Thursday, April 05, 2007

Oog: The Story Of A Caveman's Best Policy

To fully capture the essence of this entry, I have made the characters speak in their native language. Direct translation in English are put in immediately next to the dialogue in square brackets, e.g in malay: 'Ini adalah square bracket [these are square brackets]'.




Insult of the day: Aag ug ug shishwaba oog!! [You are a shishwaba oog!!]

Oog laid on his back in the open field before his caves, staring into the starry night sky. "Oog aah [Oog is in a disposition where he feels like saying 'aah']," he said aloud in his native language. He was thinking of the mammoth and the sabertooth tiger he had killed that day. More accurately, actually, the mammoth killed the sabertooth cat in an epic melee, and Oog's singular spear was enough to kill off the already-greatly-weakened mammoth.

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When he went back to the tribe with the news that he had killed two of the kings of the animal kingdom, the women swooned, the men rubbed their bellies at the thought of a feast and the children made him their hero.

"Arg arga oog ug [Oog make sabertooth look like leaf stuck to donkey's ass after donkey make mud slide]," little Hoog had said. "Oog urga Hoog boorgh boorgh gur. [Oog has Hoog's greatest respect. Could we share some fruit someday?]"

This blatant expression of respect resulted in a scuffle among the male younglings. Oog had stared on, smiling to himself. They were fighting over, and for, his attention. It was what he had always wanted.

Later that evening, the tribe feasted on the sabertooth tiger and the mammoth that Oog had, in their eyes, killed for the greater good of the tribe. Before the feast, Chief Groog had gathered his people around a large bonfire and gave a speech to hail the tribe's new hero, Oog.

"Oog gurga moorg. Ug loog goorg uh ug agg moorg. Omg whoooog urg warg [Hail Great Hunter Oog. Your exquisite abilities as a food-gatherer shall be marked in the cave paintings of our tribe. Oh my creator, there is an ant biting upon my buttock]," Chief Groog said and started jumping around, beating at his buttocks.

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Oog allowed himself a sigh of great content as he reminisced on the events of that day. Tomorrow would be the second day of a life of great reverence in the tribe for Oog. His eyes fluttered towards sleep...

"Oog? [Oog?]," came a deep, familiar voice that aroused him from near-sleep.

Oog shot out of his slumber, and turned to face the approaching figure of Chief Groog.

"Moorg murga Groog [Salutations Chief Groog]," Oog greeted his leader. "Koorga oorg gurg gurg krroooog. [If you're going to ask me why I'm not in my caves, the answer is fresh air.]"

When Chief Groog came close enough for Oog to study the leader's features, Oog was greatly unsettled. Chief Groog look stern, solemn and sombre. It was not the face of a caveman who had just feasted upon a mammoth and a sabertooth tiger with his entire clan. "Loorg Oog [Hello Oog]," Chief Groog returned the salutation. He paused, giving Oog enough time to direct his attention towards the chief. "Goorg oorga og Oog ug boooooog. Kurg kooorg oreo. [I want to know why you lied to us, Oog. About our food..]"

Oog gave a blank look to his chief. He gave it because he was trying to hide the flurry of activity inside his head. The recently-celebrated caveman was trying to come up with an alibi, a shield to protect his newfound greatness. At the same time, he slowly learnt that a blank look suggested ignorant innocence.

Chief Groog pressed on, determined to get past Oog's intelligent attempt at a cover-up. "Oorg sarrr-teh. [Our tribesmen are strong and brave, but their brains are less developed than the dinosaurs'. When they brought the mammoth and the sabertooth to me, they hailed you, and I was soaring with pride for you, Oog. Then I saw the wounds of the sabertooth and I realised that they were not made by the strongest hands nor the finest tools. They were made by the tusks of a mammoth. And the mammoth - oh the mammoth! There was only one wound on it that suggested your work - the one made by a spear, at it's leg! That would hardly kill a mammoth of that size, Oog.]," Chief Groog said succintly.

In his mind, Oog was driven to a corner. And yet, he said in the most solemn voice he could muster, "Kurga troog. Uuug ag agrgagag psychic. [I didn't want to tell anybody... But I made the mammoth do it... With my mind. And then I told the mammoth to die, with my mind. I threw the spear in just to strengthen my...suggestion.]"

Chief Groog stood there, his lips unmoving. But he stared a significant stare into Oog's watery eyes. Oog heard Groog's voice in his head, "Hoorg kuirga joog! [I would know if you had...abilities like mine.]".

Oog was speechless, but his face was an image of bedrock-determination and arrogance. It was all he could do to hang on to his credibility. "Sorga aur [But I am still great]," he said.

Oog walked away. Away from Chief Groog. Away from the tribe.

Chief Groog let him. Oog would be back in a few days.

He knew.

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