Roberta Allen
On the island of Putia, villagers were not overly concerned when the oracle began mistaking bananas for mangos. But when she mistook her cooking pot for her son who was fat, villagers took notice. Clearly, the oracle was confused. A confused oracle was something new to them. The villagers lived in straw-roofed tree dwellings, high above the forest floor. To go up and down, they climbed very long narrow ladders that kept out enemies as well as most bugs. Putia was an island of bugs, millions of bugs, the largest being six inches long, or so the villagers thought, until the oracle arrived one night to the cooking hut which, like the dwellings, was far above the forest floor, holding a foot-long bug, a bug no one on the island had ever imagined—much less seen. It resembled a bloodsucking assassin bug with its long sharp needlelike beak to pierce and inject a painful sting before sucking out the insides of its prey, turning it to soup. Instead of eating fresh fish like the others, the oracle proceeded to eat the giant bug live without ill effects. Horrified, the villagers watched: they did not eat bugs—ever. They considered them nasty things.
Trying to understand what was wrong, the villagers wondered about the oracle's blue zircon amulet. Where was it? The oracle could not remember where or when she had last seen it—or used it. Looking through the possessions in her tree house which was higher than any other tree dwelling in the village, they found nothing.
They were at their wit's end until one villager had an idea. Why not ask an oracle on another island? he said. Surely one of them will know what to do.
Yes! the others replied.
Next day the villagers took their boat out to Geba, a neighboring island and asked the oracle there for help. She disappeared inside her dwelling for several moments and emerged with her own black tourmaline amulet. She handed it to one of them. This amulet will cure her confusion, the oracle said, but her confusion will be passed on to all of you.
How can we prevent that? the villagers asked.
Shrugging, the oracle said, You can give me back the amulet.
One villager suggested they try another island.
Good idea, the others said.