THE BLACK BOOK THAT THINKS ABOUT YOU

The story of Zaki the dreamer . . . A non-stop Story for a week.

A simple story of a man. A poor man. He trusted and obeyed the Black Book and finally he became rich.

The story of Zaki the dreamer is anything but uninteresting. It begins with Zaki talking to the most kindest book there had ever been in the world. Its name was “The Little Black Book”.

Once upon a time in a hamlet, a poor man named Zaki the dreamer stumbled into a strange black book that could talk, see, feel, listen, and even watch things near or far. The book was lying beside a bulky granary which contained a large sum of money, 2 000 000 cents ($20 000 U.S. Dollars in 1 cent coins).

The black book had the ability to provide in mysterious and fascinating ways - exclusive financial help to people who really deserved.

There was a writing on the wall of the granary that reads: “Take all the money, if you can - terms & conditions apply”

Zaki stirred at the granary, moved round it, looked to the north and to the south, then to the east and to the west side of the structure, panicked and didn't know what to do - unexpectedly coming into a big sum of money and at the same time having problem laying his hands on the money.

Suddenly, a voice came out of the black book telling Zaki not to be afraid but to be courageous.

Take the money if you can, you need it, said the black book to Zaki.

Trembling, Zaki replied, i seriously need money, but how can I access the money? The granary is completely sealed.

The little black book murmured: where there’s a will, there’s a way. And I am the way, the key, and the door to the granary. You can only get the money through me. I’ve got the power to open the granary.

To get the code to the granary you have to fulfil a condition, you have to perform a task.

What should I do to be able to access the money? I'm eager, asked Zaki.

I'm sunk in love with long stories and would like to hear a convincing, attention-grabbing, and persuasive story. I’m bored. I'm longing for one, perhaps from you. It’s been years and I’ve not listened to any long and interesting story. Can you do it for me? Have you got something, i mean a spicy story that only you can tell? I would love to hear it! The black book told Zaki the dreamer.

Oh no! Not at the moment. Replied Zaki.

You can’t have the money then, whispered back the black book.

To get the code to the granary and take all the money in it, you have to do something extraordinary - nothing ventures, nothing happens, the black book continued.

Mmm, well I'll try. I will take the risk and give it a go. What kind of stories do you love like listening to, tell me exactly, asked Zaki.

The little black book: I would very much love it, if you could tell me a non-stop charming story for a week - the kind that would keep me awake the whole week as i listen to it.

A non what for a week? How possible on earth, enquired the dreamer?

Everything is possible, you can do it, if you really want. Don't limit yourself, The little black book told the dreamer.

Zaki doubted the black book’s capability and thought it was a false, imaginary book that couldn’t do anything. He simply did not believe what he was hearing from the book.

Guess what happened next

OK, I believe it! When can I start, Zaki asked?

At once! Right now, right here! Time is money and money is on time. You have a choice: Tell me a non-stop and jaw-dropping story for a week and the whole money is yours or you carry on befriending poverty and go with it on a rough and bitter journey, life's journey, demanded the black book.

While the black book was still talking, the dreamer brainstormed and prayed for an idea, for a good story.

He thought about birds in the sky, nothing came out, therefore, nothing happened. He thought about the fish in the rivers in his area, no idea came out. He kept thinking, and thinking, and thinking . . . and nothing happened because he was too silly to realise that nothing good comes easy. He couldn’t come out with any tangible story that he could tell - a story for a week.

Time was running and the black book was waiting patiently to hear something excellent and unprecedented from Zaki.

And then came the excellent idea, the wow story at long last!

Locusts! Yes, a swarm of locusts - very great in numbers!

A long, attention-grabbing, and persuasive story - a non-stop, week long story by Zaki the dreamer.

The small black notebook watched and listened attentively . . .

I’m ready for take off. Fasten your seat belt. I’m the pilot and you’re the passenger, alright? The dreamer uttered.

I’m ready to listen, replied the mysterious black book.

Here we go . . . 6:00 am local time

A very long, long, time ago, there was a drought in a small country called Takum.

There were no crops and no green leaves, as a result, there was no food for the tens of millions of the local locusts to feed on. This situation lasted a while so the locusts turned into eating anything they landed on, even to the extent of searching for hidden food. The locusts, very smart, were aware that the local people, mainly farmers, used to hide or store corn in granaries.

The swarm of locusts noticed a large granary near their military base, a place where they had congregated to deliberate, and headed towards it, with the hope of finding grains of corn in it. They landed on the granary, like flies on a sweet food, but found no entrance into it.

As they crept round and over the huge granary, something great happened!

One of the tens of millions of locusts discovered a tiny hole on the wall of the granary (what a miracle?).

