Macaw Prince and Sleeping Princess

There once was a handsome young prince, who was destined to marry a beautiful young princess of a neighboring land. But before the prince could marry, both families felt for the prince to be worthy of the beauty of the princess, he was required to pass through a rigorous test of manhood beginning in his 16th dry season, like his father, his grandfather and all ancestors before. In many cases, winning it earlier in battle. But, because there was peace in the world at this time, something else needed to be used to replace that formally bloody event – a deed ordeal.

Mycah (bird man) was the first son of several of Rohan (jaguar killer), the king of a city-state of 20,000 inhabitants, Cotoca (prosperous land), set on high ground above the annual flood of the mighty Amazon River. The kingdom marked time by the rainy season that preceded the flood and provided the surrounding villages with a growing season for their crops traded on a network of raised roads above the highest flood line. The rain gods of the jungle weren’t always kind. Some years there was too little rain and other years, too much. The villages came and went with the water. But Cotoca remained, thanks to storage of food beyond more than three seasons of flood. And other riches saved for exchange. Mycah’s forebearer kings stretched back beyond recorded time, according to city elders. And he was beholden to them and their knowledge.

While very young, Mycah knew his place in society and didn’t play with the other children. His constant companion was always the second son of his father, Golwith (tapiir master) from another mother. Golwith grew bigger and stronger faster than Mycah, making wrestling matches, gaming and hunting skills a real challenge for the budding prince. But his mother, Carloca (enchanted one), was the most beautiful woman in Cotoca and favored above all others, including Golwith’s mother, who took second place in the court of Rohan wives.

The brothers were fast friends, and Golwith often allowed Mycah to win even though he had the upper hand, knowing his place in the court was to support his older brother and prince who would gain the crown of jade, caiman teeth and jaguar claws from King Rohan in time.

When the 16th dry season was upon them, all the young men of the village of age were sent into the jungle with separate tasks to accomplish according to their station and their namesake. Mycah was instructed to go deep into the jungle and do something with birds that would astonish and show his prowess upon returning. Likewise, Golwith was to do something astonishing with tapirs.

During the dry season, the jungle floor was barren except for the adaptable creatures that remained eking out survival with what was left over from the bounty of the rainy season – high in the canopy, on the ground and under it. In some of the swampy water holes that remained for those that didn’t leave for greener places. Most fish and amphibians retreated with the water, but some were trapped in the water holes. Providing food and water for many of the creatures on the ground.

Mycah walked deeper into the jungle than he ever had before. He curled up under long dead trees at night and sought drinking water by digging in low spots where the water remained underground. He ate nuts and long dried fruit, roots from the ground and bugs of the kinds he knew he could eat without being poisoned. Lighter and more agile than Golwith, Mycah was an expert tree climber. He could gather eggs from nests high in the canopy. Rich food he could eat without killing any creatures. Maybe an occasional lizard or snake, a fish he caught with his hands in a dried-up water hole.

He knew the birds in the trees and the most spectacular bird was the scarlet macaw (ska) with brilliant feathers of red, blue, gold and black. Other birds could provide him with green and yellow feathers. Using strong fibers from dried grasses he would weave a feather coat of many colors to wear upon his return from his ordeal. The coat would keep him warm during the cold nights, fend off the rain and astound the elders and his father upon his return to the city.

Likewise, Golwith thought about what he would do to impress the city elders when he returned. Foraging like Mycah did to survive, he hatched a plan. He would find a path where the tapirs traveled on their daily quest for roots and vegetation. He would dig a hole to catch one. He would then train the tapiir to do tricks for him and amaze the elders when he returned. He would also seek or make a gift that he would bring to the city north of the Amazon, Landivar, where suitable brides were found.

Using strong grass fibers, Mycah wove two hoods to put over bird’s heads to calm them. With his sharp eyes, he located several macaw tree hole nests some distance apart. Arriving at the one that would be easiest to reach, late in the afternoon, he climbed that ancient tree far up into the canopy until he was above the nest hole and waited until dark. After his eyes adjusted to the dark, there was a quarter moon to help him although he couldn’t see color at night. Tying himself to the tree on a strong rope that he made from vines, he lowered himself to the nest and found two sleeping scarlet macaws. To calm them, he slipped the hoods he fashioned over their heads. Then from memory of their colors, he pulled selected feathers that he knew would grow back on both.

