In Mahaba…

Once upon a time in a faraway land called Mahaba, there lived the brilliant Princess Mara. Mara
was everything a princess of Mahaba needed to be. She was kind, intelligent, and self-reliant.
Mara had determination and courage. Most of all, Mara had love for everyone and everything
in her land.

Mahaba was different from other places in many ways. There were no poor people or rich
people like there are in other kingdoms. Everyone had the same rights and privileges. In
Mahaba, there was no hunger because everyone had plenty. There was no cruelty because
kindness and compassion were considered the best qualities a person could have. There was
no sickness because the Mahabans were great healers and knew how to cure any illness or
injury. No person ever was cold in Mahaba, because it was part rainforest and part seashore.
Even the animals of Mahaba were happy and harmonious.
Speaking of the animals of Mahaba, they, too, were unlike animals from anywhere else in the
world. Other than the usual animals, Mahaba also had striped unicorns, furry and feather
winged gryphons and colorful dragons, creatures that could not be found anywhere else in the
world. The Mahabans valued every life in their land, no matter if it was a person, animal, or
plant. In other words, Mahaba was the perfect place to live. I’d like to go there, and I bet you
would too.
Most people from other places thought Mahaba was a fairy tale, so ships usually found it by
mistake. The Mahabans were very friendly to visitors, though they were pleased when those
other folks left to go back to their own lands and families. The Mahabans worried that people
from different nations might not understand their customs and way of life and might harm their
land. And because sometimes, the people from other areas wanted to take souvenirs, including
the animals that could be found nowhere else. This upset the Mahabans as they worried about
what taking their wildlife away would do to the wildlife. Remember, everything mattered in
Mahaba.

One day, while Princess Mara was walking on the seashore, collecting seashells and watching
pink and blue dolphins playing in the water, she discovered a great deal of debris washed up
on the beach during the storm the night before. It only stormed at night in Mahaba. I told you
it was perfect.
“What could that be?” wondered Mara as she walked over to the debris to investigate. A
parrot informed Mara that there was a shipwreck, and that was why the beach was such a mess.
Mara discovered a young man just about her age in the mess of splintered wood and boxes
and other wreckage. He was strange looking to her as were most people from other lands.
While the Mahabans had golden brown and glowing dark skin, this young man was as pale as a
ghost. The Mahabans had shiny dark brown and black hair which they wore long, or with
braids, this boy had pale yellow hair that didn’t shine at all. The Mahabans had large warm
eyes, the colors of copper, chocolate, and coffee. This fellow had small eyes that were pale
blue. And while the Mahabans wore light, comfortable clothing that let the sun shine on them,
this guy wore long pants, longs sleeves, and even appeared to have been wearing a strange
hat.
“Are you alright?” Mara asked, leaning over. She tied her braids back so that they would not
fall into her face as she leaned over to help the strange young man.
“Where am I?” he asked, “What is this strange place? And who are you?”
Mara smiled and gently said, “This is the land of Mahaba, and I am Princess Mara. What
happened to you?”
“My name is Jay. Thank you,” Jay said. Then he told her the sad story of how he came to her
shores. Jay had been on a merchant ship that had been swept off course and crashed upon the
reef. He explained that in his land, he had to work to help his family, and this dangerous
merchant trip was the only one he could find. Jay feared that he would never see his poor
family again and that they might lose their home. Mara was shocked by this story.
“How can someone lose their home?” Mara asked. In Mahaba, homes did not go missing.
“If you don’t have the money to have a home, then you don’t have one,” Jay said impatiently
“Don’t people lose their homes here?”
“That’s impossible,” Mara explained, “A home is a home. It can’t go away, and nobody can
take it from you. At least that’s how it is here.”
As they walked along, Jay and Mara told each other about their homes. Both Mara and Jay
agreed that Mahaba was a great place to live. After Queen Mir healed Jay’s injuries, Mara
showed Jay around her home. She took him to meet their neighbors, she even introduced Jay
to her favorite dragon. Jay wanted to stay in Mahaba. You and I would too.
“I love it here,” Jay said one day after all his wounds had healed.
“I’m glad,” Mara said, she was happy because she had become very fond of Jay. They had a
lot in common even though they were from such different places.
“I would love to stay here,” Jay said. “I like it better than my land.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Mara said. She didn’t want her friend to leave.
When they spoke to Mara’s parents, Mir said that Jay could stay, as long as he followed
Mahaba’s rules of kindness and compassion being the most essential thing in the world. Jay
agreed that he would, and so would his family.
“Your family?” Mara’s father, King Je, asked. “How many of you are there?” Je was not sure he
wanted a bunch of strange ghost colored people living there. One person was fine, but it was
well known that those other lands had lots of people.
“There are twelve of us in all,” Jay answered, “My two parents and then my nine siblings and
me. That’s it.”
“That is a lot of people,” Je said. He was concerned that foreigners would not follow their
rules. Kindness and compassion for all was not a universal value in other countries. Would
these people hunt their animals and burn their forests to make homes? Would these people
trample the sacred rainforest with their clumsy boots? “I’m not so sure about that many
people.”
“Dad,” Mara said, “Isn’t our greatest value kindness and compassion for everyone and
everything?”
“It is,” Queen Mir said, smiling at her brilliant daughter.
“And are we not to help those in need?”
“We are,” Mir smiled again, at Ja.
“Well, Jay and his family are someone, and they are in need,” Mara said, “They will not have a
home. Don’t they matter too? We must help them as we would help anyone or anything else.”
“Je,” Mir said, laughing at her daughter’s cleverness, “We always say that if everyone doesn’t
matter, then no-one matters. And Mara is correct, Jay and his family matter just as much as we
do. I say we let them come.”
And so, Jay was given an elegant ship to take him to collect his family. While Jay and his family
had to adapt to Mahaban culture, they shared some of their customs with the Mahabans. New
ideas were born by both. Jay’s family was happy living in a place where there was no hunger,
and homes did not get lost. They adapted nicely and got along with the Mahabans perfectly as
they were grateful for the help. Jay’s family made sure to contribute well to their new
community, and their new harmonious lifestyle.
Mara and Jay remained best friends and spent every day together. Jay fell so loved the wildlife
that he became a veterinarian for the sick and injured animals that sometimes are found in a
forest. This was the perfect contribution to Mahaba because that was the one thing the land
did not have. As a thank you, Mara took Jay for a ride on her favorite dragon.