Riddles Of Rasputin (13 Nov)

David was a boy of fifteen,

Mature for his age, and with a personality sheen,

In the middle of the jungle, he found himself,

On orders from his magnificent queen

Crossing a ford,

He reached at last,

To the long lost temple,

Of Habberdast

Within this structure,

Were treasures stored,

Beyond one’s wildest dreams,

Without the protection of a spear or a sword

Just as he entered,

A spirit manifested,

Why do you linger here, mortal,

Do you have no fear?

Who might you be, Dadid dared ask,

Neither did he sweat, nor did he fear,

In the face of the supernatural,

David only sneered

The ghost was taken aback,

By David’s adamant resolve,

I am Rasputin, it proclaimed proudly,

His sound around the forest did revolve

I’m the protector of the temple,

And the trusted of Habberdast,

If you wish to enter the temple,

My riddles you must solve, accurately and fast

When David nodded, 

Rasputin asked,

Tell me,

How many leaves does a maple tree have?

David thought a moment,

And then answered confidently,

It is the same as the leaves,

On an apple tree, he bowed respectfully

The spirit growled in ire,

On being bested,

It promised to itself,

To leave the trespasser twisted

Where is the centre of the earth,

Rasputin thundered,

It is where I stand,

David murmured

Rasputin hollered again,

And even the clouds resounded its call,

This last question was the toughest,

Will this boy take the fall

Why are you here?

What is your purpose?

Answer honestly, coz I’ll know,

Why are you quiet? Are you nervous?

David stood momentary, for longer that usual,

He stared at the spirit with all his attention,

I love the queen and I’m here to fulfil her wish,

I’ll overcome everything to win her affection

Rasputin smiled, a painful smile,

His spirit then dissolved,

His voice lingered though, for another moment,

Waiting to find the right words,

With a huff and a puff, he finally said,

Your soul is pure, the treasure is yours