Each night, Mycah climbed a different tree and nest to gather feathers. During the day, when he wasn’t catching up on his sleep during the hot middle of the day or foraging for food, he began to weave together a feather coat of many colors that he would wear triumphantly as he returned. And he would catch a young bird to bring with him to take to the princess he would find in Landivar as a gift to her. A colorful talking bird.

At least, that was his plan. But on the last night and the hardest climb, knowing that the nest would provide him with all the feathers he would need to finish the coat, Mycah made that difficult climb high into the canopy once again. But as he lowered himself to the nest and finished his work, the rope that he had used until it was worn, broke and he fell. Mycah remembered hitting branches that slowed his fall but didn’t remember reaching the ground.

When he awoke, it was dawn. In the morning mist, he could see a grizzled old man. Legend had it that a wise old man lived in the jungle to aid those in peril, but no one could ever find him, and he was thought of as only a myth. But Mycah heard him speak clearly although he shifted in the mist.

“It was colors that you seek young man. And the only way to bring you back to life was to use the colors of the frog of death. Mixed with the right herbs, its poison can bring back the dead and even restore youth. But you have been unfaithful to my realm. You have pulled the feathers from birds who will no longer be able to fly and find food. They will die. To teach you a lesson, I have brought you back to life as one of those birds. And you must find the key to yourself by doing a good deed before you can return to the way you were.”

With that, the old man evaporated with the mist as the morning sun beat down. And Mycah looked down to see that he was covered with beautiful feathers of a ska macaw. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a cougar stalking him and he lifted his wings to fly. Surprisingly, he did and soon had reached the treetops with a whole new perspective on the jungle below, opened by the dry season for him to see far and wide. Even the mighty Amazon far in the distance.

Alone, he flew over the canopy and came to some of the ten other boys of his age that were on their manhood quest in various places. When he called out to them, all that came out of his beak was a cawing sound. Eventually, he came upon Golwith digging with a wooden shovel in the hard packed dry land. He sighed to himself in relief and flew down close, trying to say something to him from a branch. But he could only caw when he wanted to talk.

Golwith stopped digging, the sweat pouring down his body from his exertion. Wondering why he had chosen to dig a hole when the ground was so hard. The macaw being so friendly, excited him. Maybe, instead of training a tapiir, maybe he could catch a macaw and teach it how to talk. But when he approached closer, Mycah suddenly thought of something he had to do first and flew off.

The exuberance of flying over, Mycah’s conscience got the best of him. He thought about what the old man said. Those birds would die without the ability to fly, and their long lives would be cut short. He had to fix that problem. For many daylights, he forged in the canopy for the fruits, the nuts and other food that the macaws ate and brought them food in abundance so they could eat in their nests like they did when they were chicks, and their parents brought them food until they could fly. Even acknowledged Mycah for bringing them food, not knowing that he was the one that pulled their feathers.

It was exhausting work. Mycah had no time to think of anything other until all those birds grew back enough feathers so they could fly again. By that time, Mycah thought of a way he could join Golwith to get back to the city and find a way to do a good deed. Not thinking that restoring the feathers to the birds he had taken them from was already a good deed. Golwith always helped him before, why not now?

It was easy to find Golwith. He had dug a hole, placed dry grass over the hole and caught, first, a puma who left only scratch marks as he jumped out in the night so that Golwith knew what he had caught. And then, he caught a giant anteater who also clawed its way out of the hole. Finally, after several nights, there was a huge tapiir in the hole. Golwith was hoping for a young one that would be easy to train. And he hadn’t figured out how to get the large animal out of the hole.

After many attempts trying to use ropes that he made from vines into a crude form of leverage with poles, the vines either broke or he couldn’t pull the squealing animal out. To keep it from dying in the hole, he finally decided to shovel the dirt that he removed from the hole back into it in a way where the animal would trample it down and eventually be able to get out. It took him two daylights and was totally exhausted without any other ideas after the tapiir finally gripped the edge of the hole and pulled itself out.

