|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 7:00 pm
The child let out a most disturbed gasp at the mention of Ebony's encounter with a basilisk. Then her eyes widdened with amazement upon the thought of meeting someone who had actually survived an encounter with the beast. Yes, this lady was her hero now. "Noa will tell you everything she knows and remembers about the basilisk!" The thought of helping this woman excited her and she could only imagine that what she was feeling inside was similar to what an excited puppy felt.
"Noa will try to start over from beginning..." Recollecting her thoughts, the child decided to approach from a different perspective. "The basilisk is a European beastie. From the Greek word basiliskos meaning 'little king.' It is said to be the king of shurpents and can cause death simply by looking into it's eyes." The child paused before continuing. Hopefully Ebony would be able to understand her despite her inability to pronounce of the words. Like... serpent. "In wikipedia, it stated that there are 3 images of the basilisk. A snake, like Miss Ebony saw, a three-foot high half-dragon half-bird wiht a snake's tail and teeth known as the cockatrice and a raptor like monster. The basilisk is said to be king because it was said to have a crown-shaped crest on its head."
Tapping her chin, the child carefully prepared her sentences. "The first story of the basilisk is said to come from Pliny the Elder's Natural History. He writes about a catoeblepas. A monstruous cow-like creature to who "all who behold its eyes, fall dead pon the spot. He also then said "The same power also in the shurpent called the basilisk." In the middle of the account, Noa broke off and looked at Ebony with an apologetic look. "Since Noa cannot remember all part she will leave out some. Noa is sorry."
"It is produced in the province of Cyrean, being not more than tweleve fingers in length. It has a white spot on the head, strongly resembling a sort of a dieadem. When it hisses, all the other shurpents fly from it... it destorys all shrubs, not only by its contact, but those even that it has breathed upon. To this dreedful monstur the effruvium of the weasel is fatal... the weasel destorys the basilisk by its odor, but dies itself in this struggle of nature against its own self. That is end of Pliny the Elder. Next is Venerable Bede. He was the first to say that the birth of a basilisk was from an egg by an old cockerel. Isidoor of Seville said the basilisk was king of snakes because of its killing glare and poisonous breath."
Pausing to make sure that lady has soaked up that, the child continued once more. "Some say it can be killed by hearing the cockadoodle doo of a rooster or gazing at itself through a mirror. Then stories began to add to the basilisk's deadly abilities. Such as being a larger beastie, being able to breathe fire and killing with teh sound of its voice. Other writers even claimed it could kill not only by touch but also by touching something that is touching the victim. Stories also claimed their breath was highly toxic and would cause death immediately. Most assumed however that it was vulerable to a rooster. Which led to travellers in the Middle Age sometimes carrying roosters with them as protection." The child stopped and looked once more at Ebony. "That is the end for Wikipedia. Noa will now recite from the Encyclopedia Mythica."
"The king of serpents. The basilisk or cocatrice is a creature that is born from a sfereical yokeless egg laid during the days of Serious, the dog star, by a seven-year-old rooster and hatched by a toad. Pliny the Elder described it as a snake with a golden crown. By the middle ages, it had become a snake with the head of a c**k, and sometimes with the head of a human. In art, the basilisk represents the devil and the antichrist. There were two species of this creature. One that burns everything it approaches and the second killing everything living with a mere gaze. Both are so dreadful that their breath wilts vegetation and shatters stone. The only way to kill it was by holding a mirror in front of its eyes while avoiding to look directly. The moment the creatre sees its own reflection, it will die of fright. Uh... Oh yea. The basilisk has natural enemies. The weasel is immune to its gaze and if bitten will withdraw from teh fight to eat rue; the only plant that does not wither, and return with renewed strength. A more dangerous enemy is the c**k for should the basilisk hear its crow, it would die instantly. The carkuss of the beastie was often hung in houses to keep away spiders. It was also used in the templed of Apollo and Diana where no swallow ever dared to enter." The child took a huge gulp of air. "Noa will tell Miss Ebony more later..." The child's eyes were plastered to something else, a buildling. They had arrived to their destination.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 8:05 pm
Ebony listened very intently to everything Noa was saying as they walked. Her mind sifted through the information carefully, cataloging it into the things she already knew and the things she was surprised not to have come across yet. As the girl went on with her ramble, the Brit soon found herself wandering in thought. How did this little girl manage to remember all this and keep it all straight? And how was she able to just keep talking and talking like that?
It was then she noticed the girl gulp in huge amounts of oxygen, concluding her knowledge binge then. Though it sounded like there might be more of which Ebony couldn't imagine there being anything more for her to tell her now, not after all that. She smiled softly at the girl, "Thank you Noa. And yes, you can tell me the rest later. Right now let's just enjoy our lunch."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
