The Scorpion

   written by: Nasratullah Samim

Durkhanai was a girl living in a green village far from the city. One day she was very happy because the coming night was her cousin’s wedding ceremony. She took her friend and classmate, Fazila to go with her to school.

Durkhanai shared the issue of her cousin’s wedding with her and said that she has prepared a nice dress for the wedding. On the way to school, Durkhanai saw that a sparrow entered into a crack of the wall and she asked Fazila to catch the sparrow for her.

Fazila denied and said that it is getting late for school. Durkhanai climbed on a stone and when she wanted to catch the sparrow, the sparrow flew away and Durkhanai became very sad and they continued their walking to school.

In the middle of the way, Durkhanai stopped Fazila again and said that she saw a hole in the land and want to catch a bird easily from it. Fazila said that birds do not build nests in the land but Durkhanai did not accept and she entered her hand in the hole and suddenly she cried loudly and said to Fazila that something stung her.

Fazila took her to her home and Durkhanai parents took her to the hospital. The doctor found out that a scorpion has stung Durkhanai’s hand. The doctor treated and discharged her from the hospital in the late evening. When they reached home, Durkhanai asked about her sisters and brothers. Her mother reminded her that it is her cousin’s wedding night and they all have gone there to his uncle’s house.

Durkhanai was weeping and said that if she was not playing with birds’ nests, she would not miss her cousin’s wedding ceremony.