A collection of seven stories from places some would call strange. But in our world, they are called enchanted. Enjoy this collection of strange stories from strange places and watch out for the next round of stories.
7. Strange place: Chocolate Hills, Bohol, Philippines.
Fact: Spread across 50 sq. km (20 sq. miles.) there are more than 1200 similar shaped mounds covered in green grass. The hills turn brown during the dry season.
Fable: There was once a giant water buffalo, as tall as a small mountain. The buffalo used to eat up all the crops in the fields of the neighbouring villages. So the villagers decided to trick it by offering it huge piles of spoilt food. The buffalo gulped the food but soon fell sick. It ran all over the place, leaving behind it's enormous droppings. The feces dried and came to be known as the chocolate hills!
Moral: Be careful when accepting a gift or favor from an enemy.
Pic by: Kitseps
6. Strange Place: Tsingy, Madagascar
Fact: Near the western coast of Madagascar, exists a strange forest of limestone rocks shaped like giant needles. It is home to many creatures found nowhere else in the world.
Fable: The Silky Sifaka was granted a special gift by the Moon god, which turned it's silky coat moonlight white in color. The Sifakas were very proud of their good looks, but soon found out that their shiny white coat made them more visible to the cunning Fossa (A cat like hunter). Soon their numbers began to diminish alarmingly. The remaining silky sifakas took shelter in a rocky forest and asked the Moon God for help. To protect his beloved lemurs the Moon god turned the rocks into a forest of huge needles. The jagged rocks were so sharp that they could cut one in half, if one was not careful. It was a hard place to live in, but at the same time it became very difficult for the hunters to catch the silky sifakas and kept them safe.
Moral: Every positive has it's own negative, just as every negative has it's own positive.
Pic by: Stephen Alvarez
5. Strange place: Bear Rock (Devils Tower Monument), USA
Fact: A huge tower of rock that rises suddenly from the ground and has strange markings on it's sides.
Fable: Long ago a group of seven girls went out to play in the forest. They were spotted by several giant bears, who began to chase them. The girls barely escaped by climbing a small rock. But the bears began to dig their claws into the rock and climb it. The girls prayed to the Great Spirit to save them. Hearing their prayers, the Great Spirit made the rock rise from the ground towards the heaven. The bears, began to slip down the slopes and left deep claw marks in the sides of the mountain. When the girls reached the sky, they were turned into the star constellation called the Pleiades (seven sisters).
Moral: If you plan to mess with wild bears, you better have someone to answer your prayers.
Pic by: Colin Faulkingham
4. Strange place: Socotra Island, Yemen
Fact: This island is teeming with more than 700 extremely rare species of plants and animals, a full 1/3 of which are found nowhere else on Earth.
Fable: On a tiny isalnd in the Arabian sea, the Creator had built up a new world with fascinating forms of life. Of all His creations, the most magnificient was the Dragon. A strange but powerful beast that was the king of all animals. After many year when the Creator came to visit the Island, he found none of the other mammals. For the Dragon had eaten them all up. The Creator was furious and turned the dragon into a tree. The strange tree is known as the Dragon tree. If you cut it's bark, you'll see the Dragon's blood.
Moral: Don't leave a cat to guard your milk.
3. Strange place: Uluru (Ayer's Rock), Australia
Fact: Uluru is a vast single red stone, larger than an island, that lies at Australia's heart.
Fable: The tribes were dying. The desert was a hard place to live in. The hard Sun had driven away all the clouds and dried up all the water from the lands. The tribes prayed to the Goddess of Rain, until she took pity. She told them that she would create a great lake that would be invisible to sun. And as the tribes watch a huge rock grew up in the middle of the desert. The tribes were confused. But soon realised that the Uluru's runoff from the rain, lies deep-set in the sand at it's base or is held in the roots of desert scrub that grow around it. In a way, the Uluru was an inverted lake.
Moral: Nature has many secrets to tell, but only a few people willing to listen.
Pic by: Digital Reflections
2. Strange Place: Cave of Crystals, Naica, Mexico
Fact: Mexico's Cave of Crystals, contains some of the world's largest known natural crystals—translucent beams of gypsum as long as 36 feet (11 meters).
Fable: A poor farmer once saved a young girl from drowning . Now the little girl was no ordinary girl, but the daughter of a silver star. Pleased with the farmer, the Star gifted him with an immense treaure of precious crystals. The famer was overjoyed at his luck. But soon his joy turned to fear. He had never seen such wealth. He was afraid, it would get stolen or taken away from him. He asked the Satr to hide his treasure in a deep cave far from everyone's view. Years passed, the farmer grew old, and his memory grew weak. On his dying day, he called his family to tell them something important, but could not remember what he wanted to say.
Moral: Unused wealth is worthless
1. Strange place: Blue Hole, Belize
Fact: The world's largest blue hole is a vertical cave in the sea and is one of the most amazing dive sites to explore in the world.
Fable: Long back in time, when Earth was covered in ice, there was a group of sabretooth tigers who lived in a big vertical cave. The cave protected them from other enemies and had been their home for generations. One year a bunch of animals running past their cave warned them of approaching seas. But the sabretooth tiger family did not believe in rumors. They were confident of their strength and the security of their cave. The temperature was rising and more and more animals were seen rushing past the cave. The sabretooth laughed at the scared animals and ignored them. Until one day, a huge wave from the ocean came in and filled up the entire cave within a few seconds. There was no escape for the sabretooth tigers.
Moral: Don't live in a hole. Stay informed about what's happening in the world.
All fables written, or collected and retold by Nitin Das.
