New Tales of the Gobi Desert
St. Mary’s Canossian College, Carol Wong, Fiction: Group 3
B
ehind the mountain of books was a boy muttering and complaining. “Oh my god! When
will I be able to finish all the projects in front of me? I have already lost all my reading
time just to settle the hateful work! I missed my beloved collections so much!” Carson, a
13-year-old boy, roared as he grabbed a book with some assiduous camels on the cover
from the bookshelf.
It was a guidebook about Gobi Desert, which is inhabited by over 45 different kinds of
species and has a long history of human inhabitation. Carson was soon into the book when a
genie suddenly appeared. “Hello, Carson, I am an envoy from the Gobi Desert. It seems that you
are really interested in our country. What can I help you?” “Yes! I really want to pay a visit to
the Gobi, but…” Carson showed his hesitation on going for the trip. “As you can see, boatloads of
books are in front of me, so I don’t think I can go with you, sorry.” A sense of helplessness and
sorrow was heard from Carson.
After hearing from Carson, the genie agreed to fulfill his wish by bringing time to a halt. However,
she only allowed him to bring one item except clothing to the trip. “So what will you bring?” “Mm… I
cannot think of any right now. Shall we wait outside later? I will consider that carefully.”
When Carson arrived at the gate, there was a girl wearing a set of jazzy blazer who had an
angelic smile waiting for him. Carson stood in astonishment after knowing that she was actually
the genie. “Who are you? Did you see a genie?” “Didn’t you recognize me? I’m the genie and I’ve
got changed just now. Oh, I almost forget to introduce myself, my name is Angelica. Are you
ready? Let’s go!” Then they disappeared in a puff of smoke.
They found themselves in beautiful scenery where the warm sun shone on the golden sand.
Carson was curious about everything he saw in this whole new nation that he kept capturing
them with the camera he brought. Seeing his interest in the animals there, Angelica kindly
granted him a special ability to understand the animals’ language and to communicate with them.
He rode on the camels and followed them everywhere, foraging for water and food in the daytime.
They chatted with delight about the issues they were interested in, and hearty laughter was heard
during their conversation. “How come you can sustain your life even without eating or drinking
for one whole month?” “That’s because of the lipids and red blood cells inside my body. The lipids
can provide energy for my daily activities and those red blood cells could be expanded to absorb
water for storage. That’s why I can survive without taking in any nutrients.” Carson suddenly
realized the wonders of nature and he was so glad that he could have such a valuable opportunity
to learn a lesson through talking with the camel.
All that walking and travelling had given them a big appetite. Although only meat was served
as their first meal in the Gobi, Carson enjoyed the meal with Angelica and the animals so much
that they’d spent a good time together. He also had his first experience in milking a camel and
drinking the milk, which he had been looking forward to with great relish before his journey.
That night, after bidding farewell to the exhausting camel, Angelica led Carson to an open space
and helped him pitch the tent. As soon as loading his luggage in the tent, he fell asleep and
entered the dreamland with fatigue but pleasure…
The next and last day of his trip started with an overcast sky interspersed with dark clouds
