Junah Tales by M.R. Neer
Episode 4

The Secret

When the three sisters brought Junah Cat to the House by the Garden, he was very young. Sister Laka said they chose him to come to their house because of the black-and-white color of his fur.  His back and sides were black, but he was white on his chest and around his legs and mouth.

Sister Duma said that meant he could hold together the dark and the light. Junah cocked his head when he heard that, not sure what she was getting at. But then, while he was still wondering, Sister Sara said they had big plans for him.

That really got his curiosity going. Duma started humming in his ear, while Laka gave him some water to lap up, and Sara started telling him about the big adventure they had in store for him. His eyes opened wider with each new revelation from these mysterious sisters.

“Junah,” explained Sara, “we want you to use your curiosity to discover the secret of the garden and then share it with others.”

“If you know the secret,” he asked, “then why don’t you just tell me?”

“It’s a secret that you have to discover for yourself,” Sara continued, “You have to experience it. When you really know the garden, then you’ll know its secret. Only then will you be able to help others experience it too.”

Junah asked the sisters to tell him more about the garden, but they suggested he go and see for himself.  “Explore the garden,” Sara told him, “and make some friends along the way. We want to you to learn all you can.”

“Sounds like a big mystery to me,” he meowed. They just smiled and looked at him intently. He scratched his ear, thinking how much fun it would be to explore this special garden that they had talked about so much. Of course, they had planted this idea of a secret in him too. It inspired him to want to learn everything he could about the garden. It was his very own purpose, given to him by the three sisters who had built the garden. He felt so special!

“Well, I like to learn,” Junah said, “so tell me when to start!”

Junah was excited. His curiosity was high. Tomorrow he would enter the garden. Little did he know how long this adventure would take or how much he would grow along the way.

Junah’s purr:  Having a purpose helps you grow.

 Stay tuned!  Episode 5 will come your way in two weeks. 

Junah Tales by M.R. Neer
Episode 3

The Three Sisters Help Things Grow

Junah Cat’s adventures started when the three sisters brought him to the House by the Garden. These were not three ordinary sisters.  They looked young and beautiful but spoke as if they were old and wise. They always seemed to know what to do to make everything better around them.  They became like second mothers to Junah, helping him grow in new ways.

At first, they wanted Junah to get used to the house, so they kept him inside. But Junah noticed that they liked to talk about the garden that they had built in the back of the house. It was very important to them.

Sister Sara was the planner. She had designed the garden to balance herbs and roots, flowers and vegetables in the most natural way.  She figured out where plants should be planted to get the most sun. Sara always wore white, had long black hair, and liked to wear pearls. She also played the strings of the guitar in a most heavenly way. She told Junah the plants and animals all liked to listen to her songs.

Sister Laka talked about watering the plants in the garden.  She was concerned that the plants got just enough water but not too much.  She always kept a watering can with her in case it was needed.  Laka usually wore pink and some kind of necklace, usually a garland of flowers or pink coral. When she sang, her voice sounded like liquid light. Hearing her was like sitting in the sunlight; her voice was warm and caring and melted into him.

Sister Duma didn’t talk much. She went around the house humming all day as she cleaned her tools and arranged flowers in vases. It seemed as though the plants perked up when she hummed. It reminded Junah of the vibrations that woke him up. Duma usually wore red adorned with a long garland of white and red flowers.

Living with the sisters, Junah realized that life was about more than just eating, playing, and sleeping. They talked so much about how things grow that he wondered in what ways he would grow by living in the House by the Garden with the three sisters. He felt he would soon find out!

Junah’s purr:  The nature of life is to grow.

 Stay tuned!  Episode 4 will come your way in two weeks.