Golwith had never cried before, it wasn’t becoming a prince, but he did that day. Until he saw a flash of red above him and the macaw he had seen many daylights before was back! It sat on a low branch for a moment with its head nodding up and down as if wanting to come to him. Wrapping some leather he had in his bag around his arm, Golwith held up his arm and the bird flew down and landed on his arm like he had already been trained to do so.

Golwith was so happy that he started crying again and exclaimed, “Thank you, gods for being in my favor. But could you please, please find Mycah for me!”

Mycah felt the same way but had no way of crying his relief. All he could do was peck Golwith lightly on his cheek to let him know how happy he was to be reunited. Golwith accepted it as a kiss from the bird, knowing that it was a sign of affection.

This bird was not in his namesake, but it would make a fine gift if he could give it to the family of the princess he would choose in Landivar as a bride for a prince like him. But could he teach it to talk in time? He didn’t know how much Mycah wished to talk. He started with simple phrases and words like hello, how are you, thank you. you look lovely, etc.

Golwith looked at the beautiful bird and said, “I think I will call you Ska for your beautiful feathers.”

Mycah was eager to talk. His hearing, like his eyesight, was so much better than when he was human, but all he could utter was an agreeable, “Aukk,” and nod his head, yes.

But Mycah had a mission in mind first and flew off a short distance, beckoning Golwith to follow. Golwith got the hint, picked up his bag of possessions and followed. It was some distance, and the Amazon night was nearly upon them when they came to Mycah’s camp.

Golwith was very tired and hungry but immediately sensed that he was in the presence of his brother’s journey. He yelled loudly for him but the only thing he heard was the breeze in the tree leaves, the twitter of birds and animals going to sleep and the affirmative, “Aukk,” from Ska every time he called out – strange.

He crawled into the simple hut that Mycah had built and discovered something wonderful! There was a coat of many colors that glowed even in the twilight when he held it outside to get a better look at it. 

When Golwith awoke in the morning, he decided to stay in this place to see if Mycah would return and teach Ska to talk. Ska had flown off in the night but was there in the morning when he came out of the hut. Finding that Ska had brought them both fruit and nuts to eat. Soon after he began to teach Ska phrases the way he had learned others teach birds, by repeating them over and over in a calm voice.

Mycah wanted so much to be able to speak to Golwith, so every time he heard a phrase, he struggled to repeat it the same way that he so clearly heard it. Fortunately, the more phrases that he learned, the easier it became for him to speak it and learn more phrases. 

After three daylights, Mycah could practically converse with Golwith. And Golwith was amazed at how quickly Ska learned. But Mycah was nowhere to be found. So, he gathered up his things and the resplendent coat he had added a few remaining feathers to and made the three-day journey back to the city.

Golwith was one of the first to arrive and he was surrounded by children exclaiming happily about the fine coat of feathers that he was wearing and the beautiful bird on his shoulder. He charmed them further when he showed them how Ska could speak. He spoke far better than any of the other talking birds that were kept by some for amusement. Even asked some of the cute kids, “Do you want a kiss?” If they agreed, he would peck them lightly on their rosy cheeks.

Rohan was very pleased with his second son’s achievements to manhood. But worried… “Golwith, do you know anything of Mycah and his progress?”

“No, father. I found his camp and this coat in his hut. I believe it was his making by the craftsmanship. I take no credit for it or its splendor I finished it with a few missing feathers. I only take credit for Ska who came to me freely, so I didn’t have to capture him. I take credit only for teaching Ska to talk so fluently in our language. But he made that so easy. He’s a brilliant bird.”

“We will wait for Mycah’s return. But if he doesn’t, I will cry many tears. And the rainy season brings the river to our door, I will ask you to go in his place with the bird and the coat as gifts to the king of Landivar, Arnak (cayman hunter] for marriage to one of his daughters.”

***

In the meantime, preparations have been underway, not without drama, in Landivar. Arnak’s first born and strikingly beautiful, precocious daughter had turned 16 rainy seasons and was eligible, in his mind, to marry someone from across the Amazon. A prince from Cotoca.

