– Glenn C Kharkongor

Stories with illustrations are a powerful tool that aid visual development, enhance emotional expression and nurture aesthetic sensibilities from young age. We present Part II excerpted from the richly illustrated children’s story book The Mystery of the Cave by Glenn C Kharkongor with Illustrations by Careen Jolin Langstieh (Martin Luther Christian University Press, 2023)

Part-2

After a little while, they looked around. Suddenly it had become dark.
“Come on, Iba, we have to go right now”. Mewan caught her hand and they turned around towards the entrance of the cave. In the dim light the rocks around them loomed like shadows.
They walked quickly, stumbling and tripping on the rocky floor of the cave, but couldn’t find their way. They turned around and around, bumping onto each other.
The walls of the cave seemed to have closed in on all sides. They had become prisoners in the belly of the cave.

Iba screamed, and the echo was just as loud. Mewan hugged her tight, a tear of fear trickled down his face.
It was silent all around.
They could only hear the gentle drip of water from the roof of the cave and the gurgling sound of the stream running beside them.

As they sat in the dark, scared and lost, a soft blue light appeared at the end of the tunnel and the gentle voice of a woman spoke.

“Don’t worry children. It’s me, the Cave Spirit. I’ll take care of you. Just follow the light”.
The blue light became brighter, and they could see a path in front of them. Mewan took a step forward into the light, and then a few steps more. The light moved ahead, leading the way. Clutching Mewan’s shirt, Iba followed.

The voice spoke again, “Don’t be afraid. Come with me. This is my home. There are many many rooms, and passages, and places to hide. I will show you many treasures, and I want to share them with you”.
The light moved again and the children followed. In its brightness, they could see the way, easily stepping from rock to rock, walking through shallow water, and squeezing through tight passages.
They slowly began to discover the wonders of the cave.

Soon they came upon an open space in the cave. Not having to worry about stumbling on a rock or slipping in the water, Iba looked around. They seemed to have entered a huge hall.

“Hey Mewan, look up” she shouted.
Above and around them on the roof of the cave were shiny, sparkling rocks. They looked like carvings on a wall, some were shaped like curtains and flowers. Long white spikes hung from the roof and little pillars of smooth rock surrounded them.

To be continued…