Hello, my name is Sxyn. You can no doubt tell that I am special and don’t look like anyone else. What? Can’t see it? Look closer, from another angle perhaps. See it? Here, let me waggle it for you. Yes, I have a tail!

I suppose you want to know all about my beautiful tail, so let me tell you the Tale of the Tail.

I come from a rocky land of hot, shifting sands baking under a burning sky. I live in a small settlement built around wells sunk deep into the ground. For, though our land looks arid, below the flowing sand runs an interconnected system of underground water ways.

My people were once nomadic, moving between waterholes, what some people call oases in a language not our own. But now we are predominantly settled, as my people have learnt the secret of tapping the underground rivers. We grow grains, fruits and vegetables and husband animals for meat and milk.
Although all children now attend schools and learn to read and write, my nomadic ancestors relied on oral teaching, with knowledge held in our heads (as that took less space and weight than books) as they travelled on their nomadic journeys. An important part of our culture was the oral tradition of competitive storytelling. Each year, the nomadic tribes would come together, and the young men would compete to be the best storyteller.

This tradition continues today and now, every year, a festival of oral storytelling is held, attracting people from near and far. Although there is a prize awarded to the best storyteller, it is the fame and recognition that is most desired by the young men competing.

What has all this got to do with my lovely tail? I coming to that soon.

You see, it was my heart’s desire to win the storytelling competition. Such status it would give me! I could see my popularity soar: the old men would nod their heads to me; the women would give me freshly made seed cakes; the young men my own age would defer to me; and the girls would just adore me!

The problem was, I wasn’t a particularly good storyteller and my dream, like many dreams, was unattainable unless I could come up with a winning tale.

Sadly, creativity deserted me. I couldn’t sleep as I desperately searched for a theme, a plot, a cast of characters. I took to walking into the desert in the cool of night, hoping that solitude would nourish my creativity, until I reached a rocky outcrop that was slowly emerging from the ever-shifting sands on their never-ending journey. Here I would try to compose a story, but ultimately, I would end up dreaming of how my life would change if I won the contest.

One night, I was surprised to see that the sand had shifted to reveal a small opening in the rock face. It looked like a cave but was much too small for me to enter. I could hear muttering from within and so, mildly curious, I reached in and to my surprise, pulled out a small creature that was in some ways like a small, grizzled man but covered in fur, scales and even feathers. In my shock I grasped the creature more firmly and it started to scream and wail. I felt frozen with astonishment and my sluggish brain didn’t comprehend that I might be hurting it until it said, “If you let me go, I will make you a magic spell to give you your heart’s desire”. Still I stared at it, not fully comprehending what was happening. “I have lived for hundreds of years in this rock, safe in my cool burrow, but now you have found me” it continued. “I am a magical creature, and I can make a spell for you to grant you one wish. The magic spell will also mean that you will never be able to find me again. Do we have a deal?” it said. I just gawked at it, my mouth hanging loose, my eyes popping. “Sure, ok” I finally responded.

I released the little creature, and I thought it would scuttle away, but instead it reached into a pouch at its waist and started laying objects out around itself, all while chanting in a strange language. “Well, what’s your wish? Hurry up, I want to get as far away from here as quickly as possible. I haven’t got all day. Come on, spit it out” it yelled at me.

In my utter confusion, I barely managed to stutter “I want the greatest tale ever known”. Well, I guess it’s my fault for not clarifying “story” rather than “tale”, but there you have it. Poof! I suddenly felt something moving under my robe that I had never felt moving before. Of the little creature, there was no sign.

The next morning, I thought it had all been a dream, but there it was in all its glory. I was horrified at first, but as I examined it, I realised that it was a truly magnificent tail!

I have given up my dream to win the storytelling contest as I now no longer need it. My tail is the envy of all who see it and it certainly never fails to impress the girls.

There you have it and so, with a swish of my beautiful appendage, my Tale of the Tail is done!