Magpie Tales-Ganesha

She sat at the entrance of the Agra Cantt station waiting for the passengers to enter into the sun, her carvings surrounding her on a piece of silk. Birds, leopards, tigers and one elephant resting on a stone; they spoke reminding her to smile with her eyes.

The sound of the train whistle and feet made her heart beat faster as she heard the travelers walking her way.

"Oh look, they are so beautiful," one woman said as her husband continued walking the Taj Mahal in the distance and the reason for their journey. He looked over his shoulder, tired and wanting a shower, he walked back to where his wife was standing. Dropping his pack on the silk, he scattered the carvings and asked his wife, "What one do you want?" She looked at him and at his wife, eyes blazing, picking up the elephant and said in perfect english, "1,000 rupees each."  His wife chose two, a leopard and a tiger and  handed her the money before he could speak. She smiled and smoothed the silk as they walked away, knowing that her children would eat and hearing the words of Ganesha as she placed the elephant back on his stone, the sun setting against the spires of the Taj Mahal.

Just another Magpie Tale---read and create more stories here!


Given my love of the Southwest, I must say I was troubled by that fact that I could not identify this little guy. As a collector of fetishes and kachinas, I make it a point to understand the essence of the creation and firmly believe this knowledge is an homage to the hands that create the work and the culture in which it exists. Looking through my books, all I could think of was that he was waiting to be held and understood. Namaste.