The discoverer crept through the tiny hole into the massive granary and was amazed with what it saw inside - large, shiny grains of corn that tasted yum, yum!

The other locusts waited outside and around the granary.

The locust that crept into the granary, first treated itself to a fine breakfast, then picked up a grain of corn, crept out of the granary to the surface and showed the grain to its fellow comrades.

There was an outcry of joy. For they were starving. Immediately, a queue was formed and they all joined the queue for their turn to creep through the tiny hole into the granary for a fast food.

In turn, each of the locusts crept through the tiny hole, ate as much corn as it could, picked up a grain of corn and crept out again.

. . . Then another locust crept through the tiny hole, picked up a grain of corn and crept out again . . . Then another locust crept through the tiny hole, picked up a grain of corn and crept out again . . . Then another locust crept through the tiny hole, picked up a grain of corn and crept out again . . . Then another . . . Then another . . .

It was 6:00 o’clock in the evening; Zaki continued telling the story he started at 6:00 o’clock in the morning . . . Then another locust crept through the tiny hole, picked up a grain of corn and crept out again . . . Then another locust crept through the tiny hole, picked up a grain of corn and crept out again.

There are tens of millions of locusts patiently waiting in the queue outside the granary to exercise their duty. Am i right? Asked the little black book.

Yes, answered the dreamer and continued . . . Then another locust crept through the tiny hole, picked up a grain of corn and crept out again . . . Then another locust crept through the tiny hole, picked up a grain of corn and crept out again . . .

Zaki the story teller continued telling his story into the next day, the day after, and into the fifth day . . .

Then, another locust . . . Then, another locust . . . Then, another locust . . . Then, another . . . Then, another . . . Then, another . . .

The story was interesting and the little black book was willing to continue listening to it with all its eyes, mouth and ears widely open, but its body was weak - The little black book became tired and asked Zaki to stop.

The little black book knew that there were multitudes of locusts around and that it was going to take a very long time for all of them to creep one by one through the tiny hole into the granary to eat and then creep out with a grain of corn.

Based on this fact, the black book was convinced without reasonable doubt that Zaki’s amazing story was going to last longer than the required time period of one week.

But Zaki was determined to tell his non-stop story for a week.

He continued . . . Then another locust crept through the tiny hole, picked up a grain of corn and crept out again . . . Then another locust crept through the tiny hole, picked up a grain of corn and crept out again . . .

Before the storyteller reached the millionth “Then another locust crept through the tiny hole, picked up a grain of corn and crept out again”, the little black book swung itself open and exposed the granary’s hidden code to Zaki and said, here you are. You wanted it, now you have it.

The black book congratulated Zaki and was lifted into the air and disappeared.

Immediately, a door with a lock appeared on the granary which was without a door.

With the code on hand, Zaki gained access to the granary and took the money, made life’s journey smooth and sweet for himself and for the people in his local community. Wow!

Freed from his captive condition and enjoying financial freedom with the windfall money which was something really worth celebrating, Zaki’s quest to give back to his community prompted him to do something superb for all the children and their mums, living in his hamlet and in the surrounding villages, something that would make them happy from the rising of the sun to the setting of the sun.

The Dreamer knew how much mothers love their children and how ready they are to go any distance to please them at all times. And so he capitalised on the factor and organised a social get-together party for mums and children.

First, Zaki persuaded all the mothers in the surrounding hamlets and villages to turn into various species of animals and do something spicy for all the children in the area. Because mothers loved and wanted to please their lovely children, they did as requested by Zaki. They turned into various species of animals, doubling the number of animals in the area.

All the children in the area were left with animal-turned mothers – each child had an animal-turned mother instead of their real mums.

The world watched . . .

Animals in the area like to live their own quiet life on Cloud 3, in their own zone, in their own lane, minding their own business and doing what makes them happy, never trying to pull others down in the process. They knew about the existence of children in the area.

Bent on his efforts to make children feel good, Zaki the rich man organised and invited all the children in the area to Cloud 3, a venue located directly above the area where Zaki lived, somewhere in the universe between heaven and the earth. All the children were requested to take along with them a toy each to keep them busy during their journey to Cloud 3. The toys were later given to the animals as presents from children.

Both the children and the animal-turned mothers needed wings to be able to lift up and fly to the venue. They had to develop wings to be able to fly to Cloud 3 for the party.

The winged-children were lifted up one by one and soared like eagles, and the winged animal-turned mums were also lifted up one by one from the area and off they flew to Cloud 3 for a big party.

At the party which was held in a great big spaceship, the size of London, a surprise awaited the children and their animal–turned mothers. They were given precious advice and words of wisdom by some natural animals.

