Arrow had somehow already been stolen, although it was not clear how.

The, quite suddenly, there was a quiet, calm voice from near the back of the crowd.

"The Arrow is not stolen!" It was Amandina.

"Don’t listen to her, she’s a nut," cried a villager. "She’s always been weird."

"She always doubts what is obvious to everyone else," cried another.

But Amandina persisted, "The Arrow of Minia is not stolen."

The King walked forward to a spot ten feet in front of Amandina, then stopped.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Amandina."

"Well, Amandina," said the King, "If the Arrow is not stolen, then why is it not in the tree out there?"

"Because it has been retrieved," said Amandina. "The Arrow is right here."

As she spoke, Amandina withdrew the Arrow from her sleeve.

The crowd gasped and shrank back in surprise.

"Who gave the Arrow to you? How did you get that? Who retrieved the Arrow?" asked the villagers all at once.

Amandina said nothing.

"Who retrieved the Arrow?" the King finally asked.

"I did." Answered Amandina.

"How?" asked the entire village in unison, "How did you do it?"

"I cannot tell you that," Amandina responded. "That I can only discuss with the King.

The King pulled Amandina aside, out of earshot of the villagers.

"How did you retrieve the Arrow? Did you use a boat?" he asked solemnly, but still a bit suspiciously.

"Its perfectly simple. I just crawled across the lake and got it. Anyone could do it.," she answered.

"And you were not afraid you would drown in the mud?" the King asked.

"Of course not. Its almost impossible to sink in this mud, despite what everyone says and thinks," she answered.

"How did you know that?"

"I played here as a small child. I just explored and figured it out. I went out to that island several times as a child, just playing!"

The King smiled briefly, then led Amandina back to the waiting villagers.

"We told you she was a nut case!" shouted a villager.

"Did she claiim to have magic powers?" challenged another.

The King glared back at the rude villagers.

"That is no way to speak of your new queen." He said.