When he was an old man with many grandchildren, he would tell stories of his younger days, when he was placed in servitude to the great wizard Tekkai. Tekkai was old and short of patience with foolish young men, so when his new apprentice acted lazy or his thoughts proceeded without discipline, Tekkai would scornfully laugh and strike him with his bamboo walking stick. He began to call his apprentice Pea-Frog, for his skinny legs and soggy mind. Soon the entire village, even the shop-keeper's daughter, she of the bright eyes and porcelain skin, called him Pea-Frog.
Tekkai had a great power: he could exhale his spirit out into the world, where it traveled at great speed to places far away that Pea-Frog could never imagine. Once there, Tekkai's spirit consulted with wise men of many countries, and observed life as it was lived in strange and often savage lands. When he returned he made many notes which he was gathering into an encyclopedia that contained everything everyone knew in the whole world.
When his spirit was wandering about the earth, his body lay as if dead, and it was Pea-Frog's job to keep it clean and chase away the rats who thought Tekkai was dead, and that his fingers would make a nice meal. He spent much time in the presence of Tekkai's body. He would be gone for days at a time, and when he returned he was always hungry, so it was also Pea-Frog's job to have food at the ready.
Once, Tekkai's spirit was gone for a very long time, and Pea-Frog became nervous. Tekkai's body became thinner, and a strange smell began to come from his body. Certainly this was not normal. Frightened, Pea-Frog believed his master was dead. And so in the ancient ritual of Tekkai's kind, Pea-Frog wrapped his master in oil-soaked cloth, chanted ancient words in his halting, untrained voice, and burned Tekkai's remains in the courtyard behind the monastery, scattering his ashes in the four winds to cover the earth.
His next few days were lonely ones. He had grown used to Tekkai's badgering and was surprised to find that with each task he undertook he heard Tekkai's voice still, telling him of patches of dirt he'd missed, or better ways to mend a broken cart. He missed having the old man's body in the back, and the idea that he could return at any moment had given him comfort. So he packed his few things, said goodbye to the shop-keeper's daughter, and prepared himself for the journey home.
He was sweeping the front stoop with a yarrow-broom for what he thought was the final time when Old Beggar-Man with the Iron Cane turned the corner and began limping quickly in his direction. This was odd, because Old Beggar-Man usually kept to the village square, dancing lamely and babbling his idiot-speech for coins that passersby tossed into a cracked clay pot at his feet. Pea-Frog looked up at Old Beggar-Man, who raised the iron stick he used as a cane and shouted, "Pea-Frog, you fool!" And continued walking in his direction.
Though he knew it was folly to speak to the crippled old idiot, Pea-Frog yelled back, "Old man, I have no quarrel with you," and continued his sweeping.
"Pea-Frog, I shall beat you with my cane," the old man said, waving the iron stick over his head. He wavered on his lame foot, then fell in the dirt. Cursing, he rose again and continued toward Pea-Frog. There was something unfamiliar about Old Beggar-Man, or to put it another way, there was something oddly familiar about him as well ... he reminded Pea-Frog of someone else he knew who wasn't Old Beggar-Man, or used to know before ... As the idiot beggar came closer Pea-Frog trembled in fear. "How dare you destroy my body while I am away!" cried Old Beggar-Man.
"Master?"
As a response Old Beggar-Man, or Tekkai, for that's who it was, struck Pea-Frog with the iron cane. But Old Beggar-Man's body was weak, and the blow fell with the force of a cobweb. "Of course it is me, fool! And look at me!"
"You were dead, master, I was sure of it! Weren't you?"
"Of course not. Don't be ridiculous."
"But you were starting to smell."
"I had an apple in my pocket. That was starting to smell." He struck Pea-Frog again. "I should beat you, but I'm afraid in my state I'd get the worst of it. Next time, be sure!"
"But how are you in Old Beggar-Man's body now?"
Tekkai dropped himself down to sit on the stoop and ran Old Beggar-Man's hand over the bumpy skull of Old Beggar-Man. "His was the only body I could find with a spirit small and generous enough to share with me," said Tekkai.
"I am sorry, master," said Pea-Frog. He sat down and tucked the broom handle into his shoulder. Master Tekkai's breath wheezed through his toothless mouth as he regained his strength from the walk he'd taken.
"It is well you cannot kill me by destroying my body," said Tekkai.
"I will check your pockets next time, Master."
Tekkai laughed. He said, "It will be something else next time, Pea-Frog. The foolish are endlessly creative with their foolishness."
"I'll remember that, Master."
"You've made your usual mess of cleaning the steps, I see." Pea-Frog nodded. "Come on," said Tekkai. "Let's see what other messes you've made." Tekkai hobbled up the steps, the last of Old Beggar-Man's madness receding into stray wisps of unkempt hair and the clack of iron on stone, and went inside.
Pea-Frog enjoyed the rest of his servitude. Though his mind was keen as ever, Tekkai's new body was less strong than the old. When Pea-Frog offended, the blows fell with the force of a friend offering guidance. And when Tekkai's spirit went on its wandering journeys, Old Beggar man, his mind made calm by Tekkai's steady presence, made better company than Tekkai's old, lifeless body.
© 2008 by Michael Ramberg.