Chapter 2: The Snake:
Cinduri's POV:
I was crying when I thought about how much I missed my parents. Then something came out of the water. It was a great white snake! Obviously, I was afraid! Wouldn't you be?
"You are a beautiful young girl," says the snake, "why are you so dirty and dressed in such ugly rags?"
I was surprised to hear the snake speak. "T-there is much work to do since my father died," I said, "my stepmother and her daughter hate farm work. They like to ride to town every day in their carriage, so I am left to complete the chores."
"You do all the work for your family to maintain the farm," says the snake, "why then do you look so hungry?"
"I do not need much," I said, "my step-mother and half-sister go to feasts at the houses of friends they sometimes bring me back a little something to go with my bowl of rice."
The snake was furious. "Rice and a few handouts," asks the snake, "that is not enough to eat!"
With a darting motion of his head, the serpent produced a golden plate. On it there was a beautiful display of East Indian foods. The almond rice, lentils, flatbread, curries, and sweet milk delights gave off tantalizing aromas. I was hungry, but before I took the plate, I placed the palms of my hands together and bowed to show my thanks to the snake... as weird as that sounds.
To Be Continued
In the next chapter, the snake becomes Cinduri's Godfather.