The Ship of Dreams

After my foray into the desert, I arrived at the great city of Khuzbabtiddle where I took some lodgings for a few nights and caroused through the streets of the beautiful and ancient town. Here, the people wore bright silks and Ssikkis that the merchants on the trail bring to them. The place is a wonderful area for artisans who decorate many of the raw goods for sale at the end of the trail. Hence, the bright city is a collection of wild splashes of colors, studios, cafes, and a lively nightlife that rivals many other great towns of notoriety.

Here, I had the good fortune of encountering the famed Betela Gardener, the famous writer and illustrator of children's books. Her famous story titled "Pippin Bunny" is known all the world over by children since many years. Well into her nineties, I met her quite by accident as she was painting on a small easel in the little courtyard of a cafe. She sat down with me and we had some coffee and delicious seed cakes and I spoke to her of my adventures, showing her a few mementos of sentimental value, as well as my notes and sketches. Betela was enthused! The next few days, I spent mostly with her in her beautiful garden as I regaled her with my tales and she wrote them down in her book. She thought that it might make for wonderful adventures in a series of children's books. We became fast friends indeed for, at the time of my departure, she made me promise to return posthaste and handed me this illustration as a gift. It is such a sweet and lovely picture, much fitted to the style of the famous Betela Gardener!

- Traveling Uncle Nat. :)

08/01/00