FROM PRACTICE AND ART
ALEXANDRA UCCUSIC – ANDREAS J. HIRSCH
WHAT IS THIS THING ABOUT THE MAGIC PEARL? THE STORY OF A HEALING In the children’s book “Florian Featherlight and the Quest for the Magic Pearl” the young hero journeys to another world to bring healing for his sick brother. On his journey Florian finds allies in animal shape, who help him to master a number of adventures: Orlando, the bird, Genoveva, the gnu, Ursula, the toad and – sheep on the wing. Florian has to get past the valley of the screaming rocks and dive into the depths of the ocean. He encounters slimy giant garden snails and snappish turtles. A wise woman finally guides him towards the destination of his quest and he enters a cave full of hungry monsters. In a dream he has been shown the magic pearl. The true secret of its healing power is revealed to him only at the end. This is the story of the pearl as Florian hears it from his helper, the little bird Orlando: A long time ago in a little village by the shores of the big ocean a vicious disease raged. This disease was not only severe, but also strange: it befell only children. When more and more children perished, the elders of the village went to see the wise man, who lived in a cave high up in the mountains. They walked for three days to reach the wise man, whom they found already waiting for them in front of his cave. Even before they could express their wish, the wise man said to them: “Our ancestors gave me a message for you. You have to find the healing pearl in the depths of the ocean and bring it up. But the journey to the ocean bed is full of dangers. Only he who is truly honest in his intentions can find the pearl. Only a pure heart can bring the pearl into the village.” There were many young men who went on the search. They were competing, who of them would be able to stay under water for the longest time. Each of them desired to stand out and be praised as the saviour of the village. But none of them succeeded in finding the pearl, some never returned from their quest. In the village more and more children contracted the disease. More and more of them died. The small group of adventurous young men, who used to gather on the beach, became even smaller and smaller and rarely did one of them embark on the dive into the depths of the ocean. One day little Pedro went to the beach
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