The dog was the master of the ceremony (MC). The children danced with their friends, and with their animal-turned mums as well. The Elephant performed well as a Disc Jockey (DJ). There was musical inspiration with sparkling purity. Giraffe was the best dancer at the party. The natural animals, the animal-turned mums, and the children ate, drank juice, water, and enjoyed the party to the full. The children understood and communicated well in all the languages spoken by their animal-turned mothers and by other animals.

…And then the frisky puppy came forward, said Bow, bow (meaning hello in puppyish language) to the children and gave them good advice about life and what it means.

Then the furry kitten came forward, said Meow and gave the children advice in kitty language.

Then the curly-tailed pig came forward, said Oink, oink and told the children some words of wisdom in piggy language to help them as they grow and mature. Then the woolly sheep came forward, said baa, baa and told the children some words of advice in sheepish language.

Then the tiny mouse came forward; said Squeak, squeak, and gave the children advice in Mousy language. Then the great big bear came forward, said grrrrrrrrrrr and told the children some important words of wisdom in bearish language. Then the waddling duck came forward, said Quack, quack and gave the children a good advice in duckish language. Then the spotted cow came forward, said Moo and told the children three different words of wisdom in cowish language.

Then the naughty monkey walked forward majestically, looked at the children, murmured some words in monkey language, clapped its hands and walked away.

Bit by bit, it started raining good advice and words of wisdom in different languages on the children. The social get-together party lasted forty days and forty nights, so the children had lots of fun. After forty days and forty nights of non-stop partying and showers of advice and words of wisdom, it finally came to an end and the children had to get ready for their return to earth (their various hamlets and villages).

The children were very glad and clapped their hands; they gave their toys to the animals as gifts. The fake animals (animal-turned mothers) left the children and the natural animals behind and returned to earth earlier. They turned back into their human bodies on arrival.

It was time for the children to return to earth, and so, after breakfast, all the children returned to earth on their wings and to their various homes. They gave their wings to their parents to keep as souvenirs. Their parents were delighted to see them back from Cloud 3.

The hosts (the natural animals) remained to tidy up the venue. They enjoyed the company of the children so much that at the end, they decided to relocate from cloud 3 to planet earth to live with or near the children. The animals embarked on a journey to earth the next day and got settled all over the world, in the forest, in the bush, in homes, on trees, etc. That is why we have animals living among people everywhere around the world today.

Unfortunately, the tortoise lost its wings, probably because of too much dancing during the party, and had problems returning to earth. It had no way to get back to planet earth. Without wings the tortoise couldn’t fly and was left stranded. Other animals tried to help by donating feathers to form wings, but it didn’t work. They also tried to give the wingless tortoise a free lift down to earth, still it wasn’t possible because of its heavy weight.

The other animals had no option but to fly back to earth, leaving the tortoise alone. In great fear and agony, the tortoise decided to send a message through one of the animals to the children asking them and their parents to do whatever it takes to help bring it safely back to earth.

The animals promised to deliver the message and flew back to earth. They landed safely on earth, but forgot to deliver the urgent message to the children.

The tortoise waited, and waited, and waited, but there was nothing coming up to rescue it. No balloon was sent up for it, and no aircraft was sent by the children or their parents to collect the tortoise from Cloud 3. The tortoise waited three days and was hungry. There was nothing left there for it to eat or drink.

A silly idea came to the tortoise's mind and it decided to take a risk, a big risk to roll itself down to earth from Cloud 3 - tens of thousands of metres above the earth. The tortoise decided to give it a try by dropping a note from Cloud 3 telling its friends - all children and other animals to cover the ground with mattresses and with soft materials within two days; that it was going to release itself and have a free fall from Cloud 3, and should be able to land safely on the soft materials to avoid being crushed to death.

Luckily for the tortoise, the note it dropped from Cloud 3 was picked up by one of the children who told other children that their lovely friend tortoise was stranded on Cloud 3 after the party. The news went viral and spread all over the world and…

All the animals, the children and their parents jumped into action and covered the area with mattresses and soft materials and waited eagerly to welcome the tortoise to earth.

On the second day, the ambulance, doctors, the children with their parents, and the other animals gathered in expectation. The Tortoise summed up courage and gave it a go – it slowly rolled itself down – It rolled and rolled and rolled, and… But instead of landing on the soft materials, the tortoise missed the piled mattresses by 10 millimetres and landed on the hard ground. It sustained serious injuries – Cracks all over its body, was rushed to the hospital and was treated for wounds and dehydration. But the cracks and the scars on its body remained till today. This is the reason why Tortoise has cracks all over its body.

Is this not a wonderful story?

Monday Killo

Founder of HozomoApp

- A new way to reward people for what they do and/or for their behaviour.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app.hozomoapp

Website: www.hozomo.com

Email: [email protected]