Why the desert sands are red
Once there was a tribe who worshipped all but one snake-the red bellied black snake. There was a boy named Nar'icia who didn't know that his tribe hated the red bellied black snake. He wanted to show that he was a great hunter so one day he went hunting. He caught five snakes. That night there was a feast to worship Gan who brought reptiles into the world. After the dancing and stories they went to have some food. When the food was set on some leaves everyone was pleased until they saw a Red Bellied Black Snake.
"Who caught this snake?" yelled one of the elders.
"I did," called Nar'icia. He was proud of himself.
"You stupid boy, this is a Red Bellied Black Snake. You are now cursed. Leave! Never come back here."
Nar'icia's faced dropped and he started running away. He had been shunned. He ran across the yellow sands until he reached the river where he had caught the snakes the day before. He was so mad with himself that he didn't notice the red bellied black snake behind him. The snake had heard him and wanted to help him so she crept up behind him. Before he knew it the snake had bit him. Nar'icia screamed in pain not only from the bite but because he felt his skin become tight, he started smelling things that he couldn't before and his skin became scaly and rough.
"What's happening?" he stopped speaking because he was hissing like a snake. He wasn't speaking in his own tongue.
"You are now a red bellied black snake," said a voice behind him. He looked around and saw another snake that looked like him. He looked at himself properly and saw that his tail was bleeding. He slithered off to look for his family. As he crossed the desert and made it to his old camp he saw that they weren't there. He searched every inch of the desert but while he looked his blood dripped on to the sand and turned it red.
"If they keep moving, I will never find them," he thought
By night fall he found them but the ground they were on was yellow. He went through the camp turning it red, looking for his family. When he didn't find them he when back to the lake where he met the snake.
"Snake, who are you? How were you able to change me?"
There was the snake slithering over to him.
"I am Gen and I can change things into reptiles as I have done with you."
With that she turned around and slithered away. He never saw her again. The next day when the tribe woke up the ground was red as dried blood. That is how the desert sands turned red.
By Piper
