The Fall of the Mighty Chula Hishi
Long ago, before the second moon had yet to form in the sky, the Chula Hishi was the most powerful creature in all the land. Creatures cowered under its mighty hoof and gazed longingly at its lush coat of fur that glistened in the moonlight.
​
Proud and regal, the Chula Hishi was a mighty leader of the grasslands, its heavy foot announcing its approach with grandeur and pomp. Even the Chinto, the regal ruler of the land, bowed its head in reverence whenever the Chula Hishi crossed its path.
​
One day as the Taloa soared through the air, the Great Maker spoke from the heavens above.
“Beautiful Taloa,” he said. “What say you of the mighty Chula Hishi?”
​
The Taloa flexed its feathered wings and looked down at the Chula Hishi as it drank from the river, its coat bright and sparkling.
​
“Its fur is glorious and beautiful,” he replied.
​
The Great Maker smiled and drifted nearer the Chula Hishi.
​
“What say you of the beautiful Taloa, mighty Chula Hishi?”
​
The Chula Hishi took another long drink from the cool waters before addressing the Great Maker.
“I am much too regal to care for a lowly Taloa,” he replied.
​
When the Great Maker frowned and traveled on, the Chula Hishi glanced up into the sky. The Taloa soared overhead, but the beast below turned its head and stalked away with a snort. With no more than a passing glance, the Chula Hishi dismissed the Taloa and continued its journey into the nearby woods.
​
After just a few steps under the canopy of the trees, the Chula Hishi crossed paths with a Falaya. Its long body slithered along the forest floor and brushed against the Chula Hishi’s great foot. With a grumble, the larger beast jerked its foot away from the intrusion and glared down at the Falaya.
​
“I beg your pardon, oh great Chula Hishi,” the Falaya said. “Would you be so kind to spur the tree by you to drop just a few leaves? I’ve been traveling for days without a morsel of food and need the nourishment.”
​
“Me help you?” the Chula Hishi asked incredulously. “Why, you slither on the ground while I hold my head high and proud. The mud beneath you will prove nourishment enough for you and is all that you deserve.”
​
With the Falaya still pleading for help, the Chula Hishi turned its head to the sky and stepped over the creature without another thought. Hearing the Falaya’s cries, the Great Maker dropped down into the forest.
​
“Whatever is the matter, sweet Falaya?” the Great Maker asked after capturing a few of its tears in his hand.
​
“I’m hungry and there is no one to help me get the leaves I need for food,” the Falaya cried.
​
The Great Maker cried with the Falaya before nudging a few leaves from the trees. The Falaya gratefully devoured a mouthful of leaves before thanking the Great Maker.
​
“Dear Falaya,” The Great Maker said. “Did I not see the Chula Hishi pass this way? Was he not willing to assist in your quest?”
​
“I am but a lowly Falaya and not worthy of the Chula Hishi’s assistance.”
​
With another frown, the Great Maker left the Falaya in peace and flew off in search of the Chula Hishi. The beast had picked its way across the forest floor and was passing a den of sleeping Soka’ta pups when the Great Maker found him.
Sniffing the Soka’ta’s nest, the Chula Hishi growled deep in its throat, awakening the sleeping babies.
When they spotted the creature above them, the tiny babies began to cry for their mother who was busy collecting berries for her babies in a bush nearby. At their cries, she dropped her collection and raced back to her nest.
​
The Chula Hishi smiled in glee and tromped to the pile of berries, throwing dirt and sticks over the nest as he walked. The babies screamed in terror and dove out of the way of his heavy hooves, just managing to miss being flattened.
​
The Soka’ta mother desperately dragged her babies from the nest to safety. They all then watched tearfully as the Chula Hishi devoured the berries and trampled any remaining trace of the berries and their bushes.
​
With a laugh, the Chula Hishi turned to continue its path of destruction only to come face to face with the Great Maker. His anger-filled eyes stopped the great beast in its tracks.
​
“Chula Hishi,” the Great Maker said sternly. “You are the most beautiful creature in all the land. You are regal and proud. You are the envy of all the others in the grasslands. But you lack kindness. Therefore, I am transforming your body and mind to match what you carry in your heart.”
​
Before the Chula Hishi could protest, the Great Maker had stripped him of his beautiful shimmering coat with its lush hair, his regal demeanor, and even his intelligence. No longer could the Chula Hishi speak to others. No longer did he have the beauty that would capture others attention. No longer did his fur glisten in the moonlight.
​
Instead, the Chula Hishi was destined to spend the rest of its days invisible and forgotten just as he’d made others feel who had dared to cross his path.