Sonia (river twilight) was not only the most beautiful girl in the city, she was also the most talented at singing and dancing. Also, knowledgeable of the manners of the court of Arnak. She had been prepared that way from very early to be the wife of the future king of Cotoca, as was their accustomed. A custom deep in their history when the exchange of brides and husbands between the two cities resulted in strong healthy babies. Not like what had happened before the ritual began when so many babies were deformed, incompetent or worse. The practice of marrying within the family was abandoned in favor of seeking marriage from other places.

But there was a problem. By the time she was 13, Sonia was developing into a woman. Her social graces were such that she roamed freely among the city and conversed with everyone regardless of stature. That was good, because a princess or a queen needed that characteristic personality to help the king govern. 

But by the time Sonia reached 15, Arnak learned that she was flirting with some of the young ruffians who came and went to the city from other villages. It was hard to keep track of her even though he sent spies to follow her. Something had to be done.

He called upon the matriarchs of the city for advice. They told him they had a way, but he wouldn’t like it. Arnak replied, “What is this remedy that you prescribe for my daughter?”

The oldest of the ring of hags spoke up. “We have a portion of special herbs with a touch of the venom of the fer-de-lance, that will put her in a deep sleep. She will remain in that sleep until the appropriate suitor of princely stature kisses her.”

“I’m afraid you will have to do it, and soon. I don’t want her having the baby of someone of low stature in our court.” Arnak frowned in disgust at the thought.

That evening, the matriarchs invited Sonia to a high-level ritual. They told her that it was part of her coming of age as a woman of the court and the future wife of a prince from Cotoca. Sonia took the potion willingly and soon fell into a deep sleep. They told Arnak that the key to her waking up would be the kiss of a prince. For none other than a prince would be able to break the spell of the potion. Assuring Arnak that his beautiful daughter would only be able to fall in love with someone of high standing in the court of Cotoca.

Sonia was placed in bed in a beautiful boudoir and attended to by the younger daughters of the court. All wishing that they would have been granted such an honor.

***

The rains came and the great Amazon basin once again flooded with life-giving water. Bringing the jungle back to life in its never-ending cycle of seasons that all the plants, fish, birds and animals depended upon. As always, the rains stopped and the river, once again reached the citie’s edge. It was time for the young men to make the long journey by dugout canoe to Landívar and seek suitable wives there. Along the way, they will hail the canoes coming from Landívar seeking women among the population of Cotoca. The journey was both a test of the strength of young men seeking wives and a way to improve the population with new blood.

Golwith was in the lead canoe, eager to reach the other shore. The journey was long, and his arms were tired from paddling through an entire daylight and moonlit night when he saw the smoke of Landívar ahead and was glad because another day would have had him too tired to go on.

Ska weathered the journey well. Even flew off a couple of times to forage for food before coming back just before they reached the shoreline greeted by many of the people from the City of Landívar. Golwith had made sure that he put on the coat of colored feathers as the leader of the contingent of nine young men seeking brides to take back with them to Cotoca.

As they unloaded their canoes at the shoreline, King Arnak came down to greet them and they bowed down to him. Arnak, in turn, raised his arms to summon them to rise in welcome and looked closely at Golwith and his fabulous coat, as the leader of the group of suitors of wives.

He declared. “You may speak.”

Golwith summoned his courage and answered. “I am Golwith of Cotoca, Second son of Rohan, the King. It is unfortunate that the first son was lost in his quest for manhood and is not with us. But I have brought this fine coat of feathers that he made before he disappeared as a gift of friendship between our cities. And I’ve also brought a remarkable macaw, Ska, sitting on my shoulder, who can entertain for hours with the number of phrases he speaks.”

“Thank you, young man. My men tell me that your canoes are loaded with animals, food and wares that we can’t get on this side of the river. It is a fine contribution that you have brought to allow us to let our lovely young ladies of childbearing age marry and go with you back to Cotoca.”

