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Two Pebbles
Chief Umalway Srite of the Pacific Island of
Threedition and Foreva has always married off his daughters to the sons of the
noble family of Fallow Me Leada. After successfully pairing off twelve of his
daughters, the thirteenth, Noway, true to her number and her name, put a stick
in the wheels of tradition. Her heart, she said, was pledged to lowly but
handsome oyster pearl-picker, Hunko Luv.
Her father's anger, though fierce and wild as
the hurricanes that troubled the islander's otherwise peaceful existence, could
do nothing to uproot her love for Hunko and bend her to his will.
On her sixteenth birthday, being already two
years past the marriagable age on the island, the chief tried another tack with
his daughter. While taking a walk after her birthday feast on the island's
pebbly beach he proposed a deal with her. In the presence of his guests for this
special day, amongst which were the Fallow Me Leadas, he quickly stooped down
and picked two pebbles from the mass which covered the beach. Dropping them into
a small leather bag he said,
"Sweet but obstinate Noway, today we must
resolve our little difference of opinion. Since we can't come to the best
conclusion by you bowing to my wisdom and my will let us leave it to chance. I
have just picked up two pebbles, one black and one white. If you put your hand
in my bag and draw the white one, you can marry your poor and useless Hunko but
if you pick the black one you will have to keep the family tradition and marry
Nexto Fallow Me Leada."
Now Noway, being the first emancipated woman
on her little island, had no inclination to leave her future to chance, however,
unbeknown to her father, and notwithstanding the use of his deftness to cover
his deception, she had seen him pick two black pebbles from the beach.
Knowing that confrontation would only make
matters worse between them she used her father's game to her advantage and won
the right to make her own choices and to marry her beloved Hunko. What did she
do?
Scroll down for Hint 1.
She picked one of the black pebbles and still
won!
Scroll down for Hint 2.
Could she show the black pebble to her father?
Scroll down for Solution.
She picked one of the stones and before anyone
could see it threw it far into the ocean. She then asked her father to show his
guests what was left in the bag.
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