“But there is one thing I must tell you, young prince. My fairest daughter is in deep sleep. I am told that the only thing that will awaken her is the kiss of a prince. I hope you’re up to the task. Because I want my beautiful daughter back and married to the right man who will one day be King of Cotoca.”

A shiver traveled down Golwith’s back as he heard what Arnak said.

But with a gesture, the people of the city came closer and began animatedly talking with the arrivals. In the distance, cooking fires were started and soon, the smell of a great feast was underway for to last well into the night.

For the feast to be a success, a celebration. Arnak asked Golwith to please go to the boudoir of his sweet daughter, Sonia, and see if he could wake her with a kiss. Arnak led Golwith and introduced him to a daughter of his with beautiful dark, seductive eyes and a winning smile that caught Golwith by surprise as he held out his hand to grasp hers.

Arnak announced, “This is my daughter, Galah, she has faithfully, with the other maidens, guarded Sonia in her sleep and will only let princes like yourself enter to try to wake her up with a kiss.”

Demurely, Galah replied.  “Golwith, I’m pleased to meet you. You are the third prince that has come here in the past year to awaken Sonia. But none of them have. She must be waiting for someone special. I hope that you are it.” 

She paused and looked a little bit wistful for a moment. And then looked up into his eyes and said, “That’s a lovely macaw you have on your shoulder, what’s its name?”

“He is Ska. And he’s a very clever talker.”

“He is?”

“Ska, say something to the beautiful young princess.”

Ska complied. “You are very lovely. Would you like a kiss?”

Surprised, Galah looked again into Golwith’s eyes as if to ask, is it okay?

Golwith shook his head, yes, and knelt, bending forward with his right cheek brushing hers. At the same time, Ska bent forward and gave her a peck on her left cheek. Not leaving a mark but giving her a blush all over for having been so close to Golwith and his wonderful bird.

With that, she pulled back the curtain to the boudoir and they entered. Arnak was full of anticipation that this was the prince that would awaken his lovely daughter from her long sleep.

Sonia was indeed the loveliest young woman that Golwith had ever seen. But he felt strange knowing that Mycah should be the one that was kissing her, not him. Still, when Galah asked him to, he put Ska down on the edge of the bed, bent down carefully, and kissed Sonia’s sweet lips as gently as he could.

As he rose back up, everyone was aghast to find Sonia still fast asleep.

Suddenly, Ska spoke up. “May I kiss the princess!”

Golwith thought no harm in it. He had Ska hop onto his arm so that he could bring Ska down to where he could give Sonia one of his kisses. Expecting a normal peck on her cheek.

Instead, Ska opened his mouth, and his tongue gently opened a gap in her lips, touching Sonia’s tongue in a way he had never kissed before.

Suddenly, Ska was growing and very heavy on Golwith’s arm. He had to let him down on the edge of the bed again. The feathers were shed, and the bird grew into a man dressed in the finery of a prince of Cotoca, unmistakably. Mycah!

The human Mycah bent down again and gave Sonia a long, loving kiss. Sonia’s eyelashes fluttered for a moment, and she rose staring starry eyed into the handsome face of the prince that saved her. Instinctively, she knew he was the one. Rising to her knees, she embraced him and kissed him gently, knowing that she was thrilled by his presence. The future king that she would marry.

Golwith was stunned. Galah was relieved, knowing that Golwith was not the prince for her sister, but perhaps the prince for her. Arnak cried. Not believing what he just experienced.

That evening, a great celebration commenced. All around the great hall matchmaking was taking place following the way of the prince and princess who would be married the next day and then, on their way, back to Cotoca. There was no question between Golwith and Galah. It was love at first sight for them, too. They joined Sonia and Mycah at the king’s table. The celebration and matchmaking continued until every one of the ten young men had found the right woman to spend their lives together.

Arnak and his three queens presided over culminating the process of ten marriages. The entire next day was consumed with more celebration and preparation for returning.

With a hearty sendoff and dugout canoes filled with treasures from the north side of the Amazon, the newly married were on their way to another marriage ceremony when they arrived at Cotoca.

Thus ends the tale of the macaw prince and sleeping princess.

Copyright 2025 © Ronald W. Hull

8/27/25